“They are now with Melbourne as the premiership favourites”: Healy revels in Collingwood brilliance
AFL great Gerard Healy believes Collingwood are the now equal premiership favourites with Melbourne.
The Pies were electric on Friday night, overpowering Geelong in what was an epic game of footy.
Craig McRae’s side appear to have it all.
They have dare, class, star power and role players that shows last year's top four finish wasn’t a fluke.
They were busy in the off-season, addressing areas of their game that needed some help.
They headed north and bolstered their forward stocks with former Lion Dan Mcstay, they needed another small forward and headed to Sydney for Bobby Hill, Darcy Moore was desperate for a mate down back, so they headed to South Australia and acquired Billy Frampton.
Oh, and they also added a Brownlow Medallist in Tom Mitchell to their midfield.
Mitchell was at his typical best on Friday night, gathering 21 disposals, 10 clearances, four tackles and two goals, a performance that impressed Healy and the thousands of Collingwood fans.
“They (Collingwood) are now with Melbourne as the premiership favourites,” Healy told SEN’s Sportsday.
“The naysayers were completely dismissing the addition of Brownlow Medallist Tom Mitchell whose reputation has been assaulted by many who misunderstood his role and the difficulties of playing in a poor team.
“He’s now added what they absolutely needed. He rated the second best player on the ground on Friday night behind the ageless (Scott) Pendlebury.
“He’ll be a great asset to Collingwood and is a serious piece in a possible premiership puzzle along with the three other additional players.”
Collingwood will look to continue their faultless start to season against Port Adelaide on Saturday afternoon at the MCG.
They’ll be without defender Jeremy Howe who has been ruled out for eight to 10 weeks with a broken arm.
Frampton looks his likely replacement.