Brenton Sanderson has put it to the Magpies that they must have a plan for Geelong’s Gryan Miers on Friday night if they are to snap a two-game losing streak.
Sanderson, a former assistant at both Geelong and Collingwood as well as Adelaide’s senior coach between 2012-2014, believes the Pies must limit Miers to a dozen touches or less at the MCG.
Miers is shaping as an increasingly likely chance for a maiden All-Australian blazer in 2023, such has been his form for Chris Scott’s Cats.
The 24-year-old has played every game this year and averages just shy of 20 disposals and two goal assists per appearance.
If those numbers continue, Sanderson warned it could leave the Pies in plenty of pain.
“I’m late to the party with this because I know everyone is talking about him now, but Collingwood will have to do something with Miers,” he told SEN’s Whateley.
“You can’t let him have the ball anywhere in that forward half.
“He reminds me back in my era of Mark Mercuri, Brett Heady, the way they dominated that front half, the way they made great decisions with their ball use inside 50. They rarely wasted a possession in that front half.
“So I think Collingwood are going to have to put some time into Miers. He can’t have more than 10 or 11 touches really, he’s getting up in the 20s now and he’s just so damaging with his ball use inside forward 50.”
Miers is coming off a 24-disposal, 10-mark, five-goal assist performance against Port Adelaide in Round 21.
If he is contained, Sanderson feels it will prove too much for the Cats to overcome despite the fact Craig McRae’s Maggies having lost two on the trot.
“It feels like it’s going to be too hard for Geelong. You look at all the data, you look at their previous encounters, the Cats will need their experienced players to play really well in this and a couple of those young kids to step up,” he continued.
“Whether that’s Tanner Bruhn, Jack Bowes (or others). I’d love for them to get back to finding a way to free up Tom Stewart somehow… sides have found a way to limit his influence but if they can manipulate it where Stewart can sit off and be a seventh defender inside their defensive 50 and if they can use Patrick Dangerfield as a front-half player and get the ball into Miers' hands in the front half, I think they’ll still be hard to beat
“It’ll be a great game but I just feel Collingwood have the upper hand. Collingwood can’t lose three in a row and expect to be that absolute premiership favourite we’ve talked about all season.
“But there’s so much to look forward to in this game.”
As for the tactical battle, Sanderson put a keen watch on how McRae’s side manages their post-clearances contests, citing that as an area that has fallen away as the season has progressed.
Collingwood goes in narrow favourites to sure up the minor premiership, while the Cats are looking to jump into the top eight late in the year.