David King is big on Collingwood heading into the 2024 AFL season.
While King doesn’t usually like to tip teams to go back-to-back, he’s been buoyed by what he’s seen at Collingwood training this pre-season.
King loves how healthy the Pies appear to be just one month out from their season kicking off and isn’t all that concerned by the loss of Dan McStay to a serious knee injury.
“Effectively, everyone thinks they're going to slide, that's what we're saying,” King said on SEN Breakfast.
“Everyone's telling me that Collingwood, ‘Oh, they just win the close games … they're lucky, they're this, they’re that…’.
“But if ever you're going to tip a team to go back-to-back… The more I watch Collingwood and look at Collingwood…
“I'm a ‘No’, every year (if asked to tip) on back-to-back. I never tip back-to-back.
“They're seriously healthy, McStay is the only one out, but I think big games have become, ‘Small ball’. I mean, how many key forwards have actually stood up and separated a final in recent years or a big game in recent years? Not many.
“I think the small ball approach has worked. That freedom of explosion off half back.”
One reason why King is so bullish about the Pies is that he thinks they’re already in a better position than when they won the flag in September of last year.
King has that opinion due to the star power of Nick Daicos – who is his Brownlow tip and will continue to be until he retires, the improvement of the likes of Isaac Quaynor and Beau McCreery, as well as the addition of trade recruit Lachie Schultz.
“I'll be tipping Nick Daicos to win the Brownlow every year until he retires,” King said.
“He will just get vote after vote after vote. I don’t know how many he’s going to win (across his career). But if he wins it, I’m on board, it’s as simple as that.
“They're getting better, Quaynor is a better player than this time last year.
“Their off-season acquisition of Lachie Schultz will impact them. He's going to be a good player in that forward line and he's a better version of Jack Ginnivan right now.
“I think Beau McCreery is going to become a very good first-picked midfielder.”
Even though King refused to name his 2024 premiership pick just yet, he conceded that he’s warming to the idea of the Pies winning back-to-back flags as he hasn’t seen a premiership team return in the shape that this side has.
“I'm going to go over because I don't think I've seen a premiership team come back (like them),” King said.
“They’re ripping fit and healthy with an edge. They're not talking about back-to-back. They're talking about back to work and it is great terminology.
“I'm warming to it (picking them to win the flag), and it breaks policy because I don't like to tip back-to-back.”
Collingwood begin their 2024 campaign with an Opening Round clash against GWS at GIANTS Stadium on Saturday, March 9.
