Collingwood captain Darcy Moore should be offended by recent commentary surrounding his club and should be taking ownership in turning his side’s slow start around.
That’s the belief of former GWS captain and defender Phil Davis who wants to see Moore be the player who steps up against St Kilda on Thursday night.
The Magpies are in danger of going 0-3 when they meet the Saints at the MCG after losing their two opening games, with a common theme in both.
Among other aspects, Collingwood’s standards have dropped in defending the turnover and has subsequently conceded 33 goals in the past fortnight.
In losses to GWS and Sydney, Moore’s performance has also dropped off. David King recently described the 28-year-old star as a “very average commodity”.
Speaking from the perspective of Moore, Davis says he would be offended if that criticism was levelled against him.
“A lot of the talk has been around that backline and if I was Darcy, I’d be taking offence to everyone having a go at my footy club,” Davis said on SEN’s Whateley.
“(Moore would feel) we’re reigning premiers, we’ll be okay. But I’d be more offended by what everyone is saying about that backline. Nathan Murphy is not there and everyone is talking about that.
“If I’m Darcy, I’m taking a lot of ownership about what happens in that backline first and foremost and obviously trying to get that team to success.”
Murphy is edging closer to a return from concussion issues but still has no firm timeline on when he will play his first game of 2024.
For the first time in four years, 2024 has seen Moore’s kicking efficiency fall to below 80 per cent.
His average of 10 effective disposals over the opening two games is the lowest of his past six seasons.
Davis wants to see Moore bring an increased intensity on Thursday night.
“The other thing I think we don’t talk about enough is Collingwood plays a game that is maximum effort at all times and when you are two percent off, the whole thing is so much more difficult and we’re finding that particularly with their backline and ability to defend,” Davis continued.
“So if I’m Darcy I’m making sure that backline is tight, and I’m going to lead by example and defend better. And secondly, I want to make sure we’re absolutely at boiling point and ferocious in putting pressure on teams again.”
It’s a similar sentiment to the one offered by Champion Data, with the stats suggesting Collingwood isn’t winning the ball in tight early in 2024.
“What is of interest to me is … they want to outnumber, and they want to swarm and to do that, the only way that can succeed is your ability then to be able to win that ball that’s in dispute at ground level,” competitions analysis boss Daniel Hoyne said.
“If Collingwood don't win that ball, they are in big trouble because they're being exposed behind the footy.
“They've now lost that ball in 13 of their last 17 matches Collingwood which is a bit of a surprise, ironically of their four matches where they've won it. They won it on Grand Final day and they won it when they needed to against Melbourne in that first final.
“So probably the two most important games along with the Prelim where they won it.”
Hoyne added: “I just wanted to put a couple of players on watch in this aspect of the game.
“So, Jordan De Goey has won one ground ball in general play over the first two weeks.
“He’s normally about four or five, but he’s had one in two weeks, which is a staggering number.
“Steele Sidebottom has been really good as a winger in this aspect of the game, he's won two in total.
“Josh Daicos, his other partner in on the wing, four in total in a two-week period.
“There's a couple of individuals at the moment that are just not getting their hands dirty and having the impact in this aspect of the game.
“If they do (get their hands dirty), I think things can change pretty quickly.”
Should Collingwood lose to St Kilda, they’d become just the third premier in 49 years to go 0-3.
Ironically, it’d be the second straight year such a feat has occurred after Geelong’s failure last year in defending its 2022 flag.