Has Collingwood's weakness been exposed? Stats highlight how they've been beaten across last fortnight

Reigning premiers Collingwood are fighting a tough battle to climb the ladder, and it’s their ability to control the ball that’s taking the hit.

Having lost the last three games to Gold Coast, Essendon and Geelong, their issues retaining the footy have been exposed.

Commentator and former AFL star David King highlighted the importance of the Pies' defensive pressure to stop teams playing keepings off against them, as the Cats did on Friday night.

“Over the last couple of weeks against Collingwood, the opposition has taken 268 uncontested marks”, King said on SEN's Whateley.

“The uncontested marks is one thing, alright that’s the most in the comp by panels.

“Only in the last two weeks they’ve conceded 110 inside fifties. So that’s the third most in the comp.

“I think Craig McRae will strip it back. I think he’ll say ok, we’ve been working on all these things and the opposition are now taking the game out of pressure because they’re worried about our pressure game and now we’re allowing them to hold onto the footy.

“Let's take that off the opposition and then we can bring it back into where we're strong because once the game's not in pressure, their back six become redundant. They're in poor positions because they're an aggressive, assertive defence and it can make them look really poor.

“And I understand all the feedback is on Darcy Moore at the moment and that's your lot as a full back or a key position player of influence. As soon as there's pressure on the game, he's an intercept marker as soon as they are able to control the ball against them, they're nowhere.

“So, that’s the number one focus from here for the last six weeks of football is to be the hardest team to take an uncontested mark against, to bring it back into the pressure.”

The Pies are running out of time to make their run up the ladder and face a charging Hawthorn this weekend.