“Resembles 2023”: Where the Magpies are flourishing... and failing

Back to the Future, McFly.

There is an interesting watch on Collingwood and what they’re doing with their game style right now.

Champion Data’s Daniel Hoyne says Craig McRae’s Magpies have somewhat dropped their defensive profile in a bid to open up their ball movement and efficiency inside forward 50.

Hoyne has compared what they’re doing right now to what they did in 2023 when they won the premiership.

“It looks like ‘McFly’, Craig McRae, has dropped into a method that resembles 2023,” Hoyne said on SEN’s Sportsday.

“Last year’s campaign and the first two-thirds of this season it was a defensive profile that was their point of difference. It was the reason why they got to a prelim final and were on top for large parts of last season.

“It was the reason early on this year as to why they might be a chance to contend for wildcard or top six.

“That has now flipped over the last seven or eight weeks. In that time they are the third best offensive team in the competition behind only Fremantle and Brisbane.

“Their ball movement from D50 is the best in the competition. Their ability to then be able to connect when you’re going inside 50. If you’re creating those offensive chains through your back-half ball movement most of the time you’re going into space and that allows you to be efficient inside 50.

“Third best forward 50 in the competition in that time and only Fremantle and Brisbane are better at punishing you off turnover in that space.

“Tick, tick, tick. That was them in 2023.”

But on the flip side, what they’re gaining in ball movement from defensive 50, they’re giving up by allowing the opposition more inside 50 entries.

The Pies have conceded 56, 53, 51, 55, 60, 62 and 57 inside 50s in their last seven games.

“Defensively that’s not them at the moment (compared to what they were earlier). They’ve had a pretty good draw over the last six or seven weeks,” Hoyne added.

“That will be the interesting component, whether or not that stacks up against Hawthorn, Brisbane and Adelaide, who defend better than most teams in the competition.

“They are putting their backs under a lot of pressure. We saw that Friday night. They’re conceding a lot of entries - third most entries they’ve conceded of any team in the competition over the last six weeks.

“Their games have been good to watch. They’re playing good offensive footy, which we haven’t said about a Collingwood team for the last 18 months.

“It’s a bit of a watch in terms of what does that defensive profile do. Have they tried to open it up a little bit to try to get some offensive returns at the expense of what they’re doing defensively.

“That’s a massive game against Carlton (on Saturday night) from a wildcard perspective. It’s an interesting watch to see what Collingwood are doing and what they’re going to be doing over the next period of time if this offensive ball movement system works.”

The Maggies have won four on the trot and currently sit eighth but now have a tough run of fixtures against Carlton, Adelaide, Geelong, West Coast, Hawthorn and Brisbane.