The aspect of Collingwood’s game that they must get firing again to contend for the flag

Josh Jenkins has highlighted exactly what he thinks Collingwood must get back to if they’re to challenge for a premiership in 2025.

He thinks that the aspect of their game that the Pies must get firing again is their ability to score from turnovers off half-back.

Collingwood’s ability to turn defence into attack was a hallmark of their 2022 and 2023 campaigns and with the addition of two-time All-Australian Dan Houston this off-season, Jenkins thinks Craig McRae must get that weapon firing once again.

“They need to stop thinking about anything other than the 2023 domination of the half-back turnover game,” Jenkins told SEN The Run Home.

“Think about Collingwood’s premiership season, that was such a weapon for them, and they have acquired another weapon in that space in Dan Houston … which is why I was so keen on any club that was into him going after him last off-season.

“Think about 2023, the ball would be turned over at half-back and you’d see (Jack) Crisp, (Jordan) De Goey, (Nick) Daicos, (Josh) Daicos, (Scott) Pendlebury and now Houston charging through the middle of the ground with handballs and they’d kick out the back to (Jamie) Elliott, kick to space to Bobby Hill or kick to a contest with (Brody) Mihocek.

“The game was made so easy for their forwards, who on paper aren’t a match-winning forward line, but the way they were able to turn the ball over … and then getting it in the hands of their great decision makers … life was made very easy for them.”

Collingwood’s brilliance off turnover in 2022 and 2023 coincided with that aspect of both defence and attack becoming perhaps the most important aspect of winning games of footy, and Jenkins foresees that still being the case in 2025.

“I think the turnover game is still going to be the most prominent factor in footy,” Jenkins said.

“That’s creating turnovers, and then being able to score off those turnovers.

“The reason you hear teams say don’t kick it short inside 50 if you’re not sure is because it’s so hard to defend that turnover, and that’s what Collingwood were so brilliant at.”

Jenkins also called on the Pies to start blooding some more youth including midfielder Ed Allan and to keep trusting Darcy Cameron in a key role in his Stop/Start/Keep assessment of the club.