How unsung Magpie helped Daicos back to damaging best

Champion Data’s Daniel Hoyne has had his eye on Collingwood’s use of Nick Daicos for some time now.

With the star 22-year-old clearly Collingwood’s ace in the pack, Hoyne has been clued into whether the Magpies have used him in what he describes as ‘ball-winning Nick’ or ‘ball-using Nick’.

While ‘ball-winning Nick’ has still dominated over the best part of the last 12 months, Hoyne thinks that the Magpies are better served using Daicos in more of a ball-using midfield role with his ability to kick the footy incredibly unique in Champion Data’s estimates.

After being tasked with an inside midfield role in the Opening Round loss to GWS and having his influence nullified by cramp and a Toby Bedford cramp, Collingwood was able to free Daicos up to use the ball on the outside against Port Adelaide, even though he was tagged by Willem Drew.

On top of a slight tweak in position, Hoyne credited much of Daicos’ increased potency with the footy to that of midfield teammate Ned Long who did the grunt work in and under which allowed Daicos to use the footy better than any other midfielder in Round 1.

“There are two players I want to put on the agenda here,” Hoyne said on SEN’s Sportsday.

“I mean this with the greatest amount of respect - I never thought I’d be talking about Ned Long and his importance to what happened on the weekend against Port Adelaide.

“No Collingwood player impacted the game on Saturday night more through how they won the footy than what Ned Long did. He had 14 contested possessions and five clearances.

“Why am I bringing up Ned Long? Because it got ball-using Nick Daicos back. Ball-using Nick, not ball-winning Nick.

“For the best part of the last 15 games for multiple reasons, he has had to go into ball-winning Nick Daicos mode. On the weekend he had six contested possessions and 18 uncontested, and his ball use was the best of any midfielder for the weekend.

“When he impacts the game more through how he uses the footy compared to how he wins it, for the last two and a bit years since he’s gone in as a midfielder, Collingwood wins 75 per cent of matches.

“When he gets the footy on the outside there’s hardly anyone in the competition that can impact the game as well as what he did.”

While Long may not have as much of an impact week-to-week, Hoyne thinks that the Magpies must find someone to fill that role as much as they can to get the best out of their number-one player.

“We talked about who that player will be for Collingwood (to free him up), we didn’t think it would be Ned Long, but against Port Adelaide, it was Ned Long,” Hoyne said.

“It might not (necessarily) be Ned Long moving forward but it has to be someone that picks up the ball-winning side of things for Collingwood to allow their best player to do what he does better than most in the competition.

“Seeing ball-using Nick back was a pleasure to watch. The more we see that for Collingwood, the greater chance they have to threaten this competition throughout the next 20-25 weeks.”

The Magpies will hope to make it two wins on the trot when they face the Bulldogs at the MCG on Friday night.