Treloar key to Pies moving forward
PLAYMAKER Adam Treloar has become a new forward weapon designed to help fix Collingwood’s ground ball problems inside 50m.
Last season Treloar, 25, spent 92 per cent of his game time in the midfield.
But in a move that could reignite his career, Treloar has been swung forward this season to give the Pies another quick, creative goal kicker.
The former GWS Giant line breaker spent 48 per cent of Friday night’s win over Carlton forward, often leading out from deep in the goal square.
He kicked 13 goals last season but already has had a bigger scoreboard impact,
“In Treloar’s case, he arrived as a very good midfielder for two years, and all of a sudden is he not a good midfielder? He has been average, but I think that (midfield), is where he has got to play his football.”
Treloar’s ball use has fluctuated since he arrived at Collingwood, but his speed gives Nathan Buckley another target in attack.
Key forward Ben Reid supported the tactical swing, saying Treloar and midfield jet Steele Sidebottom were dangerous as forwards.
“I thought we were a lot better as a forward group (against Carlton),” Reid said.
“Our contest at ground level was something we have had to work on the last couple of weeks and it was a lot better.”
Collingwood has had huge problems at ground level in the forward half of the ground in recent years. According to Champion Data, last year the Magpies were 16th in the competition for ground ball differential in the forward half.
Buckley admitted after the win over the Blues it was a headache.
The Pies will again be without star forwards Jamie Elliott and Daniel Wells when the Pies attempt to upset the Crows in Adelaide tonight.
“The ground ball gets ... at the moment, we are in the bottom couple in the league,” Buckley said. “We were definitely 18th at the end of last week and we lost that stat again (against Carlton). So we are scratching our heads about that. We have got to do better.”