Headstrong Pies

Resilient squad can push into finals

COLLINGWOOD coach Nathan Buckley admits his AFL team was not ready to handle success the last time it challenged for finals in 2015.

Before the clash against Carlton at the MCG on Sunday, when the Magpies are expected to bank their ninth win of the season, Buckley (pictured) reflected on the last time his team was in such a position.

In 2015 Collingwood was sitting fourth going into its Round 12 bye. But it lost the next three games by 10 points or less, which Buckley said shattered confidence, with the team only winning another two games for the season as it plummeted out of contention.

“We probably just weren’t ready as a group,” he said yesterday. “It’s easy to look retrospectively and say that … we had a narrow loss to Hawthorn and then lost to a goal to Freo and then to Port Adelaide by three points.

“It seemed to me like our spirit was broken a little bit at that point, even at eight (wins) and six (losses) and we weren’t able to maintain our positive momentum.”

Buckley felt this squad was better equipped to deal with such adversity.

“It’s more resilient and more ready and we’ve got a deeper squad,” the coach said.

After accounting for fellow contender Melbourne in their last outing, the Magpies are expected to romp home against the lowly Blues.

Last round Carlton went goalless in the first half against Fremantle while allowing its opponent to kick 12 goals.

But Buckley said they would not “fall” for Carlton’s last performance and said the Blues had shown they were a better team than that display.

“Their two games leading into the bye, against Geelong and Sydney, were probably more of an indication for us,” he said.

“They defended really well, competed really well, and the contest and clearance work was strong and they fought two top four sides all the way. “We won’t be lowering our guard.” One of the highlights of the match is expected to be the clash of young bulls — the Magpies’ Jordan De Goey and Carlton’s Patrick Cripps.

Confirming that the Magpies had opened negotiations to extend De Goey’s contract, Buckley said the 22year-old would split his time between playing forward and in the midfield against Cripps.

“Patty Cripps has been executing that role as well as anyone — he’s a big-bodied midfielder and Jordy is a big body as well,” he said.

On the injury front, Buckley said midfielder Travis Varcoe would likely need another week of training as he recovered from a hamstring injury, while Jarryd Blair suffered the same fate at training on Monday.