Mihocek cements place in Buckley reckoning
the system that you’re putting in place.
“The players are buying in really strongly to it, the coaches are really committed to where we want to take this team.
“We’ve still got a way to go to say that consistently and over a long period of time that we’re playing our best footy. That’s what we’re working towards, and playing Collingwood in the form they’re in is just another great opportunity for us to test ourselves out.”
Tall Zac Clarke walked with a limp at training on Monday, with visible bruising on his calf after suffering what Worsfold said was a secondary bleed on a corkie.
The club is facing a potentially hefty fine from the AFL after the late inclusion of Joe Daniher into its team on Good Friday, with Worsfold admitting it had taken some pleading on his part to get the forward into the team.
The prospect of a fine was definitely a deterrent, Worsfold said, but having Daniher in the team outweighed that.
“Weighing up what we were looking at, yeah, that’s why we made the call,” Worsfold said. BRODY Mihocek’s importance to Collingwood’s forward line continues to grow, with coach Nathan Buckley heaping praise on the mature-age rookie.
The former Burnie defender has kicked on from his fairytale rise in 2018, where he made his senior debut in Round 11 following an injury crisis at the club and went on to feature in the grand final.
Against Brisbane on Thursday night, the 26-year-old kicked four goals from 18 touches and eight marks as the Pies crushed the Lions by 52 points.
The performance didn’t go unnoticed by Buckley, who while not surprised at the Tasmanian’s impact, said his growth was “startling”. “He runs as hard as anyone in the competition, anyone in our team,” Buckley said on Melbourne radio SEN’s Whateley.
“He’s such a selfless team player. He’s always doing the bullocking work or breaking space and creating opportunities for other forwards.
“His growth and importance to us in front of the ball has been startling since coming into the side last year.
“His attention to detail in his role and what we’re looking for from him is unquestioned.
“He has the respect of his teammates. He’s a courageous player.”
Mihocek, who won a VFL premiership with Port Melbourne in 2017 before earning an AFL lifeline, was originally drafted as a defender at pick 22 in the rookie draft.
But injuries to Ben Reid and Darcy Moore opened the door for his debut against Fremantle — kicking four goals.
He is averaging 15.6 disposals and eight marks in five matches this season, and has kicked 7.6 ahead of the Anzac Day clash against Essendon on Thursday.