New-look Pies defence spurs veteran
STAR interceptor Jeremy Howe will enter his 13th season without a contract for next year but believing he can play for multiple seasons in a new-look Collingwood backline.
Collingwood has been buoyed by the strong summer of former Adelaide defender Billy Frampton, who has been a strong participant in match simulation.
The Pies found a bright longterm defender in Nathan Murphy, who played 16 games and took on many of the big key forwards of the competition, but Frampton will push hard for that role.
Howe has turned 32 but put together another outstanding season, finishing fourth in the best-and-fairest as he showed his hamstring issues were firmly behind him.
He has dropped to 84kg – he has recently played about 86kg – as part of a bid to prolong his career and retain his running power.
While Darcy Moore and Howe are capable of playing on the opposition’s star tall, the Pies prefer to play them as interceptors who can also use their pace and elite kicking to set up attacking thrusts.
Half-backs John Noble and Isaac Quaynor have had exceptional pre-seasons so will again help fill out the medium-sized roles alongside the adaptable Brayden Maynard.
Former captain and club champion Scott Pendlebury has been pegged for a full-time role across half-back after spending time there in recent seasons.
Since crossing from Melbourne at the end of 2015 – where the Pies promised they would return him to the forward line _ Howe has had his contract extended before he fell out.
But while there have been no contract talks yet, he believes he has at least two more seasons left.
Moore said this week after being appointed captain he was on track for round 1 despite still being managed after a worrying bone infection.
The Pies caught his issues early and they are being resolved by medication.