How Collingwood is righting the ship this AFLW season

[ad_1] Not even two years in the past, Collingwood was in dire straits. The membership had missed AFLW finals for the primary time in 5 seasons and bid goodbye to teach Steve Symonds.

A contemporary begin was on the playing cards, however that was at all times going to imply taking an enormous step backward to organize to maneuver ahead. So, it was not an enormous shock when the Pies completed as picket spooners in 2024, however the Sam Wright affect was already clear in his first season as head coach.

Now, Collingwood's newly established recreation fashion is bearing wins, not simply seeds of hope.

Mid-season upsets shake up AFLW ladder After a troublesome begin to the 12 months, Geelong sit simply outdoors the highest eight and equal on factors with the reigning grand finalists.

The Wright fashion has been essential to the membership's rise again up the ladder, as have the modifications to the squad.

Since Wright took over forward of the 2024 season, the Pies have debuted seven gamers and handed membership debuts to an additional six gamers. With the turnover of just about half the listing, they've began to ascertain extra stability within the workforce picked every week.

Quantity-one draft decide Ash Centra is arguably the best profile of their new names, however fellow draftees Violet Patterson, Lucy Cronin, Amber Schutte and Georgia Clark have all made vital strides within the early components of their careers.

They've additionally added two Irish rookies in Muireann Atkinson and Kellyann Hogan, whereas established gamers Kalinda Howarth, Airlie Runnalls, Lily-Rose Williamson, Mikayla Hyde, Annie Lee and Carly Remmos have been closely leant on.

Notably, many of those gamers are serving to to fill out traces at every finish of the bottom — two areas Collingwood has struggled in over latest years.

Atkinson, Cronin, Schutte, Lee and Clark all present vital energy behind the ball, whereas Centra, Howarth, Hyde and Williamson have gotten more and more dependable ahead choices.

<h2 class="Typography_base__sj2RP Heading_heading__VGa5B future_heading__Gcudw Heading_default__Z3p_p Typography_sizeMobile20__NUDn4 Typography_sizeDesktop32__LR_G6 Typography_lineHeightMobile24__crkfh Typography_lineHeightDesktop40__BuoRf Typography_marginBottomMobileSmall__6wx7m Typography_marginBottomDesktopSmall__CboX4 Typography_bold__FqafP Typography_colourInherit__dfnUx Typography_normalise__u5o1s" data-component="Heading">Defensive fashion In 2025, Collingwood is conceding two fewer targets per recreation in comparison with its leaky 2024 efficiency, and notably stored juggernaut facet North Melbourne to 58 factors — its second-lowest rating of the season to this point.

Final 12 months, the Pies gave up scores of fifty or extra on six events from 11 begins. This 12 months, that has occurred simply as soon as in six video games.

<h2 class="Typography_base__sj2RP Heading_heading__VGa5B future_heading__Gcudw Heading_default__Z3p_p Typography_sizeMobile18__eJCIB Typography_sizeDesktop20___6qCS Typography_lineHeightMobile24__crkfh Typography_lineHeightDesktop24__Fh_y5 Typography_marginBottomMobileSmall__6wx7m Typography_marginBottomDesktopSmall__CboX4 Typography_bold__FqafP Typography_colourInherit__dfnUx Typography_normalise__u5o1s" data-component="Heading">Tightening the screws down again 20242025Avg factors against50.336.4Avg shot effectivity conceded (%)47.035.3Avg objective effectivity conceded (%)20.513.6 This form of constructive shift does not merely come all the way down to these within the backline, though the likes of Cronin, Atkinson, Schutte, Lauren Butler and Tarni White have been spectacular this 12 months. What the Pies have carried out notably nicely is execute strain in tight throughout the total size of the bottom, to power talent errors from the opposition.

It's precisely this which helped the Pies set up management in opposition to Sydney on Saturday afternoon.

"Collingwood's strain was good," Sydney coach Scott Gowans stated following the spherical 5 loss to the Pies.

"It was off the again of fumbling, so as soon as we fumbled, what it does is it places perceived strain on, and perceived strain turns into the opposition with the ability to shut you down … I felt like we simply invited their strain and when you try this, and also you do win the ball, all the things's going to be messy and scrappy."

That strain recreation compounds as video games put on on, inflicting rising panic and talent error, upon which Collingwood can capitalise.

One other important a part of this defensive recreation has been the event of Collingwood's aerial contest. Ruck Imogen Barnett has been a key a part of this, because of her contested marking, serving to drive the membership's common up this 12 months.

That energy within the air has meant they're more proficient at trapping the ball in harmful positions, ravenous sides of alternatives in assault, and piling the strain on opponents' defensive models.

<h2 class="Typography_base__sj2RP Heading_heading__VGa5B future_heading__Gcudw Heading_default__Z3p_p Typography_sizeMobile20__NUDn4 Typography_sizeDesktop32__LR_G6 Typography_lineHeightMobile24__crkfh Typography_lineHeightDesktop40__BuoRf Typography_marginBottomMobileSmall__6wx7m Typography_marginBottomDesktopSmall__CboX4 Typography_bold__FqafP Typography_colourInherit__dfnUx Typography_normalise__u5o1s" data-component="Heading">Attacking fashion With the defence more and more dependable, the following piece of the puzzle is hitting the scoreboard. That is a side that's nonetheless very a lot in growth for Collingwood, however the membership has made some vital strides this 12 months, nonetheless.

<h2 class="Typography_base__sj2RP Heading_heading__VGa5B future_heading__Gcudw Heading_default__Z3p_p Typography_sizeMobile18__eJCIB Typography_sizeDesktop20___6qCS Typography_lineHeightMobile24__crkfh Typography_lineHeightDesktop24__Fh_y5 Typography_marginBottomMobileSmall__6wx7m Typography_marginBottomDesktopSmall__CboX4 Typography_bold__FqafP Typography_colourInherit__dfnUx Typography_normalise__u5o1s" data-component="Heading">Management and assault 20242025Avg factors for22.328.6Avg marks35.750.6Avg uncontested possessions98.9135.0Avg inside 50s26.029.2Avg marks inside 503.47.6 New duo Howarth (5 targets) and Centra (4) sit atop the Pies' goal-kicking chart this 12 months, waxing and waning as two very totally different ahead choices.

Former Solar Howarth is the artful mid-sized choice, who's a neat hit up on the lead, and is harmful round ahead stoppage, whereas Centra — though splitting her time between the midfield and ahead line — is a robust marking goal forward of the ball.

It isn't merely the power to get the ball ahead extra that has been notable for the Pies this 12 months, it's the high quality of these entries that has shifted. Collingwood has extra reliably chained possession, and is aware of the right way to transfer the ball into area, opening up the ahead 50.

ABC Sport Every day podcast ABC Sport Every day is your each day sports activities dialog. We dive into the largest story of the day and get you in control with all the things else that is making headlines.

Exiting defence with kicks down the road, the following choice for the Pies is usually a hit-up kick into the center of the bottom, slightly than persisting with lengthy kicks down the road to loads of numbers.

It has allowed them to keep up management in-game and be extra considerate about how they select to enter assault, giving their forwards much better seems to be.

Changing that attacking motion into dependable scoring is the final half lacking for the Pies.

Nonetheless, Collingwood's growth has been quick — and spectacular — in its first seasons below Wright, and after critically difficult Melbourne, standing as much as North Melbourne, and beating Sydney within the final three weeks, spherical six opponent Hawthorn will now know that the Pies aren't the easybeats they as soon as had been.