COLLINGWOOD is known as one of, if not the largest club in the land, yet for its AFL Women’s program for all the quality players who have cycled through the program, the Magpies are yet to make their mark on the AFL Women’s competition.

New coach Steve Symonds eeked every bit of talent out of the list across five seasons, making finals four times and came within a kick of upsetting Brisbane in the 2021 season. However hurt by further departures coming into 2023, the Magpies slumped to their lowest finish on record – 11th.

That brought about the winds of change, and the Magpies opted to go in a new direction with Sam Wright replacing Symonds as head coach for the upcoming 2024 AFLW season. On paper, the Magpies have some genuine top-end stars in the midfield, but so many question marks that make them impossible to predict how they will fare this season.

TEAM LIST

#1 Sabrina Frederick
#2 Eliza James
#3 Brianna Davey
#4 Imogen Barnett
#5 Annie Lee
#6 Jordyn Allen
#7 Sarah Rowe
#8 Brittany Bonnici
#9 Alana Porter
#10 Muireann Atkinson
#11 Charlotte Taylor
#12 Stacey Livingstone
#13 Grace Campbell
#14 Aishling Sheridan*
#15 Erica Fowler
#16 Sarah Sansonetti
#17 Nell Morris-Dalton*
#18 Ruby Schleicher
#19 Georgia Clark
#20 Selena Karlson
#21 Eleri Morris
#22 Mikayla Hyde
#23 Lauren Butler
#24 Lauren Brazzale
#25 Mikala Cann
#27 Lucy Cronin
#28 Charlotte Blair
#29 Tarni White
#30 Carly Remmos
#32 Amber Schutte
#35 Kalinda Howarth
#36 Imogen Evans

* – denotes inactive

SQUAD CHANGES

In: Annie Lee (Carlton), Kalinda Howarth (Gold Coast), Mikayla Hyde (Fremantle), Georgia Clark (Tasmania Devils), Lucy Cronin (Oakleigh Chargers), Amber Schutte (Gippsland Power), Muireann Atkinson (Gaelic football)

Out: Olivia Barber, Sophie Casey, Joanna Lin, Emily Smith (delisted), Tarni Brown (Carlton), Ash Brazill (Fremantle)

FIXTURE

Match 1: August 30 vs Sydney at North Sydney Oval
Match 2:  September 7 vs Hawthorn at Victoria Park
Match 3: September 13 vs Brisbane at Brighton Homes Arena
Match 4: September 17 vs West Coast at Ikon Park
Match 5: September 22 vs Western Bulldogs at Victoria Park
Match 6: September 27 vs Gold Coast at Swinburne Centre
Match 7: October 5 vs Richmond at Swinburne Centre
Match 8: October 10 vs Port Adelaide at Alberton Oval
Match 9: October 20 vs Adelaide at Victoria Park
Match 10: October 27 vs Carlton at Victoria Park
Match 11: TBC vs Melbourne at Ikon Park

QUESTIONS TO PONDER

What route does Collingwood take under new coach Sam Wright?

On paper, Collingwood has one of the best one-two punches on-ball in the league with skipper Bri Davey and partner-in-crime Britt Bonnici. The pair can match it with most on-ball groups, and throw in Ruby Schleicher and Jordyn Allen for points of difference and the wildly talented Tarni White, and the Magpies are set on the inside.

The problem with the Magpies is essentially everywhere else. Just one of their past leading goalkickers will play in 2024 – Eliza James – with the others either moved on, or in the case of last season’s Nell Morris-Dalton, injured. In defence, the Magpies looked to get slower and have drafted a couple of players capable of adding speed back in the defensive half.

To Sabrina Frederick‘s credit, the ruck had a career-revival last year to win more hitouts than any other player, and essentially secured her place in the role after Sharni Layton retired the year before. There is a distinct lack of ruck options on the list, so if Frederick goes down, the black and white are in a bit of strife, needing to rely on the likes of Imogen Barnett or Erica Fowler who are pinch-hit options.

Can the value recruits help drive Collingwood back up the ladder?

Collingwood’s trade period last season was very successful. While losing a father-daughter in Tarni Brown to the arch enemy will cut Magpie fans deep, the only other loss was Ash Brazill, who headed home to Western Australia for family reasons. In the twilight of her career, no Magpies fan could blame her for the departure, and what the Pies managed to pick up was very valuable.

Kalinda Howarth was arguably the biggest name picked up, broguht in for a bargain basement Pick 59. A low-risk, high-reward option, Howarth is coming off an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, but at her best would be the Magpies most damaging forward. With lifelong Magpie supporter Mikayla Hyde crossing from Fremantle to be an option inside 50, and then Carlton rebounding defender Annie Lee coming in for more opportunities, the Magpies were able to make the most of their chances.

Will the Pies be brave and back the kids?

For Collingwood to be successful long-term, Wright and his coaching staff will need to back in the green shoots as they are the future of the club. Though not a great deal in terms of key position options, Georgia Clark should get her opportunities early to fill the Morris-Dalton role, while both Lucy Cronin and Amber Schutte provide speed that the Magpies are desperately craving.

The Magpies might go down before they go up, but can position themselves for a stronger future in doing so. While the veterans of the side such as Fowler, Stacey Livingstone and Lauren Brazzale will provide much needed stability around the ground, Collingwood can ill-afford to not give the younger players a shot to test their mettle against the best.

In an ideal world, the Magpies would go to the draft again this year in what is a Super Draft and collect a couple of first round talents – potentially key position options – to set themselves up for the future.

PLAYER TO WATCH

Eliza James

When it comes to talent, few have more natural ability than the dangerous small forward. Last season saw the 21-year-old stagnate after a syndesmosis injury curtailed her start following a breakout 10-goal season in 2022. Without her fellow goalsneak Chloe Molloy, James – and starved of many opportunities – James kicked just two goals from six games. In 2024, James has the potential to be that incredible small forward who works up the ground and distributes inside 50. If she can kick double-digit goals again, then there’s every chance the Pies make finals.

PREDICTION

Collingwood’s potential finish is near-impossible to predict. The Magpies on paper have players that are good enough to drive them to finals, but have lacked that bottom-age polish to really match it with the dominant sides of the AFL Women’s in recent years. They have added some spark and upside to the side over the off-season, and could bounce anywhere between the lower echelons of the top eight, to the bottom six depending on how much the expansion sides – now in their third season – improve.