Collingwood superstar Nick Daicos is leaving no stone unturned as the 21-year-old aims to lift his struggling side out of a four-game losing streak. The Pies’ premiership defence is in disarray following a crushing 66-point defeat to Hawthorn last weekend.
The reigning premiers currently sit 13th on the AFL ladder, six points outside the top eight, and appear to be a shadow of the team that clinched last year’s flag. Despite the recent heavy loss, Daicos continues to shine in a losing side, contributing a goal and 24 disposals against the Hawks.
The Magpies face cellar dwellers Richmond this weekend before a challenging run against second-placed Carlton, leaders Sydney away, third-placed Brisbane, and fellow finals aspirants Melbourne. They will need victories in each of these matches to keep their finals hopes alive. After the defeat to Hawthorn, Daicos took matters into his own hands by seeking advice from Hawks veteran Luke Breust post-game.
Breust, a key member of Hawthorn’s triple premiership side from 2013 to 2015, was also a young star during their successful three-peat. He revealed that the young Pies player was eager to gain his insight and experience post-game.
“I had a really good chat with Nick Daicos at the end of the game, and he just couldn’t believe how we did it consistently in ‘13, ‘14, ‘15,” Breust told the ABC. “He said, ‘Boy, you’re the hunted’. And that’s the difference.
“Being the hunted is hard — we found it difficult at times during a couple of our premiership years where you start 4-4 and really start to second-guess yourself and the brand of footy you’re playing. Opposition teams start to figure you out, so you’ve got to continually evolve and try to stay ahead of the competition.”
Nick Daicos once again displayed maturity beyond his years, earning praise from veteran commentator Tim Watson. “It’s impressive to see him, even after a loss, showing such presence of mind. There’s Nick Daicos, walking off the ground after a defeat, and he still takes the time to talk to someone like Luke Breust and ask questions,” Watson said on Talking Footy. “It’s clear that he’s always thinking and looking to learn.”
Joel Selwood, who won four premierships with Geelong across two dominant eras, also commended Daicos’s eagerness to improve and gain an edge. “Not many players would do that, especially after playing for a long time,” Selwood remarked. “It’s amazing to see a young player take such initiative.”
Collingwood’s youth ranks called into question
With their 2024 premiership hopes hanging by a thread, St Kilda great Leigh Montagna has urged Collingwood to start considering the bigger picture to avoid future difficulties. “The conversation now is about the bigger picture and whether age is starting to catch up to them,” Montagna said on Fox Footy’s *The First Crack*.
“Last year, they were considered one of the oldest premiership teams ever, and it’s becoming increasingly concerning. The club needs to make significant decisions about their roster. How many of those 11 players can they continue with? How many need to be phased out, either by not keeping them on the list or not playing them in the senior team, to bring in more youth?
“This year has been tough, but the club has a long-term vision. They’ve stated their intention to keep trading and bringing in players for immediate impact rather than rebuilding.”
Montagna points out that the Pies are not only an ageing squad but also lack young talent beyond Daicos. Their group of players aged 25 or younger is quite inexperienced, including Isaac Quaynor, Hill (both 25), Beau McCreery, Charlie Dean (both 24), Reef McInnes, Fin Macrae (both 23), Daicos, Ned Long (22), and Harvey Harrison (22), who have had top-level exposure.
“This is what we’ve seen so far, and there’s not much depth … we’re really grasping at straws with only a handful of players 25 and under,” Montagna continued. “So, they’re heavily dependent on those between 26 and over 30. The question is how far can they go with them? Do they need to keep topping up and try to squeeze out another premiership or two? They’ve won a flag, so they can be content with that.
“But with such little talent under 25, they must start drafting at some point. They might be able to push for another premiership, but they’ll face a long period of difficulty afterward.”