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17th to 5th: The changes Champion Data have noticed at Collingwood
SEN • April 1st, 2026 11:19 am
Champion Data analyst Daniel Hoyne has noticed some shifts in Collingwood’s game style from 2025 to 2026.
The Magpies were the league’s best defence in 2025, conceding just 71.3 points (1st) and 48.4 inside 50s (2nd) a game.
While they’re still defensively strong from a points against perspective, conceding 71.0 points so far this season (2nd), they’ve become an easy team to move the ball against, conceding 58.7 inside 50s (15th).
Hoyne doesn’t see the Magpies being so strong from a points against perspective if this inside 50 issue persists throughout the season.
“Who is the second-easiest team to move it from one end of the ground to the other against? It’s Collingwood,” Hoyne said on SEN Sportsday.
“Defensively, at the moment, they are holding up incredibly well in their defensive 50.
“They are one of the hardest teams in the competition to score against in their D50. That was them last year as well, that was the reason why they got to where they got to come Preliminary Final weekend, and they’re only giving up 71 points a game.
“But when it comes to defending ball movement, they’re 15th in the competition; only Carlton, Adelaide and Essendon have conceded more entries.
“They're giving up just under 60 entries a week so far, Collingwood… if that continues over the course of a season.
“You are putting so much pressure on your back six… but you don't want to be conceding 60 entries a week.”
Perhaps one reason why they’re being opened up more from a ball movement perspective is due to changes they’ve made offensively.
The Magpies spoke a lot during the pre-season about tweaks they’ve made with ball in hand, and Hoyne highlighted one area where Craig McRae has put the game into fast-forward, compared to last year’s slow style, which no doubt helped them set up behind the ball as well.
“After that St Kilda performance in Opening Round, we also put it on watch with how they're trying to move the ball and potentially they are trying to develop a different method,” Hoyne said.
“We heard Jeremy Howe say over the off-season that they want to sort of implement, potentially a Brisbane-type ball movement method.
“From free kicks and marks, so from set position plays last year, they were the second-slowest ball movement team in the competition. Their mode was hold it, point to where it’s going to go, go to a contest and then get speed off that with hopefully a contest win.
“With that, they were the second-slowest team. While there’s been only three games this year, so far in 2026, they’ve gone from the second-slowest team to the fifth-quickest team with what they're doing at set position plays.
“It’s something just to keep an eye on with what Collingwood are doing offensively. Their defence is on watch, but offensively it looks like they’ve changed.”
The 2-1 Magpies face their biggest test yet in 2026 when they meet back-to-back reigning premiers Brisbane on Easter Thursday at the Gabba.
