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Full Noise by SN
Important update on 1476AMDaicos willing to do “whatever it takes” to get Butters and King to Pies
SEN • April 20th, 2026 11:18 am
Collingwood superstar Nick Daicos is very happy at the Magpies.
That comes from the man himself, despite reports earlier this season that the best player in the game was ‘unwilling’ to sign a long-term extension at the club.
To be fair to Daicos, he is contracted until the end of 2029, so there’s no need to rush, although there’s no doubt the Magpies would love to tie him down for as long as possible, given all 17 rival clubs would move heaven and earth to get him into their colours.
One reason behind those reports was that Nick wanted to keep the club on its toes in bringing in top-end talent to support him. While there’s no doubt Daicos wants to play with the best, he says he doesn't put any pressure on the club’s list management team.
Still, he’s loving seeing some of the club’s younger brigade begin to develop, as they’ll be the group that comes along with him for the ride going forward.
“No, I don't (give my thoughts on list management). I sort of just focus on my part and just trying to play good footy on the ground,” Daicos told SEN Breakfast.
“But I feel like we've been able to play some younger players this year. We saw Angus Anderson, Will Hayes, Roan Steele and a few of those boys step up on Thursday night (in the win over Carlton). I thought Oscar Steene was unbelievable, so hopefully that's a great growth for us.
“I think some of the development will also come from a game plan point of view, watching Melbourne and the way they've been freed up in a high scoring team, some of their young players are thriving in it.
“I feel like if we can maybe put some bigger scores on the board and free the boys up, it will assist with that development, which we did on Thursday night.
“The coaches have been awesome with sort of handing over the keys to us to play the game and drive the car, and I feel like the boys did that awesome, especially in the last quarter.”
While there have been countless reports speculating what Daicos could be worth on the open market, Nick says he tries to keep away from reading into that, even if his friends make sure to wind him up when some astronomical figures are mentioned.
“I haven't been reading too much into it (news around my contract). A few of my mates have been flicking me some text messages having a laugh about it and stirring me up, but I'm very happy where I am,” Daicos said.
“As I said, I think our list is in a great spot to not only contend now, but hopefully also develop some players for the future, which we saw on Thursday night.”
If Collingwood do re-sign Daicos, there’s no doubt he would rightly become the highest-paid player in the competition. But on his current deal, other stars entering free agency will have a higher earning potential than he does in the short term.
With that in mind and Collingwood set to aggressively target the likes of Zak Butters and Ben King this off-season, Kane Cornes told Daicos that no recruit should be able to join the black and white on more money than him.
“A player can't come into the club on more than you. So, if Zak Butters or Ben King or whoever comes, they cannot be paid more than you. Do you agree?” Cornes asked.
“No, that doesn't faze me at all,” Daicos replied.
“I'd welcome Ben King or Zak Butters any day with open arms. Whatever it takes to get those boys across, I'm on board.”
David King chimed in: “What about your old man? Would he agree with that or not?
“I think he definitely would. He's always preached to us team success.
“Understanding that when you're in that environment where you've got great players around you, you're only going to benefit from it.
“Whether it's financially or on-field, you'll benefit. That's always been our mindset.”
Daicos and the Magpies next turn their focus to a huge Anzac Day clash against Essendon at the MCG on Saturday.
