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The biggest error in Collingwood’s prelim loss to Lions
Andrew Slevison • September 22nd, 2025 11:00 am
Collingwood did not have a player capable of doing a job on star Brisbane midfielder Hugh McCluggage on Saturday night.
That is one of the biggest errors of the Magpies’ preparations for the Preliminary Final which they eventually lost by 29 points at the MCG, according to Kane Cornes.
McCluggage finished with 37 disposals, 14 contested possessions and 10 clearances - all game-highs - plus six clearances, six score involvements and a goal in a best-on-ground showing.
The Pies had no answers and no serious plan for the All-Australian who was held to just 14 touches by Oisin Mullin in their Qualifying Final loss to Geelong.
Collingwood veteran Steele Sidebottom, 34, was unable to have an impact which suggested to Cornes that they were unprepared.
“McCluggage, off the back of getting tagged in the first week, we spoke to Craig McRae on Channel 7 pre-game and he said, ‘Well, Sidebottom is going to go to him’,” Cornes said on SEN’s Fireball.
“So he knew that was coming and he completely torched him and ran him off his legs. It was enormous from McCluggage, right from the start.”
Cornes described it as a mistake.
“Now that Geelong have three taggers (Mullin, Mark O’Connor and Tom Atkins), you watch everyone next year. We just copy each other,” he continued.
“How can you get to the point on prelim final weekend in a program as well-run as Collingwood’s and go, ‘Hey, we don’t have a tagger. What are we going to do with McCluggage? We do not have one’.
“‘We don’t have a single person that can play a negating role. Oh, you know what? We’ll just chuck Steele on him’.
“To make that decision on prelim final weekend and not be prepared with one player that has the capability to go with McCluggage, like Geelong has with three of them.
“It’s a mistake, it’s an error.
“McCluggage had a very good four-quarter game right from the start.”
Collingwood’s midfield appeared to struggle without the direction of former captain Scott Pendlebury who was subbed out inside five minutes with a calf issue.
Fireball co-host David King highlighted the fact that the Lions were dominant at stoppage clearances (34-21) and scored heavily from front-half stoppages.
“Forward 50 stoppages break your heart. I’ve never seen a defensive unit, and throw the midfield in with that, that was so reactive,” King said.
“They just got led at speed to the ball every time. The Lions kicked four goals from forward 50 stoppages. You just don’t see a return like that. Stoppage goals in the forward half was seven for the game, just way too much.
“I think they were rattled without Pendlebury in there.”
Cornes believes it’s an issue for the Pies if they are forced to rely so heavily on a 37-year-old through the middle.
He wonders which Magpies midfielders can step up around the stoppage in 2026.
“It’s not Ned Long, let me tell you that much. He wasn’t able to cope with the pressure of finals with how fumbly he was and the errors he made,” Cornes added.
“It’s not Jack Crisp. 262 games in a row, I get it, but he was poor.
“Nick (Daicos) is fine and Josh (Daicos) is ok across half-back but I’m not sure where the next midfielder at Collingwood is coming from.”
The Pies will be left to lick their wounds after missing out on a Grand Final berth. Will they address their apparent shortcomings by going after established players this trade period?
We know Craig McRae’s stance on recruiting players over going to the draft with his ‘players over picks’ comment last year.
What they do in October remains to be seen.
