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Sport Nation
Find your frequency here"Take a breath": Why Hodge isn't losing faith in the Magpies
Jaiden Sciberras • August 12th, 2025 6:53 pm
Collingwood’s turn of form has been very well documented, with the once invincible side suffering from the difficulties of their early season success.
Between injuries to key players, a mismatch of personnel and the effects of an ageing core, the Magpies have fallen off their perch atop the AFL ladder, losing four of their last five to find themselves amongst the pack in the race for a double chance.
Many are ringing alarm bells, ruling the Pies out of contention and potting underperformers, and while the struggles are clearly a cause for concern, Hawthorn legend Luke Hodge has urged the Pies faithful to “take a breath.”
“The football they’ve put out there over the last month, five weeks, it’s not up to the standard we’ve expected,” Hodge told SEN’s Whateley.
“They do have an older list, we understand that, but it’s amazing when you get to the end of the season. You have one week off, you come back with energy, mentally freshen up, physically freshen up.
“But also, what we’ve seen out there of late – Bobby Hill hasn’t been there, Beau McCreery hasn’t been there, Nick Daicos started on the bench.
“So, if you talk about, ‘they looked slow on the weekend’, if you swap over Hill, McCreery and Daicos, and you’ve only got one of (Ned) Long, (Tom) Mitchell, Steele (Sidebottom) and (Scott) Pendlebury in there, that speed, that chase pressure, that energy can turn around pretty quickly.
“If I was a Collingwood supporter, I’d be getting through to the end of the home and away season, freshening up, getting these blokes back in.
“What we did see after the opening round when they looked slow, they looked old and we all cancelled them out, they found a way to freshen up and they found a way to play their best football, which is all based around energy.
“They do need to improve in a few areas, but I think a few inclusions will definitely help them.”
Beau McCreery is set to return from a hamstring injury within the coming weeks, while Jeremy Howe’s luckless run continues, ruled out with concussion following a heavy collision in Round 22.
Looking to put a halt to their late-season rut, the Pies face an immense challenge with a Saturday night bout with the Crows in Adelaide.
