AFL Supercoach 2026: Collingwood Magpies 2026 Squad Analysis


<p>Collingwood will be looking to contend once more in 2026 after falling to eventual premiers Brisbane in a preliminary final last year.</p>



<p>The Pies have one of the oldest lists in the competition, but coach Craig McRae believes his side are still capable of climbing the pinnacle with the current playing list.</p>



<p>McRae’s side went through somewhat of a refresh over the off-season, parting ways with several senior players including Brody Mihocek and Tom Mitchell, adding a host of promising youngsters including ex-Swan Jack Buller and Brisbane Lions Academy product Tyan Prindable.</p>



<p>Let’s take a look at the Magpies’ SuperCoach prospects for the upcoming season.</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Predicted Round 1 starting team</strong></h2>



<p>FB: Brayden Maynard, Darcy Moore, Jeremy Howe</p>



<p>HB: Isaac Quaynor, Reef McInnes, Josh Daicos</p>



<p>C: Patrick Lipinski, Jack Crisp, Steele Sidebottom</p>



<p>HF: Beau McCreery, Tim Membrey, Lachie Schultz</p>



<p>FF: Jamie Elliott, Dan McStay, Jack Buller</p>



<p>FOLL: Darcy Cameron, Nick Daicos, Jordan De Goey</p>



<p>I/C: Dan Houston, Scott Pendlebury, Harry Perryman, Ned Long, Harvey Harrison</p>



<p><strong>Analysis: </strong>Despite letting several veterans go over the off-season, Collingwood’s kept the core of its list intact once more. Several stars have been on managed minutes during the pre-season, but that’s hardly surprising given the age demographic. </p>



<p>Mihocek leaves a big void in the front half, with Buller a potential replacement. McInnes will push for selection after overcoming a knee injury, while several younger Pies will be hoping to make their mark on the big stage in 2026, including Charlie West, Harry DeMattia, Harvey Harrison and Will Hayes. </p>



<p>Bobby Hill has been away from the group at stages this pre-season due to personal reasons and is in some doubt for Opening Round.</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Fixtures</strong></h2>



<p>Round 1: Adelaide Crows (H)</p>



<p>Round 2: BYE</p>



<p>Round 3: GWS Giants (H)</p>



<p>Round 4: Brisbane Lions (A)</p>



<p>Round 5: Fremantle (H)</p>



<p>Byes: Round 2 &amp; 14</p>



<p><strong>Verdict: </strong>Collingwood take on St Kilda in Opening Round, which means they’ve got an early season bye in round two. Their draw opens up a little bit from round 11 onwards, about a month either side of the round 14 bye, which SuperCoach coaches will want to cash in on. It’s a tough start to the year.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>LOCK</strong></h2>



<p>One name immediately springs to mind &#8211; <strong>Nick Daicos ($628,400 MID)</strong>. Daicos is one of the competition’s most prolific players and is integral to Collingwood’s success. In his past three campaigns, the son of a gun has averaged 116+ in each season, making him a reliable captaincy option. </p>



<p>He has been susceptible to a tag before, but his elite tank and willingness to run all day means he can work through them.</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>POINT OF DIFFERENCE</strong></h2>



<p>Ruck <strong>Darcy Cameron ($602,300 RUC)</strong> gets better and better every year, which has seen his SuperCoach average incrementally increase every season. Last year he averaged a career-high 111.3 SuperCoach points per game, ranked fifth across the League’s rucks. </p>



<p>He’s durable and with an ownership of under five per cent at the time of writing, could be a nice alternative in the ruck slot. <strong>Jordan De Goey ($321,100 MID/FWD)</strong> played a recent match simulation as a full-time midfielder, but he’s one that would be almost certain to get a rest at some stage and comes with plenty of risk, but is in 11 per cent of teams.</p>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>CHEAPIES</strong></h2>



<p>Collingwood probably has half a dozen players vying for a few of the bench spots, which makes investing in any of their cheapies a little bit fraught with danger. <strong>Harvey Harrison ($126,000 FWD)</strong> is on the return from a serious injury, as is <strong>Reef McInnes ($155,900 DEF)</strong>. There are several others who could be in the mix, but would need to show us something pretty definitive over the practice matches to be legitimate options.</p>


AFL Supercoach 2026: Collingwood Magpies 2026 Squad Analysis

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