Collingwood’s Resilience and Ambitions for the 2026 Season
Collingwood ruckman Darcy Cameron has dismissed what he calls “silly” suggestions that the club’s aging list is beyond recovery. The captain, Darcy Moore, has also supported his teammate’s stance, stating that a premiership remains a realistic goal for the Magpies this season.
Despite their current position at 13th on the ladder with a record of 2-3, the experienced pair acknowledge that the team must address its scoring issues quickly if they are to improve their attack’s efficiency and connection.
Under Craig McRae’s leadership, the Pies have gone 14 games without a triple-figure score, averaging just 69.6 points in five matches this season. Only winless Richmond (59.4) have scored fewer points across the first six rounds of 2026.
The Pies’ front-half struggles were evident in a narrow six-point loss to Fremantle last round, where they managed only five goals from 61 forward entries. This performance drew criticism from expert commentator and former Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley, who suggested that Collingwood was not just on the edge but had already fallen off.
“They’re not on the cliff, they’ve gone over the edge and they’re just holding on with their fingernails,” Hinkley said on SEN.
However, Cameron rejected this narrative when he participated in the launch of the annual Peter Mac Cup clash between Collingwood and Carlton.
“I think it’s silly,” Cameron said. “If you look over the last four years, we’ve played in two prelims and a grand final. We’ve still got a lot of the same personnel, and I know some of these players might be getting a little bit older, but they’re still performing at a very high level, so I think that’s silly.”
Injured captain Moore, who spoke at the Peter Mac Cup launch at the MCG, remains confident that the side can still contend for the flag this season.
“In the defensive part of the game we’re still performing at a really, really high standard and we look really rock-solid, and we can mix it with anyone,” Moore said. “But clearly offensively, we want to kick more goals and make the most of our chances. That’s going to take a bit of work, but we’re definitely up for it and we think we’re in a great position to be able to develop over the next few months and make a good tilt at a flag.”
Moore (hamstring) and star player Jordan De Goey (concussion) will miss the match, but history is in Collingwood’s favor against struggling rivals Carlton (1-4) at the MCG on Thursday night.
The Magpies have dominated recent encounters, winning the past four matches and seven of eight since 2022. Looking further back, Collingwood has recorded 19 wins and just four losses against the Blues since the start of 2013.
“It’s the longest rivalry in the game really, and it’s one that we all look forward to,” Cameron said. “It’s nice to come together (for charity), but I’m sure that come Thursday night we’ll go out there with a plan to bash each other.”
