Magpies Need Leadership And Midfield Firepower

The Age

Tuesday July 29, 2008

Jake Niall

Collingwood faces a conundrum that will decide its future, Jake Niall writes.

COLLINGWOOD faces one of those fateful choices in the life of a football club, one that might well determine whether a premiership is achieved under the stewardship of Eddie McGuire.

The Magpies can continue down the patient long road they've undertaken since 2004, or they can aggressively pursue Daniel Kerr, Jonathan Brown or whoever might plug either of the club's vast voids - leadership and the midfield. And filling one hole is likely to be at the expense of the other.

If Collingwood goes after Kerr, Brown or another high-quality seasoned player, it risks having little hand in what might be the last uncompromised draft for several years, in effect selling the farm and the holiday house.

The introduction of new clubs in 2011 and 2012 is a set of extraordinary circumstances that the Magpies are now weighing up before they plot their course.

The long road of kids, the draft and patience is the safer choice. The more dangerous path - chasing for a mid-20s gun, such as Kerr and/or Brown - has obvious pitfalls, but also significant benefits, as Chris Judd has demonstrated.

It is debatable which hole is more pressing, the midfield or the absence of leadership in the mid-20s demographic. On Saturday, it was a dead heat, as the Pies were smashed in the middle and rudderless everywhere.

No player encapsulates the leadership vacuum more than Nick Maxwell, whose position in the 22 has not been threatened this year, despite some failings, because of his outstanding character.

Maxwell is the only player in the crucial mid-20s group - the core of most successful teams - who has the intangible qualities of a captain.

But he isn't a good kick, not overly quick and can get chopped up in the one-on-ones. He's not big enough to slay the monsters, not quick enough for, say Corey Jones, and on occasion has to be sent forward when Mick Malthouse can't find a suitable match-up.

Collingwood chose not to make him a Mike Brearley-style of captain, opting instead for the ancient warrior Scott Burns. Much as Burns deserved the honour, the appointment of a 33-year-old was an indictment on the collective leadership of that middle-20s group.

This is where those in favour of acquiring J. Brown have a point. Brown has the presence that can galvanise a young group, just as Judd has at Carlton. Indeed, Judd's value to the Blues has been as much in bringing professionalism and leadership as kicks and handballs.

The difference in age, however, is significant. Judd was 24 when Carlton landed him, Brown will be 27 in October and wants a five-year deal (which, to date, only Paul McNamee has been willing to give).

The history of great centre half-forwards beyond the age of 28 isn't pretty, as the twilights of Dermott Brereton and Wayne Carey attest.

Daniel Kerr, assuming he is available, would come at considerable cost, given that he is under contract to the Eagles. He isn't the leader Collingwood craves, but he's a star, just 25 and in the section of the field where the Magpies are most short on class.

Political pressure from impatient fans could also be a factor in Collingwood's deliberations, although supporters are better educated about the value of draft picks and the high cost of an imported superstar.

The long road or the short road? Their choice could define the club's position for several years.

© 2008 The Age

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