Do the Magpies boast the strongest midfield in the competition?

That was the question posed by Jay Clark and Michael Christian on Collingwood Media’s ‘The Agenda’ this week, as they looked ahead to the club’s annual Queens Birthday blockbuster with Melbourne.

According to Champion Data’s preseason rankings, Monday’s game will pit the league’s best and worst midfield groups against each other.

Collingwood’s midfield – led by Scott Pendlebury, Steele Sidebottom and Adam Treloar – were rated No.1 in the AFL before the season started, while Melbourne – with the likes of Jack Viney, Nathan Jones and Jordan Lewis leading its engine room – were ranked eighteenth by the statistical gurus.

“It’s a massive game. Melbourne is outstanding with their contested ball and that’s going to be something Collingwood will have to match,” Christian said.

“This is first versus eighteenth midfield battle. Melbourne is the number one pressure side. When you look the Demons, they bring more pressure around the footy than any other team. Melbourne is going to test Collingwood’s ball use,” Clark added.

The Magpies haven’t beaten Melbourne in its last three encounters, but the team from The Agenda believe a change in Nathan Buckley’s game style could edge the contest back into neutral territory.

“What we’ve noticed over the past five or six weeks is the way Collingwood have changed the way they’ve played. The use of the corridor – they’re ranked second in the competition over that period.”

“On a big stage, with maybe 80-90 thousand people at the MCG…Melbourne are going to bring the heat. It’s going to be a challenge.”

After notching three consecutive wins, the Magpies sit 10th on the ladder; only one place below their upcoming opponents.

According to Jay Clark – the Magpies’ midfield group has been the key to the team’s turnaround.

“I reckon over the past month – even going back to the Geelong game – we’ve seen this Collingwood midfield come to the forefront.”

“We said last week that the Fremantle game was set up for Adam Treloar and he was fantastic. He has put together an excellent month. Pendlebury has been fantastic as well.



Treloar was named best afield for the Magpies after a starring performance on Sunday. Image: AFL Photos. 

“For me, Taylor Adams is the unsung hero in Collingwood’s midfield. He’s been very good. I think as a collective, the Collingwood midfield is flexing its muscle and showing how good it can be.”

In his fourth season as a Magpie, Adams is averaging a career-best 30 disposals per game, along with seven tackles and five marks. The vice-captain is yet to miss a game in 2017, after missing several games over the past years through suspension.



Adams has been one of the Magpies' best performers over the past six weeks. Image: AFL Photos.

With 28 touches of his own in the win against Fremantle, Adams was joined by his midfield counterparts in Treloar (35 possessions, six tackles, one goal), Pendlebury (30 disposals, six marks, three tackles, one goal) and Sidebottom (32 touches, nine marks, four tackles) as some of the best Magpies in the west.

Josh Smith (32 disposals, nine marks) and Jack Crisp (26 touches, six marks) and Levi Greenwood (23 possessions, 14 marks, one goal) were all noteworthy contributors in the team’s gutsy 20-point victory over the Dockers.



Steele Sidebottom celebrates his side's victory against the Dockers. Image: AFL Photos. 



Levi Greenwood produced one of his best games of the season against the Dockers. Image: AFL Photos.