Nathan Buckley firmly believes Collingwood has a playing squad that can once again push deep into the September action.
That was Buckley's message when he spoke at the club's season launch at the Glasshouse on Wednesday night.
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"The program that can get the best out of its people is the team that ultimately wins titles, wins flags and wins cups, and that's our aspiration in 2020," Buckley said.
"We are ready for the challenges that come, we're ready to perform at our best, we're ready to challenge our limits and go get it."
Buckey, who is heading into his ninth season at the helm of Collingwood's AFL team, said he was delighted with the way the pre-season had panned out.
"The coaches and the staff and the football program have been looking for better and exploring and testing some things through pre-season, some that we'll take with us and some that we've learned the hard way that they're probably not going to work for us," he said.
"But that's what an open mind is all about, to explore our capabilities and see what is going to take us a couple of steps further than we've been able to get in the last couple of years.
"The engagement from the players has been first-class, the leadership within the playing group is as strong as it's ever been.
"The six-man leadership group and the seven-man emerging leadership group underneath that are supported by a group of players willing to stand up and bring the best of themselves and lead at any given moment."
Buckley praised draftees Jay Rantall, Trent Bianco and Trey Ruscoe for the way that have fitted into the group.
"Those three young blokes made an impression immediately on arriving here," he said.
"It's an example of what we like to celebrate with our people - the strengths that they bring to the table - and we emphasise the fact that at any point in time we're all going to be important in this journey that's going to have its peaks and troughs."
Pies skipper Scott Pendlebury also spoke and said while he was proud that he could become the club's games record holder this year, he was much more focussed on trying to win the premiership.
"We'll be a happy side and a happy club if we can do that," he said.
