Running out of superlatives for Taylor Adams

Every week Taylor Adams pours his heart and soul into the performance of this football club and once again his relentless effort and persistence led Collingwood to a victory. It’s been a challenging season for the inside midfielder, but Adams’ ability to set the tone from the outset constantly goes under appreciated by the league. Collingwood scored a whopping 56 points from stoppages on Sunday evening, a consequence of Adams’ consistent application of pressure and guts in and under the contest.

The stats sheet speaks for itself for Adams, finishing with 31 disposals, 18 of those contested, 10 tackles, 10 clearances, 567 meters gained and a team lifting goal from outside 50.

This team has heart

Despite the trials and tribulations of 2021, this Collingwood team continues to show great comradery. Facing a 28-point deficit at one stage of the second half, the ability of this team to remain positive and comeback to win in the final term was outstanding.

Interestingly, final quarter flourishes have been a consistent theme this season. Unfortunately few of them have led to four points, but against the Tigers the Pies kicked seven of the last eight goals to get over the top.

The scenes in the change rooms after the game were truely reflective of the strong relationships between the players, particularly with Robert Harvey experiencing his first victory as senior coach.

Callum Brown in the midfield

23-year-old Callum Brown set high expectations for himself after he burst onto the scene in his debut season. In 2021, there has been limited opportunity for Brown as he’s spent multiple games on the sidelines as the medical sub.

Brown returned to the VFL a week ago in an attempt to regain form and get a full match under his belt. Given the opportunity to play a full match in the midfield, Brown flourished. He finished the mach against Sandringham with 29 disposals, six clearances and six tackles.

Returning to the senior side, Brown found a lot more midfield time against the Tigers and he seized the opportunity with both hands. Brown was electric around the contest, his speed and explosiveness on display all afternoon. He finished the afternoon with 24 disposals, six marks and a goal assist from just 64% game time.

Jamie Elliott + Jordan De Goey = improved output

Since Jamie Elliott's return from injury, Jordan De Goey and the entire Collingwood team, have played to an increased level.

It's clear that when Elliott is in the side, De Goey finds the football a lot more frequently. This is largely a result of his ability to spend more time in the midfield, as the coaches have confidence in the forward line with the dangerous Elliott down there. Unsurprisingly, his marks and clearance numbers increase with more time roaming the middle of the ground. The impact of Elliott is also reflective in the fact that without him in the team, De Goey has to spend more time up forward resulting in a higher average goals per game. 

Tangible improvement from the young core

With 7 debutants and a variety of young players playing key roles in this Collingwood side, it’s been unequivocally pleasing to see the improvement in these players.

One that stood out against Richmond was Isaac Quaynor. Given the massive task of playing on Dustin Martin for large portions of the game, Quaynor was fantastic. Late in the final term when Richmond were playing their final cards, the ball was kicked to a one-on-one between Quaynor and Martin. Not only was Quaynor able to nullify Martin in that moment, he was able to get the ball moving back in favour of the Pies and guarantee the four points.

Other performances that deserve to be highlighted include that of John Noble. Noble was unreal in the final term, amassing 10 disposals in that quarter alone. He was reliable with ball in hand and clutch when called upon by his team mates. Noble has quietly gone about a very good season in 2021, averaging a career high 18.8 disposals.