Collingwood suffered a tumultuous 2021 season to say the least.
The fallout from the disastrous 2020 trade period seeing a number of key players leave and be traded, to the distractions of the Do Better report and the resignation of head coach Nathan Buckley led to a season that Magpie fans would rather forget and move on from.
The Pies finished a disappointing 17th on the ladder last year with only six wins to show for it, but since the appointment of head coach Craig McRae, things are looking more positive for the Magpies community heading into the 2022 season.
A change of coaching with McRae, as well as Justin Leppitsch and Brendon Bolton joining the coaching staff, and a change in culture to go along with the arrival of young star Nick Daicos and talented midfielder Patrick Lipinski, has breathed much-needed life into the club following their disastrous 2021 campaign.
With a young list that is eager to impress the Magpies faithful, Collingwood will be an interesting side to observe in 2022 to see how they fare against the rest of the competition.
A big Melbourne club with a big Melbourne fan base comes with lots of pressure and expectation, so let's dive into Collingwood's 2022 season preview.
Off-Season Moves
Ins: Nick Daicos, Patrick Lipinski [Western Bulldogs], Nathan Kreuger [Geelong Cats], Charlie Dean, Arlo Draper, Harvey Harrison, Cooper Murley
Outs: Levi Greenwood [retired], Max Lynch [Hawthorn Hawks], Chris Mayne [retired], Jay Rantall [delisted], Brayden Sier [delisted], Josh Thomas [retired]
Star Player
Darcy Moore
Collingwood do have some nice top-end talent with the likes of Brodie Grundy, Taylor Adams, Scott Pendlebury and Jordan De Goey, but high-flying defender Darcy Moore has elevated his game to become the Magpies' star player heading into 2022.
It could be said that Moore is the Pies' most influential and important player due to his intercept marking, one-on-one contest abilities and drive out of the backline being so important for what the Magpies are looking to accomplish.
Moore averaged a career-high 17 disposals and 8.2 marks per game across his 13 games in 2021 whilst minimising the impact of the opposition's best key forwards on a weekly basis.
The key defender was the All-Australian half-back in 2020, and was in contention last season but was restricted to only 13 games due to injury.
A generational type talent that has developed into one of the best defenders in the game, and is in the prime of his career as the 2022 season fast approaches.
