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]
Breakout Player
Jack Ginnivan
There are a fair few names that could be brought up for a breakout player at the Pies, but we've landed on Jack Ginnivan as the player that will excite the Magpies faithful the most in 2022.
With only five games next to his name, Ginnivan is still pretty raw in the AFL. He kicked six goals in those first five games and gave Magpies fans a taste of what's to come from the 19-year old.
Forward
Disposals
Marks
Goals
The flashy forward has impressed in the pre-season, and in particular in Collingwood's intra-club match last Friday, where he collected 13 disposals and two goals, looking lively in the forward line.
McRae will look for Ginnivan to lock down that crafty small forward role, and could be in for a good year in his first full season at AFL level.
If he can produce last Friday's intra-club match stats, then he'll be a handful for the opposition and an excitement machine moving forward.
