Five trade targets for EVERY club: Collingwood

The Pies are on the ropes in season 2021 on the back of a disastrous trade period (we don't need to tell you again who they offloaded).

We continue our ‘Five trade targets for every club’ series with Collingwood. The idea of these stories is to identify potentially gettable targets who could fill roles, not just link every club to the likes of Marcus Bontempelli and Patrick Cripps.

FIVE TRADE TARGETS FOR: Adelaide Crows, Brisbane Lions, Carlton

The club is likely a little strapped for cash and draft assets, particularly given how many draft points they will need to acquire father-son prospect Nick Daicos.

However, it is possible that they still could make a couple of smaller moves during this year's trade period, or find ways to offload more salary to try and land a bigger fish.

With this, here are the five players, in no particular order, who the Pies should be targeting this trade period.

Harry McKay

The big Blues forward is one of the hottest prospects on the market. And while the Pies, by all accounts, don't have the cash to throw at a huge target, you can bet your bottom dollar that they will register their interest in him. And if he is actually gettable, will free up the necessary funds to make a competitive offer.

According to Fox Sports' Tom Morris, Collingwood and Essendon are ready to launch bids for him if talks with Carton stall.

McKay has been superb in season 2021, leading the Coleman race and being one of the Blues' most consistent performers.

And Collingwood is one that could use him more than most, having long cried out for a reliable goal-kicking key forward - which arguably cost them a premiership. Big Harry would be a perfect fit at Collingwood, not that Blues fans would agree!

Sam Weideman

The out-of-favour and out-of-contract Dees forward has had an indifferent start to 2021, with a pre-season injury keeping him out of the side in the early rounds. Weideman only played his first AFL game last weekend after Luke Jackson missed through injury, having been stuck behind new recruit Ben Brown as well as Tom McDonald in the pecking order.

With this, the prospect of having a starring role at the Pies, whose late grandfather Murray Weideman is a legend of the club, could be a key factor in luring him across town to the Holden Centre. And the Magpies have been urged to make a move for the forward. At just 23 years of age, the Pies could snag him on a multi-year deal for a bargain price, with his height being a huge addition to the Collingwood attack.

Furthermore, the Demons might simply not be able to make a competitive offer to retain him.

Sam Taylor

Sam Taylor has established himself as one of GWS' best defenders over the course of his short career. The 22-year-old is a great user of the ball to springboard attack from defence, and his height and strength makes him formidable in the air.

Collingwood are in need of another tall key defender to give some assistance to Darcy Moore down back and to eventually replace Jordan Roughead and Taylor could be the perfect fit. Despite being from Western Australia, he could be tempted into making the move further down south to become a mainstay in the Pies' defence.

Jake Kelly

The Crows defender could be a valuable asset to the Pies defence, with the 26-year-old off-contract and a restricted free agent at the end of the year. He has been superb down back for Matthew Nicks' side and is one of the more reliable defenders in the game.

Kelly is averaging elite figures in disposal efficiency, contested marks and contested defence one on ones. Collingwood could be a good destination for Kelly, with the lure of coming back home to Melbourne as well as the prospect of being part of a talented defensive setup potentially proving more attractive than staying at the Crows.

Plus, his dad Craig Kelly is a premiership player for the Pies and manages him, so there could be some mutual interest between the two parties.

Jack Lonie

The Saints small forward is off-contract at the end of 2021, and Collingwood would do well to snag him. The Pies need some real spark in their forward-line, and an agile, enigmatic player in the form of Jack Lonie could be just what the doctor ordered.

Despite being kept out with a knee injury in 2019, he was in and out of the Saints starting lineup off the back of Dan Butler's superb form. He has booted four goals in 2021 for Brett Ratten's side, which is not superb by any stretch of the imagination. However, he can still be a huge threat on his day. At just 24 years of age, Lonie is still yet to hit his absolute peak, and should the Pies manage to wrangle him away from the Saints, would be at a bargain price.