Former Collingwood captain and Port Adelaide Coach Mark Williams believes Collingwood won't make finals in 2017.
Williams joined the chorus of AFL pundits writing off Collingwood's finals hopes. It comes on the back of Nathan Buckley pinning his coaching career to the club's 2017 performance.
Williams told SEN the Pies have too many holes in their list to play finals this year.
“The way it looks for me is it’s going to be a tough year again for Collingwood,” he said.
“I think they are going to struggle.”
Williams identified a lack of quality and depth in the defensive and attacking fifties. Highlighting the reliance on 26-game player Darcy Moore as a major concern.
Moore was Collingwood's second highest goalkicker in 2016 with 24 goals, Alex Fasolo led the club with 25. Williams said it isn't enough.
“Darcy Moore and Jesse White are one-goal-a-game players and that’s not enough… it’s not going to get them enough (goals).
“It’s great to have an older player that the ball is going to more often so he (Moore) can do his stuff as an addition to it rather than the key post.
“If he’s playing on the likes of Alex Rance, who can really out-muscle and push him around, then it’s going to be tough for him.”
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In the defensive stocks, former Demon Lynden Dunn will partner the injury prone Ben Reid. Matthew Scharenberg is the emerging youngster, but there shouldn't be much expectation on a player who missed the entire 2016 season.
Williams also questioned Collingwood's focus.
“They’ve put their hand out to be into the netball and into the women’s football and all of a sudden, where is their focus?” he said.
“It’s pretty hard to put all your resources around it. When it going well its brilliant, but when it’s not people start questioning what’s going on.”