With five rounds left to play Collingwood’s premiership campaign is still alive and kicking
COLLINGWOOD is determined to fight to save its premiership defence, with half-back John Noble insisting the Magpies can still make finals.
The reigning premiers sit 13th, six points outside the top eight, and look a shadow of the team that charged to last year’s flag as they endure a four-game losing streak, including Saturday’s thumping loss to Hawthorn.
When asked if the Magpies could save their season, Noble said: “Yeah, 100 per cent.
“We’re a group that’s really optimistic about how we can play our footy.
“There’s five games left. Our season’s far from over and we’re going to fight every minute of those games.
“We’ll go through what we needed to work on against Hawthorn and we’re a really strong, connected group and that’ll take us forward.”
Noble admitted Collingwood’s usual connection wasn’t there but when asked if they felt ‘hunted’, said: “To a point.
“I think everyone’s hunted at the moment. Every team’s taking the opportunities when they’re presented, and we’ve been able to take some of our own.
“We’re still able to make the eight, there’s five games left.
“We’re going to fight and we’ll go through what we need to work through on the weekend and go from there.”
Noble backed skipper Darcy Moore amid his form slump and dismissed the suggestion Collingwood’s list was too old.
Scott Pendlebury (37), Jeremy Howe (34), Mason Cox (33), Jamie Elliott (31), Steele Sidebottom (33), Tom Mitchell (31) Brody Mihocek (31), Will Hoskin-Elliott (31) and Jack Crisp (30) headline the older Magpies.
“For us, it’s irrelevant,” Noble said.
“We’ve got amazing leaders in our four walls, and the experience that they bring is probably unmatched in the AFL at the moment, and we really lean on them in these times.
“Darcy Moore’s doing an amazing job with our players, even our young guys standing up.
“He’s coaching them through different scenarios and different systems to play really well, and it’s showing – those guys are really taking their opportunities.
“And for us, it’s not a matter of them being too old, it’s we lean on them in these times.”
The Magpies play cellar dwellers Richmond on Saturday then face second-placed Carlton, ladder leaders Sydney away, third-placed Brisbane and fellow finals aspirant Melbourne.
“We look at that as a really good challenge,” Noble said.
“We don’t see it as a threat, because if we are going to play finals, we’re going to play those teams anyway, so it’s probably a really good time to see where we’re at against those sides.
“We’re optimistic with how we can play and we know our best footy is more than capable of beating those sides. It’s just a matter of piecing those little bits together that we know we can work on.
“The thing for us is it might seem like it’s far away from the outside, but we know what we can control, and we know what we need to do to make our best footy shine and we’re going to work extremely hard during the week and get back.”
Noble, 27, missed out on last year’s premiership but has played 15 games this season.
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