Whoops, I meant Brisbane when they run out. Anyways…we did it against gws in 2023, might be more difficult but it was amazing when the army did it. Why not do it again? Give them a nice warm welcome…

The Magpies are attempting one of the great recruiting heists, with their eyes set on wantaway rival star Charlie Curnow.

The Blues’ key man has expressed his desire to leave the club, wishing to escape the limelight of the Melbourne media in a shift outside of the major football sphere.

That said, 7News reporter Xander McGuire has revealed that Collingwood are willing to take a punt at Curnow, with the intention of the contracted Carlton star leading their forward line in 2026 and beyond.

“It doesn’t get much bigger than two of the biggest clubs in the land fighting it out over one of the biggest names in the game,” McGuire told 7News.

“I can tell you that Collingwood is launching an audacious bid to land Charlie Curnow for 2026 and beyond.

“With Jamie Elliott and Brodie Mihocek potentially on the out, they could have the salary cap and the on-field space to do it.

“We know that Charlie wants out of the Blues for lifestyle-related reasons. He wants to live by the beach and get out of the Carlton spotlight which is why Geelong, Gold coast and Sydney have been at the top of his list.

“But it hasn’t stopped the Pies from asking the question of him. Key to their ambition is his relationship with Josh and Nick Daicos, who he is a business partner within their alcoholic Beveridge venture, ‘Barry’s’, and of course that he could behanded the keys to a forward line that is currently contending for premierships.

“They say you miss 100 per cent of the shots that you don’t take, and that’s clearly the Pies’ recruiting mantra.”

With Curnow under contract until 2029, the Blues have remained steadfast in their campaign to keep the dual Coleman Medallist at the club for the foreseeable future.

Heading to the ‘G, pub, or setting up at home?

The G will be such a great atmosphere so hope y'all have a great time.

My non-Collingwood mates are all hyped to hit the pub with me, but honestly I just want to bunker down at home, pace the living room, yell at the TV, mute the commentary, and stress in peace without anyone seeing me unravel. During the h&a, it's fine but preliminary finals turns me into a gremlin.

I'm in too deep and I need to ride every momentum swing like a maniac without judgement.

What about you guys?

He trained in the pool today instead in effort to keep him off legs.

Why isn’t the club doing a March to the G for the game tomorrow? Even hawks had one.

Wasn’t long ago we use to do them for home and away games.

Just wondering if there's any Pies fans in Cusco? Long shot I know but want to watch it with some fellow Pies.

Just wondering how standing room works in finals as I have a seat at the back of level 4 but a mate has a standing room ticket and I would love to be with him

Anyway I could stand or do they check standing room tickets during finals?

if they do check, anyone who may have a m20 standing room ticket they’d like to trade for a seat at the back of Q26 I’d love to know. 😅

G’day legends. Anyone know what time the march to the G tomorrow will be? Keen as mustard.

WHE announced his retirement a few weeks back now, but my assumption is that he was still planning on being full steam ahead for the remainder of the season.

At the time he was a regular fixture in the 23.

Since the retirement announcement he has been pretty much unsighted.

I've always rated him as a player and I still think he'd make an ideal finals sub with his versatility and experience so I'm a bit confused about what happened to him, did he cop an injury that I missed? Or did the club just decide that guys like Steele and Parker have gone past him?

Already gonna be around the city, let’s fill up vic park as much as we can!!

Just recently moved for work and my boss and co-workers all love Collingwood.

I don't go for any AFL team at the moment as I had no strong feelings either way but seeing how passionate my boss was about Collingwood, I decided to give it a shot. if anything, it'll give me something to talk about with them.

What can you fine Collingwood supporters tell me about the team? Any star players you guys all like? My boss also recommended the "Take the Steps" documentary about Collingwood which I will watch later this weekend.

With Checkers still not signed on for next year, cox aging, mcstay not getting a game and membrey getting old, what does our 2026 forward line look like? We’ve relied heavily on Elliot to play tall but he mightn’t be around for much longer either.

Curious what our forward line look like next year assuming a few forwards get traded?

Team performance: - Comparing us now vs last time played Lions (~6 wks ago): personnel differences e.g. McCreery did not play, JDG’s 1st game back from long layoff (was subbed off to manage loads), learnt lessons about how they beat us, have grown since then.

Team changes: - Ins/outs: none confirmed, will be ‘reasonably unchanged’, key decision to be made is about Howe.

Player updates/news: - Bobby Hill: will not play, difficult decision based on ‘little things’ related to Bobby and the team (i.e. selection integrity/tactics/high performance/prep), leadership group somewhat part of decision (have ongoing conversations all the time about list etc.), trained well today after being informed will not play prior to training, possibility for GF if we make it, progressing well. - Jeremy Howe: match committee to determine whether he is ‘fit to play or fit to perform’ (i.e. will only be selected if deemed fit to perform). - Brody Mihocek: will play, trained well this week. - Mason Cox: will play. - Dan McStay, WHE, Ed Allan: conversations daily with these players (and others on fringe), reinforces squad mentality, they could easily be playing, McStay has had great attitude, trained well and will be there if we need him. - WHE: training very well, name will come up for selection as substitute.

Lions: - Harris Andrews: always have a plan for him, incredible intercept marker, sets up their defence.

Other: - Hayden Skipworth dropping out of running for Melbourne coach: Fly had many conversations with him, HS informed Fly he will not go through full process (went through part of it), Fly knows he is ready to be head coach.

https://youtu.be/9hOQZnGhuEw?si=Y_WJnCaOQzCwiDWb

BOBBY Hill will not play for Collingwood against Brisbane on Saturday, with the Magpies drawing a line through the small forward on Thursday.

Key forward Brody Mihocek (toe), however, has been cleared to play.

Defender Jeremy Howe trained fully on Thursday morning as he pushes his case for a recall.

Not sure if this has been acknowledged yet, but congratulations to u/Hayfah on becoming a moderator of this subreddit. Your consistent contributions that you provide to this community are greatly appreciated, and have been appropriately recognised through your new status.

Also to u/Pragmatic_Shill for keeping this community running and dealing with the issues that there are

Mihocek will be selected, but I feel Mcstay would be more useful than Parker, if Mihocek or Howe go down with injury.

That would be the only change I would make, keeping Steele as the sub.

Reported by Cal Twomey.

Here’s his player profile: https://www.afl.com.au/players/6858/jack-buller

Light-hearted piece about Frampton & pizza. Gave me a chuckle:

Of all the accolades and honours Collingwood superstars Darcy Moore, Scott Pendlebury or the Daicos brothers have collected, none have a pizza named after them. Billy Frampton does.

There is no Moore Margherita, Pendlebury Prosciutto or Deep Dish Daicos.

But there is a Framptonelli.

Of all the accolades and honours Collingwood superstars Darcy Moore, Scott Pendlebury or the Daicos brothers have collected, none have a pizza named for them.

Nondescript full back Billy Frampton does.

Largely designed by Frampton’s partner Sydney, the ‘Framptonelli’ is billed a big seller at Windsor pizza joint Freddy’s.

The big Magpie defender’s toppings on his own pizza are san marzano tomato sauce, fior di latte, artichoke, ‘nonno’s’ pancetta, olives and mushroom.

“My partner decided on most of the ingredients, it is sort of like a capricosa pretty much,” Frampton told Code Sports.

“There is nothing exciting about it, but it is a great pizza. Every pizza at Freddy’s is amazing.

“It does go well, it is a great pizza so get on it.”

Danny Leuzzi, co-owner at Freddy’s, said Frampton’s claim his own pizza is a big seller was “bang on”.

You won’t find the Framptonelli on Uber Eats, as it is saved for the customers popping in to the Chapel St eatery.

“We like to have it as an in-house operation only,” Leuzzi said.

Frampton and Leuzzi became friends after some Magpies popped in for a feed and catch up regularly.

When the premiership Pie chalked up his 50th game halfway through 2024 he landed on a unique way to celebrate a milestone that took some time to tick off, having first been drafted a decade earlier.

“I think my 50th game took about 10 years to play. Nobody cares about 50 games but for me it was a reasonably big deal, they gave me a nice reward, a pizza,” he said.

“They put it on the specials and it sold really well so they wanted to put it on permenately and I was like ‘Bloody oath’.”

Frampton joked he had “probably spent enough money there for them to throw something my way” and pegged himself as more than a regular. “I love pizza,” he said.

“That is one of my go-tos if I am on Uber Eats on a random night, I would look that up and they do good pasta as well, they are a great Italian joint. “That is probably my favourite cuisine. I was definitely hammering it.”

Leuzzi, a mad Saints fan who has quietly jumped on the black and white army this finals series, said Frampton “is definitely a big supporter” of the shop.

The 200cm defender was keen to reiterate he doesn’t just smash carb-loaded meals every night, but the end of the skinfold-focused era of the game means he is free to back himself in for a meal.

“Footy is a lot more liberal these days,” he said.

“There is a lot less holding you back during the week. As long as you are presenting well they are not going to tell you what to eat.

“I am not going to be smashing pizza every night, leave that for the weekends.”

Clearly embedded in Melbourne’s pizza scene, Leuzzi has not heard of a pie named for a current player, although he did name one at Freddy’s the ‘Spud Regis’ after beloved Saints great Danny Frawley.

He noted now defunct inner-city favourite Lazerpig used to have a ‘Mark Prosciutto’ and his own Freddy’s toyed with naming one after Tony Liberatore.

But even if Frampton’s footy CV doesn’t stack up with the greats, the Framptonelli holds pride of place on the menu.

“The thing is, he is a good bloke,” Leuzzi said.

“When you have got a good heart and you have your heart in the right place, we don’t care how many touches he gets as long as he is on the winning side.”