It's still hard to know exactly where Collingwood stands in 2019. What can you takeaway from a season that saw the Pies go from 13th in 2017 to being a questionable free-kick away from winning a flag in 2018?

A team that went backwards in each of Nathan Buckley's six seasons in charge suddenly reversed the trend in 2018. All this on the back of more laid-back approach a la Damien Hardwick and Richmond a year earlier.

The Pies were came so close to premiership glory in 2019.

Will the Magpies continue to follow the Tigers' trend and stay at the top of the heap? After all, the heroics of 2018 were managed with an injury list the length of the Yarra. Things can only get better for the Pies, right?

An Ageing Population

But then again, the Pies do have the second-oldest list in the league so maybe the premiership window is closing and 2018 was just a puff of smoke with a return to the trenches imminent.

We can be sure of one thing when it comes to Collingwood though—there’ll never be a dull moment.

Some Pies to Watch

Three obvious names: Jordan De Goey, Dayne Beams, Mason Cox.

The Pies kept their faith in Jordan De Goey in 2018 despite his off-field indescretions.

For the second year in a row, Jordan De Goey started his season with some off-field indiscretions. But the club showed its faith in the talented youngster and he returned the favour. In spades. However, most of De Goey's 2018 work was done in the forward line and if he wants to reach his true potential it's going to require a lot more midfield grunt. Whether he'll make round one remains to be seen after he picked up an injury at training in mid-February this year.

The Pies spent a bomb getting Dayne Beams back to the club in a move very much aimed at finding the extra 1% that can deliver a premiership. If the 2012 Copeland medallist can play at his best it will be near impossible for opponents to control the centre of the ground. But Beames only averaged 14 games a season over the past six years and isn't getting any younger.

The preliminary final win against Richmond will forever be remembered as Mason Cox's coming of age, a la Tom Hawkins from Geelong in 2012. But in reality the giant American is 28 years old before round one, has played a total of 44 games and averaged just one goal a match in a 2018 spent almost entirely in the forward line. Cox averaged less than five effective disposals a game through the finals and, but for 10 dominant minutes against the Tigers, appeared to be well worked-out by opposition defences.

A Last Chance To Watch

Some old horses on their way out include Tyson Goldsack and Daniel Wells.

A season that looked over before it began almost turned into a fairytale for Tyson Goldsack. The veteran defender forced his way back into the side for the finals after a knee reco in the pre-season. The 31-year-old signed for one more season, but with Matt Scharenberg, Lynden Dunn and Darcy Moore all back to fight for key defensive posts it won't be easy for Goldy to get a game—let alone be a prominent part of the Pies' 2019 campaign.

Things will be just as difficult for Daniel Wells as he attempts to get on the ground in a midfield bolstered by Beams', De Goey and Jaidyn Stephenson. The former Roo turns 34 in February, has played just 45 games in five years and comes out of contract at the end of 2019. If injuries strike again he may be forced to hang up the boots early.

Games Played On...

Collingwood plays a couple of games on Thursday night early in the season—the game against Richmond in round two will be a particular highlight. Then it’s a string of Friday and Saturday night games. The following table shows what’s to come...

Thursday: 3
Friday: 7
Saturday: 8
Sunday: 3
Monday: 1

Mason Cox has the best 10 minutes of his life against Richmond in the 2018 Preliminary final.

Teams Played Twice

The pies will play Richmond, West Coast, Melbourne, Essendon and the Western Bulldogs twice. That’s a touch schedule but expect huge crowds and some blockbuster entertainment to compensate.

2019 Preview and Premiership Odds

Not surprisingly Collingwood goes into 2019 as equal second-favourite for the flag, paying $7.00 in the betting ring.

As big a bonus as Beams is, the Pies would have been a lot happier picking up Tom Lynch from the Suns. The pies need for key forwards remains unsatisfied.

On the flip-side, it's hard to see a frontline of Beams, Sidebottom, Pendlebury, Treloar, Adams and De Goey being beaten too often. Whoever's in front of goals will be getting plenty of opportunities.

The Pies list isn't as young as it may sometimes seem, but it's also not about to tip over the edge into a retirement home. There's no good reason why they can't again be right up front come the pointy end of the season. The cancerous sludge that saw them slide backwards in every other year of Bucks’ tenure has to be kept at bay somehow.

Round One Oh So Close

The Pies will face-off with the Cats in round 1 2019 of the AFL fixture.

The Pies face off against the Cats in Round 1 at the MCG. And don’t forget the premiership replay happening in Round 3 when the Eagles will try and swoop the Pies again.

Either way we can’t wait for Round 1 and we look forward to watching the Pies progress in 2019.

Remember, if you miss any tickets for this year’s AFL fixture then be sure to check out The Ticket Merchant website for a full range of premium and discounted tickets selling the entirety of the AFL season.