Youth, connection and a whole lot of fun.

Collingwood’s AFLW side has gone through a significant shift in 2026, starting in the off-season with 12 new faces joining the program followed by an additional injury replacement signing just last week.

While it could be appropriately assumed that a change to just over a third of the list could result in some growing pains for the young side, instead what has culminated is a new look Magpie breed who look to attack the footy hard and fast – and have a lot of fun doing so.

Entering his second season at the Club – and his first as the forward line coach – Collingwood AFLW Assistant Coach and Head of Strategy Cam Morris admitted that even as a coaching group they are surprised at how quickly the playing group have been able to build their connection on and off the field this pre-season.

“We probably thought it would’ve taken a bit of time to click and understand what that connection particularly as forwards looks like because really, they’re a group that haven’t played a whole lot of footy together” Morris said.

“We’ve been doing a lot of work as a program about how we can set these athletes up in a strong position to allow them to play to their strengths.

“We’ve injected youth like [draftees] Imi Trengove, Mischa Barwin and Josie Bamford into that forward line, plus some new faces like Mattea Breed and Ari Hetherington, and more senior players like Ruby [Schleicher] and ‘Sabs’ [Frederick], and suddenly we have different looks at what we can get ahead of the ball.

“But more importantly, it all comes back to being really connected as a unit and play to each other’s strengths.”

While Collingwood’s first two pre-season hit outs against Carlton and North Melbourne were under limited minutes in three and two quarter efforts respectively, last week’s official practice match saw the Pies have their first four quarter hit out against the Eagles in Perth.

It also saw them kick eight goals for the first time since 2022.

In Saturday’s four quarter clash with the Bulldogs, they went two better, kicking 10 goals to win by 16 points at Whitten Oval.

Morris says the high scores aren’t just a result courtesy of the forwards, but instead a by-product of something much bigger.

“It’s very much a collaborative effort,” Morris said.

“The forwards often benefit from a lot of the work that’s done up the field. The midfielders are able to get the ball into our forward half, and the defenders are the ones who make sure it all looks really safe.

“As a forward line, we’ve been working really hard on staying connected and being selfless.”

That mentality has become the cornerstone of Collingwood’s attack.

Rather than relying on one dominant forward, the Pies have embraced a philosophy where everyone contributes, whether that’s hitting the scoreboard or creating opportunities for teammates.

“It’s something we’ve really emphasised,” Morris said.

“On any given day it can be any one of us kicking goals, but outside of that you’ve got some really selfless roles to play. We kick goals together, not as individuals.”

That approach has been particularly important given the fresh faces leading the forward line.

On Saturday, there were seven individual goal scorers, with senior players Schleicher and Frederick both kicking two, while young Pies Centra, Bamford, Trengove and Barwin each kicked singles.

Even two-time Best and Fairest winner Brit Bonnici was able to find the goals twice in the win – a fair effort for a midfielder who has kicked just eight goals in her 77-game career.

Collingwood have also shown encouraging maturity throughout their pre-season matches, responding strongly to momentum swings and late challenges from opponents head on rather than reverting to old habits that would see them retreat to their shells.

It’s another sign that Collingwood’s growth extends beyond personnel in 2026.

Now, with the pre-season officially coming to an end following valuable hit outs with against top opposition, attention turns to the real thing.

The excitement within the Club is unmistakable as Round 1 approaches.

With a youthful list, new systems and an attacking brand of football taking shape, Morris believes the Magpie Army will see a side that plays with freedom, energy and genuine enjoyment.

“We’re super excited,” Morris said.

“We’ve made some changes to our game plan and structures that we believe are going to make us an exciting team to watch.

“Hopefully we can keep transferring what we’ve built over the past few months into Round 1.”

Collingwood will take on Richmond at IKON Park on Saturday, 15 August. Get your tickets now!