COLLINGWOOD plans on being aggressive across the off-season as it continues its aim of climbing up the ladder under Senior Coach Sam Wright.
The club claimed three wins this year – up from just one victory in 2024 – and an average two-goal swing in Collingwood's favour was reflected in a 20 per cent improvement on ladder percentage.
But there is still a host of improvement required.
"It's understanding that you're a professional and what that looks like, it's coming back in their physical performance space to be able to hit the ground running. And it's an old saying, but it's still true; you don't win premierships in the off-season, but you can certainly lose them," Wright told AFL.com.au.
"That's where we stand on things. We've progressed too far to let it slip in an off-season, pre-season."
The Pies have already delisted five players – Muireann Atkinson, Mikayla Hyde, Selena Karlson, Nell Morris-Dalton and Charlotte Taylor – and recruited athletic cross-coders Olivia Lewis and Maisie Nankivell from netball team the Melbourne Mavericks.
There is a desire to add further talent that suits the Collingwood system – the style Wright has worked to embed across his two seasons in the chair. Largely, that means adding skilful players to what is a hardworking list.
Another hope is the return of former captain Bri Davey from a long-term ankle issue that has required multiple surgeries, and the addition of Mattea Breed, who sat out her first season on the Pies' list with a knee injury.
"We've got to make decisions on what it looks like for us going forward next year, and for me, it's Collingwood AFLW person, system, the way we want to go about it. And from there, you just make the best decisions possible," Wright said.
The kind of footy that Collingwood aims to play under Wright did become more evident in 2025 – team defence, movement to space, plenty of attacking run – but there was certainly a sense that the side lacked potency up forward.
"I think (we saw the style), definitely, it's still inconsistent though. So the fight that we want to bring each week was there, which comes from your off-season and your pre-season. I thought the understanding of the game system is absolutely there, so that's progressed, but it's still that we've got to be more consistent with it," Wright said.
"We were 18th in scores against last year, we're around that eighth, ninth, 10th mark this year, which is great for us. It's been a massive focus to lay the foundation of a team defence, not a one-on-one defence, a team defence. Our contest has improved a little bit … From now, it's about trying to bring our scores up. That's the only way that you can win games, and I think that'll help our defence."
Keeping the developing list will be crucial to that continued development, however, after player availability – or a lack thereof – has wreaked havoc in Wright's introduction to coaching.
"I actually think that's the most important thing. I think last year we really struggled, quite early on we were having to bring in top-up players," Wright said.
"Our high-performance staff, medical staff, have done an amazing job in getting our players fit, but that's the continuity part. That is our No.1 focus, hence why it's going to be a really important off-season for us. Your best players win games of footy, they also teach younger players how to play the system, what it looks like. So it's critical."
