Collingwood didn’t need a complete midfield obliteration in last month’s wildcard final to find out it desperately needed Lachie Neale.
But for Magpie fans who wonder why their club would outlay nearly $3 million over three seasons on a player who will turn 34 in May next year, it was a stark reminder of the team’s deficiencies.
The Pies lost on the last kick of the game against the Western Bulldogs as Tim Membrey’s attempt sailed just wide, but the Pies had no right to be in that game.
They lost the inside 50 count by 64 to 45, the clearances 54 to 35 and centre-square clearances 19 to nine.
Yet they had Nick Daicos, they had tackle power (86 tackles to the Dogs’ 59) and they had Craig McRae’s coaching.
A team that was 15th for clearances and 14th for points from clearances this season will bring in a player in Lachie Neale who this season was No.1 at the Lions for centre-square clearances, clearances, contested possessions, disposals and groundball gets.
A player who in the past five seasons has played 25, 26, 26, 22 and 27 games.
And one who in that time has been by Champion Data rankings the fourth best, 29th-best, sixth-best, 26th-best and 23rd-best player in the league.
They are astonishing numbers for a player of his age.
As Collingwood 1990 premiership hero Mick McGuane said, it not only makes Collingwood immediately better, the flow-on effect for Nick Daicos can be profound.
“It is a no-brainer to get him based on the clearance deficiency. Possession wins equate to territory if you get the engine room right,” McGuane said.
“Nick needs more depth in that part of the ground so it’s a no-brainer because if he (Neale) is not one of the best extractors of the ball from clearance situations then I don’t know who is. He’s up there with Clayton Oliver, Caleb Serong who you saw on grand final day.
“The other overlay is that it allows Nick to spend more time forward and become a 30 or 40-goals-a-year player. It allows ‘Fly’ a bit more flexibility with putting his weapons like Nick and Jordan De Goey forward of the ball.”
In Daicos’ record-breaking Brownlow Medal tally he polled 47 votes but it was a one-man show ahead of De Goey (eight), the departed Scott Pendlebury (five) and Jack Crisp (four).
The Pies would like to get Josh Daicos back around the ball and on to a wing, but the emergence of Ed Allan is also a major boost to their onball unit.
Sam Swadling’s development helps release Daicos and Jayden Short’s potential arrival would be a further boost.
Allan’s last month of the season was exceptional.
He held Bulldogs star Ed Richards to 13 disposals and four clearances in their one-on-one match-up in the wildcard final.
He also kept Brisbane Lions ace Will Ashcroft to only nine disposals and one clearance (in 50 minutes head to head) in round 24.
He kept Hawthorn co-captain Jai Newcombe to just 13 touches in 58 minutes together in round 23 and in 77 minutes on Eagles gun Harley Reid the pair had a solid battle. Reid still won 21 disposals but went at 28 per cent kicking efficiency under the tagger’s attention in round 22.
Allan also started winning his own ball – 20 touches against the Eagles, 28 against the Hawks, 23 against Brisbane.
McGuane can see the risk in bringing in senior players in Jesse Hogan (32 in February) and Neale.
“That’s the debate,” McGuane said. “Can ageing champions hold up their end of the bargain? I look at Darcy Moore’s situation and the Pies clearly need a key back to help out in that part of the ground. They are one rung short and they are pinning their faith in their medical department to get Darcy right.”
Neale’s considerable input to the Brisbane Lions’ third consecutive premiership was highlighted at the club’s best-and-fairest count on Thursday night when he placed third behind winner Will Ashcroft and Josh Dunkley.
McGuane has spent time watching Neale’s training habits in the past two summers when in Queensland and has no doubt about what makes him tick.
“He reminds me of a young Greg Williams. The extras, the one-touch, the quick hands, the quick feet,” McGuane said. “He might not cover the ground like Isaac Heeney but his role is in congestion. To be clear, to be strong, to have a good base, to not be knocked off the footy.”
And he has no issues with the Pies bringing in a lightning rod for controversy, a player who was regularly booed as the season went on.
“I don’t understand that. It’s a private matter. I respect him a lot,” McGuane said.
“Even that last quarter in the grand final was pivotal. He contested the ground ball, absorbed the tackle, gave the back feed, got them forward. Things like that matter. As far as I am concerned he is pretty iconic in football life.”
“He has lived through the boos this year, but as much as fans might boo you when you are in the cauldron, when you are at the coalface, you don’t hear a lot of external noise.
“Or it doesn’t consume you when you are a high-stakes performer. You have a job to do and the rest is just outside noise. A deadset pro like Lachie decompartmentalises.
“Pros get it done. There are plenty of villains in every sport. Guys like Kevin Pietersen. They rise to the occasion and Lachie Neale has done that more than most.”