![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/poster-fallback.png\"\/)
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\ufeffMAYNARD QUESTIONS MIHOCEK\u2019S DEPARTURE<\/p>\n
Collingwood vice-captain Brayden Maynard has questioned the decision to let Brody Mihocek leave for Melbourne, saying \u201cno one wanted him gone.\u201d<\/p>\n
It crucially comes as Craig McRae\u2019s side has struggled up forward in 2026, with the club ranked bottom five in the AFL in scoring and with no Magpies averaging two goals per game.<\/p>\n
As Collingwood tries to get its forward line firing, Mihocek, who led the club\u2019s goalkicking from 2019 to 2023, has bagged five majors from three games \u2014 which would be the equal-most at the Magpies. <\/p>\n
According to reports, Collingwood only offered Mihocek a one-year extension, whereas Melbourne tabled a two-season deal.<\/p>\n
Ned Long, Brody Mihocek and Brayden Maynard celebrate last year\u2019s qualifying final win over Adelaide (Photo by Michael Willson\/AFL Photos via Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
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BLOWTORCH: \ufeffBlues glaring list fail laid bare; star hidden in $4.5m Saints problem as contender\u2019s flaw exposed<\/a><\/p>\n ROUND 4 TEAMS: Pies gamble on third-gamer as four big names OUT of Easter Thursday blockbuster<\/a><\/p>\n SIMPSON SPEAKS: Flag coach\u2019s big call on Blues job… and \u2018ridiculous\u2019 claim over current role<\/a><\/p>\n Mason Cox also left the Pies in the off-season, while Jack Buller, who was brought in to replenish those forward stocks, was dropped to the VFL after two games. <\/p>\n Maynard admits it was tough to see premiership teammate Mihocek depart, particularly given Collingwood\u2019s offensive issues.<\/p>\n \u201cWe obviously got rid of a five-time leading goalkicker in \u2018Checkers\u2019,\u201d Maynard told the Herald Sun.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cNo-one wanted him gone, I don\u2019t know what happened there, but anyway. Then Coxy (Mason Cox) went (to Fremantle) and we had to figure out a way to score and we do have boys down there that can score.<\/p>\n \u201cI do miss him a lot, I had a really good relationship with \u2018Checkers\u2019, a real unique one. I love him very much, so did everyone. But that is football, that is the industry we live in and he is doing really well at Melbourne and it\u2019s good to see.\u201d<\/p>\n DEAR DOWNPLAYS SLOW START TO 2026<\/p>\n Calsher Dear says he\u2019s unfazed about starting the 2026 season outside Hawthorn\u2019s senior team as rivals circle the young forward.<\/p>\n Back stress fractures hindered Dear, 20, before Christmas and limited his pre-season. <\/p>\n He\u2019s now fallen down the pecking order in Sam Mitchell\u2019s side, sitting behind Jack Gunston, Mitch Lewis and Mabior Chol in the club\u2019s key forward stocks, while even draftee Aidan Schubert has been listed as an emergency ahead of Dear. <\/p>\n Rivals have clearly taken notice that Dear is out of favour, with a report stating clubs are keeping tabs on him<\/a>. <\/p>\n But Dear, who burst onto the scene by playing 17 of his 26 AFL games in his first season, downplayed his slow start to 2026 and recognised he\u2019s still early in his career.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you look at how I started my career, I was extremely lucky and had a really good opportunity,\u201d he said on Fox Footy\u2019s AFL 360.<\/p>\n \u201cIn my first year I played 17 games and 10 last year. There\u2019s not a lot of players who get that lucky or have that sort of opportunity.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not really stressing about it. I haven\u2019t started in the side (previously), the earliest I\u2019ve ever played was Round 8.<\/p>\n \u201cSo I\u2019m just doing my time, I\u2019m still developing, still getting better. But I think it\u2019s a pretty good problem to have.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not just me that is fighting for a spot. There\u2019s so many players that play alongside me at Box Hill that are AFL ready and AFL level, but we\u2019ve just got such a deep list that you\u2019ve got to wait your turn and make most of the opportunity when it comes.\u201d<\/p>\n HUBS REPORTEDLY NOT ON THE AGENDA<\/p>\n The return of hubs reportedly isn\u2019t on the agenda after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese\u2019s address to the nation.<\/p>\n That came in response to the skyrocketing cost of living and fuel prices due to supply disruptions as a result of global conflicts.<\/p>\n But while you can rule out hubs, the AFL is believed to be exploring ways to help fans get to games for a lower cast. <\/p>\n Prime Minister Anthony Albanese\u2019s national adress (Picture: ABC.)Source: Supplied Source Known<\/p>\n \u201cThe AFL is adamant they are not discussing hubs, it hasn\u2019t been discussed at any executive level,\u201d Seven\u2019s Mitch Cleary said on Agenda Setters<\/a>.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cBut what they are looking at is ways they can subsidise and help fans get to and from games as early as Gather Round.<\/p>\n \u201cEverything\u2019s on the table \u2014 memberships coming with fuel discounts, or ways they can help fans with carpools and buses to get to and from games. Everything is on the table here.<\/p>\n \u201cThat is what the AFL is working with the clubs on, rather than any sort of hub discussion right now.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Collingwood\u2019s vice-captain has questioned a star\u2019s exit. Plus an out-of-favour Hawk has spoken as rival clubs circle… and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":579542,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[560],"tags":[3443,9126,638,3531,2324,64,63,689,7292,55,639,284150,684,27716,37346,2667,10133,10143,45195,284153,2105,284151,284147,12186,12102,284152,14402,13126,7198,12937,12182,677,284148,32659,284155,35344,2528,41561,12936,32654,284149,1124,85,284154],"class_list":{"0":"post-579541","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-afl","8":"tag-adelaide","9":"tag-adelaide-crows","10":"tag-afl","11":"tag-aidan-schubert","12":"tag-anthony-albanese","13":"tag-au","14":"tag-australia","15":"tag-australia-and-new-zealand","16":"tag-australian-capital-territory","17":"tag-australian-football-league","18":"tag-australianfootballleague","19":"tag-back-stress-fractures","20":"tag-ben-cotton","21":"tag-box-hill","22":"tag-brayden-maynard","23":"tag-canberra","24":"tag-collingwood-magpies","25":"tag-craig-mcrae","26":"tag-flag-coach","27":"tag-fuel-discounts","28":"tag-getty-images-inc","29":"tag-help-fans","30":"tag-hub-discussion","31":"tag-jack-buller","32":"tag-jack-gunston","33":"tag-list-fail","34":"tag-mabior-chol","35":"tag-mason-cox","36":"tag-michael-willson","37":"tag-mitch-cleary","38":"tag-mitch-lewis","39":"tag-oceania","40":"tag-offensive-issues","41":"tag-one-year-extension","42":"tag-pies-gamble","43":"tag-premiership-teammate","44":"tag-rival-clubs","45":"tag-rival-clubs-circle","46":"tag-sam-mitchell","47":"tag-senior-team","48":"tag-skyrocketing-cost","49":"tag-south-australia","50":"tag-sports","51":"tag-wanted-gone"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/579541","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=579541"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/579541\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/579542"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=579541"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=579541"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=579541"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}