The AFL's trade period has come and gone for another year and a number of teams will have very different looks when the 2026 season rolls around.
Charlie Curnow, Oscar Allen, Jack Silvagni and Melbourne duo Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver were just some of the names finding new homes this month.
One club that was conspicuously quiet, however, was AFL giants Collingwood.
The Pies have been firmly in the "premiership window" in recent times, winning a flag in 2023 and falling short in a preliminary final against eventual premiers Brisbane this season.
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But they were one of the least active teams in the trade period, sending Brody Mihocek to the Demons and bringing in former Swan Jack Buller.
With so many clubs making significant statements in a wild trade period, Kane Cornes voiced his concerns for the Pies in a chat with AFL Trade Radio.
“There are some clubs that didn’t do a whole lot,” he said.
“There are some clubs that got no better and in a competition that is so even, if you haven’t got better, look out.
“Collingwood have gotten worse. There is no doubt about that, because they are a year older, they lose Mihocek, they haven’t bolstered the midfield at all – they had a crack at getting (Jy) Simpkin in, but that was never going to happen with what they offered.
“Hopefully Buller can play, but we don’t know, we’ve only seen him a handful of times. Look at their picks; they’ve got nothing coming in from a youth point of view.
“They sold the farm for (Dan) Houston which hasn’t worked and (Harry) Perryman is the same from a contract point of view."
Port Adelaide premiership player Cornes also singled out Collingwood's midfield.
“What is their midfield going to look like?" he asked.
"Are you going to wind it back with (Nick) Daicos and Ned Long - who I’m not certain about.
"The game has moved past that type of midfielder and we’ve seen that with the likes of (Jack) Steele and (Clayton) Oliver falling out of favour.
“What is their forward line going to look like with no Mihocek? And their backline is vulnerable.
“They are in all sorts of trouble, Collingwood.”