‘Very ugly’ — Collingwood’s 2026 season declared finished by Kane Cornes
Collingwood know they cannot win the 2026 AFL premiership and are using season events to keep the fans interested, according to Kane Cornes.
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The Magpies slumped to 10th on the AFL ladder with a percentage of 99.9 after a 54-point loss to Geelong on Saturday night.
With questions being raised about what Collingwood can achieve this season, Cornes believes the club are focusing on maximising certain matches such as ANZAC Day and Scott Pendlebury’s record-breaking game.
Cornes suggested the Magpies knew they weren’t a premiership contender in 2026 and the strategy is designed to keep fans interested.
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His rationale of this theory includes the handling of Pendlebury leading into his record match.
«I think they are very smart and they know where they are at,» he said on The Agenda Setters on Monday night.
«It was obvious to everyone where they were at heading into this season. And it was going to be very ugly.
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«I feel like the writing was on the wall. I feel like they overachieved last year.
«So this year, their grand final is ANZAC Day and their other grand final is [Pendlebury’s] record-breaking game against West Coast.»
When asked if Collingwood had turned their season into mini-events, Cornes agreed.
«I think that’s smart because you have to keep your supporters engaged,» he said.
«They are a big business. They are a commercial business. You want the fans to turn up.
«They would know they are not in the premiership race this year.»
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