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Magpies want new paths to AFL wins

Nathan Buckley has challenged Collingwood to use ball movement and stoppage success to earn AFL wins after a gritty victory over Sydney.

Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley says the club needs to keep finding new ways to win if they are to build a streak of AFL victories.

The Magpies kick-started their season with a stirring one-point win over last year's minor premiers Sydney last Friday and back up against St Kilda on Sunday.

That success and a fit player list - headed by long-time absentee Jamie Elliott - has renewed confidence at Collingwood.

Against the Swans, Buckley's side brought tackling pressure rarely seen in the AFL.

The Magpies scratched their names into the record books with 115 tackles - the most ever seen in the fixture.

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Buckley was full of praise for the effort but said he wanted to see his side earn four points using other strengths.

"We don't see ourselves as a one-dimensional team," he said.

"We think we can win a game of footy in many different ways.

"There's no doubt our attack on the ball and the opposition is something we pride ourselves on.

"We think we've improved our capacity to move the pill. We know we're a strong stoppage side. There's probably four or five different ways we can win a game now."

The Brownlow Medal-winning coach said no one at Collingwood thought a winning streak would easily present itself now the monkey is off the back for 2017.

"Last week was last week. (Backing up) is the caper. That's the game," he said.

"We can't do anything about the first three rounds now.

"We want to build and continue to learn and execute what we want to do better."

Buckley says his backroom staff believe the Saints have adopted a game style similar to the Swans in their efforts to climb the ladder.

"They're quite explosive in offence and they've really tightened up their defence," he said.

"They've got a multi-focal forward line.

"We played Sydney which are the No.1 'mark and play on' side in the comp. St Kilda aren't far away so it's not a bad tune-up."


2 min read

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Source: AAP


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