It’s the AFL forward line that just shouldn’t work.
A 19-year-old in his first season.
A mature-aged Tasmanian recruit, brought to the club as a defender.
An American that hadn’t heard of the sport until four years ago.
And a bloke that spent a two-year drug ban driving Ubers.
Yet not only has Collingwood’s odds-and-ends forward line worked, it’s become one of the club’s strengths as it guns for a 16th premiership in Saturday’s grand final with West Coast.
No one disputes the quality of Jordan De Goey, Will Hoskin-Elliott and two-time flag-winner Travis Varcoe.
But how could anyone – coach Nathan Buckley included – have suggested that Jaidyn Stephenson, Brody Mihocek, Mason Cox and Josh Thomas would be the forwards to fire the Magpies into a grand final?
There’s arguably a higher-rated bunch of goalkickers on Collingwood’s list, sitting to the side.
Ben Reid, Jamie Elliott, Darcy Moore, Jarryd Blair and Alex Fasolo would each have had claims to spots in the front six when best 22s were compiled at the start of the season.
Instead, it’s a largely unheralded group that’s led the Magpies to the last game of the season.
“Yeah. On paper it is a bit weird,” Mihocek told AAP, chuckling.
It’s weird, but it works.
Collingwood is the only team with six players to have kicked more than 20 goals this season.
Mihocek is the most unlikely of those spearheads.
Stephenson’s rise has been astonishing.
Cox’s strengths have always been obvious.
And Thomas’ number was retained by the club through his ASADA ban for a reason.
Mihocek, in contrast, wasn’t on the radar in pre-season at the Pies, who rookie listed him as a backman.
The 25-year-old was brought to the club after four seasons as a key defender in the VFL, helping Port Melbourne to the premiership last September.
He credits forward-line coach Brenton Sanderson as a key figure in his transformation.
“I came in late to the forward line group and I missed out on the bulk of what happened in pre-season,” he said.
“He helped with the transition being pretty easy.”
Thomas, who missed the 2015 and 2016 seasons for returning drug tests positive to clenbuterol, said Collingwood’s forward line would contrast sharply to their opponents on Saturday.
Whereas West Coast has the twin towers of Josh Kennedy and Jack Darling, the Magpies believe they’ve got match-winners in each forward.
“Our strength is our leg speed and we try to exploit that as much as we can,” Thomas told AAP.
“But I think the other thing is our unpredictability. When I go back through our year, everyone in our front six or seven has had their days when they’ve kicked goals.
“I just get the sense whenever we’re out there that we don’t even know ourselves who that’s going to be so it’s probably hard for the opposition to stop.
“You saw Coxy on the weekend … he probably didn’t have his best day against West Coast two weeks ago then he comes out and plays an unbelievable game.
“We have so many different avenues.
“We keep it pretty simple up there. We’re a high-pressure side, we defend as well as we can and then we back ourselves in on turnover that we can use our leg speed.”
Of the seven listed, just Varcoe has 100 games – though Hoskin-Elliott will hit the milestone on Saturday.
“Trav brings the experience,” Mihocek said.
“Other that than, not many of us have played in the big ones.
“We just do what we’re asked and it’s working.
“We enjoy each others company down there and we celebrate every little thing.”
THE FORWARD LINE THAT SHOULDN’T WORK: COLLINGWOOD’S GRAND FINAL ATTACKERS
Mason Cox – Career games: 43, Goals in 2018: 23
Jordan De Goey – Career games: 70, Goals in 2018: 45
Will Hoskin-Elliott – Career games: 99, Goals in 2018: 41
Brody Mihocek – Career games: 15, Goals in 2018: 28
Jaidyn Stephenson – Career games: 25, Goals in 2018: 36
Josh Thomas – Career games: 66, Goals in 2018: 38
Travis Varcoe – Career games: 204, Goals in 2018: 12