Collingwood boss Pert eyes off finals

Chief executive Gary Pert is the latest key Collingwood figure to go public with his lofty expectations for the Magpies this AFL season.

Pert said on Friday it’s the top eight or bust for Collingwood, who missed the finals last season for the first time since 2005.

“We were disappointed not to make the finals last year and, quite clearly, from the players, Nathan (Buckley), myself, the board, we expect to be playing in the finals this year,” Pert said.

“We will be very, very disappointed if we aren’t.

Buckley has overhauled Collingwood’s playing list since he took over from Mick Malthouse as coach three seasons ago.

The team has changed vastly from the combination that won the 2010 premiership and many think the Magpies will miss the finals again.

Another finish outside the eight would heap the pressure on Buckley.

But Pert is upbeat about what Collingwood will produce this season.

“Take on board that a lot of the people external to the club don’t have the same expectations, that’s interesting, but it has no relevance to what we are doing,” he said.

“No one knows the work we have done, the preparation, how we plan to play the game.

“The only expectations I am interested in are Nathan’s, the players’, the leadership group – what they think they are capable of doing.”

Earlier this month, president Eddie McGuire was even more bullish at Collingwood’s season launch, putting the premiership on their agenda.

“It’s never too early and it’s never too late,” McGuire said.

Buckley also has not shied away from such expectations.

“Without that ‘aim high’ mentality, without the courage to say that you’re capable of something that other people don’t think you’re capable of, you’re never going to find your best,” Buckley said.

Pert added on Friday that it is not in Collingwood’s nature to have modest goals.

“Collingwood always has very high expectations,” he said.

“We are not here to make the up the numbers.

“We are here to be up there, being a threat in the finals and being a team that other teams don’t enjoy playing against.

“We have got to stay at the top of the ladder and play a style of football that people can see that will win games and also be successful during the finals.”

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