The AFL world is jumping at shadows by forecasting Collingwood’s demise, Port Adelaide coach Matthew Primus says.
The Power meet the Magpies at Etihad Stadium on Saturday with Primus warning his players to brace themselves for a besieged opponent.
“They don’t have their best team out there,” Primus said on Friday of Collingwood.
“But you can be rest assured they would have had the riot act read to them.
” … I know what kind of effort they’re going to give tomorrow afternoon and we have got to make sure we’re prepared to match that for the four quarters.
“When you play teams with their backs against the wall, you’re going to get a fierce competition.
“We know they’re going to be up and ready for four quarters – and if we’re not, it’s not going to be a good day for us. If we are, it could be a very good day for us.”
The scrutiny on Collingwood and new coach Nathan Buckley since being drubbed by Carlton last Friday night has bemused Primus.
“When you’re coaching Collingwood, you’re going to be under intense scrutiny – especially coming off where they have been the last three years,” Primus said.
“But they’re a proud club, they have got some terrific players still playing for them.
“It has been a big week for them but I’m sure they’re prepared to play and they have got some senior leaders there who will put all that stuff aside.
“I think everyone has jumped at shadows with them.
“From one week, to be writing them off … we’re certainly not subscribing to that.”
The Magpies will be without seven injured regulars against Port, who were kept to their lowest AFL score by Collingwood last season – 3.3 (21) in round 20.
While Primus said the record low still hurt, he believed Port had since improved immensely.
The Power toppled St Kilda in round one before falling to last year’s finalists Essendon (25 points) and Sydney (22 points) in recent weeks.
But Primus wasn’t content with pundits tagging his side as an improving unit.
“We realise we’re better than what we were last year,” he said.
“But you can only go so long saying ‘yeah, we have given a good effort but we haven’t got over the line’.
“And hopefully that tipping point is coming pretty soon for us.”