Magpies better than Tigers in AFL: Treloar

Just weeks after spurning overtures from Richmond, Adam Treloar has rubbed salt in the Tigers’ wounds, revealing he had chosen Collingwood because of their superior AFL playing list.

Richmond made a huge play to try to snatch the wantaway GWS midfielder from under the Magpies’ noses but couldn’t convince the 22-year-old his chances of premiership success were greater at Punt Road.

“People may think I’m silly because Richmond have a lot of good players … but I think Collingwood have a better list, a younger list, who in a few years’ time can hopefully win a premiership,” Treloar said on Wednesday from a Falls Creek training camp for first to fourth-year players.

“That’s my ultimate goal and this team’s goal. It’s been clearly evident when I’ve come into this club that they’re driven for one success and that’s to be a premiership team – that’s what I want to be a part of.”

Damien Hardwick’s men have played finals for the past three seasons, while the Magpies haven’t managed a top-eight finish since 2013 and suffering a humiliating 91-point defeat in round 21 last season at the hands of the Tigers.

Treloar thanked Richmond for their interest but said Collingwood were the side he wanted to join when he made the decision to seek a trade back to Victoria to be closer to family and friends.

The hard-running midfielder, who cost the Pies two first-round draft picks, upset the Giants on his way out the door when he underwent groin surgery without the club’s knowledge.

Treloar was still officially a GWS player at the time, but he defended his decision to address the issue that dogged him throughout the 2015 season.

“I had a medical done at Collingwood and they gave me a bit of advice on what they thought could happen but, ultimately, they left it to me – it was my decision,” he said.

“I wasn’t a Giants player at the time, or (at least) I had indicated to them that I didn’t want to be there and wanted to be traded, and they respected that decision.

“I decided that I wanted to get the surgery done because, if I signed with Collingwood a month ago, I would have had the surgery done then and I would have been pushed back further, so what was the point of that?

“I wanted to come in firing … that’s why I got the surgery done.”

Treloar believes he is already reaping the benefits of the operation and is back running ahead of schedule.

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