Magpies will fancy their chances in AFL

Nathan Buckley was Collingwood captain and Damien Hardwick was freshly retired when the Magpies last lost the first two games of an AFL season.

And despite Dustin Martin’s brilliance, the Magpies will fancy their chances when they play Richmond on Thursday night at the MCG.

The Magpies pushed reigning premiers the Western Bulldogs before going down last Friday night by 14 points.

They have not had a 0-2 start since 2005, when they slumped to 15th.

The Hardwick-coached Tigers opened the season a week ago with a regulation 43-point win over Carlton.

That match was highlighted by Martin’s 33 possessions and four goals, which surely guaranteed him three Brownlow Medal votes.

But the problem for Buckley and his Magpies is a lot more than just Martin.

Recruits Dion Prestia and Josh Caddy have added depth to the Richmond midfield, meaning Martin and captain Trent Cotchin can spend more time creating havoc in attack.

Despite starting with a win, the Tigers made an early-season selection statement with three unforced changes.

They dropped Taylor Hunt, Kamdyn McIntosh and Sam Lloyd – who all had quiet matches last week – for Ben Lennon, Jayden Short and Kane Lambert.

Collingwood had the biggest selection surprise, leaving out tall forward Mason Cox.

They also lost Travis Varcoe to suspension, with James Aish and Tim Broomhead the inclusions.

Aish was a late withdrawal last week because of illness, while Broomhead only managed two games last season because of injury.

Broomhead was a first-round draft pick, but he has played just 21 games since his 2014 debut.

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