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Collingwood names Tim Broomhead for clash against Richmond

Michael Gleeson

Collingwood has abandoned its three talls forward line with American import Mason Cox dropped to make way for pacy small forward Tim Broomhead for the crucial early season clash with Richmond. The Tigers, fresh from a first-up win over Carlton was still aggressive at match committee, making three changes to bring in two running players and switching small forwards. 

The Magpies made two changes, one change forced on them by the suspension of Travis Varcoe and the other a change in strategy with the 211-centimetre Cox going out to bring in more pace, run and defensive pressure.

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James Aish, who was a late withdrawal with illness last week, comes back into the side along with Broomhead to change the balance of runners and tall targets.  

Buckley admitted after the loss to the Bulldogs that they looked better in the game once they started rotating tall forwards off the bench and playing only two at a time.  

Cox, who was also second ruck last week, was the casualty of the change in structure. The move means Jesse White will be second ruck to Brodie Grundy. Darcy Moore was ineffective last week and after a poor JLT series will need to improve.

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Tigers midfielder Taylor Hunt, defender Kamdyn McIntosh and small forward Sam Lloyd were all dropped from the side that won relatively comfortably over Carlton in the opening match.

Kane Lambert, Jayden Short and Ben Lennon have all come into the side to stretch Collingwood for run.

Lennon, the former number 12 pick who tried without success to be traded at the end of last year, is not quick but is canny around goal and is a like-for-like replacement for Lloyd. 

Lambert, the mature recruit, replaces Hunt in the midfield while the selection of small rebounding defender Short flagged the Tigers' plan to try to run out of Collingwood's forward line. Structurally he replaces McIntosh.

The classy Tim Broomhead, who has had a terrible run with injuries and illness since being taken at pick 20 in the 2012 draft, had shoulder surgery before last season and then injured his ankle in his second game of the season when he came into the team midyear. The year before had been cruelled by the shoulder injury that required surgery. Glandular fever and other injuries had interrupted his first seasons at Collingwood.

The club has patiently waited on Broomhead, who offers something different to Collingwood's forward line with pace, crumbing ability and clever thought around goal.

  Controversial off-season recruit Chris Mayne came into the side last week as a late replacement for Aish. He holds his place in the team with he decision to drop Cox.