It was not long ago where Brayden Sier was captivating Magpies fans around the country with his breathtaking end to the 2018 Season.
The inside midfielder, nicknamed ‘The Bear’, was given his AFL debut late last season after Adam Treloar succumbed to a double hamstring injury in Round 14.
Sier – who had been drafted two years prior – had not featured at AFL level and was facing a career crossroads heading into the 2018.
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After misdemeanours off the field and a lack of football due to a multitude of injuries, it took Sier a long time to finally hit his straps.
But following his debut against Gold Coast, he never looked back.
In his 12 games last year – including all four of Collingwood’s finals – the 20-year-old bull didn't look out of place lining up against some of the best midfielders in the competition.
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He averaged 19.5 disposals per game (10 contested) and provided an enormous presence around stoppages, providing a formidable force alongside fellow inside nut, Taylor Adams.
During the finals, his tally increased to 21 disposals per game (18 contested) and he was among best in Collingwood’s heart-breaking defeat to West Coast in the Grand Final, where he tallied 21 disposals, 14 contested possessions and seven clearances.
Even after all this, Sier found himself on the outer heading into 2019.
A poor pre-season, coupled by constant niggles and the signing of Dayne Beams has made the going tough for Sier, who has been unable to break into the senior line-up at all this season.
His absence, however, has been sorely missed.
Collingwood sit 15th in clearances this season despite their star-studded midfield corps, and have not been able to get first use of the ball from stoppages.
It's been all the more evident in their last month, which has seen the loss of grunt through the centre through the injury to Adams.
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Last season, the Magpies were the top clearance team in the competition and were close to unstoppable with the aggression of Adams and Sier in the guts.
This drop comes down to not having those inside players who have been able to shovel it out to their creative ball users, which Collingwood at the moment clearly don’t have a balance of.
With Beams now sidelined for three months and Adams still a few weeks away, Sier seems primed for a Queen's Birthday return and would be the perfect replacement for their boom recruit.
After a dominant VFL performance on the weekend against Port Melbourne – where he accumulated 34 disposals, eight tackles and a goal – has Sier slamming on the selection door this week.
Sier’s inclusion will allow for Collingwood to achieve that greater midfield balance; something they have sorely lacked throughout this season.
With Scott Pendlebury, Adam Treloar and Steele Sidebottom still in the line-up, the mix of creative users and run is still in full use, while Tom Phillips and Chris Mayne provide the gut-running on the wing and the likes of Callum Brown and Jordan De Goey provide rotation to alleviate the pressure on the aforementioned centremen.
Furthermore, this takes pressure off the shoulders of star ruckman Brodie Grundy, who has been forced to do much of the heavy lifting at stoppages.
Once the Bear is partnered with Adams in the midfield in the weeks to come, the opportunities are endless for Collingwood to begin dominating stoppages once more.
This will allow for Sidebottom or Treloar to spend more time forward, while Pendlebury can also be used off half-back; providing added rest for more of the Magpies stars as they don’t have to shoulder the same burden.
It is plain and simple that Sier needs to come straight back into the Magpies line-up.
He is out of contract and it would be a huge loss if he went elsewhere to build on his already established foundations as a contested ball beast.
An assurance he has a part to play in the future of the Collingwood setup, coupled by a run of consistent football, will mean the chances of him staying may increase.
Once he is back in the team, it's hard to see him being dropped again.
He is just too good to be toiling away in the VFL.
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