Despite sitting on top of the ladder, there is always room for improvement, and in Collingwood's case, there are two areas of the ground that should be looked at.
Their key defensive posts are still searching for more talent after the medical retirement of Nathan Murphy, albeit filled adequately by Billy Frampton.
The development of Ed Allan and Ned Long has only momentarily papered over cracks in the Pies' midfield, which will still need assistance beyond the years of Scott Pendlebury and Steele Sidebottom.
After going all-in for Dan Houston, the Pies' draft hand is bare, with their first selection coming at Pick 36, meaning their eyes will be on value prospects rather than big names.
It should also be mentioned that Collingwood has three draft prospects linked to the club, namely, father-son gun Tom McGuane.
But with premiership favouritism written all over them, will the Pies look to go aggressive again in the off-season?
Here are five trade and free agency targets for Collingwood to consider this year...
2Jai Serong
Serong falls under the same bracket as Derksen, with the Pies likely to be looking for established, key position players to round out their list build.
The Hawks defender has largely toiled away in the VFL for Box Hill since being drafted in 2021, playing just 10 senior games in the brown and gold, including last year's semi-final.
Serong could be viewed as gettable, especially given the inclusions of Josh Battle and Tom Barrass to the fold, meaning he fell down the pecking order over more.
However, if his VFL stats are anything to go by, rivals would be foolish not to consider making a play for the 22-year-old, who can play at either end comfortably.
Collingwood is after a stop-gap between Darcy Moore and the next wave of key defenders at the club, which sees Serong pose as a potential option.
The move makes even more sense given that his trade value would align with the Pies' current hand, with their first selection beginning at 36.
