Collingwood coach Craig McRae has praised veteran Jamie Elliott after the Pies' win over Hawthorn on Friday, as the 32-year-old once again starred in a Collingwood win.
Elliott was dominant from the outset up forward, kicking five goals for the match, four of which were in the first half, and now draws level on the Coleman Medal leaderboard with 33 for the season.
Additionally, Steele Sidebottom oozed class again in the midfield, suggesting that age is just a number as the 34-year-old continues to stiff-arm Father Time. Sidebottom collected 27 disposals and kicked two goals in yet another astonishing display from the veteran Pie.
McRae lauded Elliott for his efforts across the season, citing a strong pre-season as the catalyst behind his career-best form.
"He's benefiting from the way we move the ball, that's clear, but the way he plays in the air and ground level, he's looked so sharp and dynamic and really playing with great belief in his capability," McRae said.
"I'm really pleased for him. I've said this for a number of weeks now, he's in the leadership group, and he's just standing out, and the way he wants to lead our team.
"(He's) constantly coming to me about things that we can do better or things that we're doing well and want to reinforce. So he's on top of his game right now."
Elliott has kicked 23 goals across the last six games, including four games of five goals or more in that period. McRae joked that the 32-year-old was "coming into his prime", but based on his current trajectory, Elliott is on a path to eclipse his career-best goals for a season of 39.
McRae also noted promising trends in the Pies' game plan, as Collingwood's success both offensively and defensively were on full display on Friday night.
The Magpies scored 27 times from just 44 inside 50s, a conversion rate of over 61% and a figure far greater than any club's season average this season.
It is a telling indicator of successful clubs too, with four out of the five premiership winners this decade ranking inside the top three for scores per inside 50 entry.
Moreover, Collingwood recorded 82 tackles in the contest, 44 more than the Hawks, illustrating the Magpies' relentless pressure across the MCG.
"It's been a good trend. We were hard to score on one end, and then we got the ability to be efficient going the other way," McRae said.
"The likes of Jamie Elliott are just loving the way we move from the ball at times."
Collingwood face Melbourne in the King's Birthday clash in 10 days time, before heading into a Round 14 bye, with a Round 13 win set to establish the Magpies as ladder-leaders at the midway point of the season.
