The numbers never lie, and in Collingwood's case change desperately needed to happen before it was too late.
Coach Craig McRae's decision to announce ruckman Oscar Steene as a debutant on Friday can be simply be explained by the stats, and an early problem area of the Pies.
On the surface, Darcy Cameron and his midfield brigade are holding firm, with a -1.0 average total clearance differential in games against St Kilda and Adelaide.
But a deeper dive has unveiled a deeper issue, and it lies in the centre ball-up.
The new rules in the centre square, denying Cameron the ability to wrestle and ultimately forcing him to jump, has led to a major dip in his numbers. It's also put the club's fortunes at risk.
Hence why Steene has been brought in to tackle the issue.
Without Mason Cox, the reigning Copeland Trophy winner has shouldered more ruck duties than ever before, recording a staggering 81.6 percent of stoppages. This is up from last year's 73 per cent, and 2024's 69.5 per cent.
Jack Buller and Dan McStay's inability to compete against the opposition talls also renders them near useless in ruck contests, and preferably should be spared such responsibilities.
McStay has recorded two hit-outs; Buller has failed to register one. Admittedly, both have had very brief interventions in the role.
Cameron is spending more minutes in the ruck, but his numbers are getting worse.
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | |
| Ruck Contest (%) | 81.6 | 73 | 65.9 | 61.8 |
| Hitouts | 18 | 28.3 | 29.3 | 25.8 |
| Hitouts Win (%) | 31.3 | 40.3 | 44.4 | 41.7 |
| Hitouts to Advantage | 3.5 | 7.9 | 8 | 7.7 |
| Hitouts to Advantage (%) | 19.4 | 28 | 27.5 | 30 |
*All stats derived from WheeloRatings
The leaping ruckmen, such as Tom De Koning and Lachlan McAndrew, have jumped for joy when facing Cameron in the centre square.
Their dominance over Cameron has also revealed a concerning stat, which is largely the reason for Steene's debut.
Collingwood sits 17th in average centre clearance differential -7.0 , only narrowly ahead of Essendon (-7.5), which has lost both its clashes by more than 10 goals.
Last year, the Pies were far better placed in the key stat, ranking mid-table with an average 0.3 return on centre clearances.
Steene's a product of the supplementary selection period, signing with the Pies ahead of the 2023 season after impressing during his time at West Adelaide.
He played 18 matches in his debut campaign at Collingwood in the VFL before a dislocated toe derailed his 2024 season.
Rehabbing and adding considerable size, Steene's improvement came in droves last year, putting him well into consideration for an AFL debut.
The club rewarded his efforts with a new deal in July until the end of 2027, highlighting his value and future potential.
Steene's debut couldn't have come at a better time, with the 22-year-old maturing into an AFL-ready player.
But the move was also timely for McRae and his Pies.
Steene will be a valuable addition and he needs to be as Cameron's inability to match it with the AFL's jumpers is setting off alarm bells.
