YOUNG Magpie mid Jordan De Goey has a clear message for his teammates.
With a win-loss record of 4-8 after the first half of the season, the Magpies can all but rule out finals in 2016.
But De Goey said it was imperative the Magpies forget about the first half of the year and treat the last 11 games of the year with a fresh approach, starting with an all-important clash against an in-form Fremantle at the MCG on Friday night.
"It's probably just playing the way we want to play. When we went away from that (method), that's when we started going downhill," De Goey told AFL.com.au.
"All the boys need to harden up because what we've been dishing up hasn't been good enough.
"It's a mindset, so we just need to flick that switch and focus on the rest of the year."
De Goey is a footballer in a hurry.
The 20-year-old desperately wants his side to break out of its rut and he and coach Nathan Buckley have already had discussions that it should be him leading the charge.
"We've spoken about trying not to wait to be a good player," De Goey said.
"That's one thing 'Bucks' has been telling me, throughout the year, is, 'Don't wait' because there's no reason why I can't step up right up now and that's why I'm trying to improve my game as fast I can."
De Goey burst onto the scene in his debut year in 2015, demonstrating exactly why the Magpies drafted him with pick No.5 in the 2014 NAB AFL Draft.
Even from his very first training sessions at Olympic Park, where De Goey would crash into packs and win the ball in dispute against experienced teammates Scott Pendlebury and Steele Sidebottom, like his life depended on it, the Magpies knew the type of talent they had in their midst.
Not just a player who could win contested footy, De Goey also demonstrated his class and poise. A breakout game against Geelong in round 22 last season, in which he gathered 25 disposals (17 contested) and 10 clearances, pointed to his potential.
The Magpies were also quick to lock De Goey – who has now played 28 matches for Collingwood – into a long-term contract extension until the end of 2018.
De Goey had a stellar pre-season and was one of the stars of the NAB Challenge competition. He has not quite reached those heights so far in the regular season, but is still averaging 19.4 disposals this season with more time spent up forward in his second season at AFL level.
He said he had been working on improving his preparation in the lead-up to games, while also leaning on skipper Scott Pendlebury's advice when watching his match edits after games.
"I want to be a well-known name in the AFL and there's no point in trying to fly under the radar. I'm just trying to do the little things right and hopefully from there I can take a step forward," De Goey said.
