COLLINGWOOD needs to develop the depth of its leadership, according to coach Nathan Buckley.
The Pies coach said the absence of 75 per cent of the club's leadership group (Luke Ball, Dayne Beams and Nick Maxwell) through injury for much of the season had impacted on the team's consistency.
Several lapses have been costly, with the Magpies leaking big scores in about half a dozen quarters this season.
"We are working to develop the depth of our leadership through the playing list and that is a pretty strong indicator of consistent performance," Buckley said.
Harry O'Brien has been added to the leadership group and slowly the number of those willing to take on the responsibility is growing.
It points to a side in transition but Buckley thinks there is a better way to define the team.
"What it is, is a team trying to find our best," Buckley said.
"We think our best is good enough to beat any other team and we can talk about it all we like, but unless we show it, it doesn't mean very much."
With four wins from seven matches - the three losses to premiership contenders Hawthorn, Essendon and Fremantle - and the undefeated Cats lying in wait, the time for action is upon the Magpies.
However Collingwood will enter the game with a list so hampered by injury and form that Buckley said there are only 26 or 27 names realistically in the selection discussion.
Two that won't be mentioned are the injured Alex Fasolo – potentially out for the season with navicular bone fracture – and Heath Shaw, suspended for the week after a poorly timed indiscretion that cost the Pies a goal just before half-time against the Dockers.
Buckley knows the high injury rate is a concern and one that will receive more attention soon.
"There are definitely some things for us to review and look at in the longer term. In the short term you would love to have more players available," Buckley said.
Dayne Beams had his first full football session for a while on Wednesday but Buckley said last year's best and fairest winner needs a couple of weeks in training before the club pulled the trigger and picked him.
Tyson Goldsack remains unavailable through injury and his logical replacement structurally, Jackson Paine, was not in good enough form in the VFL to be considered.
With that the reality, Buckley will narrow his focus to the 22 that are selected to take on the Cats.
Luke Ball is certain to return from a knee reconstruction suffered in round three, 2012. He has been in excellent form in the VFL but the club resisted picking him last week, choosing to stick to the plan it had set out earlier.
Buckley knows his importance around the contest but he also knows one player won't be the difference.
"[He's] not going to come in and be the panacea. He's going to be part of the solution and we're looking forward to him finding his feet," Buckley said.
Buckley said winning the contest around the ball would be vital to the result, with the Magpies forced to plug holes through injury.
Covering the Cats' dynamic small forwards Allen Christensen, Mathew Stokes and Steven Motlop will be players not used to playing in defence.
"We'll have two or three players down there that won't have played a lot of defence, so if we want to let the ball in there heavily well we're going to have to support them with midfield run getting back, wingers getting back," Buckley said.
Getting a makeshift defence working together was just one of the challenges.
"A lot of these guys haven't played together as a back six so that is going to be a challenge to build that in quick time," Buckley said.
The challenges are mounting for Buckley. He's narrowed his focus. And the team is beginning to get down to work.
