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CTV > Mick Malthouse's post-match press conference
COLLINGWOOD defender Nick Maxwell says attitude and belief have been the catalyst for the Magpies stunning turnaround this season.
Struggling at 3-4, and having been just hammered by Hawthorn, the knives were out for last year’s preliminary finalists who had key players down on form and youngsters struggling to fill the void.
But three wins on the trot, including two massive percentage boosters over Geelong and West Coast, has put the side right back in the top four race.
“I reckon it’s just attitude and belief,” Maxwell said of the turnaround.
“We haven’t got a lot of stars; we’ve just got a lot of really good players. If everyone contributes then we are going to be a good team
“The problem is, when we have a few guys down, that’s when we start to struggle.”
Maxwell, who turns 25 on Tuesday, said the most pleasing aspect of the 100-point win over West Coast was the fact the side kept the pedal to metal even when the game was safely in its keeping.
“If we came out against West Coast and struggled a bit and floated through, it would have taken away all the hard work we did last week (against Geelong),” he said.
“What we wanted to do was continue on from last week and not go into a little rut, and we were able to do that.
“Earlier in the year we were up by seven goals at half time against Richmond and won by the same margin. We didn’t want to be satisfied with what we’d done.”
Maxwell praised the work of full back Shane Wakelin and livewire midfielder Leon Davis. He said the move of Davis into the midfield in recent seasons has proved the making of the Collingwood speedster.
“He’s worked his backside off to get his fitness up, and now he can go through the midfield and not only shake a tag but also have an impact in front of goal,” he said.
“He’s just so sharp and so clean.”
Like Davis, a host of players have stepped up in recent weeks to give the Pies a lift when it was so desperately needed.
In sixth position with six wins, and with last-placed Melbourne to come next Monday, the Pies are perfectly poised to make an assault on the top four.
Maxwell said the focus had to stay on producing week in and week out, and the rest would take care of itself.
“A lot of guys have really started picking up over the last three weeks, and we’re starting to get some momentum,” he said.
“When the confidence is up you have to make the most of it, and we have been able to do that.”
