COLLINGWOOD president Eddie McGuire is confident "things can turn quickly" and says the club will ignore any external pressure on coach Nathan Buckley.
The Magpies have lost their first two games of the season to Hawthorn (34 points) and Greater Western Sydney (16 points) and will face Carlton, which is also 0-2 on the win-loss ledger, at the MCG on Friday night.
A lengthy injury list which includes some of the club's most high-profile players has not helped the Magpies' cause, but McGuire refused to use that as an excuse.
McGuire joined Bombers great Kevin Sheedy at the MCG on Wednesday to officially unveil the teams' guernseys for the highly-anticipated Anzac Day clash in round five, and said it was premature to start singling out Buckley's coaching performance.
"These things can turn quickly and what we have to do, and what I've learnt watching Kevin (Sheedy) over the years is [you can't] be distracted, (you've got to) keep your eye on the ball and do what's important for the club, and I have no doubt that's what Nathan Buckley is doing for Collingwood," McGuire said.
Injuries to key personnel, most notably Daniel Wells, Jamie Elliott, Jordan De Goey and Alex Fasolo – all of whom are all yet to play a senior game this season – have hit Collingwood hard in 2018.
Ben Reid was a late withdrawal with a hip complaint against the Giants, while Darcy Moore suffered a hamstring injury against GWS and Tim Broomhead broke his leg in gruesome fashion when he collided with the goal post on Saturday.
"It's been upsetting for all of us who have had a hard run with injury," McGuire said.
"But again, bad luck, that's the game. We'll get stuck into it and no excuses and we don't ask for sympathy here at Collingwood – we rarely get it anyway– and we're not going to start now."
The Bombers are 1-1 after a disappointing performance on Saturday night against Fremantle where they "didn't turn up", according to Sheedy.
Recruit Jake Stringer has had a relatively slow start to his career at Essendon, but Sheedy said it would take time for him to get used to his new role in the midfield and to find his feet at his new club.
Kevin Sheedy, CEOs Xavier Campbell and Mark Anderson, and Eddie McGuire with the Anzac jumpers
"I'd say six months, half a year or 11 games," Sheedy said.
"What (coach) John Worsfold is trying to do is get him to be a multi-purpose player. We need that at Essendon, we've lost (Heath) Hocking and Jobe Watson out of the midfield who are very good-sized players.
"It'll take a couple of years to build a midfield fitness into his make up.
"It's not easy to be a forward player and then be thrust straight into the midfield.
"The guy's got talent and he's got ability, and I'm glad he's playing at Essendon."
In partnership with RSL Victoria, the Bombers and Magpies will be promoting the 2018 ANZAC Appeal to raise funds for veterans who have served Australia.
