They’re an AFL powerhouse. So why can’t Collingwood’s women’s team find success?

For nearly four quarters, Collingwood captain Ruby Schleicher was on the verge of an unwanted statistical milestone.

With just three minutes left in last weekend’s game against Carlton, her career-high personal tally of three goals and four behinds would ordinarily have been cause for celebration. But the disappointing fact for Schleicher and her Magpies was that she had contributed 100 per cent of her team’s score.

Teammate Georgia Knight offered a reprieve with a behind, followed by a goal to Dominique Carbone, which made the 39-point loss to the undefeated Blues sting a little less.

To put the loss in perspective, the injury-marred Pies were missing key players, including last-minute drop-outs from star Ash Centra and Jemma Rigoni and were facing Carlton – a team that made finals last year and will likely to do the same in 2026.

Still, Sunday’s defeat marks their fourth consecutive loss —a streak that, compounded by several years of poor results, should be sounding alarm bells at Collingwood headquarters.

In 2019, this masthead published a piece, titled ‘What’s wrong with Collingwood’s AFLW side’, which examined the club’s poor performance after high-profile players Jasmine Garner, Moana Hope, Emma King and Jess Duffin defected to North Melbourne during W’s rapid expansion period.

At the time, critics questioned the Pies list management, draft and recruiting strategy. Staff turnover was also cited as a concern, after the club had employed three women’s football operations managers in three years.

That was seven years ago. Even the brightest of optimists and diehard Pies fans would concede not enough has changed since then.

Collingwood are currently second-last on the ladder and – like Essendon, St Kilda and West Coast – yet to record a win ahead of their match on Saturday against Gold Coast at People First Stadium.

So why single Collingwood out, when three other clubs have the same 0-4 start?

Essendon, St Kilda and West Coast entered AFLW at later stages of the competition, with the latter two reaching finals for the first time last year.

Collingwood are one of the inaugural teams of the competition, but – despite showing glimpses of promise – seem to have gone backwards.

Their first and only preliminary final was in 2021 against the Brisbane Lions, followed by a semi-final appearance in 2022. Since then, Collingwood have finished 11th in 2023, last in 2024 and 15th in 2025 with only three wins.

Collingwood should be a successful AFLW club. They have up-to-date facilities and a strong history of success in the men’s program, plus a large membership pool to tap into.

The Pies have also been adamant they are improving. Coach Sam Wright told media after their round 12 loss in 2025 the Pies would have a “tough and prescriptive” off-season. “While we only got the three wins this year, we don’t feel like we are far away from progressing,” he added.

So why can’t Collingwood’s AFLW program find success?

The club has had steady leadership over the past few years, poaching Wright from North Melbourne in 2023 and promoting highly regarded performance analyst Jess Burger to general manager of women’s football in 2024. Burger and Collingwood declined to comment for this article.

However, support from Collingwood’s upper echelons has been less straightforward and more cautious. Collingwood CEO Craig Kelly has been publicly and privately vocal about the financial risks of expanding the AFLW program.

Last year, the AFL met with all 18 clubs for a conference exploring the priorities for the future of the AFLW for its 10-year anniversary. Columnist Caroline Wilson, reported Kelly urged the league to consider the heavy cost of expanding the AFLW competition too quickly, arguing the game should not invest too heavily in the women’s competition at the expense of upgrading the MCG, creating better facilities for the game across Australia and improving the AFL experience for fans.

AFLW commentator Chyloe Kurdas said it was important for clubs to remember the women’s game was still “playing catch-up” to the men’s – a chase that requires investment in staffing, resources and most importantly mindset.

“I can’t speak specifically about Collingwood, but I think what is a problem is that not all 18 clubs have got a consistent mindset across the whole club of the value of the women’s program and the level of investment that’s required to ensure that there’s success in it” she said.

Kurdas – a former AFL Victoria football development manager – said the most successful AFLW clubs established cultures that the best players wanted to be a part of, pointing to the long-term success of Brisbane, Adelaide and reigning premiers North Melbourne.

“You can throw lots of money at a program, but if it’s not part of your heart and soul, and … you don’t believe in its capability, then it doesn’t matter how much money you spend,” she said.

From a list perspective, Collingwood are lacking key players in their forward line. The Pies have consistently struggled to find a consistent path to goal, arguably since Chloe Molloy’s departure in 2022. Superstar Molloy signed with the Sydney on a five-year-deal – the longest contract in the history of the competition.

After receiving a list assistance package from the AFL Commission in 2025 – including two additional spots for the 2026 season and one for 2027 – Collingwood’s list went under an extensive turnover

Eleven players left the program and 13 new players were introduced; including delisted free argent Jemma Rigoni and two cross-code Super Netball players Maisie Nankivell and Olivia Lewis. The recruits have helped build versatility and height in Collingwood’s list, but the Magpies still lack experienced players in their forward line.

Through the 2025 draft, the Pies brought in six young players, injecting a noticeable boost of energy into their side. But it’s also left the overall playing group relatively inexperienced and young.

Kurdas said, while Collingwood’s young players looked exciting and the team had shown some improvement this year, the Pies needed to recruit more A-grade quality players.

“Collingwood probably just don’t have enough depth of mature-age elite level talent, and they need more of those in each zone,” she said.

There’s also concern about Collingwood ability to retain senior players. The club has strong leadership from veteran captain Schleicher, but it’s worth noting she and a number of senior players come out of contract this year.

Schleicher has been offered a deal, but is yet to sign, while, Tarni White, Sarah Rowe, Mattea Breed, Lauren Butler and Bri Davey are others coming out of contract. Vice-captain Jordyn Allen signed a three-year deal in 2024, but tried to seek a trade to Brisbane last year.

After their loss to Carlton last weekend, Wright conceded the Pies were “under some duress from a list point of view with injuries”, but said there were opportunities for young players to step up.

When asked specifically by this masthead, what was missing from the Collingwood program and list, Wright said Collingwood were still working that out.

“It certainly throws some challenges when you’ve got this many injuries to significant key players as well,” he said. “As a club, we are working through it right now, to put our finger on it, but certainly part of it is luck. But the other part [is] we want to be the best program we can be in that area, and we are working really hard.

“In terms of list, it’s more around just continuing to get our processes right, push our processes.”

Both Richmond and Carlton initiated comprehensive independent reviews into their AFLW’s programs after periods of poor performance. Carlton’s review in 2022 led to the departure of coach Daniel Harford and other key staff, while Richmond’s review at the end of 2025 prompted the departure of senior coach Ryan Ferguson.

Since then, Carlton have surged, playing in the finals last year and opening thisd season with four straight wins. It’s too early to examine Richmond’s progress, but the Tigers have got two wins on the board so far this season.

No one can dispute Collingwood’s desire to get better. As Wright put in his press conference, “I think every player in our program and every staff member is committed to winning”.

Kurdas said Collingwood have “the potential to be a great W side”, and said any club that wasn’t getting the success they wanted should consider evaluating their program.

“The ability to self-reflect honestly; that’s a non-negotiable ingredient of being successful,” she said.

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