But Teague,whose job security remains shaky amid an ongoing review of the club’s football department and the spectre ofAlastair Clarkson’s impending availability,said missing the eight would not be a failure.
“I don’t think it’s a failure,” Teague said.
“It’s about getting better,it’s about connecting,it’s about this group going forward. And I think particularly over these last four or five weeks we’ve seen some growth and we need to continue to grow as a group,and that’s where we’re at right now.
“Yes,this football club want to play finals and we want to play finals every year,but where we’re at,at the moment,I’m really enjoying seeing some of the guys’ individual improvement and then the collectiveness,the cohesion.”
Co-captain Patrick Cripps is likely to return to face bottom side North Melbourne next week after missing Sunday’s win over the Pies through soreness.
“I presume so. It was touch and go. On Thursday he was going to play and then by Friday he just felt that he couldn’t get the job done to the level that he wanted to,” Teague said.
Teague said Walsh (39 disposals and a goal) was magnificent.
“He works as hard as any player I’ve been involved with...he just wills his way.”
Interim Collingwood coach Robert Harvey said “the dam wall broke” in the latter stages of Sunday’s game,in which the Pies coughed up a four-goal second-term lead to lose by 29.
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