Collingwood ruckman Darcy Cameron has rubbished "silly" suggestions the club's ageing list is past the point of no return
And captain Darcy Moore has backed his teammate's position, insisting a premiership remains firmly on the Magpies' radar this season.
But the experienced pair admit the 13th-placed Pies (2-3) must find a quick fix to their scoring woes as they seek to improve their connection and efficiency in attack.
Craig McRae's men have gone 14 games without a triple-figure tally, and average just 69.6 points in five outings this season.
Only winless Richmond (59.4) have scored fewer points across the opening six rounds of 2026.
The Pies' front-half issues were laid bare in a six-point loss to Fremantle last round, when they managed just five goals from 61 forward entries.
In the aftermath, expert commentator and former Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley put the spotlight back on Collingwood's list profile.
"They're not on the cliff, they've gone over the edge and they're just holding on with their fingernails," Hinkley said on SEN.
But Cameron was having none of that narrative on Monday, as he helped launch the annual Peter Mac Cup clash between traditional rivals Collingwood and Carlton.
"I think it's silly," Cameron said.
"If you look over the last four years, we've played in two prelims and a grand final.
"We've still got a lot of the same personnel, and I know some of these players might be getting a little bit older, but they're still performing at a very high level, so I think that's silly."
Injured Collingwood captain Moore, who spoke on stage at the Peter Mac Cup launch at the MCG, is adamant his side remains in flag contention this season.
"In the defensive part of the game we're still performing at a really, really high standard and we look really rock-solid, and we can mix it with anyone," Moore said.
"But clearly offensively, we want to kick more goals and make the most of our chances.
"That's going to take a bit of work, but we're definitely up for it and we think we're in a great position to be able to develop over the next few months and make a good tilt at a flag."
Moore (hamstring) and explosive star Jordan De Goey (concussion) will be absent, but history is on Collingwood's side for the clash with beleaguered rivals Carlton (1-4) at the MCG on Thursday night.
The Magpies have dominated recent meetings, winning the past four encounters and seven of eight since 2022.
Looking further back, Collingwood have had 19 wins and just four losses against the Blues since the start of 2013.
"It's the longest rivalry in the game really, and it's one that we all look forward to," Cameron said.
"It's nice to come together (for charity), but I'm sure that come Thursday night we'll go out there with a plan to bash each other."
