WE'RE back.

After ranking every one of Nick Daicos' games ahead of his 50-game milestone match in 2024, the only answer was to do it again with the most comprehensive look at the best first 100 games from a player this century.

Ahead of his 100th game for Collingwood this week, this is the definitive list of every game from the very best, most memorable and simply scintillating performances down to the (very few) he might happily forget.

Daicos is the game's best player and has a cupboard full of honours already packed into his first 99 games – a premiership, three consecutive All-Australians, a best and fairest, two best and fairest runners up, an AFL MVP award, a Rising Star trophy, four straight years in the 22 Under 22 team of the year, an Anzac Day Medal and he's still 23.

Below is every one of his 99 games individually ranked in terms of impact, brilliance, significance. See you again for his 200th.

The toughest game of Daicos' career saw the Hawks physically target the Pies match-winner. Finn Maginness was sent to Daicos to blanket his influence and did it successfully, restricting him to just three disposals to half-time. Daicos was then moved to full-forward in the third quarter to try something different after he'd received a knock earlier in the game, but the action followed him, with Daicos in the middle of a scuffle after a Collingwood goal. He was awarded a free kick for being hit with a jumper punch and snapped truly, but had his game ended shortly after when he was crunched by Hawks defender James Blanck in a front-on collision after taking a mark. He finished with five disposals and watched the rest of the game icing his knee on the interchange bench. Scans later that night revealed a fracture to his knee that would put him out for at least six weeks, hurt his Brownlow Medal chances and leave the Pies without their gun ahead of September. Would he make it back in time? 

The Demons were able to clamp down on Daicos in this marquee clash and restrict him to his lowest disposal tally of the 2024 season. Alex Neal-Bullen did the job for the Demons, with his relentless running able to keep up with Daicos, who had 15 disposals but was tagged out of the game. He also didn't finish the contest after being substituted out of the match in the fourth quarter with a leg injury. 

An uncharacteristic performance from Daicos. On a sweltering Sydney afternoon, Daicos had 17 disposals in the first half while receiving a very close tag from Giants runner Toby Bedford. Then in the third term he endured severe cramping in his legs, seeing Daicos on and off the ground for most of the second half and forced to stay deep in the forward line when he was in the ground. He received criticism for the performance and being underprepared for the start of Collingwood's year, but coach Craig McRae later defended him, saying his GPS tracking showed Daicos had completed a freakish amount of high-speed running in the first half in attempts to break Bedford's tag. 

One of the very few games of Daicos' career when he couldn't get into the contest. He had four disposals in every quarter to finish with 16, but wasn't able to have the same impact as most of his games so far. The Pies snuck over the line by four points without their new star having a big say on the result. 

The first milestone of Daicos' career didn't coincide with a great night out for him or his team. The reigning premiers were trampled by a red-hot St Kilda and Daicos, in his 50th game, was far from his best with some fumbles and missed moments. His game earned the wrath of commentators and post-match coach Craig McRae called out his side for its fundamental errors. 

As the flu swept through Collingwood, Daicos was one of the many players under the weather for this game. He had 19 disposals – the first time in his career to that point that he had dropped below the 20 mark – and did his bit as the Pies cruised to a win over the Suns. The illness dogged Daicos for a few weeks through this period of his debut year.

Fremantle went with the shutdown mantra against Daicos and were successful in closing down his influence in this match. He finished with 18 disposals and a goal, which eventuated as the lowest possession tally of his season, as disciplined Docker Corey Wagner stuck to his task. Craig McRae has often dared opposition coaches to tag Daicos because it opens up another player to find more space and in this case, Jack Crisp got off the chain.  

A game dominated by the Bulldogs from start to finish meant Daicos' influence was minimal. The Dogs jumped to a 32-point lead at quarter-time and ran away with a 48-point victory, with Daicos having 21 disposals in Collingwood's loss. The majority of those – 74 per cent – were in the defensive half of the ground, with the Dogs' commanding performance giving little chance for some of his usual dash. 

A dirty night for Collingwood as they ran into the rampaging Hawks who were bound for the finals. An 11-goal thrashing from the Hawks meant there weren’t many winners for the Pies, including Daicos, who had 24 disposals, a goal and six clearances to be one of Collingwood's better players but not in one of his better games. 

He was one of a trio of Pies to enter the game having missed training through the week due to illness, but Daicos was able to have a more than fair output in the defeat to the Tigers. He had 25 disposals and 530m gained from them, kickstarting plays out of the backline with quick feet and quicker thinking. 

The Pies got rolled by the Lions at the Gabba on Easter Thursday, with Daicos collecting 27 disposals to continue his run of ball-getting early in his career. However, Champion Data has this as the third-lowest game for Daicos in AFL Ratings points (3.3 in player ratings), with Daicos not having the same say in scoring chains for the Pies as most of his other appearances. 

A strange day at the MCG for Daicos' second AFL game, with the fire sirens accidentally going off around the ground and instructing fans to evacuate in the second term. Things were quickly sorted after the 'false alarm', with Daicos having 22 disposals to continue his cool start to his career off half-back. Champion Data's ranking system has this as the lowest rating Daicos game.  

Daicos was involved in some early fracas, with a free kick paid against him for elbowing veteran midfielder Travis Boak in the back. Boak converted his set shot for a goal before a ball was bounced, but Daicos managed to build back into the game, completing it with 21 disposals. 

With Collingwood trailing throughout the contest, Daicos was moved around the ground and spent some time closer to goal late, kicking 1.1 in the final term. More than half of his disposals (11 of 20) were contested in the defeat to Sydney, with plenty of his ball being found in between the flanks in threatening spots.  

It was a King's Birthday lockdown job that Melbourne devised to keep Daicos from being a gamechanger on the big stage. And it worked pretty well, with the endurance beast Ed Langdon sent to curtail the Collingwood superstar. He did that particularly well in the first half, keeping Daicos to seven disposals at half-time. He was busier after half-time, finishing with 19 disposals and eight clearances, but it was older brother Josh who claimed the best-afield trophy in Collingwood's thrilling one-point win. 

The Hawks have had the edge over the Pies and have managed to dampen Daicos' impact several times. He entered this game under a fitness cloud, having not trained all week, and started on the interchange bench. After Jeremy Howe was concussed in the opening minutes, it meant Daicos didn't come on to the ground for almost 15 minutes. He finished with 24 disposals but didn't have his regular impact and needed treatment on his neck at different stages of the match. 

As Collingwood overran Essendon with a four-goal-to-one last quarter, Daicos was a catalyst to the run, gathering eight disposals in the final term to finish with 21 for the game. Collingwood had struggled to stick with the Bombers and trailed by 14 points at three-quarter time before Daicos and co. set things into motion for another win. It was another early example of Daicos being a player who senses when the moment is hot and rising with it. 

Daicos bounced back after a week in the spotlight following his Opening Round cramping issues to have a strong performance in Collingwood's first win of 2025. He had 26 disposals, five tackles and four clearances, but his highlight came with a brilliant running goal in the third quarter. His work-rate was on show, with Daicos chipping it inside 50 and continuing to run, streaming forward another 40m to get on the end of a handball chain and do an on-the-run checkside kick. He slapped the ground after in celebration as the Pies won by 91 points. 

A solid game for Daicos as the Pies got away with a seven-point win over the eventual wooden-spooners. He had 21 disposals but did kick an important goal in the last quarter as the Magpies kicked five straight goals to notch the win after trailing by 26 points at the final change. The goal was early in the last quarter and brought the Pies fans to their feet in the stands, with Daicos receiving a handball from Josh near the boundary in space. His silky finish came after he steadied and struck the middle with a difficult kick. 

High standards set up high expectations. This was viewed as a lower performance from Daicos despite him gathering 27 disposals and five clearances in the Pies' one-point win over Adelaide. The Crows were one of the first teams to put a genuine player next to Daicos to curtail his run, sending elite worker Ben Keays to stop Daicos. Keays had 12 disposals but was praised for his efforts in minimising his impact, with Daicos' famed kicking efficiency dropping to 56 per cent as he managed a calf issue through the game. 

There was some spite in this one. Collingwood and Carlton. Shock horror. But the angst was mainly kept between Daicos and Carlton midfield counterpart Sam Walsh early in the match, with the pair trading vocal barbs and engaging a wrestle that kicked off a big melee. Daicos had attention all night: George Hewett, one of Carlton's in-form players, stayed with him for the near duration of the game. It took away some of Daicos' killer moments but he still collected 27 disposals and six clearances.  

The Lions' gun midfield group won the battle against Collingwood, with the Lions coming to the MCG and disposing of the out-of-form Magpies by 27 points. Daicos worked hard and had 17 disposals, four inside-50s and a goal to half-time, and closed out the game with 29, but wasn't able to have his regular impact as the eventual premiers stamped their authority on the competition. 

Finished strong with 10 disposals in the last quarter to close it with a game-high 28 touches, but the Blues had the better of most of the Collingwood outfit for the contest and ran out 17-point winners. Daicos kicked two behinds and had nine score involvements throughout the game to have an imprint on the performance without being able to will the Pies over the line.

This game will be remembered for its near perfect-script ending – until Jack Crisp's shot after the siren missed. It would have been a fairytale win for the Pies in Crisp's record-breaking 245th consecutive game but his kick missed and the Pies fell three points short. Daicos shook off the attention from Cats tagger Oisin Mullin to compile 28 disposals, six clearances and a goal in another consistent display.  

After having some success with Ryan Clarke tagging Daicos in the preliminary final in 2022, the Swans went with the same tactic in this match at the MCG. But it was a message spread far and wide to Clarke's teammates as well, as the Swans tried to rough up the 20-year-old. It was clear from the outset that he had a target on his back and when Clarke kicked the Swans' first goal of the game a number of Sydney players ran at Daicos to get stuck into him with a fiery melee ensuing. But soon after Daicos cleverly set up a Pies goal and the Collingwood players hit back. Clarke shut out some of Daicos' usual run and gun from half-back before he swapped to the midfield after half-time, gathering 25 touches, including 10 in the final term. 

It was a business-like game from Daicos who has by now become so used to the attention during games that he's devised his own running patterns and tricks to get out of trouble. Tags rarely break him down and opposition coaches don't generally deploy a full-on run-with role to stop him. This time against the Crows, Alex Neal-Bullen was sent to Daicos at stoppages, but he still managed 28 disposals and seven clearances in Collingwood's 10-point win.

After a poor game the week before, Daicos responded in strong fashion against the Lions. He was shifted back to defence and given the reins to attack, create and control the game from half-back and he did exactly that, collecting 30 disposals and seven score involvements. It was a smart move from the Pies to get the ball into the hands of their game-changer and his influence was key in their 20-point win at the Gabba in a battle of the competition heavyweights. 

A night that had a bit of everything for Daicos. He hurt his ankle in the first quarter and limped off the field but returned after that before receiving a big bump from Connor Budarick in the third quarter that winded him. But it also got him going thereafter, with Daicos and older brother Josh energised in a frantic final quarter than saw the Pies nearly nab a comeback win. Nick finished with 26 touches and eight score involvements and was a pivotal player in Collingwood's charge. 

Another Gather Round in Adelaide saw Collingwood and Hawthorn as a headline clash given it was the first time premiership Pie Jack Ginnivan faced his old team as a Hawk. It was another close finish – the Pies got up by five points – and Daicos did his bit without absolutely starring. He had 26 disposals and kicked a goal and also recorded one Brownlow Medal vote in the contest. 

After copping the tag from Ed Langdon earlier in the season, which successfully negated Daicos' impact, the Pies were ready for the same manoeuvre. At the opening centre bounce, Daicos unusually started at centre half-forward in a bid to lose the hard-running Langdon. But the Dees tagger quickly found his target and followed Daicos for the majority of the game. There were some tense back and forth moments but Daicos lifted to have 27 disposals and 433m gained in the Pies' tight win to secure a top-four finals spot. 

Sydney dealt a hammer blow to Collingwood's finals hopes, beating them by three points after a controversial non-decision denied the Pies a late 50m penalty. The Swans' tagger James Jordon was sent to stop Daicos and did manage to curb some of his influence, but the Pie was still able to find the ball with 25 disposals and nine clearances, with his major work being done around the contest.

It was a slow start for Daicos in this clash, registering just five disposals in the opening term and battling to be a presence in the game. Another four touches in the second quarter made for little bite in the game, but he broke free of the Power shackles to have 21 touches after half-time. He also finished with 14 score involvements, eight clearances and eight inside-50s as the Pies strolled to a comfortable win. 

A typically busy afternoon for Daicos as one of Collingwood's best in its tight loss to the Demons. He picked up 27 disposals and six tackles and again showed his capacity to impact right through to the end, kicking the final goal of the game that helped bring the Magpies within four points of Melbourne. 

Another thriller between the two old rivals saw Collingwood get the chocolates by three points after Mitch McGovern missed a shot at goal after the siren in what was Scott Pendlebury's 400th game. And Daicos played no small part, finding 28 disposals, seven clearances, eight inside-50s and a goal. That major came late in the first quarter, before he then delivered a bullet pass to Dan McStay to set up another goal directly in the second term. Along with veteran Pendlebury, Daicos was the Pies' best on a memorable night. 

Essendon's fast start in this Anzac Day thriller was run down by the Pies in the second quarter, with Daicos capitalising on a holding-the-ball free kick and kicking a goal to give his side the lead before half-time. While it wasn't as impactful as his previous Anzac Day performance when he won the medal as best on ground, Daicos had 27 disposals and a game-high 626m gained as Kyle Langford's late shot at goal sealed a drawn clash in the marquee match. Daicos finished third in the Anzac Day Medal voting.

Things started off well for Daicos, with the midfielder picking up an easy goal after a Hawthorn turnover deep in its back half. He continued to run amok thereafter as the Pies pulled apart the Hawks with a thumping win. Daicos escaped a tight tag by producing a big game with 32 disposals, 10 score involvements and four clearances, all with a minimum of fuss. It was also a game that came with a level of mirth as Daicos finally chalked up the statistic that had eluded him in his career – his first contested mark.

Another strong outing for Daicos as Collingwood was a class above the Blues. Daicos had 27 disposals and an equal season-high eight rebound-50s while getting some close checking from Blues veteran Ed Curnow, where his ball use was pristine and he linked up regularly with Josh. Watch the pair closely enough and it isn't unusual to see them look for each other and innately know where the other will be throughout a contest. Nick had a nervous wait after the game after a gut punch to Blake Acres that was looked at from the Match Review Officer, who gave him a fine for striking but keeping alive his Brownlow hopes. 

A significant game in the coaching career of Craig McRae, who steered his team to a big upset win at Optus Stadium against a red-hot Dockers outfit. The Pies had lost five of their previous seven games and had the jitters before they travelled to Perth to claim the win in full-on rain through the game. Daicos had 23 disposals and played his role as the Magpies' defence held the Dockers to just six goals. The win started Collingwood's magic run to the finals. 

The Power sent mature midfielder Willem Drew to Daicos from the start of the contest and Drew was able to nullify some of his impact on the game. The tight-checking attention meant Daicos had to find some other ways to get into the contest and also affected his kicking efficiency, but he still had nine clearances in his 25 disposals. He also kicked a goal in the last quarter as Collingwood came from behind to beat the Power by two points. 

Came very hard in the last quarter as the Magpies ran over the top of the Bombers. Collingwood led Essendon by a point at three-quarter time before kicking six goals to four in the last quarter to seal the win, with Daicos having nine of his 23 disposals in the last quarter and some classy ones at that. It was Daicos' first Anzac Day game for the Pies, with him and his brother going through on their pledge to stand next to each other through the national anthem and Last Post pre-game service. 

The Bombers deployed young gun Sam Durham to run alongside Daicos in this game and Durham did a solid job early on, restricting Daicos to five touches (including four clearances) in the first quarter. However he broke away from that close checking in the second term to compile 14 disposals. He tallied 31 for the game, including 17 contested, as well as a game-high 12 clearances (the next best was Jye Caldwell for Essendon with eight) in the Pies' loss.

James Jordon was enjoying a strong run of shutting down the opposition's best midfielders as Sydney's tagger, but he just couldn't go with Daicos on this occasion. Although some of Daicos' typical run and carry was absent, the midfielder starred in different ways and still tallied up a game-high 34 disposals, nine tackles and nine clearances for the Pies in their Gather Round win. He became the ball-winner more than the ball-user and was credited by coach Craig McRae post-game for his evolution to work through the very close attention. 

Pre-finals, Daicos shared a text message he had sent coach Craig McRae a year earlier during the 2021 finals series – before he had been officially drafted. "This sucks to watch on, let's hope next year we don't have to" he wrote to his new coach. Twelve months later to the day, he was in a semi-final whitewash of Fremantle, playing another impressive final while having some defensive attention from Docker Sam Switkowski. His foot skills again stood out in the heat of a big game. 

An evolution in Daicos' game came in this contest. After showing he could move the chess pieces of a game, dictate where the ball goes next and was given the reins to set up the Magpies, Greater Western Sydney was the first time to send someone to him in a run-with role. It came from fellow youngster Tanner Bruhn, who didn't so much tag Daicos as track him from contest to contest and was helped by teammates with plenty of bumps and knocks between those stoppages. Daicos combated it well with 25 disposals. 

After starting well in the first quarter with seven disposals, Daicos felt more attention from the Blues after that. Carlton forward Matt Owies was sent to Daicos to close down his space in a negating, defensive forward role. After being quieter in the second and third terms, Daicos sprang to life as the Pies charged home in an incredible finish to the home and away season to clinch a one-point win after trailing by four goals at three-quarter time. Daicos had some smart and calm disposals in a frenetic last quarter as Collingwood secured a top-four berth and Carlton missed the finals. Daicos had 25 disposals. 

Geelong coach Chris Scott had signalled he had devised plans to stop Daicos, and they consisted of Tom Atkins and Jack Bowes both rotating onto the Collingwood game-turner. They tried to quell his impact as well as run off him and make him defend them, but it didn't halt his impact, with Daicos having 32 disposals and 11 clearances as he continued a hot run of form. Collingwood's season was lurching to a disappointing end at this point but Daicos remained a force, overcoming hamstring cramp in the second term to finish strongly. 

After a standout qualifying final, Daicos was a central figure in Collingwood's hopes to secure another Grand Final berth in its preliminary final bout with Brisbane. He did his part – he was the Magpies' best with 27 disposals and team highs in contested possessions (11) and clearances (six). He also had four of the Pies' eight bounces, showing he was doing some of the creating, but it wasn't enough to lift Collingwood over the line as Brisbane landed a 29-point win to end the Pies' flag hopes.

With all attention very quickly focused on Daicos as the early-season sensation, the youngster absorbed it to produce another excellent showing. He had his third-straight 30+ disposal game to start 2023 as he continued to play what quickly became a pronounced 'Daicos role': starting across half-back, floating around the ground, pushing high when needed and delving deep to kickstart his team's defensive plays. The showman within was showing his flair. 

Collingwood notched its 11th win in a row as it stormed past the Demons and Daicos was a big part of the win, holding down the fort in defence with 31 disposals and seven rebound-50s – the most of any player in the game. Some of those were kick-ins, a responsibility which Collingwood was very quickly happy to give to Daicos as its best ball user. Despite the pressure of nailing the first kick to start the play, Daicos took it on seamlessly. He picked up one Brownlow vote for this game. 

Daicos again delivered against the Western Bulldogs, a team who has avoided sending a close tag to him across his career. Again it was the case in this contest, with Dogs midfielder Ed Richards spending the majority of the night opposed to Daicos but without a tight-checking role. The Collingwood jet proved influential, with a game-high 39 disposals and nine clearances. In the Pies' six-point win, Daicos' touch of class was pivotal and he was one of three players to be given eight Coaches Association votes for the game. 

A really strong showing from Daicos steered Collingwood to a pounding win over arch rival Carlton. Daicos has tormented the Blues at stages through his young career and had 36 disposals, kicked 1.2 and seven clearances. Daicos' partnership working with Pies ruckman Darcy Cameron came to the fore in the win, and his on-the-run goal in the second term was a beauty, earning the applause of dad Peter in the box at the 'G. Carlton couldn't match his speed and endurance brilliance and some of his delivery inside 50 by foot was superb. 

At 19, Daicos played his first final and quickly attracted praise for his freakish composure in such a big game for a player of his experience and age. Was best-on-ground at quarter-time, having collected nine disposals and three rebound-50s, before the Cats put more time into curtailing his influence, with forward Brad Close sent to him and able to kick a goal against him in the second term. Having overcame some back soreness to be passed fit for the qualifying final, Daicos finished with 25 disposals. 

This was dubbed as something of a head-to-head in the Rising Star favourites for the year – the Collingwood prodigy facing up against Jai Newcombe, the mid-season VFL recruit who stormed his way into Hawthorn's midfield unit. Both were excellent in this contest – Newcombe had 24 disposals and Daicos lifted his game to a new level in his 12th AFL appearance, having a career-best (to that point) 36 disposals and 11 intercept possessions, once again proving his quick ascension to be one of Collingwood's prime movers.  

This one may divide opinion. Daicos was a big storyline heading into the 2022 preliminary final, with clubs quickly coming around to the idea they needed to put work in defensively on the first-year half-back to shut down his influence. Sydney sent tagger Ryan Clarke to him in the preliminary final and he did a good job of halting Daicos' impact, but where this game stands out is for Daicos' capacity to still do good things on a hard day. Coach Craig McRae threw Daicos inside 50 for the last quarter of the tense preliminary final and it worked to give them a buzz, with his creativity setting up opportunities. It wasn't enough for the Pies, though, who fell short of a Grand Final by one point. Daicos closed his first season with 23 touches and an important second-half goal. 

An historic occasion for Daicos, who became Collingwood's youngest captain in 57 years when he took on the skipper role aged 22 years and 112 days with Darcy Moore missing with an ear injury. The stand-in Pies skipper started with a bang by kicking the opening goal of the Anzac Day clash, and could have all but sewn up his second Anzac Day Medal by half-time had he have kicked straight (four shots on goal netted 1.2). He finished with 31 disposals, seven tackles and 11 clearances and was in the best four players on the ground. 

Very few players have entered the AFL with more hype than Daicos. Only Harley Reid has him covered in those stakes, and this was the first time the pair did battle – in an at-times head-to-head contest that will take place many more times over the next decade. Reid did some exciting things, including taking a hanger, but it was a three-vote Brownlow Medal game from Daicos as he proved unstoppable for the battling Eagles. He had a game-high 36 disposals, seven tackles and seven clearances as the Pies romped to a big win. 

By the middle of 2023, it was just becoming the norm that Daicos would hit the 30-disposal mark. This was another one of those days, with the Magpie closing the game with 32 disposals, seven clearances and six tackles. He also kicked a goal and kept running and running past the lowly Kangaroos, who couldn't keep up with Collingwood's firepower across the ground. 

The return. Just 48 days earlier, Daicos had gone down with a fracture in his knee in early August, with the club saying he would miss at least six weeks and maybe more. But Daicos was determined to be back for the Pies' finals charge and after sitting out their qualifying final win over Melbourne, he was back to face the Giants. In the pulsating prelim, Daicos looked like he hadn't missed a beat, picking up 28 disposals and six clearances. In a tough and close contest, every Daicos touch was like gold and hit its target as the Pies won by one point. Post-season, his father Peter said if it was still the home and away campaign Daicos wouldn't have been back playing for many more weeks from his injury. Daicos faced a nervous wait after the game following a tackle on Giants forward Brent Daniels that drove his head into the ground, but he was cleared by the Match Review Officer. 

In his first Big Freeze clash with Melbourne, Daicos was instrumental in the Pies' 26-point victory. He collected 33 disposals (10 contested) and five rebound-50s and also garnered some votes in the awarding of the best-on-field trophy (which went to Demons midfielder Clayton Oliver). With more than 76,000 fans in attendance, it was another game that highlighted Daicos' ease at performing on the big stage.   

There was another big week of discussion with Daicos the headline act, with the Magpie overcoming a corked shin and illness to front up against the Kangaroos. It looked like he may as well have taken the week off when the Roos led by 54 points early in the third quarter, before Daicos and his Pies lifted to produce a memorable comeback win. He found 29 disposals, six clearances and kicked two goals to catapult his team to victory, with his two goals coming in the third-quarter resurrection. 

After being a very late withdrawal the previous week in the warm-up, there was a watch all week on Daicos' fitness and availability for the fourth year of Gather Round. He took his place and performed well in soggy, wet and at times wild weather conditions. Where others fumbled, Daicos danced through contests across the evening with 31 disposals and a game-high 638m gained. Despite at times looking restricted by the calf knock, Daicos was his side's best as they were overrun by Fremantle in a dour struggle at Adelaide Oval.

By the midway point of Daicos' second season, every week was being dominated by the same discussion: will Collingwood's upcoming opponent tag him? Some did and some didn't, with the Giants preferring to let him roam but use their midfielders to impact against him as well. This day Daicos had 41 disposals and 540 metres gained, using his deft footwork to dance around packs. He didn't get any Brownlow Medal votes for the game, which went to Mason Cox (three), Taylor Adams (two) and Tom Mitchell (one).

The night the Demons got Daicos'd. And not just by Nick. This was a rare double act from the Daicos brothers, with both of them reaching 40 disposals against Melbourne in Collingwood's last game of 2024 after missing the finals. With a potential Brownlow Medal in sight, Nick was dominant, gathering two goals to go with his third 40 or more disposal tally of the season, and it earned him three votes when it came to the Brownlow count several weeks later. Daicos finished with 38 votes – more than any other played had ever polled – but it wasn't enough as Carlton's Patrick Cripps tallied 45 to win his second Brownlow. 

Any fears of second-year blues hitting the young Magpie were wiped out in one fell swoop with an outstanding start to his 2023. In a sign of things to come, it was clear Daicos had lifted his game up a notch or three from his debut year, as he racked up 35 disposals, nine score involvements, five intercepts and five inside-50s. Older brother Josh finished with 27 disposals, as post-match the pair paid an emotional tribute to their grandfather, who passed away days before the game.

There was a moment of controversy involving Daicos in this draw against the Dockers. Deep in the last quarter, the Pies were punished with a rare free kick when young Magpie Lachie Sullivan handed the ball to teammate Daicos instead of giving it straight back to the umpire when a ball-up was called. It went to Sean Darcy instead, who kicked a goal and the game ended with scores tied. Nevertheless, Daicos was excellent in a stunning patch of form, having 35 disposals and 10 clearances against the Dockers' top-line midfield group. 

This gets an early berth due to the goal, Daicos' first at AFL level. In his third game, the teenager was adamant on kicking a goal at the MCG in the Saturday night slot. He did so in the first quarter, having snuck forward to be on the end of a clever tap out from a stoppage. Daicos didn't fumble – d'uh – took two steps to steady and then kicked it home from the 50-metre line. He ran to the Collingwood crowd, pumped his fist and grabbed his jumper in a bit of goalkicking magic his father Peter would have been happy with. Daicos also claimed the round's Rising Star nomination for his game, which was the first bit of midfield time he'd had at AFL level. 

Daicos put his team on his shoulders and lifted it to a one-point win over the Lions which kept their finals hopes alive deep into the 2024 season. After Brisbane burst out of the blocks to lead by as much as 31 points late in the first term, Daicos sensed the moment again and produced an all-time quarter, kicking two goals from 14 disposals in the term to pull the Magpies back into the game. His first goal was particularly special, with the midfield maestro gathering it at the centre circle in the middle of the ground at full pace, breaking a Dayne Zorko tackle, bouncing twice while burning past Darragh Joyce and Lachie Neale and then slotting it from 30 metres out, sparking a celebration as soon as the ball hit his boot. It was one of two Daicos goals in the three goals nominated for the goal of the year at the end of that season. 

Daicos nearly dragged his side over the line in a tight and compelling clash at Adelaide Oval. With his side trailing by nine points with four minutes to play, Daicos found space to run past Lachie Schultz and receive a handball before he then steadied from 50m out nearly the boundary to slot a long bomb goal. Of course it was Daicos. After much conjecture in the lead-up about starting the previous game on the bench, Daicos didn't miss a beat against the Crows, having 10 disposals in the first term, finishing with 29 and the goal and three Brownlow Medal votes. 

Two bits of polish stood out in Daicos' cool and collected qualifying final performance against the Crows. In greasy night-time conditions at Adelaide Oval, Daicos' twisting and turning out of trouble on the wing and then left-foot kick inboard to Lachie Schultz helped set up the opening goal of the game for Jamie Elliott. Then later in the opening term he deftly kicked a goal from the outside of his right boot while under pressure. He had eight disposals in the first quarter and finished with 24 as a key player in the Pies' 24-point win over the Crows in a big time final, with his 435 metres gained crucial. 

A Daicos day out. After a rough run of form for the Pies, Daicos wasn't going to let another game slip for Collingwood. The midfielder had the ball on a string from the very start – he had 18 touches by quarter time, 26 disposals at half-time and finished with an equal career-best (at that stage) 42 disposals. Add to that the 11 clearances, 18 contested possessions, 12 score involvements and eight inside-50s. Not all Daicos' best days are measured simply by numbers but this one, as he guided Collingwood to a comfortable one, was easily rated by virtue of quantities in all the key categories.  

A ripping contest saw Daicos lift when his team needed him as the Crows nearly pulled off a big upset away from home. After starting on the bench and Adelaide having the early control, Daicos came onto the ground and collected 10 disposals and two clearances to help give Collingwood a quarter-time lead. But the Crows kept coming right to the end – unfortunately for them, so did Daicos. He finished with 37 disposals, with his last-quarter goal coolly converted from a down-field free kick when the pressure was on. He claimed nine coaches votes for the performance. 

A 43-disposal effort saw Daicos set a new career-best at the MCG, but the Dockers booted the last four goals of the game to clinch a one-point win. Daicos had seven tackles, eight clearances, seven inside-50s and 14 contested disposals as he went head-to-head with Caleb Serong (37 disposals) and Fremantle's midfield brigade. The new best possession count didn't get him best afield honours in the Brownlow or coaches votes, though, with both nods given to Dockers forward Patrick Voss (six goals). 

The Daicos debut. The teenager entered the AFL with an unseen amount of hype, attention and media coverage, perhaps only bettered by Harley Reid in 2024. That led to high expectations (and high pressure) on Daicos in his first AFL game in Collingwood colours, which started with some nerves after a wayward kick in defence that saw a bunch of Saints opponents let him know about it. But under the Marvel Stadium roof, Daicos found the level quickly and picked up 27 disposals in his first game, setting a benchmark he's continued to top since. Post-game his sparkling debut was sealed with a kiss on the cheek from older brother Josh. 

A classic running goal punctuated this game by Daicos as he got on the end of a chain of handballs, zigged and zagged away his West Coast opponent, arched his back and slotted the goal in the third term. It was a largely uncontested game from Daicos, who had 28 uncontested possessions in his 34 disposals. He finished with three Brownlow votes for the game but it could have been even higher on this list if not for inaccuracy around goal, with Daicos kicking a career-high three behinds. 

Started with a bang, kicking the Pies' first goal of the game with a long bomb from outside 50m after he took a few quick steps and powered up. He had 11 disposals in the opening quarter and two centre clearances and had collected 21 by half-time. Daicos finished with 37 disposals, an equal game-high 15 contested possessions as well as seven clearances in an all-round quality showing that highlights his value as the prominent member of Collingwood's midfield. As the Pies started their premiership defence slowly, Daicos only further proved his place among the game's very elite.  

The Suns were fully aware of Daicos' talents as a junior – it's why they walked him through their facility before he had decided on nominating as a father-son pick and also why, when a bid hadn't come on him at pick No.4 later that year, they did the bidding. As something of a 'thank you', Daicos has been difficult to stop for the Suns so far in his career. This night, he was absolutely everywhere: 36 disposals, eight clearances, 10 tackles and a lovely running goal. His quick hands as a full-time midfielder started so many of Collingwood's plays in its dominant win. 

Everyone gathered around to see Daicos dominate in the final game of the AFL's first roadshow in Adelaide. A career-best (at that stage) 42 disposals, eight inside-50s and eight rebound-50s, showing his immense hard running both ways. He also had a whopping 856m gained in a performance that saw him gain the full 10 coaches votes and three Brownlow Medal votes as well as being the difference between the teams in the tight Pies win. 

B.O.G at the 'G. Daicos sliced and diced the Dockers, zipping and zagging through their lines of defence and out of trouble through the midfield. He had 21 disposals and seven score involvements to half-time and finished the game with 36 disposals, seven inside-50s and seven clearances. Two highlights stood out – one was a clever kick on the outside of his boot that hit Taylor Adams on the lead. The other was Daicos' own goal, when he gathered the ground ball cleanly in wet conditions, shrugged off one tackle and then squeezed a right-foot snap through two lunging Dockers that curled through from 40m out.

This game was the end of an extraordinary five-week burst of form for Daicos as he established himself as the AFL's best player. After grabbing another eight coaches votes in this defeat to the Dogs, Daicos had tallied 47 from a possible 50 votes in five consecutive games – the equal most votes ever gained in a five-game span of matches (equal with Dustin Martin). Daicos had 32 disposals and a career-best 16 clearances (also breaking a Collingwood record) as well as two goals, but it wasn't enough to drag the Pies over the line against the Dogs. 

We'll call this Daicos' first feast. The first of 10 three-vote Brownlow Medal games so far, with many more to come. The difference of this game as compared to most of his other best performances was that it came in defeat, with the Pies having a shock loss to the COVID-weakened Eagles line-up. He picked up 32 disposals – breaking into the 30-disposal territory for the first time in his career in just his fourth game – and was dashing from defence from the start to the end in a bid to will the Magpies over the line. 

It was a one-man show for the Pies in this contest through the midfield as Daicos collected 33 disposals, 776m gained and two goals, one a curling snap from inside the forward 50 that spun through. Collingwood has had the edge over the Crows throughout Daicos' career and he has enjoyed a strong run of form against them as well, but his efforts to will the Pies over the line in this contest fell short – with Adelaide winning by 14 points at the MCG. 

One of the 'wow' Daicos games where he takes a hold of things and just looks unstoppable. The Pies' stand-in skipper didn't have the best first half of this game, with 10 disposals to the main break as North Melbourne took control. With Scott Pendlebury and Bobby Hill late withdrawals and Brayden Maynard sidelined early by injury, more reliance was placed on Daicos' shoulders with the Pies only leading North by three points at the final change. But Daicos turned on the afterburners and finished with 38 disposals and a whopping 12 inside-50s and couldn’t be stopped as Collingwood booted eight goals to one in the last quarter. 

Daicos began his third AFL season viewed by some as the best player in the competition and had an excellent outing against the Giants in Opening Round. In defeat, the 21-year-old was a lone hand for the Pies in the midfield, gathering a game-high 34 disposals, 10 clearances and equal career-high 16 contested disposals as well as 663m gained (second most in the game). Daicos was the only real danger to turning the game back Collingwood's way and some of his kicking was superb: he drilled a brilliant second-term goal off a step while angling the ball in his hand, while two weighted passes earlier in the game also set up scores. Finished the game with some cramping in the humidity.

This was standing up when the tide was against the Magpies. Daicos gathered a game-high 38 disposals, had five clearances and kicked 2.2 in Collingwood's 33-point defeat at the Gabba early in the season. Champion Data rated him the best player on the ground and he kicked at 78 per cent efficiency and had 16 disposals in the third quarter. Pundits picked out a shanked shot on goal and a fumbled ground ball but Daicos was still the Pies' shining light and they turned to him to put him around the play when they needed a spark. The umpires didn't see him among the best that night, though, leaving him voteless in the Brownlow – the only game of the first six rounds when he didn't poll two or three votes. It might well have been the costly one that didn't go his way as he fell three votes short of winner Lachie Neale. 

Intense focus came onto Daicos in this game as St Kilda sent its chief tagger Marcus Windhager to curb his influence. Daicos willed himself past the knocks and niggles and very close attention to have what Champion Data ranked as his best game of the season to that point – a 30-disposal, five-clearance and one-goal effort, with his goal a stunner out of a scrimmage late in the game. It was a high-impact outing that St Kilda had no answer to.

This game should be remembered for 'the kick'. With the Pies trailing by 12 points late in the last quarter, Daicos collected the ball on the wing. On the other side of the centre square, Daicos spotted older brother Josh running towards goal. Nick's 50m pass was precise to the centimetre, hitting Josh on the chest without him breaking stride. Josh then completed the play by banging home a goal from 55m on the run. Find the replay of the Daicos pass and celebrate the art. It was one of 37 disposals Daicos had, mainly from half-back, as he all but assured himself of being the Rising Star winner for the season and Collingwood continued being the comeback kings to nab a five-point win. 

Another Daicos masterclass against Gold Coast, one of the teams he has enjoyed playing against most. With his team trailing by 26 points at the last change, Daicos delivered as his team needed him again with a barnstorming final quarter that included one of the goals of his career. After he chipped the ball to centre-half forward from the middle of the ground, Daicos ran on to collect the spoils from a handball. He then baulked a Suns opponent and cut through two chasing tacklers to slot an on-the-run beauty. Daicos finished with 32 disposals, two goals and a game-high 691m gained. The Pies lost by 11 points but Daicos was their best, with opposing midfield star Touk Miller saying post-game the Suns had to get past "Daicos doing Daicos things". 

Amongst the skill level, incredible nous, high consistency and bar-raising of his first two AFL seasons, something that can go under the radar is Daicos' absolutely elite running capacity (perhaps as a result of very little testing during two COVID-hit years during his draft pathway). But it shone this day, with Daicos just running the hapless Eagles ragged. He toyed with their midfield, his first goal coming at the end of a three-disposal effort that started in the centre square. He bookended it with a brilliant two-bounce goal after a one-two handball with Jordan De Goey that saw him slot the match-sealer from outside 50. 30 disposals, three goals, two Brownlow votes. All class. 

"He's a phenomenal player," said Melbourne great Garry Lyon on the commentary call of this brilliant Daicos showing. In an otherwise dull Friday night game, Daicos delivered the polish – he finished with 36 disposals and two goals, as well as 12 inside-50s and seven score involvements. His two-goal third quarter broke open the game as the Giants were hanging on, and one of them was so clever: he received a handball but knew he was under pressure so instead tapped it forward, where he then got a clean handball from teammate Pat Lipinski before slotting the goal. The third quarter was rated the third-best single quarter of his career.

As a junior, Daicos was a regular goalkicker from the midfield and sometimes even resting at full forward. In his first AFL season he kicked seven goals, but in 2023 he took that up a notch with more midfield time, finishing with 19 goals. The first of those came against Port Adelaide in round two, when he kicked two, including one brilliant set shot and another off a step while under pressure after Scott Pendlebury's over-the-shoulder handpass. As soon as that kick left his boot, Daicos saluted. Few families know the feel of the Sherrin on the foot as instinctively as the Daicos'. Port tried to tag Daicos using Lachie Jones but he was dominant with game highs in disposals (32), metres gained (661), score involvements (11) and inside-50s (six), and the Power went away from the plan in the second term.

Daicos has had more prolific outings, but this one ranks very highly for impact. He was the game-changer for his team. With the Bulldogs leading by five points at half-time, Daicos took it upon himself to flick momentum. In a blistering third quarter, he kicked two goals from 11 disposals, finishing with 29 disposals and equal game-high 15 contested possessions, six tackles and a career-high 11 clearances. He got full votes in the coaches association award and Brownlow Medal and won the Bob Rose-Charlie Sutton Medal for the game, which came against Dogs' premiership midfielders Marcus Bontempelli, Tom Liberatore and Jack Macrae. Champion Data ranked this as the fourth-best game Daicos has played according to its AFL Player Ratings system, with Daicos tallying 28.2 player ratings points.   

Daicos' days out against the Crows continued in this one, with both coaches rating him best on ground and the Pie receiving the full 10 coaches votes. They could have nearly made that assessment at quarter time because by then Daicos had tallied 15 disposals and six clearances in a red-hot start to the game. He finished with 41 and a new personal best (to that point) 14 clearances to be a standout, but he didn't get the three votes in the Brownlow Medal – they went to Jordan De Goey for his 26 disposals and two goals. This is certainly among Daicos' best games and without him the Pies wouldn't have claimed the four-point win. 

A clear best-on-ground game for Daicos and one of the best of his career. The champion midfielder toyed with the young Tigers on his way to a 42-disposal and three-goal game. It earned him the maximum Brownlow Medal votes as well from the umpires and he ran rings around the wooden spooners. He mastered the wet conditions to have 14 score involvements, eight inside 50s and 910m gained to compile an enormous 37.2 AFL Player Ratings – the most by any player in the season and the highest-rated game of his career. It came after his 43 disposals the previous week against Fremantle and saw him claim a full set of 10 coaches association votes.

In the year of Daicos mania, it could only have been Nick to bob up and kick the opening goal of the Grand Final. The Pies' No.35 coolly slotted the set shot from 40 metres out, having prepped for the game by watching Cyril Rioli highlights on YouTube on his iPhone pre-game on the massage table. He continued to have a big say on the game. His magic game sense was on show just before half-time when he stopped, propped, evaded one Lions opponent, baulked another and then, when about to kick, saw a teammate in the corner of his eye and kicked in-board. It set up a Jack Crisp goal. But Daicos' biggest moment – the 'Handball of God' – was still to come. After missing a tackle on Jarrod Berry, who set up a late goal to put Brisbane ahead in the dying minutes of the epic Grand Final, Daicos ran back to the centre square thinking 'How can I influence the next play?' Moments later at centre half-forward Daicos gathered the ball and flicked a left-handed handball over his shoulder to De Goey, who slotted the biggest goal of the game in what has already become an iconic Collingwood moment. Daicos finished with a game-high 29 disposals and came third in the Norm Smith Medal voting as he became a premiership player in his 47th AFL game and a central figure in the club's flag. His Grand Final performance warrants more credit. 

Don't you forget about me. That was the message received loud and clear from this stunner of a start to Daicos' fifth season at the top level. In the lead-up to the season, some commentary had suggested superstar Saint Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera had bypassed Daicos as the best player in the game. Daicos showed there was still a gap in this Sunday night clash, with his extraordinary running on show as the Saints let him roam free without a tag. He made them pay, having 41 disposals and 11 score involvements. Both coaches gave him full votes as best afield and he couldn't be stopped.

With the eyes of the football world on the Anzac Day clash, Daicos produced a masterclass. He had been prolific up until three-quarter time against the Bombers, but Essendon took a 28-point lead into the last quarter and looked likely to end the Pies' run of comebacks. Enter Daicos. In front of nearly 100,000 fans, coach Craig McRae moved the youngster into the midfield for the last term. It was an inspired choice of a coach turning to his matchwinner when he needed him. Daicos supercharged the Magpies, kicking two pivotal late goals as the Pies overran the Bombers. The last goal – an on-the-run checkside kick – sent the Collingwood faithful into raptures as Daicos ran to the crowd with a finger to his lips. He finished with 40 disposals and won the Anzac Medal as best afield. Superstar status activated.   

This was a blinder and easily ranks as one of Daicos' best. He had 21 disposals to half-time as Brisbane's loose plans around him were ripped at the seams. His running and speed was at another level – Daicos often looked at opponents and thought 'You're not catching me' and zipped away. He also copped a big hit in a bump from Cam Rayner but got up straight away and won the next disposal, which was one of 38 he collected as the best-afield in Collingwood's crunching win. He also had eight clearances and kicked a goal in a dominant showing that gave the Daicos brothers the bragging rights over the Ashcrofts in the battle of the father-sons.  

It was a goal sealed in the Nick of time. This was a virtuoso Daicos masterclass that will long live in the memory of Collingwood fans (and probably Carlton ones as well). On a Friday night in front of 88,000 fans, the scores were equal with a minute to play when Daicos sensed his moment. At a stoppage, the 21-year-old weaved through traffic at the Punt Road end of the ground, found a metre of space and supremely slotted the shot at goal from the forward pocket. The match-winning goal was the crowning moment of one of his best ever games, the icing on 32 disposals, 16 contested possessions, seven tackles, seven clearances, six inside 50s and two goals to claim the Richard Pratt Medal as best afield. 

An extraordinary game late in his debut season stands as the most complete Daicos effort – so far. At just 19 years and 194 days, he became the youngest player in VFL-AFL history to have 40 or more disposals and kick three or more goals in a game, beating a record that had been set in 1991. This was Daicos as his dazzling best – after being unstoppable at half-back, he was switched forward in the second half to give his side some class ahead of the ball in a dogged contest. He came to the fore, booting two last-quarter goals as Collingwood came from 16 points down to claim the crucial win. In teammate Scott Pendlebury's 350th game, Daicos was determined to not let the champion lose in the milestone encounter, while simultaneously announcing himself as a champion of the future. Daicos' handball exchange with Pendlebury that saw him open up space and then kick a long goal from outside 50 in the driving rain was the moment that gave the Pies the lead in the last term.