Josh Daicos might as well rock the nickname of Afghanistan, because like Mark Waugh he's the forgotten brother in a high-profile sporting family. Spending most of his time coming off half back doesn't help matters, and Collingwood under Craig McRae is not a club that goes slow enough on rebound to make him a top-end fantasy player either; just ask Dan Houston. Josh is the most prolific of the Magpies' half back unit and is always contending for top six fantasy back, but never quite getting there. His owners await a move back to inside midfield.
Josh Daicos might as well rock the nickname of Afghanistan, because like Mark Waugh he's the forgotten brother in a high-profile sporting family. Spending most of his time coming off half back doesn't help matters, and Collingwood under Craig McRae is not a club that goes slow enough on rebound to make him a top-end fantasy player either; just ask Dan Houston. Josh is the most prolific of the Magpies' half back unit and is always contending for top six fantasy back, but never quite getting there. His owners await a move back to inside midfield.
Josh Daicos is not getting nearly as many headlines as his younger brother Nick at the moment, but he has a couple of years head start at Collingwood building his game, and has already graduated from the flanks to central midfield. Starting his career as a small forward, he has inherited the shovels at the engine room from the likes of Scott Pendlebury who have shifted outside the square to allow the younger brigade the space to develop. His fantasy value is not particularly high right now, but he may build into something useful.
Josh Daicos has different qualities as a football to his old man Peter, and he has moved from attack to central midfield more and more over the course of 2021 as injuries have thinned out the ranks in the engine room. He is capable of racking up centre clearances, as in the early parts of the Anzac Day clash, but his worthiness for fantasy purposes is whether he can develop the stamina to get to more contests around the ground to accumulate stats. In the short term, he's not a bad stepping stone option, particularly with the Magpies' late bye.
Josh Daicos has had a quiet start to 2021, as have most of the Collingwood midfield starting with their belting at the hands of the Bulldogs in round 1. Without Adam Treloar to lead them, the Pie mids have struggled to live up to expectations from seasons past, led by a couple of old stagers in Pendlebury and Sidebottom and with perhaps too many young bucks yet to come into their full powers. Daicos is obviously quality with ball in hand, but for fantasy purposes some will wonder if he plays more deep to cover for Jamie Elliott in the next little while.
Josh Daicos is one of a number of young Magpies who have been making a name for themselves in the bottom six of a team which has room for cream players who feed off their star-studded midfield. Not that he needed to make a name for himself as he inherited his dad's legend, and he has certainly been blessed with some silky skills and a low centre of gravity to baulk in traffic like his old man. He may not quite have the bulging trick bag of Peter, but he is obviously a quality player who has a long future ahead of him at the top level.
Find Daicos in traffic
The nimble Josh Daicos remained a fringe player for the Pies, only called upon when form or injury woes struck his teammates. An ankle injury late in the year meant limited duties to begin preseason, but he'll be back in top shape as summer passes. Daicos plays a similar role to Josh Thomas, so it may be difficult for the youngster to break into the starting lineup. While he might deliver a few 80s when on the park, with a game built on quality over quantity and without enough job security he must be overlooked.
Daicos on the cusp
Entering his third year at Collingwood, Josh Daicos is poised for a potential breakout season. The crumbing forward, who can spends stints up the ground on the wing, strung together 10 consecutive games before being omitted in round 21. Compared to two appearances in his debut season, he took the next step that Nathan Buckley would have wanted. Solidifying a regular position in Collingwood’s starting 22 will be difficult for Daicos, but if given the opportunity he is every chance to improve his fantasy value. Those with a lot of faith may draft him in very late rounds, but he is best left undrafted and monitored as a potential free agent pickup.
Daicos graduates Hogwart's
Playing mostly on a wing, Josh Daicos did enough towards the end of his first listed season to make it from VFL to seniors, impressing with 26 touches at 85% efficiency against Werribee in August. Two senior games very late were nothing to write home about to dad Peter, though. Daicos is not a magician like his old man, at least not yet. Fantasy coaches are more interested in quantity of leather than the contents of the trick bag, and on that score he's still a work in progress. His ceiling at both junior and reserves level seems to be mid-70s, which is barely replacement level for draft leagues. Too early to pick him.
