Other clubs already reviewed are: Western Bulldogs, Richmond Tigers, Geelong Cats, Fremantle Dockers, Carlton Blues, Essendon Bombers, St Kilda Saints & Melbourne Demons.
Will Didak & Shaw repay Collingwood's faith after their failure to see out the 2008 season due to in club suspension?
Are Collingwood the Real Deal?
Reducing the gap between their best and worst is where the Magpies will improve this season. We saw their very best on a cold Autumn night in front of near on 80,000 people against the rampaging Cats. That night they obliterated the team that had been so dominant for a season and a half and made them look second rate. The Pies beat Geelong in every aspect that makes the Cats so very good; hard, contested and high intensity pressure football. It is this game along with the return of some key players that makes me believe that the Pies will push deep into September.
Collingwood cannot possibly have the kind of luck that they did last year. If all goes well they should add Presti and Heath Shaw to an already solid defence, Didak to a blossoming and well balanced midfield and Rocca to the hard working forward line that performed so admirably late last season.
Many believe that the Maggies have an easy draw given that they only travel four times. I choose to look at it from the perspective that they play so many blockbusters in finals type atmosphere in front of massive crowds and lets face it every side lifts to another level when they play the Black and Whites, that perhaps their draw isn’t as easy as some might think.
The addition of their experienced ‘key’ players along with the natural progression of their young talent will see Collingwood back at the top end of the ladder as they rise to superpower status in 2009.
Likely Finish: Top Four
Players To Watch
Dane Swan - Is my pre-season tip for the Brownlow. Does everything right and looks to have slimmed down so his speed and agility should improve. Hard running, strong contested and goal kicking midfielders are like gold. He is up there with the very elite.
Alan Didak – Could it be that the penny has finally dropped? His best is so very very good and I am tipping that Didak will thrill us all this season with his sublime skills and almost unmatched football brain. Collingwood fans your prayers have been answered. The prodigal son will return and he shall be redeemed!!
Dale Thomas move to a back flank could be the answer for him to be more consistent.
Need To Improve
Dale Thomas - He needs to lift his work rate. He drifts in and out of games too much and would rather do the flashier style plays then put his head over the nut and win the hard ball. Averaged only 15 possessions a game in ’08 and needs to add a bit of substance to his immense talent.
Josh Fraser – Is anybody else sick of waiting for this No#1 Draft pick to put a decent and consistent season together? Has the talent and smarts to be right up there challenging Cox for Number One ruck status but as it stands he is a long, long, long way off and time is running out.
List Cloggers
Sean Rusling – So much breath is wasted on this guy. Even when he is not injured he is a one-dimensional player with the turning circle of a road train. I’m afraid the great white hope will never live up to the hype.
Cameron Wood - Lost his spot in ’08 to a guy who couldn’t nail a spot at ruck-starved Carlton. Is about as mobile as my Grandmother before her hip operation and is battling to keep his head above water. Needs a great season or it will be his last.
Your Views
So are Collingwood the real deal? Was their NAB Grand Final a fluke? Can they match their intensity and game plan for the regular season?
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March 17th, 2009 at 9:54 am
Oh no, you have been sucked in by Micks Blockbuster fatigue!
Too inconsistent for me – likely finish 5-8th
Michaels last blog post..Stevens to contest
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March 17th, 2009 at 10:02 am
I agree this Blockbuster fatigue is rubbish…
Mike is the master deflector as he will shift blame away from himself to anyone/ thing else.
“Oh its fatgiue”, “If we had Shaw and Didak…”, “Traveling every two weeks (When coach WCE)” etc etc
Agree that their inconsistency is a worry and while people rank Malthouse as a great coach I see him as a waste and very limited coach.
Malthouse lacks imagination and is stubborn and fails to move his players around (Shaw tagged last year) if needed. At the Eagles in the 90′s, he should have won more than 2 grand finals. The team he had was years ahead of everyone else..
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March 17th, 2009 at 11:28 am
I think one thing Mick lacks is turning good players into an elite players.
Some might argue they already have a couple of elite players…not in my opinion.
They have recruited some nice KPP over over the last few drafts…just like Hawthorn. Whether he can get the most out of them is another question.
Don’t think Buckley is the solution though. Mark Williams???
Michaels last blog post..Stevens to contest
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March 17th, 2009 at 11:48 am
You could be onto something hear Michael:
- Fraser has not improved
- Rocca did not become elite
- Buckley already was elite
- Thomas, Didak all struggled to take next step
Williams is out of contract the same as Malthouse at the end of the year, so maybe your onto something.
Although I would hate to see Collingwood & Williams together again, both parties too up themselves…
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March 17th, 2009 at 11:57 am
More like 7th. always lose the games they shouldn’t & should’ve won last season.
Caught the Cats post “DreamTeam” match. Didak will never learn & Thomas can stay away from the home pubs during the year.
If this era passes Mick by, that’s the 2nd.
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March 17th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
can we all take our we hate Collingwood hats off here. i tried to look at this objectively and think about it, there is no doubt that players lift to a different intensity when there is a massive crowd. There has to be some kind of drain on players when they are expected to consistently perform in front of massive crowds especially the younger blokes. Jermayn, do you think the Eagles would suffer if they had to play every week at Derby level intensity, of course they would.
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March 18th, 2009 at 7:46 am
@deano – Interesting what you say about Collingwood’s blockbuster fatigue. If you look at the WA and SA sides, they loose the majority of their matches after their derbys/ showdowns.
@AussieRulesBlog – yes you need a good balance of players to get the hard ball and to do the flashy around the pack stuff BUT you want every player when its his turn to go for the hard ball to do it. Dale simply does not! You look at Judd, Buckley, Black, Cousins etc and they will always go and get the hard ball at the bottom of the pack or be on the end of the handball and kick the goal or kick to a leading forward. They do what is required and that is why they are stars… Thomas simply is not, he is one dimensional and he hates getting his hands dirty (although he would look good in an Eagles jumper
).
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March 17th, 2009 at 2:25 pm
I’m interested in your assessment of Dale Thomas, Deano. Is he really the bloke you want at the bottom of the back getting bashed and crashed? I would have thought he was most dangerous doing what he’s doing now, even if he relies on others getting the ball into his hands. Not everyone on the list is suited the the hard bullocking stuff. You need someone on the outside to take it away and use skill to hurt the opposition on the scoreboard.
aussierulesblogs last blog post..What is it with mouthguards and kicking for goal?
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March 18th, 2009 at 8:58 am
Are we talking about the same Dale Thomas?
aussierulesblogs last blog post..What is it with mouthguards and kicking for goal?
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March 18th, 2009 at 12:49 pm
Long haired dude who likes to have a run and kick a goal but hates chasing??? Yeh think were talking of the same Dale Thomas
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March 18th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
I find it interesting that people are focusing on Collingwood having 18 home games this year, fact is, it’s probably only 1 more than most other melbourne teams, Also, we’ve had this “luxury” for years. Find something else to whinge about. It’s boring!
Agree about Thomas, he’s in his 4th year and needs to make more consistent impacts. I like him running off half back and he’s good at breaking lines. Possible solution to breaking the zone? Just my uneducated thoughts.
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March 18th, 2009 at 1:47 pm
@the_tony and what is worse is that our all combined whinging has done nothing. They still get the same amount of Vic games, just not fair!!
Thanks for your reply Tony
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