ANALYSIS: What we need this summer period - Johnson#26

What we need this summer period

In the summer of 2005, Collingwood have many areas they need to address to move forward. Some are more important then others. Here are some of the major needs for the club this summer:

Quick and Skilful midfielders:

Some needs are more important then others, but one stands out like a lighthouse – quick and skilled midfielders. Many have dubbed these types of players ‘creampuffs’. They are renowned for winning the easy ball, and not necessarily putting in the hard yards to win their own ball. They often look skilled and classy when they run onto a loose ball and goal – covering themselves in glory.

But it is often the hard work of the ‘in-and-under’ midfielders that result in a goal. Collingwood have many in-and-under players, who win the ball beneath the packs and hand it out to the receivers. The trouble is, there just aren’t enough receivers in the side. Aging skipper Nathan Buckley has shown in 2004 that age and injuries are beginning to take their toll on his body. He cannot be expected to win as much of the ball as he used to, and play the role he once did. He is, really, the only ‘receiving’ midfielder in the side. He also wins his own ball as much as he wants – and is not a ‘creampuff’ – which separates him from his peers.

Shane Woewodin has shown at Melbourne that he can do it, but he now plays the role of the smaller midfielder, dishing it out to the quick and skilful players.

Richard Cole has a tough body and has pace and neat skills, which may resalt in him being tried out in the middle. Alan Didak and Leon Davis have both been used in the middle in the latter stages of the season with good returns. However, as is the case with many of these players, consistency is the major hurdle. Both are expected to make a permanent move to the middle in 2005, which brings us to another point – small forwards – which I will discus later.

Young midfielder Julian Rowe has shown in the second half of the season that he too, could play that receiving role. Taken late in the 2003 draft, Rowe has shown in 2004 that he has good pace, hands and skills to make it in the AFL. He also has a quality that all the ‘receiving’ midfielders have – time. Time means that he can win the ball in heavy traffic, but evade all tackles and have everyone by pass him before he disposes of the ball. Ryan Lonie may be a candidate, but lacks the engine and hardness to do it.

The search for a full forward:

The search at Collingwood is on for the full forward. Since the departure of Saverio Rocca, the side has lacked a full forward.

Despite scoring over 50 goals last season, Chris Tarrant played off the half forward flank, with Jarrod Molloy being used as a makeshift full forward. This season, the Pies have alternated between Anthony Rocca, Tarrant and Cameron Cloke.

Cloke has been the one to show enough to stay there permanently. In 2005, some new challengers will arrive. Billy Morrison and Tom Davidson, who have only played one game between them, are young and have the chance to cement the position as their own for possibly ten years.

Morrison is a strong, robust forward with strong hands and has been likened to Lions star centre half forward Jonathon Brown, with his courage and ‘Careylike’ marks. But he has not impressed all that much at Williamstown, and, at 17 years of age, may require some more time. Davidson has been unlucky in his three seasons at the club, with two season ending knee injuries.

Malthouse has publicly backed Davidson, who is said to have better hands than Tarrant, a strong right boot and good goalsence. Davidson may even turn out to be a centre half forward. But Malthouse will give him an opportunity at the full forward post. Even young Travis Cloke will get a chance, but that may come in 2006, after he has finished his schooling.

The forward coach:

One major and glaring area of the Magpies disappointing 2004 has been its lack of goal kicking accuracy. After Terry Danniher was sacked unceremoniously at the end of last season, club hero Gavin Brown took over the role. Despite playing as a forward for much of his career, Brown is not a natural forward, and would be more suited as a defensive coach – a post in which he did well in for the past few seasons.

Scott Cummings, former Coleman Medallist, has been our goal kicking coach. He obviously hasn’t done a good job, as we have been the least accurate side in the league this season. Didak, Tarrant and Buckley have been the main culprits in front of the big sticks. More work needs to be put into their goal kicking – particular Tarrant and Didak – to ensure a prosperous forward set up. Ryan Lonie was sent down there late in the season and added some respectability in terms of accuracy to the forward line, but more work is needed.

The coaching staff:

The question must be asked – is it time for a change. Since 2002, Dean Laidley and Terry Danaher have departed as assistant coaches, going on to bigger things at other clubs. The moves have appeared to have unsettled the side, with players not knowing their roles.

Midfield coach Michael Broadbridge has also signalled that he will leave the club with coaching aspirations. Forward coach Brown should be moved back to the defensive post, as he has had good resalts in the past. Guy McKenna, West Coast import as defensive coach has seemed to struggle, and stated in INSIDE FOOTBALL earlier in the year that it was good that opposition clubs had worked out the way that Jason Cloke played. How is that good? I certainly don’t know, and for some reason that I cannot put my finger on, I believe he should be dumped as assistant coach at the season end.

Brown should return as the backline coach, while former Copeland Trophy winner and club favourite Mick McGuane should be targeted as the midfield coach. McGuane has done a fine job at Gisborne, in the Victorian country league and should be called upon but the Magpies. Already new Tigers coach Terry Wallace has signalled out McGuane as a possible assistant coach. We must make a play for him.

Finally, we have the forward coach. I believe that we should chase – and chase hard for the services of club legend Peter Daicos. Daicos had goal sense that cannot be taught, but has a good eye for talent, and should be called upon to coach the forwards. And in INSIDE FOOTBALL in the summer of 2004, Daicos stated that he was interested in coaching. He could definitely help players such as Didak and Davis. We have seen Geelong successfully call back some former players to their club as assistants with flying colours this season, and we should do the same. If we want to move forward.

Pre-Season and Injury Management:

It was apparent last season that the side struggled with injury. In our Grand Final seasons of 2002 and 2003, we had hardly any soft tissue injuries in our charge to the finals. This season, how ever, we started the pre-season late, and many players went into 2004 underdone.

With the season looming, Paul Licuria, Zane Leonard and Shane Woewodin all carried calf injuries but ploughed on with Woey and Licca our best in the round one loss. After that, things went from bad to worse, as Tarrant, Buckley, Fraser and Burns all became victims of the hamstring plague. Buckley and Tarrant got it several times – severely interrupting their seasons.

There were also injuries to Guy Richards – who suffered from ostitis pubis, Cameron Cloke, who injured his shoulder. Man Mountain Anthony Rocca injured his ankle, while Shane Wakelin broke his arm – as did young gun Brayden Shaw. Alan Didak broke his jaw and to cap it all off, Simon Prestigiacomo dislocated his shoulder in round 17. A lot of the injuries were bad luck, but one suspects that there was something wrong with the preparation. This will have to be addressed for the 04/05 pre-season.

So there you have it - the main factors in Collingwood’s dismal season, and the steps to be taken to rectify them. With these troubles remedied, there is no reason why we should not make the top six in 2005.

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