The next few years

[Jameoz23]

For the first time in years we are not in the finals.The next few year is going to be the important and it all starts with this off season.

Bucks needs to change the way he is going about coaching, 1st he has to gain the respect of the playing group and play the best players at the club even if there is bad blood between them, 2nd he has to swallow his pride and go back to what worked in 2010-2011,which means putting Reid at Centre-Half-Back.

We need to find out what the best 22, keep a few players as back ups, and sell the players that don't fit. Even thou we have had injuries, we haven't had the depth to cover them.

Collingwood's best 22 for next season

B:Toovey, Brown, Frost
HB: Langdon, Reid, Williams
C: Broomhead, Adams, Sidebottom
HF: Blair, Cloke, Swan
F: Elliott, ??????, Grundy
Ruck: Witts, Pendles, Beams
Interchange: Seedsman, Sinclair, Kennedy, Goldsack
Emg: Keeffe, Thomas, Karnezis, Macaffer

Big names for trade bait

Lumumba, Fasolo, Young, White

What do we need:
A Full Forward
Speed in the Centre
Depth

[HAL]

My favourite character is the Computer.

[ad4eva]

My best 22, assuming we draft Moore and Maccaffer and Scharenberg are our only injuries.

B: Toovey - Brown - Williams
HB: Langdon - Frost - Goldsack
C: Sidebottom - Pendlebury - Sinclair
HF: Fasolo - Cloke - Swan
FF: White - Reid - Elliot
R: Grundy - Beams - Adams
I: Witts - Broomhead - Blair - Kennedy
Emg: Keefe - Thomas - Karnezis

Thoughts:
- Williams/Sinclair must become our lockdown role players. Williams appears to be the best suited to the last line of defence, which is the hardest to play. Sinclair as the run with player through the middle.

- Williams plays on the natural stay at home small. We give ourselves plenty of flexibility across the board with Goldsack, Toovey and Langdon having the ability to play small, medium and at times tall.

- The return of Brown, improvement of Frost and our three flexible defenders allows us to keep Reid forward. IMO, plan A. Plan B, Reid is our swing man back. Goldsack is another swing man option forward. The benchmark forward line is Hawthorn (Roughead, Gungston, Breust, Puopolo, Hale… i believe we can cater for that).

- Midfield appears to be our weakness, with a huge change of the guard. Headed by Pendlebury, Beams and Sidebottom we have a reliance on Adams, Broomhead, J. Thomas, Sinclair and Kennedy to assume the mantle of Swan, Ball and somewhat D. Thomas. The silver lining of 2014 is we have seen great development at times from all 4.

- After Moore, we need to draft a quality mid. Gut feeling says we need a 184 plus sized mid for balance, as we seem to have everything below 180. At the end of the day though, if the 178cm mid is a better player than the 184 mid, get the 178. Id rather draft footballers, not athletes.

- The combination of Reid, Cloke and White becomes a threat for any side in the competition. Whites form was disappointing but i get the feeling we drafted him under the impression he would be the third string to our tall forward bow.

- How much do we actually understand about Dane Swan? Has he lost the burst and x-factor? Or were the carried injuries too much of a burden? Swan is a burst player who may be affected by the rotation cap. He has brute strength and an ability to manufacture scoring opportunities. I like him in a similar role to Dustin Martin at half forward. Also gives the next generation fast tracked experience.

- Fasolo and Elliot add pace, flexibility, strength in the air and most importantly an instinct to find the goals. Difficult to find two defenders that can counter both.

- If theres one thing we lack in our forward line it is a genuine crumbing forward. Judging on footballing ability only, Jeff Gartlett fits this bill perfectly. He can bring 40 goals to the club.

- Moore bides his time in the VFL. I have no doubt he will be called upon at some stage and like Reid, he can play at both ends.

- The combination of Grundy/Witts will arguably be the best combination for 6-7 years and can be played in the same side. Both aged 20/21. Huge scope yet to be under covered. Thats exciting.

- Kennedy just gets the nod ahead of Thomas. IMO Thomas and Adams are fighting for the same spot in the middle. Kennedy adds pace, skill and a goal a game.

- Karnezis could be anything. If he is a natural goal kicker, lets play him forward. Need to see him injury free first.

- Keefe made some poor errors at times, but for most part was very impressive. Just misses and is a great back up, as we are guaranteed to come across injuries at some point.

- Lumumba was bitterly disappointing. Skills and footy brain just aren't good enough to play on a wing/midfield. Needs to earn his spot back.

- Clinton Youngs form doesn't warrant a senior position with a healthy list.

[HAL]

Yes, it seems difficult to me too.

[Darkstranger]

This is very doable if Pies are serious about change

B: - Brown - Keefe - Williams
HB: Frost - Reid - Toovey
C: Sidebottom - Pendlebury - Freeman
HF: Saad - Cloke - Karnezis
FF: Elliot - White - Garlett
R: Grundy - Beams - Adams
I: Witts - Broomhead - Swan - Kennedy
Emg: Fasolo (if not traded) - Thomas - Langdon

[yin-YANG]

You can't have a back 6 Darkstranger with Brown, Keefe, Reid and Frost - just too big!

In general Brown and Frost are very similar types so Brown and Frost are competing for the same spot.

Reid has to go forward as this is crucial for White and CLoke and to stretch opp backs!

My team for the start of 2015 - based on current list... (Caff and Berg injured)

B Toovey Frost Williams
HB Langdon Keefe Sinclair
C Seedsman Beams H
HF Broomy Cloke Sidey
F Elliot Reid White
R Witts, Pendles, Adams
I Swan, Kennedy, Thomas, Freeman
Emerg: Grundy, Karnezis, Brown

Just out/Depth... Grundy, Faz, Blair, Armstrong, Gault, Oxley, Marsh

On the outer... Young, Mooney, Clarke,

[Pies4shaw]

Brown is the starting full back. Frost will take the most mobile tall in the opposition forward line.

[John Wren]

[woftam]

Backs - Tooves - Frost - Sinkers
H/Backs - Langdon - Brown - Seedsman
Centres - Swan - Adams - Sidebottom
H/Forwards - Broomhead - Reid - Kennedy
Forwards - White - Cloke - Elliott
Rucks - Grundy - Pendles - Beams
Int - Witts - Freeman - Williams - Goldsack

I think we need to include Marley in the midfield rotations now. Adds a little hardness & contested ball winning ability around the stoppages. Sidey & Swan would give us outside run on the wings. Both have good tanks to run the length of the field when needed.Scharenberg would have been nice to add to the backline but I guess we have to wait another year for that now. Still a pretty handy team I reckon.

[jackcass]

[Pies4shaw]

On the last, it is most unlikely that we will ever know: Buckley has been quite direct for 18 months in saying repeatedly that Reid was moved forward because he was playing poorly at the back. As recently as the fan forum on Monday, he named Reid as part of the preferred forward line. He's hardly going to send him back, now, unless it is unavoidable because of injuries.

[roar]

All the back lines above have inadequate disposal skills. Can carry one or two poor kicks only.

[woftam]

[Pies4shaw]

Well, there you go! It's amazing what you can miss if you don't tune in to the first five minutes of a match.

[Sir Alan of Didak]

Ok...I'll give it a go.

Round 1 2015:

B. Williams Brown Frost
HB. Langdon Keefe Fasolo
C. Seedsman Beams Sidebottom
HF. Adams Cloke Elliot
F. Swan Reid White
Rucks: Witts, Pendlebury, J.Thomas
Inter: Goldsack, Lumumba, Freeman
Sub: Broomhead

Emerg: Karnezis, Grundy, Toovey
Surplus: Sinclair, Dwyer, Marsh, Young, Blair, Martin, Gault
Unavailable: Scharenberg, Macaffer