GO MICKEY!!!

[clokeforever34]

The road ahead is all that matters
Kevin Diggerson
collingwoodfc.com.au
6:06:57 PM Sat 31 August, 2002

No, it was not the ideal way to finish off the home and away season. But when the ball is bounced next Friday night at AAMI Stadium, Saturday’s loss to the Western Bulldogs will have zero relevance as Collingwood begin their premiership assault in earnest. Says who? None other than Collingwood coach Michael Malthouse.

Malthouse has coached teams to the finals in 12 of his 18 seasons as a senior coach, and has seen teams enter September with momentum and without it. And as experience has demonstrated, it doesn’t really matter how you’re going before the finals, all that counts is how you perform once you get there.


“I’ve been fortunate in many respects that I’ve had it on both sides, where we’ve hit the finals running and that carries over, but I’ve also coaches sides that haven’t had a wonderful last four or five weeks,” Malthouse recalled after the game.

“I can call on my last year at West Coast when we were written off totally and came over here and played the Western Bulldogs in very, very trying conditions, very Victorian conditions and won the game of football.”

While many pundits will be quick to write off the Pies chances of winning against the minor premiers in their backyard, Malthouse sees it differently.

“We’re in a fortunate position in many respects that we have in the past traveled pretty well to Adelaide,” Malthouse noted.

“We’ve not only played the ground well but I think we have played against (Port Adelaide) reasonably well. We beat them last year, went down by a kick this year, so there’s a little bit of confidence that can be gained from that. You just never know when thing turn around for you. Momentum is a strange thing.

“On today’s performance I suppose they’ve got a right to think that (we’ll lose) but what’s past is past and what’s in front of us now is a finals series.”

"my religion is footy and my church is collingwood"

[Black_White]

MM's coaching tonight was not good, as the last 6 weeks has shown.
When the game was there to be won, 4th qtr, he continued to let Darcy have free reign.
Another doggie, I forget who and cannot be bothered checking, kicked 2 goals tonight. Guess what? First goals he kicked all year. Yes folks, 21 rounds, no goals! Up against the coaching prowess of MM, kicks 2, magnificent.
We are not a premiership contender. Reality check. 2 finals, blood the youngsters and look forward to 2003.

-Craig (well I'm bound to keep that name for fear of retribution!)

[ramjet21]

not sure why he played a spare man back, leaving grant back for the dogs. its ok to see if it works for a bit but it got beyond a joke. we had to go back to man on man as we did for the 15 mins before half time. was a bit disappointed in MM but he's a premiership coach so he knows what he's doing.

[Joel]

Craig, people do that all the time. I mean, lots of players don't kick goals then come out and play the game of their lives (never to repeat the same sort of game). I mean, who thinks Holland will kick 8 goals again?

JDF