Rebuild.. what rebuild?

[Miz]

Rebuild, the word clubs use when they have given up, decided they cannot compete and need to reload. Unfortunately it is a word that is coming up more and more in discussions around our club.

Grand final day 2011, after peaking quite early that year and with just one team able to conquer the game plan in place we lose a grand final with a very talented list and in the words of our president are set for a "dynasty".

Since then with changes to the coaching staff we have fallen down the ladder every year and another fall this year would see us miss finals, on current trends we would be a wooden spoon chance in 2015.

The question then is how have we gone from being in a position to form this great dynasty to suddenly throwing around the rebuild spin which is now starting to filter through. After using the misdirection of culture last year I fully expect to see some senior members of the club using this same rebuilding misdirection at the end of this year and personally I find that very disappointing.

The Collingwood football club did a very good job to set themselves up in a strong position for the next 4-5 years post the 2011 grand final yet we have fallen right away and look to have missed a great opportunity to maximise the full potential of the player list on hand.

Am I wrong in that the opportunity has passed or do you feel that we are still a live chance to win a flag in the short term with the structure in place? Discuss...

[Leggie]

Meh. Don't stress.
It's all good.
We will be fine

Go Pies

[MagpieMad]

[Miz]

[Tannin]

Not looking very hard, are we.

Rebuild schmebuild.

Mediochre clubs rebuild. They peak, maybe win a flag, sometimes even two, then they crash way down to the bottom of the table and suck high draft picks for a few years to rebuild their playing stock. As their talented youngsters gain experience and approach their peak career form, they swing back to the top portion of their premiership clock and win again, or at least challenge. Right now, Footscray and Port are on the rebound from bottom: they have good kids and are rebuilding well. They may do well over 2014-2017 or so. West Coast has hit bottom and may or may not be swinging up again soon. Essendon is also approaching peak form, and could win a flag soon.

Crap clubs have rebuilds and go nowhere with them, so they have more rebuilds, and yet more rebuilds. Consider Melbourne, Richmond (possibly finally getting it right at last!) and that latest and greatest addition to the crap list, Carlton. Just had at least two rebuilds, now they need another one. Or St Vomit - peaked recently, screwed the pooch repeatedly, winding up without a single flag to show for themselves, and are now looking down the barrel of a second consecutive bottom four finish. With half-decent luck and any justice, they will remain in the bottom eight for the rest of decade and onwards into the 2020s. As for Melbourne .... they could win a flag this year and still be just about the worst-performed club in recent memory. Throw North into that same woeful category.

Great clubs reload with new talent every year or two and are never very far away from the top of the table. Examples include, in modern times, Sydney, Hawthorn, Geelong and Collingwood. All have won recent premierships, all remain top four contenders this year, and all manage to bring in quality talent despite not having the luxury of early picks.

Screw your rebuild nonsense. If you want to rebuild, go and support St Vomit - you'll be happily rebuilding for eternity. Here at Collingwood, we have the strongest midfield in the business, great young rucks, and enough good key position players to challenge any side. We still need to slot three or four of our youngest and most talented players into the senior side and get up to speed with our new gameplan, but that's more than possible. We have kept the best and strongest of our senior players and the best recruiting team in the comp has landed great young talents to compliment them. As the year unfolds, while you are down at St Vomit watching the disaster roll on, I'll be watching the young Magpies grow into their roles and watching the premiership campaign unfold.

[Az]

Honestly I think our intention was to do what Geelong have been pros at for some time now. Subtly develop and inject new youth into the side whilst maintaining juggernaut status. The mold of being a great side for a period of time only to finally slide down the ladder when you're A grade team starts to fade is what has tried to be broken, and failed I believe. Yes we still possess the main spine of our list. But it's truly proved that guys like Wellingham for example who are not superstar players however, are crucial to the whole make up of our team (Before people jump on me, yes I am happy that we got Grundy for him). I don't think much needs to be said in regards to Leon, Heath, Daisy, Johnno, Dids, Leigh Brown. Those guys made us a significantly better skilled and balanced team.

We traded our dynasty for a new coach and a new team.

I am not trying to sound bitter if it comes across that way. Ed made the call and it was a bold one no doubt. However, to state we were upon a dynasty whilst in the middle of a succession plan was flat out arrogant and dumb.

[MattyD]

no way in hell is a premiership on the horizon.

Anyway who says otherwise is dreamin

From the way I've seen our team and club devolve over the past two years, we could be as bad as bottom four this year.

It is disappointing. It is actually quite shocking to me how quickly we've gone down.

And why shouldn't we be honest? I'm not being 'negative'. I think it is monumentally stupid if anyone thinks this year is anything other than a rebuild. Side by side, yes. But completely delusional? Come on.

Can anybody tell me what effect did Swan, Pendles, Beams, Cloke and Labamba have on the game? That's all we've got and they're playing like crap.

The rest are kids or not in the same league.

You are quite correct in thinking we are rebuilding. Although it seems like heresy around here to say it.

[Bob Sugar]

We're not rebuilding, our core is in tact, it's a good excuse though.

[Bob Sugar]

[The Boy Who Cried Wolf]

[Piethagoras' Theorem]

[melliot]

Don't have to bottom out to rebuild.

IMO we are in a rebuild phase for the year. Too many kids in our best 22 with less than 50 - 70 games.

Once most of the bottom end of our best 22 are in that games played bracket we'll be challenging. Until then we will be inconsistent. We'll be great one week then poor another. I see us ending anywhere between 4th and 10th.

We also need to get structures right. They were horrible last week.

And how can you say the decline was fast.
2010 =flag
2011= 2nd
2012 = 4th
2013 = 8th

Compare that to the Saints decline. You also need to consider we've been in finals since 2006. So we've been in the top half for a long time.

We have already traded in the young talent (I think). So it's not as if we haven't got to bottom out to get the picks we need. We've somewhat already done that. Only old Blokes in our 22 are Swan/ Maxy/Ball. The rest should have 4 years at least.

So our list is in good shape. There is a concern on the size of our young mids. I'm not that concerned cos if they're talented enough, the size won't matter (Mitchell, Harvey, etc prove small player can be greats).

The Rebuild is and has occurred. But within a year or two we should be back contending. Optimistically It may only take 6 months.

I still look forward to games as I enjoy watching the development of our kids.

[melliot]

Don't have to bottom out to rebuild.

IMO we are in a rebuild phase for the year. Too many kids in our best 22 with less than 50 - 70 games.

Once most of the bottom end of our best 22 are in that games played bracket we'll be challenging. Until then we will be inconsistent. We'll be great one week then poor another. I see us ending anywhere between 4th and 10th.

We also need to get structures right. They were horrible last week.

And how can you say the decline was fast.
2010 =flag
2011= 2nd
2012 = 4th
2013 = 8th

Compare that to the Saints decline. You also need to consider we've been in finals since 2006. So we've been in the top half for a long time.

We have already traded in the young talent (I think). So it's not as if we haven't got to bottom out to get the picks we need. We've somewhat already done that. Only old Blokes in our 22 are Swan/ Maxy/Ball. The rest should have 4 years at least.

So our list is in good shape. There is a concern on the size of our young mids. I'm not that concerned cos if they're talented enough, the size won't matter (Mitchell, Harvey, etc prove small player can be greats).

The Rebuild is and has occurred. But within a year or two we should be back contending. Optimistically It may only take 6 months.

I still look forward to games as I enjoy watching the development of our kids.

[ThePieMind]

[The Boy Who Cried Wolf]