Collingwood season preview - Me? I Like Football

[The Hitman]

Thought you'd want to check out our new site's 2015 season preview for the Pies.

Genuinely after the thoughts of Collingwood fans and interested in feedback, as well as what the realistic aims for the season from you guys are.

I've posted the whole thing here, sans images, to show I'm not spamming for clicks; hopefully that's okay for the mods. I'll let the author know I've posted it here so he can respectively engage, and if you want to see the version on the site you can by clicking here.

2015 season preview: Collingwood

By Ryan Mason

LAST CAMPAIGN

Most teams that put together eight wins in the first 11 rounds are on their way to the finals. Indeed, after round 12 of last season, Collingwood was sitting pretty in the top four.

But as the injury list grew longer, the Pies simply couldn’t maintain that early season form. They lost three of the last 11 games to finish in 11th spot, the nadir being a humiliating 67-point drubbing at the hands of Brisbane at the MCG with three games to go.

An indicator of just how horrendous their injury run is the fact that emerging defender Jack Frost was the club’s only player to take the field in every game. Minor premier Sydney had eight 22-gamers by comparison.

The silver lining to the dark clouds was the trial-by-fire experience afforded to Collingwood’s rapidly developing young brigade. Frost, Tom Langdon, Marley Williams, Jarrod Witts, Brodie Grundy and Josh Thomas became reliable senior players and showed that Collingwood may not be too far off a finals spot in the near future.

I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER

It was a tough off-season for the Maggies. Following on from the retirements of former premiership captain Nick Maxwell and veteran midfielder Luke Ball, Dayne Beams demanded and got a trade to Brisbane, and Heritier Lumumba decided his footballing future lay elsewhere.

But as the old saying goes: when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. The Pies secured exciting youngster Jordan de Goey along with the much-vaunted Darcy Moore in the top ten of the draft, while also obtaining Brisbane’s project forward Jack Crisp, Geelong’s silky runner Travis Varcoe and tough North Melbourne midfielder Levi Greenwood at the trade table.

THE CHALLENGE

The most obvious roadblock to success for Collingwood at this point is keeping players on the park. They’ve shown they can mix it with the best on many occasions, but it will be a long year if key players like Nathan Brown and Ben Reid just can’t get their ailing bodies right.

Collingwood is also lagging behind the rest of the competition as it transitions to a high-possession, precision-kicking game style. The Pies recorded a kicking efficiency of just over 50% last season, and unless they’re keen on stockpiling more top ten draft picks, that needs to change quick-smart.

The team’s poor disposal also highlights their other glaring weakness – the over-reliance on Travis Cloke up forward. He had a relatively poor year in 2014, but he can only work with what he’s given, and you can’t make silk from a sow’s ear. Collingwood desperately needs Jesse White, Corey Gault and perhaps Darcy Moore to provide other tall options to make them a threat.

THE COACH

Nathan Buckley is in the fourth year of his reign, and you could argue that he’s only now putting together the list that he wants, with the stars (and egos) of the Malthouse era having been moved on over the past two years.

Like so many other teams, the challenge facing Buckley is to convince his superiors that his team is headed in the right direction, and that he’s the man to guide them. There will be plenty of sympathetic ears given Collingwood’s dreadful run in the second half of 2014, but should the Pies hit a losing streak towards the end of this year again the jungle drums may start pounding.

THE STAR

There’s few footballers with the poise and skill of Scott Pendlebury. He has demonstrated time and again that he is one of the best footballers in the country, and he’s an exemplary leader for Collingwood’s youngsters. An All-Australian for five years in a row, and you’d just about put the house on him making that six at the end of 2015.

ON THE RISE

The Pies have one of the youngest lists in the competition, with Dane Swan the oldest player in their locker room at only 31 years of age, so there’s plenty of new talent who will be attempting to make their name in the black and white over the next few years.

While there’s a lot expected of Darcy Moore, Matt Scharenberg and Jordan de Goey, it’s Nathan Freeman that Pies fans are most excited about.

He suffered an interrupted 2014 (of course) but has impressed in the pre-season so far, winning the team’s young players 2km time trial and pushing senior star Steele Sidebottom all the way to finish second in the time trial for the main group. His endurance and skill will be a much-needed component for Collingwood in the next few years.

IN THE GUN

Clinton Young has struggled since crossing over from Hawthorn as a free agent. He might just find himself permanently consigned to the seconds if he cannot maintain consistency, as there’s a raft of youngsters eagerly awaiting their chance to take his spot in the team.

BEST 22

B: Tom Langdon – Nathan Brown – Alan Toovey
HB: Paul Seedsman – Ben Reid – Marley Williams
C: Travis Varcoe – Levi Greenwood – Steele Sidebottom
HF: Jarryd Blair – Travis Cloke – Jamie Elliot
F: Tyson Goldsack – Jesse White – Alex Fasolo
FOLL: Jarrod Witts – Scott Pendlebury – Dane Swan
INT: Josh Thomas – Jack Frost – Taylor Adams – Clinton Young

THE VERDICT

Collingwood’s youth means this year may be more about consolidation and experience, and not necessarily the scoreboard .

With a kinder draw and better run with injuries the Pies should be competitive for most of the year, but it’s 2016 when they should really make a run for the finals again.

OUR PREDICTION

We have Collingwood finishing 13th.

[Piesnchess]

Lovely, we are nicely under the Radar, great news !

[What'sinaname]

I don't know any football commentator that has Collingwood finishing in the top 8.

[think positive]

Cool I'll take that. And hope we prove em wrong.

[Piethagoras' Theorem]

excuse me, while I indulge myself,

HOW'S THE MIGHTY ROARRRRRRRR
UUUP THERE CAZALY............

Sorry, that thread title just evoked childhood memories of whacking on the ol' 6" vinyl, running around the living room, singing at the top of my voice, taking speccies and kicking Daicos bananas through the arch way with a nurf ball.

carry on

[The Hitman]

[The Hitman]

I must say, most of the Collingwood fans I know are really realistic and clued in to what the club is doing - much more so than the mainstream footy media is. It's clear to me that Buckley is embarking on a sneaky rebuild, that the club's administration is behind that, and the investment of finals footy doesn't need to happen for a year or two. You just don't want to bottom out like other clubs have, and nor do you need to.

I think it's been done really well, and as long as the passionate fanbase understands and accepts what happens, there is zero pressure on Buckley to produce results, unlike what has been suggested elsewhere.

[John Wren]

is it possible to have a rebuild without bottoming out? bucks has been at pains to call it a "regeneration of the list" which it has been. we still have the core of our structure and what i see as our next premiership.

i also wonder whether the general acceptance of where we are at is because the club has done an excellent job at communicating the key messages or because we are more informed than ever?

i have no issue where the playing group is at and think our best years are ahead of us in 2016-18. i am very much looking forward to seeing what we can achieve this year and, if nothing else, want to see how we go free of injuries.

[swoop42]

It doesn't matter what personnel you have if you don't have the right coach with an excellent game plan you will never see or get the best out of a team.

Look at Port Adelaide under Primus.

For me if we finish 13th then it's probably time for the coach to go.

Our list is better than that.

I expect top 8.

[Warbler]

With a bit of luck with injuries - I can see no reason we can't finish in the top 8 .

2 top 10 draft picks , 2 years in a row , without bottoming out seems pretty good to me . I have complete faith in Bucks & Burnsie .


GO PIES

[Jezza]

Sorry but anyone who's been tipping us to be a clear top 8 team during the off-season either has huge expectations or is deluded.

There's no evidence to suggest that we will be a top 8 team this season if the pre-season is anything to go by, the amount of experience we've lost recently, the way we performed in the second half of the year last year and the way our game plan seems to be non-existent or unrecognisable at the moment.

I want to be optimistic and if we play finals this year I'll be the first person to put my hand up and say I was wrong. I will attend every Victorian game possible to support the boys and hope I'm wrong every time I watch them play. Personally I see us in the 9 to 12 bracket and even though that may come across as a failure to some I think improvement in other areas most notably the game plan and natural improvement from the youngsters would still be considered a success in my eyes this year.

I don't see our window opening up until at least 2017 or 2018. Building a great side takes years of hard work and commitment. It's not going to be a overnight job sadly.

[swoop42]

People need to remember Port Adelaide were seen as a complete basket case both on and off the field when Hinkley took over.

Things can change very quickly and if we have to start over again with a new coach then I'm optimistic improvement can be rapid as long as we make the right appointment.

[Jezza]

I remember reading AFL prospectus around 2010/2011 and they always asserted that Port Adelaide had the best youngsters going around but most people thought the book was absolute nonsense including myself but since Hinkley's appointment the predictions by AFL prospectus were proven to be correct as time show.

Anyway Hinkley's made a world of difference at Port and along with boardroom changes Port are a strong club on the field. If we can resemble something like what Port has done we'll all be delighted without question but I'm skeptical that Buckley will be the one to achieve something similar.