View Full Version : Now or never for the Pies
Coin_Toss
5 Feb 2006, 12:04
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,18045153%255E20322,00.html
The 33-year-old says the sky is the limit for Collingwood this year, if the entire squad commits itself, and a premiership in his time is achievable.
That will only happen, Buckley says, if the club focuses only on seizing its chance this year and not worrying about what could or has gone wrong.
"We should be sick of it already." Buckley said.
"(Supporters) aren't talking about those two Grand Finals now. They will be grouped with all the other (losing) Grand Finals.
"As a long-term member of the team and club that is a genuine disappointment, to have added to the anguish of Collingwood supporters over the years.
"They should be sick of it, but I hope they know, just as they should, that we are not looking at what has been, we are looking at what's coming, and setting our sights high.
"If we can get our game plan right -- and everyone that represents Collingwood is part of the discipline required for the club to do well -- and we can get some momentum early in the year, we are capable of doing anything in the season."
While the injury toll has been extraordinarily high at Collingwood since losing those Grand Finals, the club has been uncompetitive at times in recent seasons.
Last year, it won only five games as Josh Fraser, Buckley and Anthony Rocca missed large chunks of the year. In 2004, Malthouse's Pies could manage only eight wins.
"Personally, I don't think injuries are an excuse," Buckley said.
"If you play your best football and have a good year with injuries, any side can finish in the top four. I reckon, even if you are disciplined and have injuries, you can still finish in the top eight.
"Any given year, despite the evenness of the competition, there are five or six teams that aren't going to be around the mark for whatever reason. Unfortunately, we have been one of those teams in the past two seasons, and I don't think that was any excuse, having injuries, because you need to buffer that by playing disciplined football."
Lonie_from_50
5 Feb 2006, 12:35
Good views there from Buckley, and expected views. Certainly it is a frame of mind going into a season, yet it just shows what injuries and consecutive GF losses do to a team's confidence!
Johnson#26
5 Feb 2006, 13:07
Well said by Bucks. 2006 will end up an interesting season...
Coin_Toss
5 Feb 2006, 15:23
Well said by Bucks. 2006 will end up an interesting season...
Very interesting. I like our chances at the flag if the key players can get on the park regularly.
It is just designed to improve sluggish membership ticket sales.
Every club is saying something similar. What, do you expect Bucks to tell you the truth?
That we will be lucky to make the eight but if other teams have enough injuries we might?
Cos we wont go any better than that with this lot and the incumbent alleged coach.
don't u ppl get tired of getting ur hopes up high?
Coin_Toss
5 Feb 2006, 19:03
don't u ppl get tired of getting ur hopes up high?
Why shouldn't we get our hopes up, Nards?
We have a strong forward line and back line, supported by a reasonable midfield. Bucks has got two years left, and he deserves a premiership medallion around his neck. Like the title says, Now or never for the Pies, and I believe we can win a flag with the team we have currently.
Lonie_from_50
5 Feb 2006, 19:05
Hopes are always high, and always will be at the start of the season Nardz.
lol its on here again, intra club punchon im sensing
nice one. you finally bothered to check which team i supported and edited your post :D
nice one. you finally bothered to check which team i supported and edited your post :D
LOL hmmmmm its was sposed to stay a secret lol
Yep well said Bucks!! Yeah I'm getting my hopes up, why shouldn't i especially after 2 crap seasons i think we should look forward to something fresh and new and hopefully a crack at the premiership, 2006 is a new year and a new season where we have a clean slate to start from again just like any other club so yeah we should be optimistic, especially since nothing major has gone wrong so far. Also i think we will be able to measure collingwoods confidence properly when we thrash the lions, we havent beaten them since 2003 and its about time we do and get over the gf losses! need to stop living in the past and look forward and be optimistic
silverphoenix
6 Feb 2006, 00:02
same time as your last premiership moron.
It's been the same thing over the last 2 years. Go into the season with high hopes, talk about making finals, making top 4, challenging for the premiership again, and end up getting nowhere near it.
We finished 15th last year. ever heard of learning to crawl before you can walk?? let's worry about making the 8 before we worry about winning flags. Yes nathan buckley deserves a flag, but unfortunately it looks like his chance may have passed. Whilst it is a great injustice, it's also a harsh reality. The sooner you come to terms with that the sooner we can move forward.
Adelaide finished bottom 4 in 2004, then backed that up with a minor premiership and a preliminary final finish.
I am extremely confident of a top 8 birth with some minor injuries. I am confident that if we can have a season like adelaide did in 05 as far as injuries are concerned then we could sneak top 4.
I take solice in the teams that we beat last year, and those that we pushed all the way.
Beat them:
West Coast: Runners Up
Geelong: Preliminary Finalist
Port Adelaide: Top 8
Hawthorn: Bottom 4
Carlton: Spooners
Teams we pushed:
Adelaide Round 2, lost by a late goal ( Minor Premiers, Prelim Finalists)
Kangaroos, Round 4. Lost by 3 points ( Finished 5th)
Sydney Round 13. Lost by a point (PREMIERS)
Kangaroos, Round 19. Lost by 6 points (Finished 5th)
Thats 9 games in total that we won or lost be a kick or less. In round 8 we didnt lose to richmond, we lost to nathan brown who in 1 freak quarter kicked us out of the game.
10 wins including some early wins gives teams confidence, confidence wins games, if we had beaten adelaide and the kangaroos we might have had the confidence and belief that would take us to the finals.
IMHO we have the best defence in the comp atm. Our back 6 is nigh on unstoppable yet workman like and dont recieve the appluase from the wider afl community that they deserve.
Our front 6 rivals StKilda's who most would say is the best in the league
If the front 6 is Rocca (takes 1st defender) Taz (2nd) Fraser (3rd) Travis (4th) Rusling (5th) then who ever is resting be it bux, davis, didak, burns, licuria, holland, any of those players are going to be better then the oppositions worst defender, Rogan is going to be better than most opponants 3rd best defender, and if C3 continues his rapid improvement he will crush the oppos 4th best defender.
In the middle it requires on getting minimum 18 games out of stretch 23 if we are to make the GF. Didak has to continue his showing in the middle, lonie needs to make the wing his own along with any of racer, ego, davies, or BJ.
I think we will make top 4. This is the break through year of the AFL. Sydney proved it last year, you dont need the best list of young tallant to win a premiership, a solid backline, a powerful forward line and a team ethic strong enough will take home the prize.
SP
TheBrownDog
6 Feb 2006, 08:23
Prediction: If Buckley doesn't bring the Magpies a Premiership Cup as a player, he'll bring you one as a coach.
well written SP, totally agree, we have as good as chance as everyother club, maybe better then some clubs, not mentioning any names here (cough carlton cough)
Lonie_from_50
6 Feb 2006, 12:00
Prediction: If Buckley doesn't bring the Magpies a Premiership Cup as a player, he'll bring you one as a coach.
Great Prediction, It seriously got me day dreaming.
Coin_Toss
6 Feb 2006, 14:53
Prediction: If Buckley doesn't bring the Magpies a Premiership Cup as a player, he'll bring you one as a coach.
I hope he can be apart of a premiership as a player or a coach. He deserves it, too.
FadeAway
6 Feb 2006, 17:17
Prediction: If Buckley doesn't bring the Magpies a Premiership Cup as a player, he'll bring you one as a coach.
Now this man knows what he is talking about!!!! HA!
2006 holds us in good sted, with minimal injuries if we dont make finals then we are in trouble!!! SIMPLE AS THAT! I believe we can finish somewhere between 6th and 8th, there is no dought. :cool:
MOTELSPECIAL
6 Feb 2006, 19:25
What else can bucks really say.. its just paper talk.. and we fall for it. The other 15 teams in the afl are laughing at us. Our list would realistically be ranked about 10 - 11th and thats being generous. I predict a long year ahead for pies.
What else can bucks really say.. its just paper talk.. and we fall for it. The other 15 teams in the afl are laughing at us. Our list would realistically be ranked about 10 - 11th and thats being generous. I predict a long year ahead for pies.
make that 14 as carlton cannot laugh at us at all