Do Collingwood need to enter a rebuild phase?

[Chip Scab1]

It is still a closed competition!?

Pies have won 1629 games, no other team has won 1500 - North only won 904 games.

Pies have been turning over our list under Fly, and will continue to do so.

I'm not a hater. I'm just not a believer in the magpie.

I barrack for you against Essington, Geebong, Swan and Dags and sometimes Lion/Bear when I have bet on the Magpie.

And noone has gone to the draft more than Essendion in the last two decades, well maybe Carlton, and look at all the talent on their lists and the success they've had over that time....

LOLOLOL.

You have 2 more flags than Carlton and 1 more than the Dons. I really don't think that's the gotcha you think it is.

Just have a lie down, and take out those premiership photos from 2023, it was your masterpiece post-war. Enjoy it, remember it. From now until 2040ish, you'll very likely be closer to the Kangaroopoos of 2025 than the Magpie of 2023.

 

[Fadge]

Just have a lie down, and take out those premiership photos from 2023, it was your masterpiece post-war. Enjoy it, remember it. From now until 2040ish, you'll very likely be closer to the Kangaroopoos of 2025 than the Magpie of 2023.

So a team that has played in 1 in every 3 Grand Finals since the beginning of the competition, and contended for the premiership as recently as 2025, are going to be a circa 5 win a season team for the next 15 years?

Oh boy...

 

[Worm4]

So a team that has played in 1 in every 3 Grand Finals since the beginning of the competition, and contended for the premiership as recently as 2025, are going to be a circa 5 win a season team for the next 15 years?

Oh boy...

You're happy to talk about the history of your team being involved in 1 GF every 3 years, but then arent willing to accept the full history of other clubs in threads all over BF. Oh boy....

 

[Fadge]

You're happy to talk about the history of your team being involved in 1 GF every 3 years, but then arent willing to accept the full history of other clubs in threads all over BF. Oh boy....

I am.

Because Collingwood continue to maintain at or near the same strike rate of Grand Final appearances.

Other teams, not so much, including one other team who has won 16 premiership cups, who have failed to finish top 4 in the last 25 years, and the other, who have failed to win a final in 2 decades...

 

[Chip Scab1]

So a team that has played in 1 in every 3 Grand Finals since the beginning of the competition, and contended for the premiership as recently as 2025, are going to be a circa 5 win a season team for the next 15 years?

Oh boy...

I hate to bring facts to your fairytale on Xmas day, but 3 flags versus 2. And the peasant minnow Is probably closer to joining you on 3 than you are of progressing to 4.

What a time to be alive.

 

[Fadge]

I hate to bring facts to your fairytale on Xmas day, but 3 flags versus 2. And the peasant minnow Is probably closer to joining you on 3 than you are of progressing to 4.

What a time to be alive.

Yep.

North were awesome in the 90's with Carey, Archer, Stevens, Schwass, Martin, etc.

North are a long way off contending for flags right now, as they have been for a long, long time.

 

[ShereKhan]

We were in premiership contention in 2025. There's a good chance that with a good run of injuries were are close again in 2026.

It’s hard to see you getting close to the Lions.

They are adding 4-5 players to their GF team back from injury. Then Draper and Allen as upgrades on McInerney and Hipwood/Gallop. Then vast improvement from elite youth in Ashcroft x2, Morris, Fletcher etc..… and they’ve added Annable who is a top-5 talent.

Even with all their injuries and Pies at their home ground they ended up comfy winners in the PF win.

Then the Pies … lost Mihocek. Elliott won’t kick 60 again. None of Pendles, Sidey, Crisp or Howe will be any better and will most likely be worse.

And where’s the improvement come from? A lot is needed from unproven youth taken outside the pointy end of the draft. And you’d need full seasons from the talented Hill and DeGoey to even be in with a remote chance of contending.

There’s just not enough firepower up forward or elite midfield depth to compete with the best.

A poor injury run and 8-12th finish is likely. A great injury run and 5-7th could be a chance.

But you look at that under 26yo cohort and it’s genuinely terrible in depth and quality… by far the worst in the league. When you do a ‘best-5 under 26yo’ and McReery is #2 and Long #3 you know trouble is brewing, and fast.

 

[Stan_Darsh72]

So a team that has played in 1 in every 3 Grand Finals since the beginning of the competition, and contended for the premiership as recently as 2025, are going to be a circa 5 win a season team for the next 15 years?

Oh boy...

And last time the pies were consistently crap was late 90s. then bang 2 GF appearances, could have got a flag in 07,

Modern Collingwood tends to be shit for 1 season at best and then finals the next year or 2

 

[Fadge]

Even with all their injuries and Pies at their home ground they ended up comfy winners in the PF win.

Comfortable winners?

The Pies were an Elliott non-free away from being 6 points down with 8 minutes to go.

The final margin looks 'comfortable', because the Pies go all out to win when they are behind, at the risk of a late blow out.

A poor injury run and 8-12th finish is likely. A great injury run and 5-7th could be a chance.

If the Pies get a 'great injury run', they contend for the flag again.

 

[Chip Scab1]

Yep.

North were awesome in the 90's with Carey, Archer, Stevens, Schwass, Martin, etc.

North are a long way off contending for flags right now, as they have been for a long, long time.

The Brownlow Medalist was ok too in McKernan. The greatest; Winston Abraham (winner of Mark and Goal of the year multiple times).. Adrian McAdam, Shannon Grant, Craig (JDG-heavy) Sholl... we won unders. Kudos for naming Schwass, not many oppo do, the boy could seriously play.

Comfortable winners?

The Pies were an Elliott non-free away from being 6 points down with 8 minutes to go.

The final margin looks 'comfortable', because the Pies go all out to win when they are behind, at the risk of a late blow out.


If the Pies get a 'great injury run', they contend for the flag again.

dead-cat bounce, it happens.

I counter that with 8 goals down against a Norf in 3Qs missing 1/3 of its best 23.

You're a chance at finals, no chance of a flag. None. Maybe if you make top 4, rest all your older guns until August and have them primed for a big September... maybe. Would take serious planning and execution, guess it could happen.

 

[Meteoric Rise]

No, but they urgently require a debuild.

Construction of the whole club's history is awful.

 

[Pleasedontfail11]

It’s hard to see you getting close to the Lions.

They are adding 4-5 players to their GF team back from injury. Then Draper and Allen as upgrades on McInerney and Hipwood/Gallop. Then vast improvement from elite youth in Ashcroft x2, Morris, Fletcher etc..… and they’ve added Annable who is a top-5 talent.

Even with all their injuries and Pies at their home ground they ended up comfy winners in the PF win.

Then the Pies … lost Mihocek. Elliott won’t kick 60 again. None of Pendles, Sidey, Crisp or Howe will be any better and will most likely be worse.

And where’s the improvement come from? A lot is needed from unproven youth taken outside the pointy end of the draft. And you’d need full seasons from the talented Hill and DeGoey to even be in with a remote chance of contending.

There’s just not enough firepower up forward or elite midfield depth to compete with the best.

A poor injury run and 8-12th finish is likely. A great injury run and 5-7th could be a chance.

But you look at that under 26yo cohort and it’s genuinely terrible in depth and quality… by far the worst in the league. When you do a ‘best-5 under 26yo’ and McReery is #2 and Long #3 you know trouble is brewing, and fast.

Possible improvements from:
Hill didn't play second half
DeGoey didn't play much in 2025
Houston well down on his 2023-24 form
McStay back to what he showed in 2023 and 24 when not injured. He was injured second half 2025.
Nick with a good preseason after struggling with his foot and knee throughout 2025.
Howe had injury issues in 2025 so any good form would be nice
Steele showed some promise as a mid year recruit
Parker if he shows any improvement will be solid.

All potentials. No certainties. But no reason why we are not at least top 8 next year.

 

[Fadge]

Possible improvements from:
Hill didn't play second half
DeGoey didn't play much in 2025
Houston well down on his 2023-24 form
McStay back to what he showed in 2023 and 24 when not injured. He was injured second half 2025.
Nick with a good preseason after struggling with his foot and knee throughout 2025.
Howe had injury issues in 2025 so any good form would be nice
Steele showed some promise as a mid year recruit
Parker if he shows any improvement will be solid.

All potentials. No certainties. But no reason why we are not at least top 8 next year.

Yeah, I don't subscribe to relying on upside from our injured players in 2025.

All teams get injuries, and I'd consider our injury run in 2025 as 'average'.

If we get a similar injury run with no upside from our youngsters, absolutely we'll struggle and not contend for a flag.

But a similar run with injury and some upside from some of our youngsters/recruits - Anderson, Buller, West, Allen, Steele, Harrison, Parker, Hayes (and we only need 2 or 3 of them to make the grade in 2026) - and we're right there when the whips are cracking. Again.

 

[Corn Cobbers]

No, but they urgently require a debuild.

Construction of the whole club's history is awful.

You it

 

[Mynamesinuse]

Yeah, I don't subscribe to relying on upside from our injured players in 2025.

All teams get injuries, and I'd consider our injury run in 2025 as 'average'.

If we get a similar injury run with no upside from our youngsters, absolutely we'll struggle and not contend for a flag.

But a similar run with injury and some upside from some of our youngsters/recruits - Anderson, Buller, West, Allen, Steele, Harrison, Parker, Hayes (and we only need 2 or 3 of them to make the grade in 2026) - and we're right there when the whips are cracking. Again.

Pretty unimpressive list of players there.

 

[Fadge]

Pretty unimpressive list of players there.

If they were at Essendon or Carlton, they'd all be 'accomplished' with 40 games under their belts.

But Collingwood aren't a development club.

 

[Meteoric Rise]

You it

View attachment 2501501

Nick Daycare is going to the Saints for money as well?

Ok these pages better prepare themselves for Fadge to become a St Kilda supporter.

 

[A Swallow]

Any Pies fans willing to post their predicted starting side in 2028? Seems to me that literally half of the current starting 18 would be gone, or on their last legs. Be interested to see it on paper.