2011 - How we improve even more?

[collwood]

Ok, getting in early but thought it would be good to see how we can get even better next year:
- return of Brad Dick - bit worried now about whether his body will hold up but would love to see him out there, would be a great part of the forward pressure
- continued improvement in key positions - in particular Reid, but also Dawes and Brown are only just getting their careers underway
- continued stellar play from Thomas and Pendles
- perhaps some of the young guys to break through Rounds and Josh Thomas in particular could break into the team
- more experience for Steele and Beams. Can't believe Steele still only 19, particularly when you see most midfielders not really hitting their straps till 21-22.

Plenty to look forward to. Main concern would be injuries (as we had a fantastic run this year). Also any sort of 'second year blues' from the young players.

Also hard to see some players like Swan improving further from such great years this year, but he's such a consistent improver you just never know.

Finally will be interesting to see how other teams react to Collingwood's tactics and the what the next innovation in style of play is.

 

[shawthing09]

I don't think there is a huge scope for improvement, more the natural slight growth from the younger players. Reid and Dawes still have a fair scope for improvement, Browny couldn't really improve too much on the efforts of his last fortnight and is replacing Presti who has been brilliant for us.

The main thing in our favour is the downward scale of our competition. Geelong is obviously going to go backwards and to a lesser extent St Kilda will too, it's going be hard for them to get back up mentally, on top of that they lose Gardner and probably Armitage (even though he hasn't been in there side) but the loss of a little bit of that depth as well as the effect of age on some of the older guys like Hayes and I think it will get harder for them. I still expect them to finish in the top four comfortably.

The big question mark will be whether teams find a way to break our press and shut down our ball movement and how we react to that if it happens.

 

[kevind]

A lot will depend on how we cope with being the hunted. Will our blokes be mentally ready for another challenging year after tasteing the ultimate success this year? Going back to back has proved to be almost impossible over the years.

Will we have to deal with more injuries next year?

With the likes of Brown, Dawes, Reid, Pendlebury,Sidebottom,Beams,McCaffer and Thomas still being so young we have the potential to take our game to new heights although it is hard imagining our teamwork improving as IMO it was close to perfection this year.

Winning back to back will be a massive challenge and hopefully the 2010 side will not be like the 'Party Pies' of 1990.

Premiership teams usually need the injection of new talent to keep them up to the task, so I would be thinking that MM will look at the likes of Rounds, Blight, McCarthy and possibly some traded players to make their mark next year.

And please Eddie, give Mick another year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm sure Bucks won't mind an extra year in his apprenticeship.

I think that Hawthorn and StKilda will be the main challengers next year, with both Melbourne and North making inroads into the 8.

2010 has been euphoric, so if we lift our 16th Premiership next year, I would hate to guess how powerful we will be as a club.

 

[Invigoration]

Cue up a few more trades with Ross Lyon

 

[Chief Ten Beers]

- Hire Lloyd to show Travis Cloke how to straighten up. Instant 50+ goals minimum during the H&A + finals.

 

[Parallel Andy]

A lot will depend on how we cope with being the hunted.

I hardly think this will be an issue, we are always hunted. It comes with the territory of being Collingwood.

 

[mattys123]

I hardly think this will be an issue, we are always hunted. It comes with the territory of being Collingwood.

We are always the "hunted", but times that by 10 each week now we are a Collingwood Premiership team.

Every team outside of the premiership contenders will make it their "grand final" when they play us next year, of that I can guarantee.

I'll be happy with a finish anywhere in the top 4 after 22 games next year (24 rounds?), because if we can get to the top 4 relatively fit and healthy, WATCH OUT.

As for improvement, most of it comes from within.

Luke Rounds, Josh Thomas, Simon Buckley (if he stops keying cars) and John McCarthy will take a step up next year, and then their could be some surprises from the likes of Keefe, Blight, Sinclair etc.

If we can get both Brad Dick and Leon Davis back to anywhere near 100% fitness, we may be in a position where we will be able to rotate "smalls" through our senior team.

The one thing that has to happen is, the 22 that ran out on Saturday, have to be at Collingwood, no matter what, no stupid trades, no crap, if we can get a "bargain", take it, otherwise sit with what we have and move on.

 

[Dundalis]

The way we will improve is to continue giving young players a go. If we get set with our playing group with a lot of the older players now out of the side, we will improve, but the growth won't be as significant.

Players like Blair, Goldsack, Macaffer and even Toovey should have pressure put on their spots by the likes of Josh Thomas, Tom Young and Luke Rounds, plus potentially a smokey from the coming draft, we usually have at least one that is good enough to get games in their first year, last years draft was the first for a while we didn't probably mainly because we didn't have our first 3 picks being used on Jolly and Ball.

I'm surprised people still rate McCarthy. The loyalty is ridiculous when a player clearly doesn't cut it at AFL level. He won't be on the list in Buckley's tenure.

 

[Parallel Andy]

We are always the "hunted", but times that by 10 each week now we are a Collingwood Premiership team.

Every team outside of the premiership contenders will make it their "grand final" when they play us next year, of that I can guarantee.

They already do. But I do think there may be a little more pressure from the top end of ladder, as in more focus from the coaches in trying to bring us down.

 

[Kipz]

Cloke

 

[Dundalis]

Cloke

This has been said for a few years. It's not going to happen. He is what he is.

 

[Frankie23]

Cloke

Cloke as well.

He is still 23! Do not underestimate the year he has had. Who cares about his kicking, he is the BEST contested mark in the AFL and his workrate is up there with Reiwoldt and co.

I think he is going to explode next year and kick 55-65 goals. Watch him prove everyone wrong.

We also need the X-factor in the forward line that leon and Medhurst provided over the past few years. The X is Brad Dick, if he can get his body right watch out!

Reidy and Bowny will improve naturally as will Caff, Beams, Steele, Blairy, Pendles and Daisy.

This group hasn't reached its potential, 2012 in all honesty is our year, everything else is a bonus.

Imagine Beams, Steele, Pendles, Daisy, Sharrod and Swanny in the middle in 2-3 years....wow