Preview 2011 Preview: Collingwood

[LukeParkerno1]

Collingwood Preview 2011

Note: Now before you guys go off at me, and Pies fans you will, I will keep it as short as humanly possible.

Background on 2010

What more can be said. They were the no1 dominant side last season and rightfully lifted the premiership last season. The two new players in Darren Jolly and Luke Ball were the catalyst for this success, especially with the rapid improvement of Dale Thomas among others. This saw Collingwood improve to being a side that was incredibly hard to shut down last season. The demolition job of Geelong and then St Kilda in the 2nd Grand Final showed they were that far ahead of the rest it was not even remotely funny.

Towards 2011

A) Strengths

1. Coaching- clearly the best coach in the business and will want another flag before the handover to Nathan Buckley.
2. Timing- this is their “window” so to speak and would want to use it more than the Western Bulldogs have done recently.
3. Depth in the middle- Have a number of young players fractionally outside the best 22 that can easily step in and provide good cover.
4. X Factor- Can you really shut them all down- from Brad Dick, Thomas, Alan Didak, Sidebottom, etc. You can shut 1 or 2 down, but not 6 or 7.

B) Weaknesses

1. History- Has shown it is harder to go back to back than win 1
2. Ruck department- I know Fraser is not the greatest ruckmen ever, but if Jolly goes down, there could be issues.
3. Players getting carried away with the success of 2009.
4. KP forwards- Travis Cloke is the enigma of this side, when he is good he is good, when he is bad, dear lord he is awful!
5. Goal kicking- Pies were that good last year it didn’t matter but it almost cost them in the first Grand Final.

Predictions

Premiers 2011 if all things go well

Best and Fairest- Dane Swan

Most Improved- Brad Dick.

 

[yaco55]

Good post.

Will be an interesting team in 2011.

Two points to consider.

- Lost a group of experienced performers Medhurst,Fraser,Lockyer, O'Bree who could still be good depth players - Suppose Krakoeur and Tarrant fill some of this breach.

- Changed to interchange rules. Played an uptempo ( no side could match ) brand of footy. They tended to slow down in the Second half of games - either they were easing off because they were so far in front-circa EFC in 2000 - or they were fatigued.

All things considered they are a lock to make the top 4.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

The changes to the interchange will effect every side, not just the Pies. However yep, that is a point I left out, honest mistake there. I don't feel any of the players they lost except Fraser are worth noting, Collingwood have small forwards coming from everywhere and Ball is a better version of O'Bree. Will actually be interesting to see where Tarrant fits in, I actually found it surprising the Pies went after him again when Nathan Brown and Reid are set in stone as key backs.

 

[Wooljay]

Why would we go off at you? That more or less fairly summarized the strengths and weaknesses, and I agree that the new interchange rules could force us to change our gameplan, however I'd contend that Lockyer, Medhurst and O'Bree were all very deep depth. They all had lost speed and an edge, and in Medders' case he lost his drive. Fraser was the only real depth I think we might have needed at some point, and with Tarrant and Kraka coming into the side I'm pretty happy in general.

Perhaps Fraser's absence will be the catalyst for Cam Wood to stop being a *******.

 

[Daics35Marvel]

I can sense that you wrote that entire OP through gritted teeth. Nice summary though.

I would argue that our depth is greater this year. Fraser, O'Bree, Medhurst and Lockyer were handy cover but their best was past them. This year, we have youngsters who are reaching the age where they should be expecting to cement a place in the team but without injuries they will struggle to get games. Players like Goldsack, Blair, Dick, McCarthy, Buckley, J. Thomas, Rounds, Young & Keefe will be competing with players like Davis, Krakouer, Johnson & Beams for limited spots.

Of the players we lost, Presti was easily the most important although Tarrant and Nathan Brown are ideal cover. The rest of the players we lost would have been lucky to have played any games in 2011.

 

[Slattery_20]

Not much to say really, a head above the comp this year & their "ins" look almost as good as their "outs". Probably one or two short in the depth midfielders now and I think one or two of Blair, Wellingham, Brown might be worked on a little more; but Taz will add a bit the other end.
Should win the flag.

 

[Kong]

The scary thing is that they've just added a star defender (Tarrant), and potential star midfielder (Krakouer) to last year's side.

I still don't rate their spine that highly - I think it's decent, but not spectacular - but it doesn't really matter as long as Malthouse keeps them playing for each other in the same way.

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Why would we go off at you? That more or less fairly summarized the strengths and weaknesses, and I agree that the new interchange rules could force us to change our gameplan, however I'd contend that Lockyer, Medhurst and O'Bree were all very deep depth. They all had lost speed and an edge, and in Medders' case he lost his drive. Fraser was the only real depth I think we might have needed at some point, and with Tarrant and Kraka coming into the side I'm pretty happy in general.

Perhaps Fraser's absence will be the catalyst for Cam Wood to stop being a *******.

More the fact I kept it pretty brief and didn't go into much detail with the players. However there is no need for a player analysis as most people know the players well. In terms of your losses, only Fraser might hurt and only because Wood has spudded up so far. Krakouer will add some flair in the middle to your side.

 

[Slattery_20]

The scary thing is that they've just added a star defender (Tarrant), and potential star midfielder (Krakouer) to last year's side.

Wow.
I'm slightly less optimistic about him than most; obviously.
I mean, as hilarious as it is that he got fitter in jail than he did at Richmond; he was basically underwhelming for 6 years down there. Didn't ever find much of it & wasn't quick which, at his height, was a biggie. Good tackler though.

I find the hype - he kicked 3 in a February intra club!!!!! etc - a bit over-whelming; that suddenly he's a potential star midfielder.

Should I prepare to be whelmed?

 

[Kong]

Haha, well I don't know anything more than you do, and I agree that he was horrible at Richmond - I used to say that he was one of the worst "regulars" in the AFL, before Neon Leon - but my optimism's based on not only the intra game, but moreso the WAFL season, where he apparently was a standard above.

I should probably clarify though, I didn't mean reach the heights of Ablett or Judd, or even Bartel or Watson, but that with the side he's in, he'll perform - and be perceived as - another star, much like Joel Corey or Harry Taylor were at Geelong.

 

[Slattery_20]

I still don't think a 4 ft, pretty light bloke will make a midfielder.
I can see him most likely tagging off half-forward.