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Opinion 2021 Season Highlights

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barrackers

barrackers

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Sep 4, 2016
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22,440
AFL Club
Collingwood
Pretty crappy year to be a 'pies supporter to say the least, but what are your season highlights?

Mine:
  • 9 debutants and our youth
    • Henry, Macrae and Poulter look to be class and at least potential B graders. Although he's yet to debut I'd also add McInnes to these two.
    • McCreery, Ginnivan and Ruscoe in defence look likely to be at least good role players.
    • In previous years there hasn't been much competition for the Harry Collier Trophy, but Henry, Poulter, McCreery have all staked claims this year.

  • The Melbourne and Ninth-mond wins.
    • We certainly lifted for the Melbourne game and for mine it was undoubtably our best win.


  • The win against the tugs was also unexpected, to come from behind and arguably end their season (it felt that way at the game). In a season where we couldn't get to many games this one was memorable for the atmosphere


  • Squaring the V/AFL ledger against Carlton in R2


  • The way Buckley's exit was handled
    • It looked incredibly classy at the time no doubt enhanced by grace Buckley showed.
    • It looks even better now given how shitfully Carlton are handling their review and Teague.
  • DeGoey establishing himself in the midfield.
    • After looking in good nick in the preseason it took a while longer than expected due to mid-year injuries, but it was pleasing he got there.
  • Maynard building on his 2020 season especially in the second half of the year
  • Quaynor developing further. His intercept marking really came on this season.
  • Our VFL side finishing top 8.
  • Murphy's early contender for mark of the year


  • Fans rallying behind Mihocek's mark of the week and the ensuring salt from opposition fans
 
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Plenty of highlights for me …

- After years of underperforming, our AFLW women have by far their best season ever, making a Prelim and only losing by a kick to the eventual Premiers.

- Our VFLW girls go their entire season undefeated. Fingers crossed they’re able to play their GF soon, and are able to enjoy a win to cement a flawless season.

- Seeing glimpses into an exciting future with players like Poulter, McCreery, Bianco, Macrae and Henry. Very rare that you see players show that level of potential in their first 10 games. Reef still to come.

- Continual development of sub 50 game players like Quaynor, Madgen, and even T.Brown before he was injured. I know Madgen is not sexy, but gee, he’s improved out of sight and at a minimum He will be handy depth for Moore.

- The re-emergence of Jamie Elliott, I reckon he came back after injury in close to career best form

- Finally (for the first time in my lifetime!) we go ahead of Carlton in the head-to-head ledger, after our game in round 2. That was a good win.

- Queens Birthday was an amazing day, easily one of the top 5 memorable wins in my life as a Collingwood supporter. Nathan Buckley’s last game as coach.

- The WCE win was huge. We were the rank underdogs in that game, filled to the brim with youth. We played with dash and flair and totally dominated. It showed us that the future is going to be alright. I know the wheels were falling off WCE, but we were part of that and we were near the start of that. If we hadn’t won that game, WCE would have made finals. I know it’s cold comfort for 2018, but at least we can say we effectively kicked WCE out of finals two years in a row.

- I’m not pro-EGM at all, but I’m super proud of David Hatley’s work with the petition. I think he carried himself well. Collingwood is about passion, it’s about us. Hatley & co. made it about us. The concessions Hatley & co. got are a step in the right direction.

- Member engagement by the club is off the charts compared with previous years. The member’s forum. The communication out of the club. It’s yet to be seen if this is a new pattern of behaviour, or whether it’s just to placate some unhappy members who want an EGM spill, but credit the step in the right direction and let’s see how it continues in future.

- IMO this year saw us start to head in the right direction with our race relations. No Collingwood supporters want their support of the club to label them as a racist troglodyte. Our gameshow host President trying to PR over a damning report into race relations inside the club just wasn’t going to cut it. I’m sad that it happened to Ed after all he’s done for the club, but we did the right thing. It’s refreshing to see the club reporting Do Better progress to the members. Let’s be realistic about this, it’s a topic that that our society pays a lot of lip service too rather than doing something of substance. But credit to our club with starting us off on the right direction in 2021 and let’s hope this process continues.
 
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Another big 2021 highlight for me …

Our draft hand.

I hate with a passion kind of the attitude “Awesome, we finished 17th, we get the 2nd draft pick!” I hate the perceived reward for poor performance, I despise the falacy that by putting ourselves in a rubbish position today it will put us in a better position in future (Have a look at Quicky ’s signature line, fine words of wisdom right there)

IMO all that tanking stuff is cancerous to culture.

This year we clearly went into every game with the intent to win it. I like that. It made the Carlton win, Queens Birthday win, the Richmond win, and the WCE win all the more enjoyable. They were as big wins as we’ve had any other H&A season.

This year we finished 17th not because we tanked, but because we’re rubbish. I can handle that because that’s the reality of where we’re at, and what we need to deal with going forward.

IMO we should swap out our future first round pick every year … but maybe do a better job of finding a club that’ll do worse than us.
 
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Well said.

Definitely the kids.

Ollie, the last 6 weeks. Kid is gonna be a star.
Ginnivan, nobody is surprised at how comfortable he looks.
McCreery, made an impact from the start.
Macrae knows how to find the ball.

The games:

Bucks' farewell, Dees game. The game we werent meant to win. Shame we couldn't have been there for it.
v Richmond. Always nice to get one over them. That last quarter was brillance.
v Carlton (earlier in the year) first time we started to use the ball well.


Individual goals
- Jamie's 6 v Crows
Ollie's 3 v Carlton
Ginni's 3 v Hawks

Buck's exit was done with class, something not many club's have managed to do over the last few years.

Still achieving good membership even minus a terrible year, on and off the field.


Close losses could have been wins if we werre on the other side of things. The first Lions and Port games. But it wasn't to be. But We're not that far off, we are getting games into kids. Fix some better ball movement, better coaching. A clean out and a fresh start, this group can go places. Add in Daicos next year. And players back from injury.
Watch this space.


Onto 2022 boys!




AFLW girls going places. Took it right up to the premiers in the prelim. They are building. Quicker than some imagined. Very proud of the year they had.
VFLW girls, minor premiers again. Undefeated.... Now we wait.
VFL - best year in recent years. Our VFL boys have matured, stuck together. Hopefully they continue to do so in 2022.
 
76woodenspooners said:
- The re-emergence of Jamie Elliott, I reckon he came back after injury in close to career best form
Click to expand...
Elliott is a good get. He had a terrific year. Kicked a bag against the blues in R2 too. Makes me wonder how much differently our season would have progressed if he didn't break his leg against the blues. Elliott's absence also has a flow on effect in terms of needing DeGoey to play more minutes forward. Breaking down our games arguably there's four (BL, GWS, Ess, PA) that could have gone the other way with a bit of luck that occurred during his injury layoff. Would Elliott have made a difference?

  • R3 Brisbane - 1 point loss. I felt this game really knocked the groups confidence around. Win this one and we probably win a couple of others.
  • R4 GWS - 30 point loss after a mark wasn't paid to Grundy when the margin was small. Giants kicked away late.
  • R5 WC - we were never really in this one
  • R6 Essendon - 24 point loss. Again the opposition kicked away late. Cameron missed a sitter and Tippa's goal came from the carpark.
  • R7 GC - never in it
  • R8 NM - 18 point win
  • R9 Sydney - never in it
  • R10 PA - 1 point loss.
  • R11 Geelong - 10 point loss. We came hard late, but we were never in it.
 
That win over Melbourne was great, genuinely one of my favourite Collingwood wins of all time. To send off a person who for better or for worse has served the CFC with pride, style and dignity for over twenty years with a fantastic upset win was so good. It encompassed everything I love about the club and was a reminder in a bleak season of why following footy is worth it.
 
barrackers said:
Pretty crappy year to be a 'pies supporter to say the least, but what are your season highlights?
Click to expand...

Thanks for this thread. I agree with pretty much all of what you said in the OP.

What I will add is that there is a perverse good feeling from the horrible position we are in that comes from knowing that the Club recognises that it needs a complete rebuild, and in fact has already started the process. No topping up or quick fix solutions, this looks to be a ground up rebuild.

We have turned over the president, the coach, the Football Director, the list manager, probably most of the assistant coaches, several board members (probably more to come), and a good chunk of the playing list. Now comes the tricky bit: making sure the coach, the assistants and players are the right ones.

I have confidence that Graham Wright has the skills to rebuild the footy program in a good fashion.

We have a good chance of having 6 players from last year's draft crop become important regulars in the team. Henry (I'm fully on the bandwagon), Macrae & Poulter have impressed me very much and I have high hopes for each of them. McCreary & Ginnivan look like they could be very good role players and the little I've seen of Reef has me excited. Add Ruscoe and Bianco as hopefuls and that's a good base to build on.

Also, looking at the top 5 teams on the ladder:

Melbourne - beat them
Port - lost by a point
Geelong - lost by 10
Brisbane - lost after the siren
WB - lost by 16

No one's pretending we were a good team this year or that we didn't have several bad losses, but being able to mix it with the best shows it's not all doom and gloom. We have something to work with.
 

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2021 highlight seeing the back of Bucks and that horrible game plan of not scoring. Destroyed the club along with the list management, so highlight is also the change over of people in major positions at the club.
 
Jen2310 said:
Bucks' farewell, Dees game. The game we werent meant to win. Shame we couldn't have been there for it.
Click to expand...

It is indeed a shame that the Queens Birthday game couldn’t be played at the MCG in front of the home fans.

But Collingwood’s reach is far and wide, and we were very loud and very well represented at the SCG. It was a game, an atmosphere, and an occasion for the ages.
 
Aussie pie said:
2021 highlight seeing the back of Bucks and that horrible game plan of not scoring. Destroyed the club along with the list management, so highlight is also the change over of people in major positions at the club.
Click to expand...

at least the Change was Finally Made to finally get rid of Bucks and his other Idiot Assistant Coaches as well
 
The only Real Positives where seeing the Very Exciting Prospects from our last 2 Drafts:

- Poulter Looks like a Beauty
- Henry,Bianco and Macrae all look to be High Level AFL Footballers
- Ginnivan and Mcreerry showing they could be the new Swooping Squad
- Ruscoe being Huge in the Backline in 2nd Half of the Season
- Reef did not Debut but showed some Exciting Signs in the VFL sadly Injury stopped him playing AFL
- Chugg and McMahon has shown the Least but both had some Promising Patches of play in VFL

IQ and Josh Daicos also look to have Long Futures at AFL Level
 
TradeDraft said:
at least the Change was Finally Made to finally get rid of Bucks and his other Idiot Assistant Coaches as well
Click to expand...

Which of our debutants this year …

… Henry, McCreery, Rantall, Bianco, Poulter, Ginnivan, Wilson, Keane, Tohill …

… are you most excited about?
 
76woodenspooners said:
Which of our debutants this year …

… Henry, McCreery, Rantall, Bianco, Poulter, Ginnivan, Wilson, Keane, Tohill …

… are you most excited about?
Click to expand...

Poulter the Most but also Followed by Henry/Macrae/Bianco/Ginnivan

Wilson/Keane/Tohill did not do enough to get me too Excited
 

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The monumental shift off field is to me the highlight of the year. After 20 years, Ed departing was long over due and the domino effect has been felt right across the board. After the tumultuous, and diabolical trade period it goes without saying the Ned Guy and Geoff Walsh also needed to leave the building.

And whilst I am sad Bucks has left the club, it has allowed the club the fresh air it needs to rejuvenate the list and approach to football, including putting in the right process to select the new coach.

This was our Annus horribilis and glad its behind us mostly.

Also like some of the new kids coming through - Henry looks to be a good find up forward, and Poulter would be the other I am keen on to see if he can develop.
 
Hard to go past the AFLW and VFLW as the highlights of 2021.

Beyond that, the kids. Started the season with 24 or 25 <50 gamers on the list, added another 2 in the MSD. Managed 9 debutantes and north of 220 games experience into that cohort. There'll be some of those players who won't make it, but there will also be long term pieces emerge from that.
 

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Opinion 2021 Season Highlights

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