Obviously up for debate, however it is becoming increasingly clear, particularly in this preceding finals series that Collingwood were pretty much always in control in their season campaign.
The early season ruck conundrum:
Just after the early rounds the Pies were without a clear no.1 Ruck, for about 6 games, life was difficult, yet somehow they managed to win games.
Enter Billy Frampton, not a known ruckman none the less competed and got the team through. No doubt this was not by design, however this team relied on close space game without ball.
Getting smashed at cb and clearances wasn't an issue coz they relied on pressure to turnover game and off to the races.
The early mo
The mid to late season 'slump'
Injuries mounting, supposed form slump, things were looking somewhat dire. Yet as Fly has alluded it wasn't all that, the game plan was still in play. That plan is by design move the ball forward at all costs, and tempo the game when needed. In short 'control' the game. That is the season overall,
The form slump? Well injuries to key players in that system started to pinch. However what has become obvious in hindsight is that this whole group from the mc to the playing squad is that they've collectively 'managed' the season. Fly has also alluded this, of course that is up for debate. None the less it does make sense.
The 'training loads'
During the slump, there was talk of 'heavy training loads', on these boards and in the media. On face value 'easily dismissed' - yep fair enough, none the less it does makes sense. Top 4 and then top 2 sewn up, teams do actually apply heavy training loads for the upcoming finals series.
We can speculate if this was by design until the cows come home, regardless, If that was the intent it certainly paid off in a high intensity and hot GF day.
'Controlling the game' Finals time.
If you look at the 3 finals this team played, it has become increasingly clear that this team has in fact tempo'd game when they needed to and went attack when needed to.
The last qtr in the QF was a glaring example, on face value. it looked the Dees had the Pies on toast! In hindsight ..... and this has been alluded to by certain Pie players that this was indeed - lock down the last qtr.
Not suggesting it was wholly and solely on the Pies terms, regardless, if you think the Pies just 'hung on in desperation' in that last qtr, well I've got some 2023 GF tickets to sell you.
Same with the PF, locked it down by deliberation, against a seriously pressure and go team in GWS, no easy feat, in fact incredibly difficult to execute!
Either either it was definitely by design!. Not by hangin in there coz they didn't deserve to be there < (popular opinion).
Yeah you can call the 'belief' a w****** system, regardless it's amazing what 'positivity' can achieve............. Next segment case in point
Not the best list in it.
Certainly not! If you think that this list is the best in it, I've still got 2023 Grand Final tickets to sell if you're interested.
IMO I could name 6 - 8 teams right now that have better lists, individually by players they have. Some of them not as balanced maybe, some definitely potentially better all over the park. Most certainly Brisbane has a better list, Melbourne and Carlton obviously, would be foolhardy to argue against that, and probably not up for debate.
We've just witnessed a dynasty team that never had the best list in their premiership years < I guess this is the point.
Either either, this competition is so so close, it's very hard to separate absolute champions to bottom 6 players in any given 23. Example, John Noble v Nick Daicos.
Well it's obvious who wins that battle, BUT in this team sport, that Johnny *n Noble is so important to the season it doesn't matter how good Nick is - becomes irrelevant.
So what the * is it then?
List is not the best, crucial injuries coming into the GF, against arguably the best list in the comp, how the * do they win it?
This team trains 'crucial moments' at training at pretty much every session, that's how they do it.
Might give me and my fellow Pie brethren heart attacks and blood pressure, still it works! Think he wants to kill me by cardiac arrest sometimes.
I'll leave that to Fly, gives a broad run down over the last two years and some snippets and how he and his team won the game.
The early season ruck conundrum:
Just after the early rounds the Pies were without a clear no.1 Ruck, for about 6 games, life was difficult, yet somehow they managed to win games.
Enter Billy Frampton, not a known ruckman none the less competed and got the team through. No doubt this was not by design, however this team relied on close space game without ball.
Getting smashed at cb and clearances wasn't an issue coz they relied on pressure to turnover game and off to the races.
The early mo
The mid to late season 'slump'
Injuries mounting, supposed form slump, things were looking somewhat dire. Yet as Fly has alluded it wasn't all that, the game plan was still in play. That plan is by design move the ball forward at all costs, and tempo the game when needed. In short 'control' the game. That is the season overall,
The form slump? Well injuries to key players in that system started to pinch. However what has become obvious in hindsight is that this whole group from the mc to the playing squad is that they've collectively 'managed' the season. Fly has also alluded this, of course that is up for debate. None the less it does make sense.
The 'training loads'
During the slump, there was talk of 'heavy training loads', on these boards and in the media. On face value 'easily dismissed' - yep fair enough, none the less it does makes sense. Top 4 and then top 2 sewn up, teams do actually apply heavy training loads for the upcoming finals series.
We can speculate if this was by design until the cows come home, regardless, If that was the intent it certainly paid off in a high intensity and hot GF day.
'Controlling the game' Finals time.
If you look at the 3 finals this team played, it has become increasingly clear that this team has in fact tempo'd game when they needed to and went attack when needed to.
The last qtr in the QF was a glaring example, on face value. it looked the Dees had the Pies on toast! In hindsight ..... and this has been alluded to by certain Pie players that this was indeed - lock down the last qtr.
Not suggesting it was wholly and solely on the Pies terms, regardless, if you think the Pies just 'hung on in desperation' in that last qtr, well I've got some 2023 GF tickets to sell you.
Same with the PF, locked it down by deliberation, against a seriously pressure and go team in GWS, no easy feat, in fact incredibly difficult to execute!
Either either it was definitely by design!. Not by hangin in there coz they didn't deserve to be there < (popular opinion).
Yeah you can call the 'belief' a w****** system, regardless it's amazing what 'positivity' can achieve............. Next segment case in point
Not the best list in it.
Certainly not! If you think that this list is the best in it, I've still got 2023 Grand Final tickets to sell if you're interested.
IMO I could name 6 - 8 teams right now that have better lists, individually by players they have. Some of them not as balanced maybe, some definitely potentially better all over the park. Most certainly Brisbane has a better list, Melbourne and Carlton obviously, would be foolhardy to argue against that, and probably not up for debate.
We've just witnessed a dynasty team that never had the best list in their premiership years < I guess this is the point.
Either either, this competition is so so close, it's very hard to separate absolute champions to bottom 6 players in any given 23. Example, John Noble v Nick Daicos.
Well it's obvious who wins that battle, BUT in this team sport, that Johnny *n Noble is so important to the season it doesn't matter how good Nick is - becomes irrelevant.
So what the * is it then?
List is not the best, crucial injuries coming into the GF, against arguably the best list in the comp, how the * do they win it?
This team trains 'crucial moments' at training at pretty much every session, that's how they do it.
Might give me and my fellow Pie brethren heart attacks and blood pressure, still it works! Think he wants to kill me by cardiac arrest sometimes.
I'll leave that to Fly, gives a broad run down over the last two years and some snippets and how he and his team won the game.
