Preview Changes & Pre-match Discussion vs. GCS (R20, Sun 04/08 1:10pm MCG)

[Quicky]

Only positive being we generally play better against better opponents

I take hope from our best performances this year, that we will have a stronger 22 come finals time, that it is an even top 8, and that we have beaten the form Richmond and our bogey side West Coast this year. We aren't out of this.

 

[slugger01]

What's the definition of doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result?

Persistence?

 

[DaVe86]

I dunno. We played some very good footy earlier this year, kicking 5-6 very high scores before the bye. I agree we looked poor at times, struggled to put teams away, and were winning games off 1-2 very good quarters. But we were winning, and we had significantly less injuries. The players looked more confident in the game plan, structure and in each other.

The injuries in the second half of the year have killed all that. For all we know, the coaches may have planned to tweak and adjust the game plan, pull a few levers, push a few buttons, and voluntarily rest some key players as we headed to September - but all that has fallen over with the loss of personnel.

I agree.

I think the side as a whole was in about second gear, but we showed multiple times within matches that we could do enough to put an opposition away very quickly. I think if we kept continuity in the side, then we would have built nicely and would be nearing peak position right about now.

I think that considering we already weren't playing that well, and adding a ridiculous amount of injuries on top of that, has completely ruined the path of this season.

I thought that our first half of the year was just about perfect. We weren't at our best, but we didn't need to be doing any more than we were already doing. We were top 2 and cruising...and looking to peak at the right time of the year.

I've always considering the H&A season as mere qualification. The top side very rarely goes on to win the premiership. You just want to position yourself, and get the side peaking at the right time, then put together 1 solid month of football when it counts. Unfortunately, even if we get all the pieces of the puzzle back, it will be too late and there will be too many unconditioned players. You need a fit 22.

But having said all that, I also don't think we've seen the greatest player management or coaching performances over the last month. The side is lacking structure.

 

[Thefly38]

I take hope from our best performances this year, that we will have a stronger 22 come finals time, that it is an even top 8, and that we have beaten the form Richmond and our bogey side West Coast this year. We aren't out of this.

As long as we don’t finish 8th I’m relatively happy

 

[jackcass]

The issue though is you can't listen anywhere, apart from the weekly presser at the club before the game. Even that gives little insight - it's like the club has stonewalled any information to the fans and members. There is literally no avenue to get solid information on injuries (and the more expected lengths - not this vague underestimated bs) the mood of the club, the mood of the playing group. Why we're not playing to our strengths, who is "on the page" of the gameplan (or the desired one) that might get a call up etc. from the club.

We literally have to speculate on what's actually going on at the club to decipher what the problems are - seems the club wants to keep us members (and supporters) in the dark.

Yeah, I just can't believe they don't do live streams and podcasts of all the team meetings, selection committee meetings, strategy sessions, training, draft and trade discussions, executive meetings. We're so far behind other clubs in this area it isn't funny.

 

[jathanas]

The year so far has been a good example of how fast things can go south in a season; our expectations for success in 2019 in round 20 are miles away from what they resembled in round 6.

You're right, we're not dead but at the start of the season this game would have been put in the "easyish" category. I'm going on Sunday to look for positives, signs that some young player is coming along or that there's life in the side.

I take hope from our best performances this year, that we will have a stronger 22 come finals time, that it is an even top 8, and that we have beaten the form Richmond and our bogey side West Coast this year. We aren't out of this.

 

[CFC2010]

Keeping a grip on confidential or strategic information is an ongoing challenge for high-profile organisations with broad stakeholder bases. I think most people understand that and, given they do, are prepared to forgive a little opacity along the way.
The hardest thing about that is the need to balance the needs of the organisation (which is part of the foundations for performance) with the stakeholders' legitimate thirst for information. That balance is part of the connection between them, and if it's lost things go awry, often quickly and with disastrous consequences.
My work is in communications (business issues, not sport, but the principles are the same). I've lost count of the number of situations I've seen where organisations have lost the connection with shareholders, employees, the media... name your stakeholder group. More often than not, it's because they've fallen for the notion that they can manage information tightly and it won't get out or be questioned. This is just about always wrong in the medium or long term. The worst situations are where the organisation gets stuck in a loop refusing to give clear and accurate information despite the facts being plain to those looking in. I think that's the dangerous territory the Pies are getting in to now.
The best organisations resolve to err on the side of candour, because it builds trust and credibility. They opt for plain speaking, because that's an element of candour. This would probably be a good time for the Pies to embrace that view.

Great post..........for me Collingwood is more than an "organisation" and the truth is the bolded part is how I feel about our Club atm and it has nothing to do with our losses.

I only follow one sport and one Club..........I will be there on Sunday but I feel our Club is being disingenuous towards us atm.
They claim the supporters are an integral part but IMO we're not being treated that way.
You can't have your cake and eat it.

Apologies in advance mods if this derails the thread.........its just 60 Yards Out's post resonated with me.

 

[jackcass]

They could only write Buckley "we're stuffed" if he actually said something remotely related to these words. Saying-'yep, we've been hit hard by injuries and it's gone on for a long time' is not an outrageous statement. The media writes similar crap about the club all the time without Buckley saying anything.

And how does it change anything or make you better informed?

 

[jackcass]

That's why all these questions are being asked, list management, injury management, coaching, game plan... we all came into this season thinking if we held the course we would win the flag and so did everybody else so how did it come to this? It's not just bad luck.

Nah, not all. I thought we could potentially finish anywhere from outside the 8 right through to being in contention. Look at Richmond supporters last year.

 

[jackcass]

101-67 loss to Hawthorn is not as bad as that.

Every bit as bad for those of us that sat through both.

 

[60 Yards Out]

Great post..........for me Collingwood is more than an "organisation" and the truth is the bolded part is how I feel about our Club atm and it has nothing to do with the our losses.

I only follow one sport and one Club..........I will be there on Sunday but I feel our Club is being disingenuous towards us atm.
They claim the supporters are an integral part but IMO we're not being treated that way.
You can't have your cake and eat it.

Apologies in advance mods if this derails the thread.........its just 60 Yards Out's post resonated with me.

Thanks for your comments CFC2010. The part you bolded was my key point too.

 

[Soaring Magpie]

I take hope from our best performances this year, that we will have a stronger 22 come finals time, that it is an even top 8, and that we have beaten the form Richmond and our bogey side West Coast this year. We aren't out of this.

The big “if” is getting a stronger 22 on the park and then having enough time to gel, our best is good enough like you say but I think injuries have beaten us this year

 

[unplugged]

Was gonna try and pick the squad. Decided it'd be

Out: JDG, Quaynor
In: T Brown (JDG replacement), Madgen (on Roughead watch for Sunday morning), Broomhead, Wills, Appleby, Goldsack.

But that's without having a single clue about Adams, Noble and Greenwood's availability.

Reckon we name Roughead even if he's only a 5 percent chance, just so that we only have to name 6 ins instead of 7!

 

[domus]

And how does it change anything or make you better informed?

It makes it clear to me that our coach acknowledges there is an issue and it is hurting us. You may say that's a given, but if all you ever hear is, "all clubs have injuries and we never use injuries as an excuse" you could begin to feel this huge problem is not being taken seriously.

 

[Matt_352]

Given Tigers fixture we can forget top 4. But we have shown we are good enough. Only lost to Geelong by 7 where we fluffed so many chances it was rediculous. We smashed Brisbane up in Brisbane, we smashed Richmond earlier in the year and recently finally beat our bogey team in West Coast severely under manned in Perth.

This is such an even comp this year literally nearly all teams in the 8 could win it if they click at the right time. If can just have a bit of luck for once we are far from out of it if our form can finally turn around and get majority of the players back.

I refuse to give up on this team because of much I love this team and I've always been an optimist. We are capable against any of the teams in eight.

 

[domus]

This constant picking s**t at Crocker is getting pretty old. Not the blokes fault that he is playing because we have all these injuries. Must be a lot of great footy players on BigFooty. I’ve made fun of him before people start bringing up past posts. But I don’t constantly carry on like some on here do.

I agree, but I understand the frustration fans feel when you see the state we are in and realise we are relying on someone who tries hard but repeatedly makes the same mistakes. Some players become the fans piñata and it will be someone else when Crocker is gone. It's the same the world over and always will be..

 

[jackcass]

It makes it clear to me that our coach acknowledges there is an issue and it is hurting us. You may say that's a given, but if all you ever hear is, "all clubs have injuries and we never use injuries as an excuse" you could begin to feel this huge problem is not being taken seriously.

All clubs do the same thing. I think the psychology of the player group is more important and that the message is pumping the tyre's of the next soldier, and not showing weakness. Feeds into the us v them mentality.

I don't doubt the FD takes this very seriously, as important as we think it is to us, it's their jobs and livelihoods on the line.

 

[Quicky]

The big “if” is getting a stronger 22 on the park and then having enough time to gel, our best is good enough like you say but I think injuries have beaten us this year

Things can change quickly. As quick as it turns against us it can also pick up. I don't think injuries have defeated us yet. Our returns will boost us just as we enter finals with a whole top 8 in sketchy form.

 

[Dead Eye Didak]

Was gonna try and pick the squad. Decided it'd be

Out: JDG, Quaynor
In: T Brown (JDG replacement), Madgen (on Roughead watch for Sunday morning), Broomhead, Wills, Appleby, Goldsack.

But that's without having a single clue about Adams, Noble and Greenwood's availability.

Reckon we name Roughead even if he's only a 5 percent chance, just so that we only have to name 6 ins instead of 7!

I think Greenwood and Noble are available, and l think both will come into the team. One of Goldsack and Madgen come in for Roughead. Eventhough there is talk both could come in.

Quaynor, JDG, Roughead all out.

Crocker gets another opportunity to show something worth persevering with.

Good that Daicos will get another game.

 

[Baltimore Jack]

It makes it clear to me that our coach acknowledges there is an issue and it is hurting us. You may say that's a given, but if all you ever hear is, "all clubs have injuries and we never use injuries as an excuse" you could begin to feel this huge problem is not being taken seriously.

Why, because no one consulted you personally?

See, here's the thing you don't get....You Don't Get A Say

 

[Scodog10]

This constant picking s**t at Crocker is getting pretty old. Not the blokes fault that he is playing because we have all these injuries. Must be a lot of great footy players on BigFooty. I’ve made fun of him before people start bringing up past posts. But I don’t constantly carry on like some on here do.

As someone that’s “picking on” Crocker this is really not an alternative POV that would dissuade me. There were at least 5-6 guys that played on Friday afternoon that could have been there Friday night and offered more than Crocker. Yeah sure the match committee needs to be accountable for terrible selection decisions, but ultimately it’s Crocker’s abysmal form that trumps all else.

I’m certain everyone that’s been critical would love nothing more than to eat their words. The problem is Crocker has nothing left to give. It’s a bit sad really...

 

[jmac70]

I think Greenwood and Noble are available, and l think both will come into the team. One of Goldsack and Madgen come in for Roughead. Eventhough there is talk both could come in.

Quaynor, JDG, Roughead all out.

Crocker gets another opportunity to show something worth persevering with.

Good that Daicos will get another game.

Is Roughly a definite out?

 

[jmac70]

Why, because no one consulted you personally?

See, here's the thing you don't get....You Don't Get A Say

I don’t really understand all the lamentation about the information released by the club.

Sure it’s frustrating that players are out longer than first expected, but it’s really no different at any other club.

 

[manicmagpie]

We had about 10 7 goal victories last year, I can't think of any this year, and we only lost to genuine sides. The only big surprises were pleasant last year.

People forget that prior to the finals last year we only beat 1 team that finished inside the 8 (Melbourne). We only lost to genuine sides, but we did it basically every time we played them. We came good in the finals but still lost twice.

This year we’ve beaten the sides currently sitting 2nd, 3rd and 4th at their otherwise damn near impregnable home grounds, as well as another win over the 7th placed team.

Expectations have been higher this year and the draw has been harder. Every win last year was another step in an unexpectedly fun journey and was celebrated, every win this year was expected and over criticised (not the same thing as saying there wasn’t anything to be criticised).

The last month, barring the WC game, has been absolutely awful but prior to that there were upsides from the previous season.

 

[The Magnificent Seven]

Alright guys, take it to the 'Misery loves company' thread.

The Pies team has gone through all the new cars on the lot and then trashed them, and now we'd had to settle on the old trusted V8 Monaro that Dad owns at the back of the shed. It's had its motor turned over, and is now sitting idling in the garage. We roar out on Sunday arvo and do some burnouts around the G and then we show the footy world that even when we let the L Platers drive we're here for keeps.

Go Pies

(I don't even know what this post means but I just couldnae stand the griping any longer)