Collingwood are anything but shoe-ins, are they in trouble?

[rapidfire7]

We've been hearing it for months on end. How this Collingwood team are absolute shoe-ins for the Premiership this year. But, are they?

Here is a list of some of the other minor premiers this century, whom I would argue were all at least as good as this Collingwood side. Yet, they were all unable to take home the chocolates that year.

Essendon 2001
Port 2002-2003
Geelong 2008
St Kilda 2009
Collingwood 2011
Hawthorn 2012
Sydney 2014
Richmond 2018

I don't dispute they are the best team in it, but they have some clear vulnerabilities (as highlighted on Friday night), and if history is anything to go by, it is anything but a foregone conclusion.

If they were playing Melbourne on the MCG next week, I honestly wouldn't know who to pick.

 

[SBD Gonzalez]

We've been hearing it for months on end. How this Collingwood team are absolute shoe-ins for the Premiership this year. But, are they?

Here is a list of some of the other minor premiers this century, whom I would argue were all at least as good as this Collingwood side. Yet, they were all unable to take home the chocolates that year.

Essendon 2001
Port 2002-2003
Geelong 2008
St Kilda 2009
Collingwood 2011
Hawthorn 2012
Richmond 2018

I don't dispute they are the best team in it, but they have some clear vulnerabilities (as highlighted on Friday night), and if history is anything to go by, it is anything but a foregone conclusion.

If they were playing Melbourne on the MCG next week, I honestly wouldn't know who to pick.

My impression is that most Pies supporters would agree with you. Been here too many times before, they say.

Most talking-up of Collingwood comes from people in the media who always have to have a narrative (which I sort of understand, but still, we can always ignore them).

But Friday aside, they have looked effing amazing most of this year.

 

[Occidental]

No Collingwood supporter on Earth ever thinks we are a “shoe in”. We’ve been through too much. No one is more conscious of our track record than we are ourselves.
I assume the OP is referring to the media, who love pumping us up as it’s good copy.

 

[NetworkNerd]

Add Sydney 2014 to the list

Were rated as the best list in the previous 50 years that year

 

[ferball]

No Collingwood supporter on Earth ever thinks we are a “shoe in”. We’ve been through too much. No one is more conscious of our track record than we are ourselves.
I assume the OP is referring to the media, who love pumping us up as it’s good copy.

My mum is a Pies supporter. I was watching the 1990 GF with her - five minutes to go and you lot are definitely winning and she's there stressing like nothing else wondering if they are just gonna hang on ... or not.

I told her to relax and enjoy it, they're so obviously home: "You don't know how many times we've been here and lost before" or something similar. She was visiting me in 2010 for the first GF too - it was a draw!!! That was the 9th GF I'd seen them play in for 1 win. I was too young to even remember the 1970 one.

She's getting on now. I really hope you lot win this year. Might be the last time she sees a flag.

 

[YouBeauty]

If you're a true Collingwood supporter you won't believe we are a shoe in unless it's the last minute of a grand final and we are like 50 up. It's purely just the media peddling the premiership favourite crap.

It's every teams grand final when they play us even the average bottom sides put in a good game vs us. We have a massive task ahead.

This is the longest AFL season in history and there are lots of twists and turns and no one really knows who will win it.

 

[rapidfire7]

Add Sydney 2014 to the list

Were rated as the best list in the previous 50 years that year

That is true. Will add them

 

[Juddernaut08]

disagree - theyre a good bet, sad to say. they have vulnerabilities but the rest of the 8 is very weak

top 4:
port are fragile

melb look iffy

brisvegas missing ashcroft

weakest competition in awhile at the top end

then you have the rest who are all struggling and 5th-14th are all around the same level

 

[windyhill]

We've been hearing it for months on end. How this Collingwood team are absolute shoe-ins for the Premiership this year. But, are they?

Here is a list of some of the other minor premiers this century, whom I would argue were all at least as good as this Collingwood side. Yet, they were all unable to take home the chocolates that year.

Essendon 2001
Port 2002-2003
Geelong 2008
St Kilda 2009
Collingwood 2011
Hawthorn 2012
Sydney 2014
Richmond 2018

I don't dispute they are the best team in it, but they have some clear vulnerabilities (as highlighted on Friday night), and if history is anything to go by, it is anything but a foregone conclusion.

If they were playing Melbourne on the MCG next week, I honestly wouldn't know who to pick.

Melbourne.

 

[10571z]

disagree - theyre a good bet, sad to say. they have vulnerabilities but the rest of the 8 is very weak

top 4:
port are fragile

melb look iffy

brisvegas missing ashcroft

weakest competition in awhile at the top end

then you have the rest who are all struggling and 5th-14th are all around the same level

Agreed with this, the top end is very weak compared to say the 2007-2011 period where we had very strong Pies, Cats, Hawks sides.

Pies fans have never said we are shoe ins. We are nothing more than a chance like 8 other clubs will be

 

[Pie thon]

Given our 27 runners up history, we know too well that you have to see it through to the end. Geelong 2008 the best example of no shoe ins.
The pies have been minor premiers 19 times, it's more common for them to make a GF from 2nd to 4th as an underdog. So there is an extra buzz when we can have a crack from a likely top spot this year.

 

[jakson68]

If this weekend has shown us anything, it has certainly proved how even sides are and anyone can win on their day.

I still think Collingwood's best is still the best.
It is just a matter of whether other teams allow you to play your best.
Personally I don't mind the losses at this time of year, as we have banked enough wins to qualify.
If we learn from the losses and have a plan B, for when teams stop our run, then we can improve come September.

That being said, the premiership race is wide open and I certainly wouldn't be taking the short odds that are on offer for the pies flag.

 

[Jibroni]

I still believe Melbourne's best is good enough and we have time on our side to show this more consistently.

But Port are bang average if their guns dont fire and Brisbane cant be trusted.

 

[Breretonisahood]

If this weekend has shown us anything, it has certainly proved how even sides are and anyone can win on their day.

I still think Collingwood's best is still the best.
It is just a matter of whether other teams allow you to play your best.
Personally I don't mind the losses at this time of year, as we have banked enough wins to qualify.
If we learn from the losses and have a plan B, for when teams stop our run, then we can improve come September.

That being said, the premiership race is wide open and I certainly wouldn't be taking the short odds that are on offer for the pies flag.

Not a bad thing losing a game or two late in season when youre a few games clear. . Collingwood weakness is going to sleep, particularly early in games. They’ve always been good at 2nd half revivals but Carlton kept their foot on the throat. Better addressing this now than in a cut throat final.

 

[YouBeauty]

I still believe Melbourne's best is good enough and we have time on our side to show this more consistently.

But Port are bang average if their guns dont fire and Brisbane cant be trusted.

The ladder tells me Melbourne have been no more consistent than the teams you named. Perhaps you're biased because your team hasn't played yet.

 

[schmuttt]

Anyone who was saying one team is a shoe in was wrong, look how close the games between the top 4 have been.

Pies are the deserved favourites, but any of the top four can win.

 

[Chaisa]

I still believe Melbourne's best is good enough and we have time on our side to show this more consistently.

But Port are bang average if their guns dont fire and Brisbane cant be trusted.

Yeah the vibes of Melbourne's year remind me a bit of Richmond 17/19. If Oliver gets back to his best in time I could see you hitting form hard.

If this year is to be interesting though you kind of have to peak though. I think Rozee/Butters need more seasoning for Port to be a true threat, Brisbane and Geelong can't do it outside of home, and I think Carlton and GWS have had to come from too far back. If Melbourne can't get it right then who exactly does match Collingwood? Other than maybe 2018 there was at least one other great team that wasn't that far off the "hot favourites" that year, and even in 2018 I think at least West Coast were a fair bit more convincing than the Port/Brisbane/Melbourne's of the world.

 

[Toump Ass]

No Collingwood supporter on Earth ever thinks we are a “shoe in”.

Bullshit. Bigfooty has been full of Pies supporters puffing their chest out for months.
There'll be an egg shortage for the rest of the year if they fail.

 

[Roby]

When were they a shoein? Can your provide examples?

 

[Corn Cobbers]

I still believe Melbourne's best is good enough and we have time on our side to show this more consistently.

But Port are bang average if their guns dont fire and Brisbane cant be trusted.

Agreed, I think Melbourne (with Oliver and without Grundy) is the most dangerous team, followed by Collingwood, with Carlton and GWS making their run, can't see anyone else doing anything.

 

[YouBeauty]

When were they a shoein? Can your provide examples?

Definitely a hint of making shit up in this thread. I'm all for new threads but completely making stuff up for clicks isn't great.

 

[Jibroni]

If this year is to be interesting though you kind of have to peak though. I think Rozee/Butters need more seasoning for Port to be a true threat, Brisbane and Geelong can't do it outside of home, and I think Carlton and GWS have had to come from too far back. If Melbourne can't get it right then who exactly does match Collingwood?

On the MCG I dont think anyone can. If Carlton made the top 4 I would give them a shot but as mentioned have too much ground to make up.

 

[Rich01]

This definitely isn’t a season for the ages.

Sides 2-14 on the ladder are all flaky.

No real contenders for Collingwood, but as we saw on Friday, if a team plays to the maximum and the Pies are slightly off, they can be beaten.

Will come down to which finalist is peaking at the right time. Right now it’s Carlton.

This could well be a Bradbury season before the next 1-2 dynasty teams announce themselves.

 

[adammania9]

Of the 8 teams to begin the season 16-2 since 1995, only 3 went on to win the flag

 

[domin8tors]

Begs the question why the AFL doesn't do a best of 3 Grand Finals. how many years has the Best team of the season not won. yes the best team on the day wins but not the best team of the season.. and back to your point, no one thinks Collingwood is a shoe-in, other then the odd media pundants.