Toast Collingwood, well done

[SuperSub17]

Thought 2015 we were in contention for a long while which to me means more. Thought our early 2016 was the worst the club has performed since 2005. Few good games at the end of a bad season can deceive. Next year will be pretty wide open at the bottom of the 8. Not many of this years teams look ready to drop out and all of Saints, Dee's, Port, GC and us will be looking to challenge. Bucks has been brave saying he has to make finals to keep his job because that's still a tough task for our current list.

Gold Coast are no chance - they're a rabble and losing three of their best players. St. Kilda were gifted 4 wins against Essendon and Melbourne through the fixture and their worst was nothing short of horrendous - they're not certainties to be ahead of us. Port are one-dimensional, Melbourne's worst was also awful and they have a new coach, so that's a bit of an unknown. From the 8 North look to be dropping out, and Hawthorn are very vulnerable as well.

If we bring our form since the bye (how big an if that is, I don't know) we'll be in it up to our eyeballs.

 

[Saintly Viewed]

Let's hope all the awaiting will be worth it! You're lucky. Your horses will keep your mind active for the next 4 months - maybe longer? In the past, the awaiting time has also included news of season ending injuries over pre-season. It would be rather nice to enter the first round of 2017 without any bad injury news to nibble at our faith and expectations.

Amen to that.

(Yes I always have the races, thankfully )

 

[loki04]

I thought Buckley summed it up beautifully, and poignantly, when he said:

"the only thing we didn't do today was sing the song"

Or be clean enough with the footy both in terms of fumbling and delivery at critical stages.

 

[Justlokan]

I am a bit of the opinion that yesterday, as gut wrenching as it was, and as hard as we tried, should be viewed with suspicion. We were worse in 2016 than 2015 considering the whole season. We won one less game and finished with a much worse %. We didn't really contend in the season at all, it was all over very early for us. I am suspicious of a team rattling home when there is nothing to play for when the early season form was so bad. We don't seem to have progressed in the area which hurts us most, turnovers form simple skill errors.

I preferred 2015 when we were at least in the hunt for finals. A number of teams with young developing lists have gone ahead of us and I am thinking of the Dogs, GWS, saints and Melbourne. Bucks has a lot to do over the pre season to up our skill levels and gets us into a position where we can realistically think finals is a real chance. I am hoping he can do it but I don't want to read too much into a big effort in an end of season game that really had no meaning for us.

you raised some fair points but in my opinion:

• It's always better to end the season on a good note rather than limping home as we did in 2015 and 2014. Ending the season on a high gives us momentum heading into the pre-season. And it may get us over the line when targetting recruits as they wouldn't want to come across to a basket case (eg Richmond).
• The fact that we nearly won when there was nothing to play for actually gives me hope that this team has some spirit. Hawthorn also had something to play for with the double chance so it's not as if Clarko was using it as match practice.
• Not quite sure that St Kilda and Melbourne are ahead of us just yet. I know it sounds like an excuse but injuries hit us really hard this year. Conversely, both Melb and St Kilda had a good run with injuries.
• Tactically we were poor pre-bye and I don't know if Bucks reassessed his approach or he started listening to his assistants, but we certainly have improved since then. BTW I'm still not convinced about Buckley's tactical abilities.

I do agree that we are seriously deficient in kicking and decision-making skills. I'd rather stay completely out of the trade period if we can improve skills.

 

[Sloth]

A game we had no business winning, yet should have won and would have won.. but for dumb luck. Very excited for 2017

 

[steelebottom22]

Thought 2015 we were in contention for a long while which to me means more. Thought our early 2016 was the worst the club has performed since 2005. Few good games at the end of a bad season can deceive. Next year will be pretty wide open at the bottom of the 8. Not many of this years teams look ready to drop out and all of Saints, Dee's, Port, GC and us will be looking to challenge. Bucks has been brave saying he has to make finals to keep his job because that's still a tough task for our current list.

North Will drop out and maybe hawks and eagles wont be as strong

 

[Peter Sidorkiewicz]

We should not be toasting losses.

 

[Good_Old]

Collingwood, well done on 12th place.

 

[domus]

I am a bit of the opinion that yesterday, as gut wrenching as it was, and as hard as we tried, should be viewed with suspicion. We were worse in 2016 than 2015 considering the whole season. We won one less game and finished with a much worse %. We didn't really contend in the season at all, it was all over very early for us. I am suspicious of a team rattling home when there is nothing to play for when the early season form was so bad. We don't seem to have progressed in the area which hurts us most, turnovers form simple skill errors.

I preferred 2015 when we were at least in the hunt for finals. A number of teams with young developing lists have gone ahead of us and I am thinking of the Dogs, GWS, saints and Melbourne. Bucks has a lot to do over the pre season to up our skill levels and gets us into a position where we can realistically think finals is a real chance. I am hoping he can do it but I don't want to read too much into a big effort in an end of season game that really had no meaning for us.

If Hawthorn had been sitting on top two games clear our efforts would have not have counted for much as many top sides coast through dead rubbers against inferior opposition. This was not the case. Hawthorn were playing for their lives-a chance to create history for their club. We were playing a Hawthorn side which was doing everything in its power to win. Therefore it was even more meritorious than Melbourne's much vaunted win over the Hawks. Our form in the second half of the season has been more impressive to me than the winning streak early last year. We were winning with zero flair, we were just getting the job done. The second half was appalling for a variety of reasons just as our first half was this year.

Melbourne lost to Carlton and then got humiliated by Geelong when playing for much more than we have been playing for. That isn't overly impressive. We should have beaten the Dogs on both occasions this year and are clearly capable of matching them. The Saints look good but copped tow huge floggings not too long ago. We flogged GWS after giving them a four goal start on their home patch, something most teams have not got close to doing.We did most of this with a depleted list. I think we are looking very good.

 

[JollyBallsUp]

Its the hope that keeps us going for the next 6 mths we need re.. tigers supporters supporters haven't felt that for 36 years re.. idiot of a club.

laughing stock

 

[BPikkers]

The big positives for the 2016 season:

- getting more games into the kids;
- some of those kids look to have a place in our best 22
- no longer an unhealthy relaunch on Cloke
- Reid playing most of the season
- Grundy stepping up to being one of the best ruckman in the AFL
- Treloar showing he was worth every cent
- Aish regaining confidence and showing he can be an import at player
- club standing by Buckley and a feeling the players are also.
- Richmond....as crap as ever

 

[StillWaiting5689]

Gold Coast are no chance - they're a rabble and losing three of their best players. St. Kilda were gifted 4 wins against Essendon and Melbourne through the fixture and their worst was nothing short of horrendous - they're not certainties to be ahead of us. Port are one-dimensional, Melbourne's worst was also awful and they have a new coach, so that's a bit of an unknown. From the 8 North look to be dropping out, and Hawthorn are very vulnerable as well.

If we bring our form since the bye (how big an if that is, I don't know) we'll be in it up to our eyeballs.

not sure you can use this, we got double up games against richmond, carlton, melbourne, bulldogs & west coast. no top 4 teams and three bottom sides.

it looks like a few teams have gone past us however we have shown our best can match it with the best teams in the league. some impressive wins against top sides and a few close losses do provide us with some hope however ultimately goes to highlight our inconsistency throughout the season. Here's hoping another year of maturity to the young players as well a better run with injury (finger crossed) sees this improve next year because it really is disappointing to be out of the race so early in the season. I couldn't think of a more humiliating way to start the season then a flogging in round one!