Do Collingwood need to enter a rebuild phase?

[Fadge]

Collingwood did a rebuild under Buckley from 2014-2017 and showed it can be done without finishing in the bottom 4. If they rebuild under McRae it'll be similar eg finishing mid table and not bottoming out.

We did a rebuild because we finished outside the top 8 for four consecutive years?

 

[Chip Scab1]

We were in premiership contention in 2025. There's a good chance that with a good run of injuries were are close again in 2026.

I like you a lot, but were you?

You're a wonderfully drilled side who gets their tail up and are hard to stop, on occasion.

Brisbane, and you can bank this and let me know how wrong I am... but Brisbane were never getting beaten last year, and frankly you can almost pencil them in for 2026. They won the GF by whatever and they got 2 more players AND Marcus' boys aren't even 23 yet.

 

[Fadge]

I like you a lot, but were you?

You're a wonderfully drilled side who gets their tail up and are hard to stop, on occasion.

Brisbane, and you can bank this and let me know how wrong I am... but Brisbane were never getting beaten last year, and frankly you can almost pencil them in for 2026. They won the GF by whatever and they got 2 more players AND Marcus' boys aren't even 23 yet.

Yeah.

I'm sure Brisbane were just toying with the competition in 2025, when they intentionally lost their Qualifying Final...

If you're so confident about 2026, you can quadruple as much money as you're willing to put on them between now and late September. Pretty good investment....

 

[Chip Scab1]

Yeah.

I'm sure Brisbane were just toying with the competition in 2025, when they intentionally lost their Qualifying Final...

If you're so confident about 2026, you can quadruple as much money as you're willing to put on them between now and late September. Pretty good investment....

They beat you in the Prelim away from home after playing an extra game... I'm not sure what you're getting at.

 

[Fadge]

They beat you in the Prelim away from home after playing an extra game... I'm not sure what you're getting at.

Essendon in 2000 were never going to be beaten.

That's the only time I can remember in my lifetime going into a finals series knowing a particular team will not be beaten.

Brisbane 2025 was a long way from being another one of those times...

 

[Chip Scab1]

Essendon in 2000 were never going to be beaten.

That's the only time I can remember in my lifetime going into a finals series knowing a particular team will not be beaten.

Brisbane 2025 was a long way from being another one of those times...

Point taken, and you're right, just think Bris Vegas are genuine morals as you guys and Geelong aren't quite good enough. GC imo, are their only real danger.

 

[Robroy22]

So much list building expertise (and finals strategic expertise) being sprouted by the supporters of club's who've been largely unsighted in the 21'st century pantheon.

It's so enthralling...learning so much about how to be successful...from such learned gentlemen, from obviously such amazingly successful club backgrounds. We ought feel grateful and valued that some such as you deign to give us this advice and seek to inspire us to your level of greatness.

I've been taking copious notes, jotting down all these meaningful statements and collating them so that they may be passed onto our obviously inept administration at some later date, I'll probably wait until after we stop taking part in finals and such trivial pursuits, because I really want to become a club like North, WCE, Carlton or Essendon or the likes. For far too long Pies folk have been deluded into believing that finals and flags and culture and "side by side" was a measure of success. When all the while, the true leviathans of our great game, the true Power sides (North, WCE, Carlton, Essendon and the likes) they've always known that true success comes only from the REBUILD. From having the youngest list, with the most inexperienced first round draft players....that's the true mark of success.

Thankfully, the doyens of the draft have finally set us straight, they've opened our eyes to the facts....that its all about the timeframe of the rebuild...and the age mix of your list. No matter that the kids cop hidings for all those years of rebuild...in the end you'll have a dynasty....the AFL list management bullyboys (ykwya) have decreed such.

 

[Fadge]

So much list building expertise (and finals strategic expertise) being sprouted by the supporters of club's who've been largely unsighted in the 21'st century pantheon.

It's so enthralling...learning so much about how to be successful...from such learned gentlemen, from obviously such amazingly successful club backgrounds. We ought feel grateful and valued that some such as you deign to give us this advice and seek to inspire us to your level of greatness.

I've been taking copious notes, jotting down all these meaningful statements and collating them so that they may be passed onto our obviously inept administration at some later date, I'll probably wait until after we stop taking part in finals and such trivial pursuits, because I really want to become a club like North, WCE, Carlton or Essendon or the likes. For far too long Pies folk have been deluded into believing that finals and flags and culture and "side by side" was a measure of success. When all the while, the true leviathans of our great game, the true Power sides (North, WCE, Carlton, Essendon and the likes) they've always known that true success comes only from the REBUILD. From having the youngest list, with the most inexperienced first round draft players....that's the true mark of success.

Thankfully, the doyens of the draft have finally set us straight, they've opened our eyes to the facts....that its all about the timeframe of the rebuild...and the age mix of your list. No matter that the kids cop hidings for all those years of rebuild...in the end you'll have a dynasty....the AFL list management bullyboys (ykwya) have decreed such.

One of the funniest parts of the whole thing is the constant threat of this 'cliff' Collingwood is about to fall off....

As if they'd know what a cliff was!

 

[bungalow_bill]

I like you a lot, but were you?

You're a wonderfully drilled side who gets their tail up and are hard to stop, on occasion.

Brisbane, and you can bank this and let me know how wrong I am... but Brisbane were never getting beaten last year, and frankly you can almost pencil them in for 2026. They won the GF by whatever and they got 2 more players AND Marcus' boys aren't even 23 yet.

Yeah Lions best is miles above the rest.

Annable a nice addition too. Greatest mid field ever just got even scarier.

Gold Coast are our only serious competition in '26.

 

[ShereKhan]

'All In'...

Despite having over 20 players on our list having played 25 games or less.

LOLOL.

Unfortunately none of them are pointy end draft picks and none of them have really looked elite in their appearances thus far.

Of course the Pies have gone 'all-in' ...for a long time now.

Top draft picks each year:

2019: Pick 40 (Rantall) 45 (Bianco) and 55 (Ruscoe). Fail/fail/fail

2020: 17 (Henry) 19 (Macrae) 23 (Mcinnes). Gone/Fail/??

2021: 45 (Draper) 49 (Murley) 52 (Harrison) Fail/Fail/??

2022: 19 (Allan) 28 (Ryan) 48 (Richards) ??/Fail/Gone

2023: 25 (Demattia) 37 (Jiath) ??/??

2024: 47 (Cochran) 50 (West) 56 (Hayes) ??/??/??


The lack of pointy end picks due to trading them out and the poor drafting is looking pretty dire.

It's a worry. A real worry.

 

[Robroy22]

Yeah Lions best is miles above the rest.

Annable a nice addition too. Greatest mid field ever just got even scarier.

Gold Coast are our only serious competition in '26.

Greatest Midfield ever?

Voss, Black, Lappin, Akermanis.......I reckon these boys romp your current mob.

 

[Robroy22]

Unfortunately none of them are pointy end draft picks and none of them have really looked elite in their appearances thus far.

Of course the Pies have gone 'all-in' ...for a long time now.

Top draft picks each year:

2019: Pick 40 (Rantall) 45 (Bianco) and 55 (Ruscoe). Fail/fail/fail

2020: 17 (Henry) 19 (Macrae) 23 (Mcinnes). Gone/Fail/??

2021: 45 (Draper) 49 (Murley) 52 (Harrison) Fail/Fail/??

2022: 19 (Allan) 28 (Ryan) 48 (Richards) ??/Fail/Gone

2023: 25 (Demattia) 37 (Jiath) ??/??

2024: 47 (Cochran) 50 (West) 56 (Hayes) ??/??/??


The lack of pointy end picks due to trading them out and the poor drafting is looking pretty dire.

It's a worry. A real worry.

Oh now can you do the same for the Tiges over the same period of time? I wanna see if there's any Fails or just Gones?
Pretty cool how you started in 2019 as well....(cos you knew Murphy...a premiership player got picked up then?) And no Daicoii.....Yeah father sons never help anything....we must have moved them on as well I guess.

 

[THE_GUN]

I think Buller is a great get. A Swan mate of mine thinks he was traded out because he was less marketable than the Swans othe KPFs.

Pretty sure the swans wanted to keep buller but the pies made him an offer he preferred and asked to be traded

 

[bungalow_bill]

Greatest Midfield ever?

Voss, Black, Lappin, Akermanis.......I reckon these boys romp your current mob.

Power/Headland/Ashcroft/Hart..

Perhaps but it's close no romping.

 

[THE_GUN]

Just out of curiosity would love to see Collingwood's best under 25/26 side to see what the team would look like in 3 years time.

 

[Robroy22]

Pretty sure the swans wanted to keep buller but the pies made him an offer he preferred and asked to be traded

We've picked up some pretty good players from the Swans over the years (and lost a couple to them also)
Anthony Rocca, Paul Licuria, Morwood, Hawke, Darcy Cameron and now Buller.
Out: Paul Williams, Rhys Shaw, Schauble, Taylor Adams

 

[Robroy22]

Power/Headland/Ashcroft/Hart..

Perhaps but it's close no romping.

nah sorry....Voss on his own would knock your current mob over.
Black was my fav....that sweet left foot, best since Ian Stewart.

 

[Robroy22]

Just out of curiosity would love to see Collingwood's best under 25/26 side to see what the team would look like in 3 years time.

the under 25's-26's will only make up a third of the side though (unlike other sides)

 

[Mynamesinuse]

Buller is unproven, but compared to Mihocek at the same age he's a gilt edged prospect.

Its frankly silly to suggest Mihocek was showing AFL standard forward potential when we pulled him out of the hat.

He had proven he could play.

Pretty sure the swans wanted to keep buller but the pies made him an offer he preferred and asked to be traded

Swans didn’t want him.

 

[Mynamesinuse]

So much list building expertise (and finals strategic expertise) being sprouted by the supporters of club's who've been largely unsighted in the 21'st century pantheon.

It's so enthralling...learning so much about how to be successful...from such learned gentlemen, from obviously such amazingly successful club backgrounds. We ought feel grateful and valued that some such as you deign to give us this advice and seek to inspire us to your level of greatness.

I've been taking copious notes, jotting down all these meaningful statements and collating them so that they may be passed onto our obviously inept administration at some later date, I'll probably wait until after we stop taking part in finals and such trivial pursuits, because I really want to become a club like North, WCE, Carlton or Essendon or the likes. For far too long Pies folk have been deluded into believing that finals and flags and culture and "side by side" was a measure of success. When all the while, the true leviathans of our great game, the true Power sides (North, WCE, Carlton, Essendon and the likes) they've always known that true success comes only from the REBUILD. From having the youngest list, with the most inexperienced first round draft players....that's the true mark of success.

Thankfully, the doyens of the draft have finally set us straight, they've opened our eyes to the facts....that its all about the timeframe of the rebuild...and the age mix of your list. No matter that the kids cop hidings for all those years of rebuild...in the end you'll have a dynasty....the AFL list management bullyboys (ykwya) have decreed such.

Yes be dismissive
Collingwood will buck the trend and have player play till they’re 40plus

 

[Chip Scab1]

Yeah Lions best is miles above the rest.

Annable a nice addition too. Greatest mid field ever just got even scarier.

Gold Coast are our only serious competition in '26.

Yep. Not for the greatest Midfield ever bit, that's ridiculous but the rest.

Just out of curiosity would love to see Collingwood's best under 25/26 side to see what the team would look like in 3 years time.

Go on then... lol, everyone can.

N/A - N/A - N/A
Quay Quay? - N/A - N/A
N/A - Daicos - N/A
Daicos - N/A - N/A
N/A - N/A - N/A
N/A - N/A - N/A
N/A - N/A - N/A - N/A
N/A

 

[VicBased]

So much list building expertise (and finals strategic expertise) being sprouted by the supporters of club's who've been largely unsighted in the 21'st century pantheon.

It's so enthralling...learning so much about how to be successful...from such learned gentlemen, from obviously such amazingly successful club backgrounds. We ought feel grateful and valued that some such as you deign to give us this advice and seek to inspire us to your level of greatness.

I've been taking copious notes, jotting down all these meaningful statements and collating them so that they may be passed onto our obviously inept administration at some later date, I'll probably wait until after we stop taking part in finals and such trivial pursuits, because I really want to become a club like North, WCE, Carlton or Essendon or the likes. For far too long Pies folk have been deluded into believing that finals and flags and culture and "side by side" was a measure of success. When all the while, the true leviathans of our great game, the true Power sides (North, WCE, Carlton, Essendon and the likes) they've always known that true success comes only from the REBUILD. From having the youngest list, with the most inexperienced first round draft players....that's the true mark of success.

Thankfully, the doyens of the draft have finally set us straight, they've opened our eyes to the facts....that its all about the timeframe of the rebuild...and the age mix of your list. No matter that the kids cop hidings for all those years of rebuild...in the end you'll have a dynasty....the AFL list management bullyboys (ykwya) have decreed such.

Finally, a Collingwood supporter who gets it .
Ride on the blessed information you have been given and your window will open in another short ten years or so.

 

[Cyclops]

Pretty sure the swans wanted to keep buller but the pies made him an offer he preferred and asked to be traded

I dont think it was huge, but we did approach a few and he was the one they valued the least.

Swans did want to keep him but oreffered Amarty and some other bloke.

 

[Robroy22]

Yes be dismissive
Collingwood will buck the trend and have player play till they’re 40plus

Thanks for your seal of approval, it means the world to all Collingwood supporters

 

[Robroy22]

Finally, a Collingwood supporter who gets it .
Ride on the blessed information you have been given and your window will open in another short ten years or so.

Thanks again Obieonekenobi