Prediction Expectations for 2017

[Matt_352]

Is front office another term for our forward line? If not I don't remember staff who some have never played a game, kick a winning score?


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The board and football department.

 

[El cane]

I have one footy desire in 2017, for the pies to beat the Hawks! I couldn't care less if it's by 10 goals or a solitary point I just want to see us win

 

[CarnMags]

Is front office another term for our forward line? If not I don't remember staff who some have never played a game, kick a winning score?

Agree to disagree - In the modern era, Clubs with infighting, broken relationships, split board etc, don't generally have on-field success.

Pies 2011 is a pretty good example of that.

 

[jackcass]

Agree to disagree - In the modern era, Clubs with infighting, broken relationships, split board etc, don't generally have on-field success.

Pies 2011 is a pretty good example of that.

Happy to disagree, 2011 a completely different scenario with the "in-fighting" predominantly at coach level and pretty much in the faces of the players. As I've said previously, I doubt they even care who is footy manager or that change at that level will impact their performances. Even in 2011, it was the injuries to key players that ultimately told against the side GF day, not "in-fighting".

 

[Lefthanded]

I think that we have the elements in place to push for the top four, and our second half of this season gave me enough reason to believe that these elements might be able to gel under Buckley.

MID/RUCK: Treloar, Pendles, Sidey and Adams will continue to do their thing, and their thing is impressive. But the scope for development and improvement also gives me some hope, and I'm bullish about JDG, confident about Aish, and I look forward to Grundy becoming even better. This all bodes well in and of itself, but the addition of Wells (as long as he gets on the park) could be something truly stunning.

DEFENCE: Clueless in the first half of this year (the St Kilda game has given me mild PTSD), it became serviceable as the season went on. Improvement can come from a number of sources. It would help if the mids can win a bigger share of the centre clearances, to reduce the stress upon the backs. I think that Dunn will be solid. I don't think he's better quality player than Nathan Brown, but I feel sure that Brown stopped loving his football at Collingwood a while ago (no evidence for that assertion...evidence is overrated) and that Dunn will give us a non-dubious injection down there. Schade is handy depth, while Keefe owes the club and himself the best of what's he got. And then there's the most handsome and most talented of all, Matt Scharenberg. I haven't questioned or regretted the decision of the club to draft him for a second, but obviously his body will need to match his talent and in order to justify the crush I have on the man. I have hopes he will become more than a defender, but that's where his value lies for now.

FORWARD: I've ranted on this in the Elliott thread. Billy is back, and an improved midfield (esp. Wells) and Fasolo and Moore and Elliott is a difficult proposition for any opposition. Maybe we can throw WHE into that equation, and I'm still hopeful that the Broom and Barry (Crocker) can play a part. Not sure about Cox, but I'm confident that either or both of Cox or White will do a reasonable job alongside Moore. Mayne? No, not as handsome as Scharenberg, but I won't judge him on his recent form with a truly woeful Freo.

SUMMARY: I've done it. I've convinced myself that we're tracking towards the cup!

CAVEAT/S: Maggie5 made a telling point earlier, one which I've pondered. Sport and team psychology is a mysterious thing, and you'd generally make more sense from the entrails of a goat, but the fact is that Collingwood FC needs a bit of chemistry. It doesn't come from a coach, not completely, but it's true that a good coach can nourish or kill team chemistry. The Bulldogs had/have it, without question. I've queried whether the GWS have 'it' at key moments in games. Not sure that the Pies have had much of 'it' at all in recent times. Do our list changes undermine or enhance the chemistry? We'll see.

SUMMARY (Actual summary, not the false Johnny Farnham-style 'one more time'...promise): We'll be playing finals. We'll be a more consistent team across the year, and I expect that we'll end up at 4-6. It'll be another even year across the comp, and so by the end of next year we might even fancy ourselves for the premiership. Honest.

Like your write up and agree with most of your points. (JDG I just haven't seen enough from yet to be confident, but you did say bullish which is still optimistic and best I could summon for him is hopeful.)

Someone mentioned the high number of changes to our list as a reason for caution (or similar) in our hopes. Whilst a good point I hope the fact our 12 most important players (IMO) (alphabetical order) of Adams, Elliott, Fasolo, Grundy, Howe, Moore, Pendlebury, Reid, Sidebottom, Treloar, Varcoe, Wells has only seen 1 change from last year (Swan out, Wells in) brings greater stability than our overall list changes. Also confident Aish will be pushing that group and hopeful most of Broomhead, Cox, JDG, WHE, Maynard, Ramsay, Shaz, Wills can too.

Blair, Crisp, Dunn, Goldsack, Greenwood, Langdon, Mayne, Sinclair, Smith, White I don't expect to see any / fantastic growth from but when fit you generally know what to expect from them (dare I say role players to varying degrees?)

Above covers 31 players on our list I expect to contribute the bulk of our games in 2017. Keeffe I'm not sure what to expect from but he, Crocker & Phillips also could see some opportunities.

I in part look for reasons on field to be optimistic because I'm less confident in coaching and rest of off field (plus players are more of a known quality).

 

[spartan-magpie]

I would love for this to be correct. I think we're much more likely for bottom four though.

North and Brissy should be 17 and 18 respectively, lump us in with Melbourne, Carlton, Richmond and Gold Coast as the other teams with a chance of sitting down the bottom with them.

You love it!!

 

[spartan-magpie]

Wrong year lol.

 

[Tarkyn_24]

You love it!!

Wrong year lol.

I was going to say why the hell did I have Richmond and Melbourne contending for bottom four?

 

[left at home]

Wrong year lol.

Haaaaaaaaaaa, love the bumb.

 

[spartan-magpie]

I was going to say why the hell did I have Richmond and Melbourne contending for bottom four?

Hahahah. I got carried away with myself.

 

[spartan-magpie]

Haaaaaaaaaaa, love the bumb.

I’m a partial to a good bumb.