Cast your minds back gentle readers to the Collingwood landscape of 4 years ago.
A desert of middle sized and middle class players with a couple of small oasis' in Pendles and Brodie.
A backgound noise of discontent and poor communication, both from the Administration and the coaching staff.
A young group of players confused and anxious with an authoritarian and - seemingly - remote coaching staff and club.
Many of us <<< puts hand up . . were upset and anxious nearly every game with our players unable to give their best efforts with anything like consistency. Calls from within and without to buy in high priced recruits to lift us back into contention gained stridency with every loss as we stumbled around in the football wilderness far from the consistency and excellence that Collingwood supporters have been accustomed to expect.
But the administration and coaching panel held their nerve and looked to develop their players and adapt our game plan to suit the playing group. A persistent rash of medium and long term injuries to key players marred our performances and blurred the development of young men needing onfield leadership and held back our climb more than significantly.
Last year the plan finally bore fruit, the young group finally reached critical mass and with the recruitment of young Stevo we not only marched up the ladder, but gave the rest of the competition and their supporters the fright of their lives. Playing through the finals series with what was - in effect - a third string backline we overcome all odds to come within a kick of winning perhaps our second most famous flag - '58 versus Melbourne is undeniably the most important.
Now we stand on the cusp of our next flag, forward brothers and sisters with faith in the playing group and the plan. We have all we require to complete the deal - even with significant injuries - as we proved so emphatically last year.
A desert of middle sized and middle class players with a couple of small oasis' in Pendles and Brodie.
A backgound noise of discontent and poor communication, both from the Administration and the coaching staff.
A young group of players confused and anxious with an authoritarian and - seemingly - remote coaching staff and club.
Many of us <<< puts hand up . . were upset and anxious nearly every game with our players unable to give their best efforts with anything like consistency. Calls from within and without to buy in high priced recruits to lift us back into contention gained stridency with every loss as we stumbled around in the football wilderness far from the consistency and excellence that Collingwood supporters have been accustomed to expect.
But the administration and coaching panel held their nerve and looked to develop their players and adapt our game plan to suit the playing group. A persistent rash of medium and long term injuries to key players marred our performances and blurred the development of young men needing onfield leadership and held back our climb more than significantly.
Last year the plan finally bore fruit, the young group finally reached critical mass and with the recruitment of young Stevo we not only marched up the ladder, but gave the rest of the competition and their supporters the fright of their lives. Playing through the finals series with what was - in effect - a third string backline we overcome all odds to come within a kick of winning perhaps our second most famous flag - '58 versus Melbourne is undeniably the most important.
Now we stand on the cusp of our next flag, forward brothers and sisters with faith in the playing group and the plan. We have all we require to complete the deal - even with significant injuries - as we proved so emphatically last year.
