Is Collingwood foxing?

[Gone Critical]

No chance Collingwood are foxing. We can be a lot better than we have been last 2 weeks but time is running iout to regain our mojo. There has been nothing deliberate in the lack of form. I am worried but I do believe our best can win a flag. Chance of refinding that form in the next few weeks isnt that high.

 

[jonbe54]

Agree with most balanced posters, Pies best is the equal of any team but we are not within bulls roar of our best and have very little time to turn it around.

 

[CF]

have to agree with most - dumb thread. Collingwood are in a slump at the wrong time of the season. Too many off field issues derailing them.

 

[hoss]

Not sure if they're foxing but a work colleague reported to me that they were in holiday mode at their hotel in Perth, just hours before playing Eagles. Said if anyone tipping the Pies had seen them, they'd have changed their tip. Way too laid back and relaxed.

 

[shintemaster]

No. They are struggling.

 

[Stopher]

Agree with most balanced posters, Pies best is the equal of any team but we are not within bulls roar of our best and have very little time to turn it around.

This. Unfortunately, I think playing the Bombers in their current form might help turn it around quicker than you may have done. Which is sad, but probably an accurate summary of what will happen.

 

[JackFlash]

Collingwood are shot.

 

[MarkT2]

Not sure if they're foxing but a work colleague reported to me that they were in holiday mode at their hotel in Perth, just hours before playing Eagles. Said if anyone tipping the Pies had seen them, they'd have changed their tip. Way too laid back and relaxed.

Given their start I can't see how this would have any relevence if true.

 

[fpm84]

Geelong's form in late 2009 was patchy at best but we turned it on in the qualifying final and won the flag. I'm not writing Collingwood off yet. I'd tip them in a final against Sydney or Adelaide - in Melbourne or interstate - and think they'd be a 50-50 or better chance against us or West Coast. Hawthorn is the only team I wouldn't give them a huge chance of beating, even then they are capable of doing it.

 

[manicmagpie]

We're not foxing, we're unintentionally playing way below our best and our normal standard.

While this means that there is a chance we could rediscover our form and match any of the other finals sides, it remains unlikely that we could do it at least 3 weeks in a row.

 

[TheFub]

They haven't been great all year really. They've been good but never found that 10-11 form.

Even when they won 10 in a row they where beating teams like Port in Melb by 15-20 points, Ess by 1, even Melbourne by 40 odd was very unconvincing considering how bad the Dees where back then. They had some good wins in that run like the Crows away by in general in wasn't a run that said premiers to me.

 

[Hoffy95]

WTF!? Collingwood are not a fox.

 

[Groupie_]

Might get some form back soon.

 

[lutts]

This time last year coming into the final round we were firing and it showed that we had peaked too early.
Hopefully the powers that be have re-scheduled our training this year so that we start peaking this week and onto another flag.
BRING ON THE BOMBERS.

Seriously though I hope we get 4th and play Hawthorn which are the only team in the finals I really think at our best we will still struggle to beat. Then we go into the other side of the draw and won't meet them again until GF. Then who knows what can happen on the big day!

 

[Dee Snider]

No foxing, just struggling. Too late to turn it round now.

 

[Mateyman]

Definitely not foxing. However, form could still change. I hope for a 2002-like return to form, although I think it's unlikely. You never know though...

 

[millsy29gopies]

have to agree with most - dumb thread. Collingwood are in a slump at the wrong time of the season. Too many off field issues derailing them.

Unfortunately, I have to agree with this.

 

[Chewy]

Nah, not foxing.

They will try make a positive out of their current position and play the underdog card. They're still in the mix. They've been winning, but have been unimpressive all the same and flying under the radar for most of the year. They'll tell themselves that anything can happen in September.

I just reckon it gets back to the fact that Collingwood have been up for 2-3 years with an exceptional coaching panel but there has been a few departures and things have changed. Many of their players are not performing as well under Team Buckley as they did under Team Malthouse. Teams need to evolve from year to year, but there has been a sameness (staleness) about Collingwood. Perhaps Buckley has been over conscious about not tampering with a winning formula? Maybe he needs to make a few more changes?

Bucks is showing some signs of cracking under the pressure. Let's not forget, Buckley is still just a rookie coach who has a lot to learn. I'm not saying he can't coach, but people expect him to walk straight into the job without missing a beat and for Collingwood to continue to dominate the AFL like they did under Malthouse from 2010-2011. It's not that straight forward. Successful rookie coaches like Chris Scott and Brenton Sanderson paid their dues as assistants for a lot longer than Bucks and their players had more hunger in their coaching debut seasons.

Not sure whether the Pies want it badly enough.

 

[Heisenberg_]

We have been foxing for the last 30 years, when it's least expected- boom we will hit you and nobody will have a clue what they have been hit with.

 

[jimmy35]

They won't beat Freo, Geelong or Nth next week..

Bit hard when we won't be playing any of them.

On the OP, there's no foxing we're just struggling with not a lot of time to turn it around.

 

[Spuddage]

I think they may be foxing for sure.

Great thread, definitely a topic worthy of more discussion.