You look at Collingwood's 2010 premiership team and think what might have been. In the space of a few short years ...
1) Dale Thomas wrecks his foot and is never the same player.
2) Dayne Beams heads back to Brisbane for personal reasons.
3) Travis Cloke goes from star to plodder virtually overnight for no apparent reason.
4) Heath Shaw traded to GWS for no apparent reason.
1) and 2) are none of Buckley's doing, 3) is some of Buckley's doing, 4) is entirely Buckley's doing. But all up, that's 4 genuine A graders from all over the park lost way earlier than anyone could have expected.
• Ben Reid and Nathan Brown were superb young key defenders who also got whacked with the injury stick.
• Luke Ball was a revelation and then blew out his knee.
• Alan Didak did a Ryan O'Keefe and went from elite midfielder to finished in the blink of an eye.
• Sherrod Wellingham looked an absolute steal and played some great footy before falling away and getting traded home.
• Harry Lumumba went loco.
• Leon Davis made two AA teams with some utterly sensational footy and promptly decided to retire with a lucrative new deal on the table.
• Solid roleplayers in Tyson Goldsack, Alan Toovey and Brent Macaffer, those really invaluable types who aren't flash but are ultrareliable, all did knees.
• Jamie Elliott was arguably the most exciting young small forward in the comp along with Wingard and his back is cooked at age 24.
• Lachie Keefe and Josh Thomas copped WADA bans for taking the wrong pills.
• Matthew Scharenberg, highly-rated youngster taken with pick 6 in the 2013 draft blew out a knee early on and barely played. Did it for a second time not long after.
A lot of it's been self-inflicted but goodness me they've copped something of a curse.