GlovemanGayfer
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- Oct 16, 2003
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- Collingwood
Robert Walls annoys me! He hates collingwood and has little respect for us. However what annoyed me about Friday nights effort was that I knew this type of thing would start coming out. People do not respect our efforts and Friday showed why. I don't agree with aspects of this article and would still run Walls down if I saw him crossing the street but I think that as fans we need to be prepared for the public flogging we will get if we put in a few more games like Friday. Nick Steven's (or similar) was neccesary for us this year, Buck's keeps showing why he's a modern day champion but he can't go it alone (again).
I think the time has come to bite the bullet. If this season is not going to be a productive one lets make it positive by getting rid of the dead wood and giving the younger guys the experience required to get to the next step. As Walls points out Wlakers 9 minutes on Friday was a joke, Cloke being played in 5 different positions over a game similarly lacks any continuity for the player. We all know where our problems lie and where we are going to be in a very short time if things don't change and whike I have great respect for MM Friday raised some questons that have to be answered. We have the Bulldogs, Brisbane and Freo in the next 3 weeks and honestly could be 0 and 4 at the end of the first month. Bring on Richards, C Clokes, Shaws etc and kick Williams, McKee and Shane "the imposter" O'Bree back to Willi!
Pies rely on super six
By Robert Walls
March 30, 2004
Sure, Collingwood has played off in the past two grand finals, but it is not a top-class team. Since round one 2002, the Pies have won 32 games and lost 18. Really good sides don't lose 18 games in a two-year period.
Mick Malthouse's team has earnt respect with some gutsy performances. Many of these have come on greasy grounds in wet, windy conditions. The strong, experienced bodies of Nathan Buckley, Scott Burns and Paul Licuria have thrived in the heavier going. But there are flaws in the Magpie make-up.
Increasingly, there is an unhealthy reliance on the team's super six: the talls Chris Tarrant, Anthony Rocca and Josh Fraser added to Buckley, Burns and Licuria. All played often and well last season. When this happens the rest follow along in the slipstream. The coach would hate to witness and admit to this fact, but it is increasingly becoming a fact of life. Of the rest, some are "good ordinary" players and some are just plain "ordinary".
That the Magpies couldn't snare Nick Stevens or Nathan Brown in the off-season will hurt them. A touch of class is desperately needed. Last Friday night, on a fast track, they were found wanting.
They were killed in the ruck. Fraser and Steve McKee scrambled for 18 hitouts to Brad Ottens's and Greg Stafford's 39.
At ground level, the Tigers went in hard to win the clearances. Collingwood prides itself on winning clearances, but other teams have taken note. Richmond realised you had to fight fire with fire, so tough goers in Kane Johnson and Mark Coughlan, along with desperate speedsters in Andrew Krakouer and David Rodan, took the honours with 39 clearances to 31.
In fact, the Tigers' ferocity was like the Brisbane Lions's in last year's grand final. And again, the heat was too much for some Pies who jumped out of the way. Other clubs will note the tackle count being 48-34, Richmond's way.
Under stress, the Pies put the extra numbers in defence. Buckley had 31 disposals, the same as his opponent Kane Johnson. Buckley pumped the ball into his forward-50 just four times. Johnson did it nine. The simple reason was because Buckley spent 90 per cent of his time in the back half. And Collingwood will win very few games when that happens.
It was disappointing there was no new blood in Collingwood's opening game. Richmond had three on debut. And it was disappointing to see Tristen Walker given just nine minutes of game time.
Much to the horror of some Magpie fans, I have suggested that Collingwood could slip out of the eight this season. Improvement has to come from outside the top six. I doubt if you will see that from the experienced James Clement, Simon Prestigiacomo, Shane Wakelin, Shane Woewodin, Shane O'Bree and McKee. In fact, O'Bree and McKee look as if they could be going backwards.
Big question marks hover over the younger brigade. Collectively they appear to be frontrunners. When the team is up and they have freedom, they look OK. But when the heat is on and you have to stand your ground and win a contest, they go missing.
Last Friday night, Jason Cloke at centre half-back zoned off Shane Morrison to enable the young Tiger to take five early uncontested marks. Rhyce Shaw, on a wing, played loose on Nathan Brown. The end result? Brown gets off to a flyer with eight first-quarter kicks.
Leon Davis allows himself to to be brushed aside when things get physical and Matthew Lokan indiscriminately lets rip with runs and wayward disposal no matter what the stage of the game.
Alan Didak has a few tricks but has to kick the crunch goals, and Richard Cole, if settled at half-back, should develop into a good player.
So Magpie fans, don't assume that another grand final appearance is on the cards. In fact, if a couple of the super six, for whatever reason, happen to subside, there may be no September action at all.
I think the time has come to bite the bullet. If this season is not going to be a productive one lets make it positive by getting rid of the dead wood and giving the younger guys the experience required to get to the next step. As Walls points out Wlakers 9 minutes on Friday was a joke, Cloke being played in 5 different positions over a game similarly lacks any continuity for the player. We all know where our problems lie and where we are going to be in a very short time if things don't change and whike I have great respect for MM Friday raised some questons that have to be answered. We have the Bulldogs, Brisbane and Freo in the next 3 weeks and honestly could be 0 and 4 at the end of the first month. Bring on Richards, C Clokes, Shaws etc and kick Williams, McKee and Shane "the imposter" O'Bree back to Willi!
Pies rely on super six
By Robert Walls
March 30, 2004
Sure, Collingwood has played off in the past two grand finals, but it is not a top-class team. Since round one 2002, the Pies have won 32 games and lost 18. Really good sides don't lose 18 games in a two-year period.
Mick Malthouse's team has earnt respect with some gutsy performances. Many of these have come on greasy grounds in wet, windy conditions. The strong, experienced bodies of Nathan Buckley, Scott Burns and Paul Licuria have thrived in the heavier going. But there are flaws in the Magpie make-up.
Increasingly, there is an unhealthy reliance on the team's super six: the talls Chris Tarrant, Anthony Rocca and Josh Fraser added to Buckley, Burns and Licuria. All played often and well last season. When this happens the rest follow along in the slipstream. The coach would hate to witness and admit to this fact, but it is increasingly becoming a fact of life. Of the rest, some are "good ordinary" players and some are just plain "ordinary".
That the Magpies couldn't snare Nick Stevens or Nathan Brown in the off-season will hurt them. A touch of class is desperately needed. Last Friday night, on a fast track, they were found wanting.
They were killed in the ruck. Fraser and Steve McKee scrambled for 18 hitouts to Brad Ottens's and Greg Stafford's 39.
At ground level, the Tigers went in hard to win the clearances. Collingwood prides itself on winning clearances, but other teams have taken note. Richmond realised you had to fight fire with fire, so tough goers in Kane Johnson and Mark Coughlan, along with desperate speedsters in Andrew Krakouer and David Rodan, took the honours with 39 clearances to 31.
In fact, the Tigers' ferocity was like the Brisbane Lions's in last year's grand final. And again, the heat was too much for some Pies who jumped out of the way. Other clubs will note the tackle count being 48-34, Richmond's way.
Under stress, the Pies put the extra numbers in defence. Buckley had 31 disposals, the same as his opponent Kane Johnson. Buckley pumped the ball into his forward-50 just four times. Johnson did it nine. The simple reason was because Buckley spent 90 per cent of his time in the back half. And Collingwood will win very few games when that happens.
It was disappointing there was no new blood in Collingwood's opening game. Richmond had three on debut. And it was disappointing to see Tristen Walker given just nine minutes of game time.
Much to the horror of some Magpie fans, I have suggested that Collingwood could slip out of the eight this season. Improvement has to come from outside the top six. I doubt if you will see that from the experienced James Clement, Simon Prestigiacomo, Shane Wakelin, Shane Woewodin, Shane O'Bree and McKee. In fact, O'Bree and McKee look as if they could be going backwards.
Big question marks hover over the younger brigade. Collectively they appear to be frontrunners. When the team is up and they have freedom, they look OK. But when the heat is on and you have to stand your ground and win a contest, they go missing.
Last Friday night, Jason Cloke at centre half-back zoned off Shane Morrison to enable the young Tiger to take five early uncontested marks. Rhyce Shaw, on a wing, played loose on Nathan Brown. The end result? Brown gets off to a flyer with eight first-quarter kicks.
Leon Davis allows himself to to be brushed aside when things get physical and Matthew Lokan indiscriminately lets rip with runs and wayward disposal no matter what the stage of the game.
Alan Didak has a few tricks but has to kick the crunch goals, and Richard Cole, if settled at half-back, should develop into a good player.
So Magpie fans, don't assume that another grand final appearance is on the cards. In fact, if a couple of the super six, for whatever reason, happen to subside, there may be no September action at all.
