The truth about Collingwood in 2012

[Rustin Cohle]

Let me preface this by saying that I'm not trying to sink the boots in when we are down.

Anyway, the truth is that we are soft. We don't work hard enough, we aren't fit enough and we don't have the desire required to make a Prelim let alone the Grand Final. There are clearly issues with coaching and injuries that have severely impacted the club this year; however, there is no excuse for the way we play when we're being challenged by good teams. The effort is just not good enough.

There is no midfield accountability. We're so used to the idea that our midfield is the best that they have turned into frontrunners. Where is the defensive assistance? Either they're frontrunners or they are being instructed to do it and I'd like to think Buckley isn't that dumb. I'd kill for the days when people used to bag Swan for getting touches in the defensive fifty because it meant he was running both ways and helping out the defence!

We can go on and on about how much Cloke and Dawes are shit but the rot starts in the middle and everyone seems to conveniently ignore the poor delivery and work rate from our mids. Blair, Sidebottom, Wellingham, Thomas, Pendles and even Swan - how often do you see them working in the back half during the kick outs? Is it really that surprising we are so stagnant when nobody leads? It doesn't help that Shaw lacks the creativity to break the zone from the kickouts either.

I know there will be post after post about how crap Wood is, how Buckley can't coach, how awful Dawes and Cloke are, and how young players just aren't up to it - but it's about time the mids copped a bit of the blame. They're being beaten regularly and it's where the rot starts. Kerr dominated us tonight. Judd killed us when we played Carlton, Mitchell when we played Hawthorn, etc. It's time we stopped being so arrogant and put in the defensive work. If our mids were being as effective as they were in the past two years they wouldn't be picking up forty touches each in five goal losses.

On the brighter side, at least we aren't Carlton.

EDIT: Please don't merge this, I think it deserves its own thread.

 

[Temploar]

Mhm... at least we aren't carlton.

 

[Chief Ten Beers]

Mhm... at least we aren't carlton.

Got smashed by them twice this year.

I'm actually nervous about the Bummers game next week. The team is absolutely shot and I think next year can't come quick enough for the Pies. Hopefully we can reset over this summer

 

[sloth6]

The belief isn't there. The game plan isn't working, players are just not up to it and to be honest bucks has been out coached too many times.

We still refuse to tag or go man on man. The eagles just had so much space and were able to waltz in on numerous occasions while we work that bloody hard to kick em. It's been that way all year. Cloke and Dawes haven't given us much but isn't the problem more with the way we structure up, the way we bring the ball in, spread etc.

We are just too predictable and once a team adapts and gets on top, we play the same way no matter what.

 

[TradeDraft]

Got smashed by them twice this year.

I'm actually nervous about the Bummers game next week. The team is absolutely shot and I think next year can't come quick enough for the Pies. Hopefully we can reset over this summer

I think the Pies are wanting to season to END ASAP.

There is something Massivly Wrong down at Pie Land

 

[TradeDraft]

We are just too predictable and once a team adapts and gets on top, we play the same way no matter what.

Spot On there. Our Game Plan is Usless. Bucks needs to Change it Completely

 

[Chief Ten Beers]

Agreed. The same thing happening to Essendon is happening to Collingwood. Where to even start? I'm glad I'm not responsible in finding this out.

 

[bucksisbest]

Agree with a few points. Particularly that we are unjustifiably arrogant as a side which has led to laziness.

 

[TradeDraft]

Agree with a few points. Particularly that we are unjustifiably arrogant as a side which has led to laziness.

So you think they walk around with Big Heads. Beams has worked hard but he is just about the Only One

 

[76woodenspooners]

I think the Pies are wanting to season to END ASAP.

There is something Massivly Wrong down at Pie Land

I don't know about them wanting the season to end.

But I agree that something doesn't seem right at Collingwood.

 

[Hva sher a]

Am starting to realise how big a loss Ball has been. Sure he isn't a superstar but he added depth. At our best our midfield was able to run super-deep, Today Dids is no longer a midfield factor, Leon is gone, Wellers does.n't do the defensive roles anymore and TBH Beams, Daisy, Pendles, Swan are just looking tired

 

[bucksisbest]

So you think they walk around with Big Heads. Beams has worked hard but he is just about the Only One

I think that some of them have bought in to some external plaudits that aren't necessarily spot on and others are overrated about where they sit in the competition.

As good as Swan is he does lazy team sapping things, Sidebottom can run hard and do nice things with the ball, but he has become an impotent crab, Thomas hasn't had a great run at it but has regressed it. It's not encouraging when you sook over not being able to kick with your ex-coach before the game all the time, ****ing grow up. I rate Blair but he did **** all tonight. Wellingham injured hand, but offered us nothing and hasn't come on the way you'd hope.

 

[TradeDraft]

I think that some of them have bought in to some external plaudits that aren't necessarily spot on and others are overrated about where they sit in the competition.

As good as Swan is he does lazy team sapping things, Sidebottom can run hard and do nice things with the ball, but he has become an impotent crab, Thomas hasn't had a great run at it but has regressed it. It's not encouraging when you sook over not being able to kick with your ex-coach before the game all the time, ******* grow up. I rate Blair but he did **** all tonight. Wellingham injured hand, but offered us nothing and hasn't come on the way you'd hope.

Agree with you there Mate, Swan has had lot of the Ball but done nothing with it, Steele's 2nd Half of the Season has been very poor, Thomas done F**k All this Seaosn

 

[eddiebankbalance]

Not fit enough? I reckon Bucks has still got them on heavy weights. Needs to stop now, cause we got nancy boys running out of hair gel!

 

[Chief Ten Beers]

Thing with Thomas though is he gives it a crack, second efforts, tackling is all there. It just hasn't worked for him all year.

 

[SnakePlisskin]

Have they been run into the ground ? Poor Thomas has been hunched over hands on knees all year.

 

[coldpieswarmbeer]

What I've noticed in the past two weeks is our inability to win contested marking situations. We drop most of them and most of the time don't have the crumbers round the contest to pick up the loose ball.

Dawes and Cloke are easy targets but its all over the ground. Sidebottom is too small, Pendles is not himself, other than a select few (Fasolo, Beams, Swan etc) we seem to really be struggling in body to body contests.

Our bad kicking is not helping either. Many passes go over the heads of the leading target.

 

[Nebula1971]

They are not playing for one another, it is that simple.

So disappointed that another year will slip by. I am never negative about the Pies, but I doubt we will win the flag this year. A miracle will need to occur. So shattered!!!!

Let's rest Jolly again against the Bombers and let September unfold.

 

[Chief Ten Beers]

Have they been run into the ground ? Poor Thomas has been hunched over hands on knees all year.

Wasn't obvious to me before, but think you got it.

The team looks sapped, both mentally and somewhat physically.

 

[SnakePlisskin]

Wasn't obvious to me before, but think you got it.

The team looks sapped, both mentally and somewhat physically.

Mate they look stuffed.

 

[Alexander323bc]

I think people are ignoring the elephant in the room. What cloke did on the footy show as is still doing now is moral sapping. Here we are all sacrificing for the greater good and one "delta Iowa kappa" is thinking about himself. That kind of attitude is like a cancer and all the hard work to build the team up and get them working together to win a premiership is wasted. It's not that Cloke is all of a sudden crap. I just think no one in the team trusts him anymore!

 

[jmac70]

This thread is nothing more that the deranged rantings of an angry supporter and is a complete waste of time.

 

[TradeDraft]

This thread is nothing more that the deranged rantings of an angry supporter and is a complete waste of time.

Get Off Ya Bloody High Horse Mate

 

[jonesy86]

The disappointing thing IMO is work rate, it was staggering to see how many players have been free breaking away from congestion whilst we've had 4 or 5 players still lurking behind at the original contest.

Either players are banged up and struggling or we just aren't fit enough.

 

[jmac70]

Get Off Ya Bloody High Horse Mate

Not on a high horse mate. Creating a thread that has already been discussed in a dozen other threads is creating your own high horse.