Old Spice
Norm Smith Medallist
Collingwood - Jaidyn Stephenson Player Sponsor 2018
Collingwood Magpies - James Aish Player Sponsor 2016
Collingwood - Taylor Adams Player Sponsor 2015
Collingwood - Ben Kennedy Player Sponsor 2014
Collingwood - Quinten Lynch Player Sponsor 2013
Collingwood Magpies - Alex Fasolo 2012 Player Sponsor
Collingwood Magpies - Alan Didak 2011 Player Sponsor
Collingwood Magpies - Alan Didak 2010 Player Sponsor
No-one wants to hear about the inexperience in our list as any type of explanation for how we've dropped off in the second part of this season. The counter argument to this youth 'excuse' is that the Dogs have done particularly well this season with a very young list.
The fact that the Dogs have shot ahead with kids after losing experienced players like Higgins, Griffen and Cooney last year, suggests we've gone awry, badly.
Yet the fact remains the Dogs are a few years ahead in their youth development. Their early young draft picks are a few years into the system while our early young picks have just hatched. The Dogs started to drop off and land early picks post 2009 while we dropped off post 2012 for our early picks.
There's youth, and there's youth. A young player 3-4 seasons in is not the same as a young player 1-2 seasons in. Especially when we're talking about top-end picks and when two of our top 10's of 2 drafts ago have 2 games between them. You can call it an excuse but there are just some realities you can't leapfrog. Like a tank and a strong body, like experience and tricks.
It's worth remembering that the Dogs ended 15th last year. 15th. There is no stepping over some realities, no matter how many platitudes and exhortations you want to lay down.
The mad Pol Pot thought Cambodia could leapfrog the reality of that countries situation and declare it as some advanced state by simply stating it as a fact and by dent of ridiculous dictates. Any tit can declare whatever they like by fiat. I can declare I'm the Queen of Sheeba but wanting something to be so doesn't make it so.
So when I read stuff in here about pulling the structure down on top of us, and starting again from year zero, I am bemused. We've got to stay the course.
The fact that the Dogs have shot ahead with kids after losing experienced players like Higgins, Griffen and Cooney last year, suggests we've gone awry, badly.
Yet the fact remains the Dogs are a few years ahead in their youth development. Their early young draft picks are a few years into the system while our early young picks have just hatched. The Dogs started to drop off and land early picks post 2009 while we dropped off post 2012 for our early picks.
There's youth, and there's youth. A young player 3-4 seasons in is not the same as a young player 1-2 seasons in. Especially when we're talking about top-end picks and when two of our top 10's of 2 drafts ago have 2 games between them. You can call it an excuse but there are just some realities you can't leapfrog. Like a tank and a strong body, like experience and tricks.
It's worth remembering that the Dogs ended 15th last year. 15th. There is no stepping over some realities, no matter how many platitudes and exhortations you want to lay down.
The mad Pol Pot thought Cambodia could leapfrog the reality of that countries situation and declare it as some advanced state by simply stating it as a fact and by dent of ridiculous dictates. Any tit can declare whatever they like by fiat. I can declare I'm the Queen of Sheeba but wanting something to be so doesn't make it so.
So when I read stuff in here about pulling the structure down on top of us, and starting again from year zero, I am bemused. We've got to stay the course.