PowerfulPies2023
Club Legend
- Oct 5, 2023
- 1,594
- 1,338
- AFL Club
- Collingwood
I think so. When I look at their history, it suggests so.
1991 - They were clearly the best team that year until they got caught up in their own hype. Now to be fair to them they were up against a red hot Hawthorn team that had been there before and conquered many. They were clearly the best team in the finals and form fluctuates yes. But nonetheless, they still got ahead of them somewhat I believe. And they proved how good they were the next year. Again, on this one experience and being battle hardened and tested was a major factor. They get a pass mark here.
Not in 1993 though and once again they proved it again the next year. Malthouse knew what an opportunity blown that was in a season where 1st to 8th of 9th was separated by only a couple of games. Letting leads slip against Melbourne and Essendon at the G in games they had a strangle hold on. Melbourne especially where they coughed up a 3 goal lead in the last quarter and were smashed by a famous Allen Jackovich inspired performance. That famous kiss on his brothers cheek as he nailed an absolute bomb from 50 like it was a 15 metre pass. Epic stuff
Things like Matera getting suspended out of frustration for his elbow on a young Peter Ricciardi who played him off the park that day. The Eagles would come back from 38 points down in the Grand Final rematch against Geelong to win by 8. Yet lose the next week to Fitzroy with Matera's absence proving costly. The North game with the Michael Brennan '' touched '' ball and Geelong in the last where they got completely overrun blowing top 4 ( As they did against the Hawks in 2019 at home as reigning premiers ) The Blues got them by a point in a famous outing where Chris Mainwaring hit the post at the end seconds before the final siren. They regained the Cup in 1994 but in 1995 a similar pattern emerged. Weak on the road. Overrun at home. An average Footscray side got them comfortably.
2005 Poor decisions by Worsfold proved crucial in the Grand Final where he brought in Travis Gaspar who only featured once that season before it. He had a miserly 4 possessions when Lynch who was one of their leading goal scorers, was left out and would have been a much better option. They lost the game by 4 points. Phil Matera was already absent through injury and a focal point could have come in handy.
2007 - Home losses to the Saints and Lions who didn't play finals that season. A 37 point lead blown to Essendon ( why didn't you go for goal Daniel Kerr when all you needed was a point ) and a 4 goal lead blown in the qualifer at Port Adelaide although Judd was on one leg and Cousins did his hami. But what about all the off field controversy? Surely they knew of all the issues before? Why did it take so long for it to get sorted. A fuly fit and functional Ben Cousins would have changed that clubs destiny. Judd would have stayed if not for the off field circus. You see Michael Braun saying the F word on tv after they beat the Dockers. It was just arrogance and the success got to their heads with them thinking they could say and do what they please.
They were well poised in 2012 after a surprise performance in 2011 but another choke job and 4 goal early lead against the Pies slipped away or should I say shanked away ( sorry Embers ) and then more misery in 2013 where they missed the finals altogether. Adam Simpson was the change they needed and he did a great job it must be said. They lost Mckenzie in round 1 2015, who was one of the best Full Backs in the comp at that point. McGovern stepped up and the Eagles who missed the 8 in the previous 2 campaigns made an unforeseen Grand Final appearance but were once again destroyed by the Hawks just like in 1991. A side who 3 peated and weren't arrogant. Confident, poised, highly skilled, focused. But not arrogant.
2016 just like in other seasons gone by when they were poised to have a serious assault on the flag they regressed. Les Cras did have a major injury and he was a huge loss with his goal kicking exploits. But The Eagles had that all to familiar theme of getting ahead of themselves. 2017 was a disaster really they only made the 8 thanks to a Melbourne choke and us doing them a favor by beating them in the last home and away game of the season. They then had to beat Adelaide by a certain margin to sneak into the 8. And they did. That famous, gritty, classic win at Port after the siren covered up their weaknesses that year and they were exposed the next week losing by 15 goals to The GWS Giants where Stevie J hammered home 7 goals. There were calls for Simmo's head that season. How things would change in 2018 and yes this was a well deserved victory and one where the Eagles triumphed against the odds in many ways and played some great football. No Mckenzie again in 2018 ( look at his match saving exploits vs Port in the elimination final in 2017. What a gun ) and they also were missing Gaff, Natanui and Sheppard. 3 absolute guns of the comp yet they still prevailed and did so overcoming a 5 goal head start to the Pies and were down by 2 goals in the last quarter and down deep in the game. Dom Sheed nailed an absolute peach on the boundary breaking Collingwood hearts. Epic Grand Final.
2019 - Another Eagles post-Premiership hang over and games dropped like getting smashed on their home deck on Good Friday to Port Adelaide. Unconvincing wins twice over the Dees, lucky to beat the Hawks at The G, The Crows in Adelaide. Pantsed at Geelong and Sydney. A 22 point lead dropped at home to us losing by a point as we would repeat again the next year in a final. And that epic clash with Richmond where a 5 goal start in the wet was pegged back and they went down by a goal. They still could have killed off Richmond's top 4 chances there and then. Instead they left the door open and Richmond obliged accepting the invitation and walked in at the Eagles expense. A home game in the wet to a Hawks team who weren't playing finals which if won, would see the Eagles solidify top 4. They were bashed, crashed, and utterly humiliated ruining their opportunity to secure the double chance. Not for the first time in their history. Things like changing their own club song post premiership 2018. The Eagles wreaked of arrogance. It was premiership level, like the words spoken before they would sing that club song. 32 points down vs the Cats in the semi final ( That Release of the Rioli saga on the eve of that game wreaks of AFL '' Agenda '' there it must be said ) but good enough to get their noses in front by 8. But they weren't good enough to hang on again. Geelong were a good team though it must be said.
That Richmond game in 2021 where J.K kicked that famous match winner from the boundary was the death of the Eagles. When the wheels would fall off when they looked as though they were ready to go full swing. IMO The Eagles are the most arrogant club in the AFL and have been for 3 and a half decades now. They could have reached the highs of the Hawkers or the Catters. But they don't have the true mind set of that of a Champion.
Win. And keep winning. Don't rest on your laurels. Reach high and higher. Don't be content with winning once.
1991 - They were clearly the best team that year until they got caught up in their own hype. Now to be fair to them they were up against a red hot Hawthorn team that had been there before and conquered many. They were clearly the best team in the finals and form fluctuates yes. But nonetheless, they still got ahead of them somewhat I believe. And they proved how good they were the next year. Again, on this one experience and being battle hardened and tested was a major factor. They get a pass mark here.
Not in 1993 though and once again they proved it again the next year. Malthouse knew what an opportunity blown that was in a season where 1st to 8th of 9th was separated by only a couple of games. Letting leads slip against Melbourne and Essendon at the G in games they had a strangle hold on. Melbourne especially where they coughed up a 3 goal lead in the last quarter and were smashed by a famous Allen Jackovich inspired performance. That famous kiss on his brothers cheek as he nailed an absolute bomb from 50 like it was a 15 metre pass. Epic stuff
Things like Matera getting suspended out of frustration for his elbow on a young Peter Ricciardi who played him off the park that day. The Eagles would come back from 38 points down in the Grand Final rematch against Geelong to win by 8. Yet lose the next week to Fitzroy with Matera's absence proving costly. The North game with the Michael Brennan '' touched '' ball and Geelong in the last where they got completely overrun blowing top 4 ( As they did against the Hawks in 2019 at home as reigning premiers ) The Blues got them by a point in a famous outing where Chris Mainwaring hit the post at the end seconds before the final siren. They regained the Cup in 1994 but in 1995 a similar pattern emerged. Weak on the road. Overrun at home. An average Footscray side got them comfortably.
2005 Poor decisions by Worsfold proved crucial in the Grand Final where he brought in Travis Gaspar who only featured once that season before it. He had a miserly 4 possessions when Lynch who was one of their leading goal scorers, was left out and would have been a much better option. They lost the game by 4 points. Phil Matera was already absent through injury and a focal point could have come in handy.
2007 - Home losses to the Saints and Lions who didn't play finals that season. A 37 point lead blown to Essendon ( why didn't you go for goal Daniel Kerr when all you needed was a point ) and a 4 goal lead blown in the qualifer at Port Adelaide although Judd was on one leg and Cousins did his hami. But what about all the off field controversy? Surely they knew of all the issues before? Why did it take so long for it to get sorted. A fuly fit and functional Ben Cousins would have changed that clubs destiny. Judd would have stayed if not for the off field circus. You see Michael Braun saying the F word on tv after they beat the Dockers. It was just arrogance and the success got to their heads with them thinking they could say and do what they please.
They were well poised in 2012 after a surprise performance in 2011 but another choke job and 4 goal early lead against the Pies slipped away or should I say shanked away ( sorry Embers ) and then more misery in 2013 where they missed the finals altogether. Adam Simpson was the change they needed and he did a great job it must be said. They lost Mckenzie in round 1 2015, who was one of the best Full Backs in the comp at that point. McGovern stepped up and the Eagles who missed the 8 in the previous 2 campaigns made an unforeseen Grand Final appearance but were once again destroyed by the Hawks just like in 1991. A side who 3 peated and weren't arrogant. Confident, poised, highly skilled, focused. But not arrogant.
2016 just like in other seasons gone by when they were poised to have a serious assault on the flag they regressed. Les Cras did have a major injury and he was a huge loss with his goal kicking exploits. But The Eagles had that all to familiar theme of getting ahead of themselves. 2017 was a disaster really they only made the 8 thanks to a Melbourne choke and us doing them a favor by beating them in the last home and away game of the season. They then had to beat Adelaide by a certain margin to sneak into the 8. And they did. That famous, gritty, classic win at Port after the siren covered up their weaknesses that year and they were exposed the next week losing by 15 goals to The GWS Giants where Stevie J hammered home 7 goals. There were calls for Simmo's head that season. How things would change in 2018 and yes this was a well deserved victory and one where the Eagles triumphed against the odds in many ways and played some great football. No Mckenzie again in 2018 ( look at his match saving exploits vs Port in the elimination final in 2017. What a gun ) and they also were missing Gaff, Natanui and Sheppard. 3 absolute guns of the comp yet they still prevailed and did so overcoming a 5 goal head start to the Pies and were down by 2 goals in the last quarter and down deep in the game. Dom Sheed nailed an absolute peach on the boundary breaking Collingwood hearts. Epic Grand Final.
2019 - Another Eagles post-Premiership hang over and games dropped like getting smashed on their home deck on Good Friday to Port Adelaide. Unconvincing wins twice over the Dees, lucky to beat the Hawks at The G, The Crows in Adelaide. Pantsed at Geelong and Sydney. A 22 point lead dropped at home to us losing by a point as we would repeat again the next year in a final. And that epic clash with Richmond where a 5 goal start in the wet was pegged back and they went down by a goal. They still could have killed off Richmond's top 4 chances there and then. Instead they left the door open and Richmond obliged accepting the invitation and walked in at the Eagles expense. A home game in the wet to a Hawks team who weren't playing finals which if won, would see the Eagles solidify top 4. They were bashed, crashed, and utterly humiliated ruining their opportunity to secure the double chance. Not for the first time in their history. Things like changing their own club song post premiership 2018. The Eagles wreaked of arrogance. It was premiership level, like the words spoken before they would sing that club song. 32 points down vs the Cats in the semi final ( That Release of the Rioli saga on the eve of that game wreaks of AFL '' Agenda '' there it must be said ) but good enough to get their noses in front by 8. But they weren't good enough to hang on again. Geelong were a good team though it must be said.
That Richmond game in 2021 where J.K kicked that famous match winner from the boundary was the death of the Eagles. When the wheels would fall off when they looked as though they were ready to go full swing. IMO The Eagles are the most arrogant club in the AFL and have been for 3 and a half decades now. They could have reached the highs of the Hawkers or the Catters. But they don't have the true mind set of that of a Champion.
Win. And keep winning. Don't rest on your laurels. Reach high and higher. Don't be content with winning once.
