When Collingwood put up the "Presti Mode" sign to signal it's time to go defensive, we legitimately become the worst team in the league. We turn what would otherwise be comfortable victories if we continued to play our natural, attacking brand into needless heart stoppers where we invite the opposition back into the contest, then try to cling of for dear life.
This year alone, after holding up the Presti sign, we have:
In these games, we are an almost unfathomable ONE GOAL FOR, THIRTY GOALS AGAINST after holding up the Presti sign.
It was a problem last year too, masked by winning the premiership. But in the finals series alone, we:
This team absolutely cannot play a defensive, kill-the-game brand of footy. Yes, we've had some big wins along the way, but I'd argue these occurred despite going all-out-defence, rather than because of it. Raising the Presti sign simply guarantees we'll let the opposition back into the game in matches which would otherwise be comfortable, stress-free victories.
Oh lord, how I long for a comfortable, stress-free victory.
And not only has it cost us games, it's cruelled us of the chance to build any percentage. When was the last time we kept the foot down on an opposition throat and proper buried them? I genuinely can't remember. We turn what should be 5 goal wins into heart attacks; we turn what should be 50 point thumpings into 3 goal victories; and we simply don't even bother with 10+ goal margins any more, even when they're there for the taking.
This Collingwood side is a good team. A premiership team. If they want to become a great team, it's time to start grinding other sides into the ground with daring, attacking play all the way to the final siren - rather than inviting trouble (and let's be honest, just plain old ugly, joyless and hard-to-watch footy) by attempting to park the bus.
McRae has already proven himself as an elite coach. I have to believe he's smart enough - and brave enough - to recognise this damning pattern and abandon our calamitous "defensive" mode for good.
But if he had burned that goddamn Presti sign sooner, we'd be playing finals this season, and our collective cardiac health would be in a much better state.
This year alone, after holding up the Presti sign, we have:
- conceded the last 5 goals against Sydney (loss)
- conceded the last 5 goals against Carlton and gave McGov a shot for the game (lucky win)
- conceded the last 2 goals against GC after a spirited comeback with all the momentum in our favour (loss)
- conceded 2 of the last 3 against North Melbourne, despite having the most momentum in AFL history, and gave Zac Fisher a shot to win it (lucky win)
- conceded the last 5 against the Bulldogs (loss)
- conceded the last 4 against Freo, and gave Sharp a shot to win it (draw)
- had the momentum, then gave Rankine a chance to launch them deep inside 50 to win it, but fortunately the umps pinged him for running too far (lucky win)
- conceded the last 2 against Essendon, despite having the momentum, and gave Langford a shot for the game (draw)
- conceded the last 5 against Hawthorn and made Blake Hardwick look like prime Carey (close win)
In these games, we are an almost unfathomable ONE GOAL FOR, THIRTY GOALS AGAINST after holding up the Presti sign.
It was a problem last year too, masked by winning the premiership. But in the finals series alone, we:
- conceded the last 3 goals against Melbourne and didn't score in the last quarter
- conceded the last goal against GWS and didn't score for the last 25 minutes, despite having the momentum (we'd kicked 6 of the last 8 goals before the Presti sign went up)
- got out to a ten point lead in the GF by uncharacteristically holding up the Rocca sign for longer than usual... then once we put up the Presti sign, we conceded the final goal and made it a heart stopper by playing the game entirely in our D50.
This team absolutely cannot play a defensive, kill-the-game brand of footy. Yes, we've had some big wins along the way, but I'd argue these occurred despite going all-out-defence, rather than because of it. Raising the Presti sign simply guarantees we'll let the opposition back into the game in matches which would otherwise be comfortable, stress-free victories.
Oh lord, how I long for a comfortable, stress-free victory.
And not only has it cost us games, it's cruelled us of the chance to build any percentage. When was the last time we kept the foot down on an opposition throat and proper buried them? I genuinely can't remember. We turn what should be 5 goal wins into heart attacks; we turn what should be 50 point thumpings into 3 goal victories; and we simply don't even bother with 10+ goal margins any more, even when they're there for the taking.
This Collingwood side is a good team. A premiership team. If they want to become a great team, it's time to start grinding other sides into the ground with daring, attacking play all the way to the final siren - rather than inviting trouble (and let's be honest, just plain old ugly, joyless and hard-to-watch footy) by attempting to park the bus.
McRae has already proven himself as an elite coach. I have to believe he's smart enough - and brave enough - to recognise this damning pattern and abandon our calamitous "defensive" mode for good.
But if he had burned that goddamn Presti sign sooner, we'd be playing finals this season, and our collective cardiac health would be in a much better state.
