First A vent;
I am new member to this forum but have been reading it for a while; I cannot believe how some people talk about the Pies. I am a real supporter, every single player is out on the ground playing for Collingwood and I support them. I don’t criticise the players like a lot of Collingwood members do. Every player is doing the most they can while they are out on the ground. If you criticise you are not a supporter you are a member please don’t mix up the two. If you feel you pay to abuse the players then fine but please don’t call your self a supporter and cheer as that same player you just abused kicks a great goal or lays an amazing tackle.
Now some review about the year;
The pies played well and truly above themselves this year, they were never expected to finish in the top four, making the 8 would have been seen as a positive at the start of the year.
We have an average age of about 23 with some older guys to fill in key positions. The last 5/6 weeks of the year we started to get tired, young 20 – 23 year old guys running on empty causing a lot of pressure to be put on the older war horses.
Review of a few players;
Anthony – Great start of the year, got tired in the second half. He will kick 100 goals.
Cloke – Broken Jaw at the start of the year, House shot up mid year. Show me a 23 year old that could go through this and still play good football. Cloke needs to watch the ball onto the boot when kicking for goal instead of watching the goals. He will be a great CHF when he matures.
Davis – Played an amazing year and took on a lot of pressure near the end of the year with a tired group. He ran out of steam in the last few weeks. Davis will be a critical part of the team in the next few years when the young guys start to mature and he doesn’t have to take on a huge work load.
Didak – As with Davis.
Leigh Brown – Great for the team this year, started slow (members were very abusive) but really filled into his role. I saw his role in the team as a stand over man, with a young group we needed someone to stand up in push and shoving without Rocca this fell to Leigh.
Dawes – Going to fill in the Leigh Brown role next year of in a couple of years. Floating ruckman/Forward/Tall backman.
Fraser – Amazing year for a guy who had to ruck full games against multiple big ruckmen. Week after week he was our only ruckman and he played the game he had too. Yes he got beaten but he played consistently the whole game (After the Essendon Anzac Day fade out) he was still standing at the end of the game and contesting the ruck. There is no other player who took on the pressure Josh did this year and he did it well. Next year with Wood or Dawes helping out as second ruckman Josh will be able to play his major role as the go to man at CHF that he plays so well.
Medhurst – Came back into a team that didn’t have the same role for him as the year before. He seemed out of sorts playing in a role that didn’t suit him. He doesn’t have the midfield ability but was in a team of high rotation that cause him issues. A permanent spot as a small forward would suit him well, he just needs to play this from week one.
Reid – Lacked drive to chase the ball when he played in the AFL. He needs to put in more effort than he did this year or he won’t play again.
Drafting and Going forward;
Fevola – Don’t touch him, we have enough forwards (Jack, Cloke, Dawes, Rusling) and putting a 29 year old in a team that will peak in 3 or 4 years at the age of when he is 33 is a big mistake. We aren’t going to win a GF next year so don’t pick up players to try leave that to the Doggies and Carlton.
We are looking like a team that will really come together in 2 or 3 years and start to push for a premiership.
I see our team for next year as follows.
B: O'Brien N Brown Maxwell
HB: Shaw Dawes Toovey
C: Didak Swan Beams
HF: Fraser Cloke Davis
F: Dick Anthony Medhurst
FOLL: Wood Pendlebury Sidebottom
INT: Thomas Lockyer L Brown Goldsack
After a year or two.
Barham in for Lockyer
Rusling in for L Brown
This would enable
Midfield - Didak, Swan, Beams, Davis, Dick, Pendelbury, Sidebottom, Thomas, Lockyer all on heavy rotation through the middle (To reduce tiredness) and rotating through the small forward position for breaks.
Rucks - Wood for Centre bounce (backed up by Fraser), Fraser for forward (Backed up by Wood), Dawes for back (Backed up by Wood).
Forwards – Cloke and Fraser running up and playing on Half Forward Flanks. Jack running out of the goal square (He needs to stay back and not push up) with two small forwards crumbing one in front one behind.
I am new member to this forum but have been reading it for a while; I cannot believe how some people talk about the Pies. I am a real supporter, every single player is out on the ground playing for Collingwood and I support them. I don’t criticise the players like a lot of Collingwood members do. Every player is doing the most they can while they are out on the ground. If you criticise you are not a supporter you are a member please don’t mix up the two. If you feel you pay to abuse the players then fine but please don’t call your self a supporter and cheer as that same player you just abused kicks a great goal or lays an amazing tackle.
Now some review about the year;
The pies played well and truly above themselves this year, they were never expected to finish in the top four, making the 8 would have been seen as a positive at the start of the year.
We have an average age of about 23 with some older guys to fill in key positions. The last 5/6 weeks of the year we started to get tired, young 20 – 23 year old guys running on empty causing a lot of pressure to be put on the older war horses.
Review of a few players;
Anthony – Great start of the year, got tired in the second half. He will kick 100 goals.
Cloke – Broken Jaw at the start of the year, House shot up mid year. Show me a 23 year old that could go through this and still play good football. Cloke needs to watch the ball onto the boot when kicking for goal instead of watching the goals. He will be a great CHF when he matures.
Davis – Played an amazing year and took on a lot of pressure near the end of the year with a tired group. He ran out of steam in the last few weeks. Davis will be a critical part of the team in the next few years when the young guys start to mature and he doesn’t have to take on a huge work load.
Didak – As with Davis.
Leigh Brown – Great for the team this year, started slow (members were very abusive) but really filled into his role. I saw his role in the team as a stand over man, with a young group we needed someone to stand up in push and shoving without Rocca this fell to Leigh.
Dawes – Going to fill in the Leigh Brown role next year of in a couple of years. Floating ruckman/Forward/Tall backman.
Fraser – Amazing year for a guy who had to ruck full games against multiple big ruckmen. Week after week he was our only ruckman and he played the game he had too. Yes he got beaten but he played consistently the whole game (After the Essendon Anzac Day fade out) he was still standing at the end of the game and contesting the ruck. There is no other player who took on the pressure Josh did this year and he did it well. Next year with Wood or Dawes helping out as second ruckman Josh will be able to play his major role as the go to man at CHF that he plays so well.
Medhurst – Came back into a team that didn’t have the same role for him as the year before. He seemed out of sorts playing in a role that didn’t suit him. He doesn’t have the midfield ability but was in a team of high rotation that cause him issues. A permanent spot as a small forward would suit him well, he just needs to play this from week one.
Reid – Lacked drive to chase the ball when he played in the AFL. He needs to put in more effort than he did this year or he won’t play again.
Drafting and Going forward;
Fevola – Don’t touch him, we have enough forwards (Jack, Cloke, Dawes, Rusling) and putting a 29 year old in a team that will peak in 3 or 4 years at the age of when he is 33 is a big mistake. We aren’t going to win a GF next year so don’t pick up players to try leave that to the Doggies and Carlton.
We are looking like a team that will really come together in 2 or 3 years and start to push for a premiership.
I see our team for next year as follows.
B: O'Brien N Brown Maxwell
HB: Shaw Dawes Toovey
C: Didak Swan Beams
HF: Fraser Cloke Davis
F: Dick Anthony Medhurst
FOLL: Wood Pendlebury Sidebottom
INT: Thomas Lockyer L Brown Goldsack
After a year or two.
Barham in for Lockyer
Rusling in for L Brown
This would enable
Midfield - Didak, Swan, Beams, Davis, Dick, Pendelbury, Sidebottom, Thomas, Lockyer all on heavy rotation through the middle (To reduce tiredness) and rotating through the small forward position for breaks.
Rucks - Wood for Centre bounce (backed up by Fraser), Fraser for forward (Backed up by Wood), Dawes for back (Backed up by Wood).
Forwards – Cloke and Fraser running up and playing on Half Forward Flanks. Jack running out of the goal square (He needs to stay back and not push up) with two small forwards crumbing one in front one behind.
