Just hand the flamin flag to the pies and be done with it

[Cousin of Daicos]

Still surprised people are pulling the fixture card still.

Collingwood will play all their games at the G forever. Top or bottom, it has always happened and will always happen. Let it go.

As to who we've played? Well, as the premier, you play 16 clubs all below you don't you? Not much we can do about that. We still play Geelong, Saints and bulldogs twice, as well as Carlton and Essendon. We travel 4 times which is the norm, and the average for the Victorian sides.

So people need to stop using this as an excuse.

Injuries? We've lost our premiership full back for the year, were missing our captain for the first couple o weeks and is still struggling for form, and have already missed Jolly for a week.

Thats more key injuries than most clubs have had this year already. Next excuse please.

 

[Angelus512]

^ nice post speshal ed. Other supporters need to take the blinkers off and realize the post above is about as true as it gets. But of course everybody forgets we played all the top 4 sides twice last year. We had the hardest draw of anybody that I can recall.

I dont think there were other teams (maybe 1 or 2) that can lay claim to playing the top 4 sides twice each.

 

[jj1978]

So Collingwood are the only team playing April footy??

I think Hawks, Geelong, Sydney, Carlton, StKilda, Bulldogs and Freo at the moment are also playing what Malthouse is calling April footy.

As a Carlton supporter looking at our games we are yet to play consistantly for the full game ourselves... we have players that are still yet to hit their straps for the season; Russell, Gibbs and Waite to name a few and a few players who are being made ready for a return to the seniors; Henderson, Kreuzer, Bower and McClean to name a few.

Our games so far have been marred by poor goal accuracy (particularly against Richmond and Adelaide) and compare us to all the other teams that have played the five games so far (no Bye) which includes Collingwood, we are 2nd in point for (behind Collingwood) and thrid for points against (behind Geelong and Collingwood)...

Once we get proper team balance with the return of 3 of our KPPs (Kreuzer, Henderson and Bower) I think around round 12 onwards I think we'll really begin to hit our straps.

 

[Vinnie Vegas]

Threads like this annoy me, mostly because people will see an 11 page thread on how Collingwood should be handed the flag and file it away mentally as an example of Collingwood supporters being arrogant, when the thread was started by a Bulldogs supporter and the few Collingwood supporters who've done anything but call the topic ridiculous have been joking for the most part.

Yet we'll be called arrogant all year

 

[BlackWhite]

Premierships are won on grand final day. not in round 5. Collingwood aren't even guaranteed a spot there until they have to win a prelim, if they get there. Could be freos year

Agreed. Threads like this are a waste of time.

 

[winty]

Are you talking about Round 22 last year? It was a practice match for Collingwood and therefore played at about 70% intensity against a team that had to win. During the last quarter when four goals in front, Collingwood put the cue in the rack and went into self-preservation mode in preparation for the finals. Hawthorn were then able to get back into the match, but despite that, Collingwood's wasteful kicking and an easy miss by Dayne Beams from 35 metres with 30 seconds to go was the reason Hawthorn won.Maybe so, but Geelong still had Gary Ablett at least and he was Geelong's best player in the Preliminary Final.Geelong's best is behind Collingwood's best. They're definitely invigorated by Chris Scott as I thought they would be, but the average age of their team so far this season is still 27 years, so by October that will be about 27 years and 6 months. I don't think a team that old has ever won a premiership before because it's very difficult to maintain form when playing so many oldies later in the season.

Before the current Geelong team came along, no team had won 86 of their last 100 games, won 22 quarters in a row, won 25 home games in a row, etc, etc.

All records are made to be broken. Who's to say we won't be able to break another one come October?

 

[getgaff]

There looking good atm. If the grand final was played tomorrow id say Pies FTW but i think they could be a bit shaky with tall backs still. All it will take is a LTI to one of either Tarrant or Reid and they will struggle against the better key forward combos i think

 

[Skerret]

Before the current Geelong team came along, no team had won 86 of their last 100 games, won 22 quarters in a row, won 25 home games in a row, etc, etc.

All records are made to be broken. Who's to say we won't be able to break another one come October?

Exactly. There's never been a team like this, there's no predicting them.

 

[qldbluesman_43]

lol, we are in cruise mode at the moment, Essendon and Carlton supporters are getting way aheah of themselves if they think they will be within 10 goals of us it he second half of the year.

The only team I think we should be afraid of is Geelong, ther list may be in decline but are still a champion team that if remains intact at the end of the year may have the depth and quality on every line to legitimatley challenge. All the other sides are hiding to many dribblers who will be exposed come the buisiness end of the year.

I hope your team shares your attitude because if you think Monday's win by Collingwood was in 'cruise mode' you have no idea. Essendon were the better team for most of that game but just lacked the polish that Collingwood had that allowed them to win in the end. And I am willing to bet that as the season goes on, they will get more polished, better at playing the game plan under Hird. They have a lot more scope for improvement than Collingwood.

Against Carlton, Collingwood did cruise to victory a bit I will admit but again Carlton has a lot more room for improvement. Carlton had about 5 very important players missing from that line-up. I heard Collingwood fans saying "oh we could have been so much better in this match because our stars like Swan and Pendlebury had quiet games" - BS, you can only play as well as your opponent allows you and these guys were shut down reasonably effectively in that game because the Carlton players didn't let them have the same influence not because they just had a bad game.

Collingwood is the best team and deserves to be recognised as such but seriously if you think you're 'cruising' you'll end up like port against GC .

 

[GarethHale]

The main reason that Collingwood were able to field a nearly full strength team last season was due to great player management and recovery and preparation facilities at the Westpac Centre. David Buttifant did a great job of getting the players ready to play each week, and I don't expect that to change this year because he is very good.Oh please. All teams are equal regarding injuries, so if all teams equally suffer injuries, then Collingwood is still ahead of the rest.With all things being equal, then Collingwood are the deserved premiership favourites at this time of the season. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Hey moron I was responding to the thread title no need to have a teary! The point I'm trying to make is a lot can happen between now and September, of course they are favorites but good players lose form, get injured and soforth. I don't quite get your point in all teams are equal regarding injuries. Some teams WILL have more important players missing games than others.

 

[Manic Shadow]

Problem is we tend to beat the top 8 teams and lose to the bottom 8 teams.

That was the pies probs a couple years ago (namely 2007), the Dons are on the right track i think

 

[longhorse]

The only good thing about Collingwood being so good is that it is even better when they lose

 

[Baldur]

At present they are the best team, does not mean they will be the best team come September. Furthermore the flag goes to the best team on the one day, not the best team of the year. One bad game come October & somebody else is holding the cup.

 

[Vinnie Vegas]

The only good thing about Collingwood being so good is that it is even better when they lose

How would a Sydney fan even remember what it looks like when Collingwood loses?

 

[longhorse]

How would a Sydney fan even remember what it looks like when Collingwood loses?

6 years isn't long. It's easy to remember.

 

[Redb#]

Neither did Collingwood. And that is indicative of how the 2 clubs compare. You didnt allow us to play at our best, we didnt allow Essendon. 5 goals is about right at this stage of the year.

What it did show, which mirrors the pre season GF, is that we are pretty evenly matched over the course of 110 mins and its the last burst that we are capable of that Essendon are not yet capable of. Be that a fitness issue or above the shoulders, it still has happened twice now.

pretty well spot on. About 20-25 pts diff. We can and will improve through the year.

 

[Rimmer]

Should be all chirping and singing for the pies this season ...

... who let the cat in ...

 

[MrPresident]

Let's not get carried away. At precisely 7:10pm June 25 Collingwood will have it's Waterloo.

Their first loss against us in a thousand years will shock them and emotionally scar them so badly they'll be ruined for the rest of the season. The rest of the comp will be so thankful we'll just be handed the flag.

 

[KissStephanie]

27 is not old mate.

Are you joking? A team to have an average age of 27 is ancient, and the last time a team over the age of 27 won the premiership was in 1924 and there wasn't a Grand Final that year.

Before the current Geelong team came along, no team had won 86 of their last 100 games, won 22 quarters in a row, won 25 home games in a row, etc, etc.

Their home games have been against inferior teams, and Gary Ablett was also a massive part of those winning records too. That said, their record of the past few years has been great, but I don't see what it has to do with their current age at all.

All records are made to be broken. Who's to say we won't be able to break another one come October?

I think the age record is the toughest one of all because old players feel the effects of a season the longer it goes. Particularly soft tissue injuries. I think Geelong is a good team still, but I don't think they will get better the longer the season goes.

There looking good atm. If the grand final was played tomorrow id say Pies FTW but i think they could be a bit shaky with tall backs still. All it will take is a LTI to one of either Tarrant or Reid and they will struggle against the better key forward combos i think

How is that any different to another team losing a key defender? The potential of losing an important player is equal regarding all teams, so why are you only mentioning the possibility of Collingwood losing an important player? What if all other premiership contenders lose a key player, but Collingwood doesn't? It's ridiculous to single Collingwood out regarding that when it can happen to all teams.

 

[KissStephanie]

Hey moron I was responding to the thread title no need to have a teary!

You're on my ignore list now so I won't be reading anymore of your posts. You don't know me at all, so therefore it's clear that you're projecting the view you have of yourself, and not once did I say I was having a "teary" so why did you make that up?

The point I'm trying to make is a lot can happen between now and September, of course they are favorites but good players lose form, get injured and soforth.

Of course a lot can happen including all other premiership contenders losing important players through injuries which would make Collingwood even firmer favourites to win the premiership. The hypothetical of of one team losing players through injury is just ridiculous because all teams are equal regarding the possibility of losing players through injury.

I don't quite get your point in all teams are equal regarding injuries. Some teams WILL have more important players missing games than others.

How could you not understand that? There is an equal risk regarding all players from all teams that run onto a footy ground regarding the potential of injury. Not just Collingwood as you have suggested.

 

[God Mode]

Are you joking? A team to have an average age of 27 is ancient, and the last time a team over the age of 27 won the premiership was in 1924 and there wasn't a Grand Final that year.Their home games have been against inferior teams, and Gary Ablett was also a massive part of those winning records too. That said, their record of the past few years has been great, but I don't see what it has to do with their current age at all.I think the age record is the toughest one of all because old players feel the effects of a season the longer it goes. Particularly soft tissue injuries. I think Geelong is a good team still, but I don't think they will get better the longer the season goes.How is that any different to another team losing a key defender? The potential of losing an important player is equal regarding all teams, so why are you only mentioning the possibility of Collingwood losing an important player? What if all other premiership contenders lose a key player, but Collingwood doesn't? It's ridiculous to single Collingwood out regarding that when it can happen to all teams.

I think you'll find through this link that the last team to have an average age of 27 and win the flag were Port, in 2004.

http://stats.rleague.com/afl/stats/games/2004/131920040925.html

 

[tomwalsh]

Hawthorn . They all just need to tweak their plan and they have time. almost 20 rounds to get it right ... and they will. Got a feeling the Pies will lose it like geelong 2008 did come finals ... too much pressure and really all it takes is an injury to Jolly or swan or pendles and they quickly come back to the pack! They arent as good as essendon 2000 or saints 2009 or carlton 1995 simply on top of their game right now but its april. They will fail in 2011.

 

[KissStephanie]

I think you'll find through this link that the last team to have an average age of 27 and win the flag were Port, in 2004.

I'm aware that Port Adelaide were 27 years and 2 days in the 2004 Grand Final, but their opponents that day were Brisbane who were 27 years and 183 days old, so that match is irrelevant because one of them had to win. Geelong will be older than both of those two teams by October this year though, and the previous team of that age to win a premiership was in 1924 and there wasn't a Grand Final that year. If Geelong play a team in the Grand Final this year that is older than them as Port Adelaide did in 2004, then that changes everything of course, but that can't happen as Geelong are the oldest team in the AFL.

 

[fpm84]

I'm aware that Port Adelaide were 27 years and 2 days in the 2004 Grand Final, but their opponents that day were Brisbane who were 27 years and 183 days old, so that match is irrelevant because one of them had to win. Geelong will be older than both of those two teams by October this year though, and the previous team of that age to win a premiership was in 1924 and there wasn't a Grand Final that year. If Geelong play a team in the Grand Final this year that is older than them as Port Adelaide did in 2004, then that changes everything of course, but that can't happen as Geelong are the oldest team in the AFL.

About three posts earlier you stated as fact "the last time a team over the age of 27 won the premiership was in 1924 and there wasn't a Grand Final that year" and you're backtracking already.

Collingwood's most irreplacable young players are Pendlebury, Thomas, Cloke and Dawes - just like Geelong has Selwood, Taylor and Varcoe.

Your other key players including Swan, Jolly, Didak and Tarrant are 28+ just as Scarlett, Chapman, Ottens and Enright are.

 

[rgauci]

Barlow, Silvagni, Mzungu, Hayden, Suban, Morabito, Broughton didn't play against the dogs. Everyone bar Morabito should be back in the latter part of the year.

Looking forward to a full strength Freo taking the field at some point. Hopefully close to September.