The Venting Thread - Do it here!

[magpielicious]

I think we are the only team in the AFL that doesn't seem to value the term
"Straight up the guts"!

You hit the nail on the head mate !

Look back to 2002 and 2007, we took risks and went down the middle more than any other year under Malthouse

 

[smiddaz123]

Uuuuuuuuh, yeah? Havent we been called PREMIERSHIP CONTENDERS? That would indicate that we could match it with or BEAT St.Kilda when it counts

Are we guaranteed to play St Kilda in the Grand Final if we get there or something? Aside from Hawthorn and St Kilda, we've shown we can potentially match up against anyone. That may be enough for some to view us as a shot to take a flag? Who knows? I'd ask you to find a single quote from someone saying we're as good as St Kilda. (hint, don't look, you won't find one).

FWIW, I don't consider us a genuine threat till Malthouse leaves.

Will that mean I only come on to here when the team loses with a huge smile on my face and pretend I'm the only fan in the world who knows where the side is that?

Nup. Enjoy being miserable though.

 

[Zahki]

Well we competed with St Kilda with Rooey for a half, so it'll be good to see us play them again. Do our players practise goal kicking during the week???? 4.17 or whatever is just ****ing pathetic. We had more shots than them and quite simply we should've won.

I've heard that the players have very limited time practising kicks for goal. No idea why, inaccuracy has been a constant thorn in the side for a while now but Mick just doesn't believe it's necessary.

 

[GoldyJr]

Been a Legends Member for years....under the thumb now so I I'm not going this year. I don't feel so bad. More of the same Rubbish. I like all of you love this club. But We don't change. We tried to beat the Saints by roughing them up...ok thats fine. But when it came to the crunch when that heat was gone we got flogged. Say what you like about poor kicking. Its all pressure though...They beat us with pressure. They are a damn good side. Having said that McCarthy lost me tonight he's had plenty of chances. Tarkyn Lockyer.....I've had enough..the most meek, weak, ineffective, soft player that does not have to work for his spot. I've said this for years. He is carried. I've praised the saints and their gameplan and thats what beat us but in the end when players don't put their hand up its noticeable. I've been noticing Tarks for years. I'm glad I don't have to watch him play live anymore. Rather watch better homes and gardens...its less frustrating.

I have to hand it to Geelong....they're a tough side to beat the saints...if we couldn't do them tonight...we never will.

By the way...Pendles, you're a star...but you were a waste of space.

That is all

 

[Greening Magic]

Collingwood supporters like you scare me.

Now I'm even more embarrassed for you.

 

[PunchFromBhind]

******* hell, i am sooo tired of the stubborn ass that is malthouse, our game plan was perfect for the first half but once the saint's were two men down, was it that ******* hard to realize that it is time to attack and stop playing spare men back and kicking it along the boundary. It is a lot easier not to kick it to a opposition player when there arn't 5 free in the forward 50.

This was only half the problem tonight, the disposal was abysmal, iv'e seen 16 year olds kick better than that both in general play and for goal. Our forward line structure is a mess and dropping a tall forward for a shorter one when the game plan is to kick long is just ******ed. somehow our ruck division seems to have become worse with the addition of jolly, leon hasn't played in the midfield since round 18 last year which was when he stopped playing and our forward line defies explanation.

the only positive is most of our back line is holding up and some of youngsters are stepping up

 

[Axl the great]

Re: Season over

I am just so upset!!!!!! and not because we lost tonight this has been bothering me for a while but the upbeat the whole world is rosy supporters on here stopped me from airing my concerns fully due to being labelled a fair weather supporter which i am not.

My Main concern has always been Mick Malthouse and his faith in players, i beleive in faith in young players who show a bit, look at Wellingham brilliant tonight, had a real go and Mcaffer while not great at least had a go.

No my issue is faith and trust in guys that are simply not good enough anymore or not playing well yet still get selected week in week out, i dont give a shit about reputations, if you are not playing well you get dropped who ever you are! that is a rule in life with any form of employment, why? because any weakness ruins a teams productivity in all walks of life and hard calls are a part of the path to success.

MM talks of players earning spots when they are fringe players like Beams and N Brown, sending a message? doubt it!!!! because i have watched Frasers shit and Cloke stinking it up for long enough to know he is full of crap and will not be our next premiership coach.

Good Mick, drop Jack to make a statement, a 21 yo kid not built to be a Full forward more a third tall like Kent Kingsley because he cant grasp his role yet, but stick with seasoned players not performing because of FAITH! faith means nothing if that player is not returning it week after week.

One good game by our maligned players eg Fraser, L Brown, Cloke, etc and their supporters go wild on here, how dare you! fantastic game! blah blah blah!!!! this will not win flags at the business end of the year and hard decisions need to be made which MM seems in capable of.

I dont Love any player or hate any player at the club to be honest, you know what? I LOVE OUR CLUB!!!! and i want players out there that will acheive the dream, the rest can piss off as far as im concerened!

 

[wicksy]

You hit the nail on the head mate !

Look back to 2002 and 2007, we took risks and went down the middle more than any other year under Malthouse

Really.... To be honest, I can't remember the last time we did use it on a regular basis.

 

[Cousin of Daicos]

I've heard that the players have very limited time practising kicks for goal. No idea why, inaccuracy has been a constant thorn in the side for a while now but Mick just doesn't believe it's necessary.

Medical staff are actually to blame.

They don't want the players 'putting extra strain on their legs".

What a joke.

Are we guaranteed to play St Kilda in the Grand Final if we get there or something?

FWIW, I don't consider us a genuine threat till Malthouse leaves.

Will that mean I only come on to here when the team loses with a huge smile on my face and pretend I'm the only fan in the world who knows where the side is that?

Nup. Enjoy being miserable though.

I'm just sick and tired of reading posts about how great we are when it's clear we're not.

It's a part (if even a small part) of the reason we're not going anywhere. Supporters continue to praise 'efforts' and talk up average mediocre footballers which just leaves us treading water.

What I find really strange? You and I are actually on the same page. We both know Malthouse is the problem, so I find it weird we're at loggerheads so often.

For some sick sadistic reason, I almost feel like its my duty to try and stop this shit from happening BECAUSE I want my club to get better.

 

[morax]

Ed, you don't fluke wins at this level.

Chill

 

[didak#4]

We were in the match due to he good pressure we applied all night. However our skill level was shocking the whole match. Kicking all around the ground is bad. Wellingham constantly let's himself down with his turnovers after he does so well to win it.

 

[Suspense]

subscribed for entertainment

+1

 

[pies_1981]

Both Jmac and Macarthy (and include Dawes to the list) will not improve unless they are given consecutive game time, like Wellingham has. We have all seen his improvement over the past few weeks.

This is why I want to play these 3 guys more, specially Dawes, as we're lacking in the forward line.

Can't agree with this at all. I've seen nothing 2 suggest either Jmac or Macaffer are going to help us in the future. Wellers has improved solely because he has natural ability; the other 2 don't.

It's pretty easy to blame the inexperienced players though. Tarks, O'Bree, Davis & Fraser are the experienced players that I couldn't care less if I never see play again. They've had their time.

 

[Prince_Rhodesia]

There is one way to fix our issues. We need to get a psychologist down to the club and reprogram all of our players. Look at our first half before Nick done his hammy. We were hard at it, and our pressure was intense. When he went off, our guys turned into little girls because we assumed we were now going to be gifted the game based on our first half performance. Our game against Melbourne was proof of that, we thought we could just stroll up and win, and we almost got rolled by a perennial cellar dweller. Our goal kicking, when most of our guys line up, you can see that they are thinking, I hope I don't miss. They need to believe they can kick them, not hope they don't miss. Either they get a psychologist down there, or a hypnotist. We have a great team, and can turn it it on when we are the underdog. The best teams don't have an off switch and good teams don't have a hibernation mode. At the moment, when we think we're gonna win, we turn to shit.

 

[Cousin of Daicos]

Re: Season over

I am just so upset!!!!!! and not because we lost tonight this has been bothering me for a while but the upbeat the whole world is rosy supporters on here stopped me from airing my concerns fully due to being labelled a fair weather supporter which i am not.

My Main concern has always been Mick Malthouse and his faith in players, i beleive in faith in young players who show a bit, look at Wellingham brilliant tonight, had a real go and Mcaffer while not great at least had a go.

No my issue is faith and trust in guys that are simply not good enough anymore or not playing well yet still get selected week in week out, i dont give a shit about reputations, if you are not playing well you get dropped who ever you are! that is a rule in life with any form of employment, why? because any weakness ruins a teams productivity in all walks of life and hard calls are a part of the path to success.

MM talks of players earning spots when they are fringe players like Beams and N Brown, sending a message? doubt it!!!! because i have watched Frasers shit and Cloke stinking it up for long enough to know he is full of crap and will not be our next premiership coach.

Good Mick, drop Jack to make a statement, a 21 yo kid not built to be a Full forward more a third tall like Kent Kingsley because he cant grasp his role yet, but stick with seasoned players not performing because of FAITH! faith means nothing if that player is not returning it week after week.

One good game by our maligned players eg Fraser, L Brown, Cloke, etc and their supporters go wild on here, how dare you! fantastic game! blah blah blah!!!! this will not win flags at the business end of the year and hard decisions need to be made which MM seems in capable of.

I dont Love any player or hate any player at the club to be honest, you know what? I LOVE OUR CLUB!!!! and i want players out there that will acheive the dream, the rest can piss off as far as im concerened!

Glad I'm not the only one that feels this way.

 

[bucksisbest]

Mentally weak.

 

[kevind]

After 10 years, when will this F...ing Board wake up and realise the Malthouse game plan can only ever work when you have a list of talented players.

Before you are all shoot me down, we do have talent, but his game plan won't allow them to use the talent... they are all F...ing wasting their time guarding space !!

As this stage we are so far off the top 2 or 3 sides only fools would think we could match it with them.

Wellingham is a STAR ! If a few of the "so called" senior players had the same guts and determination as him then we might see some future improvement.

Any one else sick of watching 10 years of hugging the boundry line ???

Not wishing to shoot you down but I disagree that we have the talent. When Presti is fit we have a good defence, but the rest of the team has a lot of glaring weaknesses.

In particular we have no KFs. Cloke and Anthony ,IMO, are not KF's. I can't see the point in persisting with them, although who do we replace them with?= lack of depth and talent. Our midfield also lacks pace and kicking skill, despite the fact that Wellingham has stepped up fantastically this year.

Unfortunately Jolly is looming as a risk gone wrong which leaves us with Josh Fraser, who I have never rated as a ruckman and Cameron Wood, who has a long way to go.

Other weaknesses include players such as Didak,Davis and Medhurst who continually fail in big games. So I just don't see the talent there ATM. Beams and Sidebottom look to be good prospects but outside them we have a huge vacuum. I honestly can't see a Premiership in the next few years. We just don't have the talent.

If you have a talented side, they can usually win, no matter the game plan-around the boundary or down the corridor.

Like othe posters have suggested, I am also sick and tired of the 'around the boundary' game plan. I'd rather we use the corridor, possibly lose by more in the short term, but weed out players who can't hack either taking the ball down the corridor or having the ball directed towards them down the corridor. It's no wonder we score more points than goals when players are consistently taking shots form difficult angles.

Lastly, I believe the 2006 draft is looming as a major disaster. Hine shot his mouth off saying we had just recruited the spine for the next 10 years. Brown, Reid and Dawes are all wonderful athletes, but sadly they all lack football ability.

 

[bothfeetshanker]

Haven't posted for a long time but love this post and felt the need to share. Here is what I sent MM in response to his members email of earier this week.

Dear Mick,

thanks so much for the message, really can't wait for this weeks version!!! Here are a few words to try to work into it - insipid, front runners, passengers, over-rated and under-performers.

I have been a member of this club for close to 15 years, a supporter for 20 more then that. I have never backed away from my support or denied my love for the Collingwood footy club, even in the dark days of the late 90s! I have always backed and supported my club because MOST times 100% is given by the 20 (when I started following footy) or 22 blokes who wear the black and white each week. Tonight I can not say I am a proud supporter of the Collingwood Football Club.

The insipid performance offered up by the club tonight (and while some players had good sections of the game tonight, this criticism is well and truly targeted at all actively involved in tonight's match) has disappointed and shattered me in so many ways. I forgave last weeks effort as a anomalies after such a great opening round and the terrible effort against Melbourne in the second half of round 2. However, I have still made all the arrangements to get to Melbourne for the ANZAC day game (not easy to do from Canberra, with 3 kids etc etc).

I have had one of the worst weeks of my life in a long time this week, with my wife in hospital all week and we still have no idea on what is going on, a great mate from my footy days taking his own life, an aunty on her last legs, and a 9 month old who has decided that sleeping is an optional activity rather then a nightly ritual!!! You can not believe how much I was looking forward to tonight's game. It was my 3 hours of release - of hope, of enjoyment, of excitement. The first half - and maybe a bit of the 3rd - gave me that, thought with plenty of frustration!!! BUT that last 1/3 of the game - I have never in my 30 odd years of following this club been so disappointed, so demoralised and so devastated by the performance of players wearing my beloved clubs colours.

Mick, obviously you know these blokes inside and out. You have been a coach for close to the amount of time I have followed football. I played bush footy and can not and will not offer advice on the game to you or your players. What I will say is Collingwood Football Club is so much to so many people. It is their release, their sanctuary, their hope, their joy and their sorrow. The members and true supporters will be there - Side by Side - through thick and thin. On that display and effort tonight on top of last weeks effort, I am for the first time in 30 odd years questioning my need and want to support this club. Maybe it is just the shit week I have had, but that last half tonight has hurt me more then grand final loses, more then seeing Micky McGuane in a Carlton jumper, and more then I think I can take.

So, tickets and accommodation are booked for ANZAC day (as long as my wife is out of hospital I guess anyway) so I guess I am there for that game. Please Mick, don't let me question my passion for this club and this game again. I hope this is just me being overly sensitive given my past week or so, but show me passion and intensity next week orI have enough in my life without your side dishing up crap for me to watch each week! And with bloody interest rate rises keeping on coming I don't think I will be able to make a good argument to the Mrs to spend money on this club!!!

Yours sincerely,

Shanker (not real name, changed to protect from stalkers)

 

[Crypt Keeper]

I wish our comp was like the NBA or EPL, etc.here once you know you're off the pace, you can trade to fill holes in order to compete with the top echelon of clubs. We are NOT good enough. We have a dip, but ultimately, play a confined game of 'disciplined' boring football with a group of tryers.

 

[Swan4Brownlow]

First of all, I am sick of coming onto this forum and reading 12-16 year olds posting utterly useless garbage on this board and trying to act like know it all heros. If you can't put together a sentence that makes sense and all you have to add is dihorrea, then don't bother.

Now onto the game. I thought our endevour for the majority of the match was there. How many times did the Saints turn the ball over through skill errors in the first half because of the pressure we applied? We have not had that itnensity and tackling ferocity since the Geelong game a few years ago. Importantly, we showed that we can match it with the best team in the comp when the heat is really on.

Unfortunately, for all of you saying that we moved the ball too slow etc etc, when you play a heavy flooding style like we did, you can't just simply move the ball forward quickly through the corridoor because simply there isn't anyone to kick it to. Numerous times in the first half we got the ball on the wing and had to wait while another player ran forward of the ball, giving the Saints a chance to flood back and then forcing us to move the ball slowly. Do we think if we had of allowed the game to be an open, free-flowing game, that our defense would have been so ontop of the Saints forwards and able to deal with Riewoldt as well as we did? Of course not, the reason Riewoldt struggled was because we forced them to move the ball slowly. Unfortunately, its a catch 22, either play defensively and move the ball slowly or open it up and have a shoot out.

One real positive from tonights game was that our younger brigade of midfielders, namely Thomas, Wellingham, Beams and Sidebottom all looked very composed and worked really hard. Didak too showed that he can at least work hard against a tag and I was happy with the amount of chasing/harrassing/tackling he did, a massive improvement on his usual self. I think we need to bite the bullet and play Jolly as the sole ruckman, this was how he played his best footy with the Swans. Rucking, going to the bench, going forward, rucking again doesn't seem to be his go, perhaps he is a playerwho needs to really work into his game. Ball was also very good, did exactly what we recruited him for, anyone who is critical of him after tonights performance should just do themselves a favour and never watch a Pies game again.

However, we also had a few glaring negatives. Bad goal kicking is bad football, simple as that. Our set shot misses were very very poor for an AFL side, and it wasn't just confined to Cloke. In fact if Cloke is to be our CHF, tonights performance was encouraging. On numerous occassions he outmarked Dawson and Blake which is an improvement on his first 2 matches. The problem is if he is to play that role then he needs another key forward to kick it in to. We had many players miss very gettable goals. In reality, if we went in at half time 8.4 instead of 4.8 which really, considering some of our misses, isn't asking a lot, we win the game. Again in the third, we kick 3.3 instead of 0.6 we just about win the game.

As for our players. Davis has to learn to actually put his body over the ball rather than try and pick the ball up one handed to avoid contact. Unfortunately, until he puts his head over the ball he will not be of any great use in big games because in those games you just aren't allowed any time or space. Toovey for mine was also a major worry, could not pick the ball up and disposal was pretty ordinary. If Goldsack is fit then that change needs to happen asap. Some are calling for Maccaffer and McCarthy's heads, however one game is nowhere near a long enough run to determine whether or not they will be of use to us. Leigh Brown, other than flexibility and a bit of muscle, does not provide us with much more than Reid could. Reid is hopefully our future CHB and as such, time needs to be invested into him at AFL level. Admittedly we are aiming for a premiership so we can't carry players, but if Leigh Brown can't give us more than he did tonight then he can't stay for much longer.

One final word. For all of those out there that are calling for Malthouses head and want Buckley to take over the reigns asap, do you really think that he would make that much of a difference? People seem to think that just because he was an amazing player, that somehow his talent will be passed onto the players and make us a 10 goal better side. Please, I have never heard anything more absurd. Sure he may turn out to be a fine coach, perhaps even our next premiership coach, but Bucks can't get out on the ground and win the game for us. Malthouse provided the players with a gameplan tonight that, if executed properly through accurate kicking, would have won us the game. He is not to blame for the players errors.

In all reality I expected us to lose tonight. Like many of you, I am guttered that given the circumstances we couldn't win. St Kilda proved that they are an amazing outfit. So disciplined and they do not carry anyone. They are so good at retaining possession, something we should take note of because countless times we bombed away to a 3 on 1 contest rather than just maintaining possession. This is the way to play modern footy. The Saints were able to weather the storm simply by denying us the footy by chipping it around. The accuracy of their short passing once they get a clean kick away is astounding. Hats off to them

 

[Cousin of Daicos]

Haven't posted for a long time but love this post and felt the need to share. Here is what I sent MM in response to his members email of earier this week.

Dear Mick,

thanks so much for the message, really can't wait for this weeks version!!! Here are a few words to try to work into it - insipid, front runners, passengers, over-rated and under-performers.

I have been a member of this club for close to 15 years, a supporter for 20 more then that. I have never backed away from my support or denied my love for the Collingwood footy club, even in the dark days of the late 90s! I have always backed and supported my club because MOST times 100% is given by the 20 (when I started following footy) or 22 blokes who wear the black and white each week. Tonight I can not say I am a proud supporter of the Collingwood Football Club.

The insipid performance offered up by the club tonight (and while some players had good sections of the game tonight, this criticism is well and truly targeted at all actively involved in tonight's match) has disappointed and shattered me in so many ways. I forgave last weeks effort as a anomalies after such a great opening round and the terrible effort against Melbourne in the second half of round 2. However, I have still made all the arrangements to get to Melbourne for the ANZAC day game (not easy to do from Canberra, with 3 kids etc etc).

I have had one of the worst weeks of my life in a long time this week, with my wife in hospital all week and we still have no idea on what is going on, a great mate from my footy days taking his own life, an aunty on her last legs, and a 9 month old who has decided that sleeping is an optional activity rather then a nightly ritual!!! You can not believe how much I was looking forward to tonight's game. It was my 3 hours of release - of hope, of enjoyment, of excitement. The first half - and maybe a bit of the 3rd - gave me that, thought with plenty of frustration!!! BUT that last 1/3 of the game - I have never in my 30 odd years of following this club been so disappointed, so demoralised and so devastated by the performance of players wearing my beloved clubs colours.

Mick, obviously you know these blokes inside and out. You have been a coach for close to the amount of time I have followed football. I played bush footy and can not and will not offer advice on the game to you or your players. What I will say is Collingwood Football Club is so much to so many people. It is their release, their sanctuary, their hope, their joy and their sorrow. The members and true supporters will be there - Side by Side - through thick and thin. On that display and effort tonight on top of last weeks effort, I am for the first time in 30 odd years questioning my need and want to support this club. Maybe it is just the shit week I have had, but that last half tonight has hurt me more then grand final loses, more then seeing Micky McGuane in a Carlton jumper, and more then I think I can take.

So, tickets and accommodation are booked for ANZAC day (as long as my wife is out of hospital I guess anyway) so I guess I am there for that game. Please Mick, don't let me question my passion for this club and this game again. I hope this is just me being overly sensitive given my past week or so, but show me passion and intensity next week orI have enough in my life without your side dishing up crap for me to watch each week! And with bloody interest rate rises keeping on coming I don't think I will be able to make a good argument to the Mrs to spend money on this club!!!

Yours sincerely,

Shanker (not real name, changed to protect from stalkers)

As much as I love your letter (and I really do)

You know Mick will either:

a) Not read it or
b) Laugh while doing so

That's the problem.

 

[collingtimber]

Without a doubt malthouse is one of the most timid coaches or should i say the most timid coach in the afl.his coaching philosophy is about minimising risk its all reactive never proactive.his whole efforts are based on defence.there is no attacking game plan,players are never alowed or encouraged to run forward of the play to make targets because of malthouses fear of turnovers,which is also the reason they hug the boundary line.his game plan is from last century it might have worked when he was at wc,but the last decade has been won byteams that go down the guts .find us a coach who is willing to be daring and attack a coach who wants to develop a forward line,a coach who can develop
avarage forwards into great forwads not one who teaches forwards to guard their man whose major priority is to instil into forwards defencive pressure.Collingwood needs a coach who will dare to win!!!

 

[Football God]

Cant wait for the papers tomorrow, gonna say shocking kicking kicks collingwood out of the game and mike sheehan will probaly say something about us not being premiership contenders, will get a good laugh.

 

[wicksy]

As much as I love your letter (and I really do)

You know Mick will either:

a) Not read it or
b) Laugh while doing so

That's the problem.

I actually replied to one after Anzac Day last year and got a response.

 

[Blur]

I just wanted to quickly post something I was thinking about earlier. When I was watching the 3rd quarter after both Riewoldt and Fisher had gone down, it was as all momentum was going our way. The play seemed to mimic this as well, but we didn't convert any goals. Then come 4th quarter, we were outplayed in all aspects. I'm amazed that they players didn't take advantage of this momentum switch.