The Venting Thread - Do it here!

[Grumpy Bum]

Why Collingwood lost is simple, they cant beat a zone, they cant create a loose forward running player like St Kilda can, instead they allow themselves to get corralled in by the defending zone and prefer to go backwards and sideways to create a lose player. If you watched, St Kilda players had one player lateral to their player with the ball, he would then draw our player, his player would run forward, recieve the ball moving forward and off they went kicking over the zone. Its so simple to see it unfold, but malthouse is so determined on creating a lose man within a small confined area.

Watch hawthorn next week, they will do the same, as they have for the previous 2 years.

 

[wicksy]

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.

One week we are, the next, we're not!
Until the word, 'Collingwood' stops selling papers, this is how it will always be!

 

[Primetime Pricey]

if Darren Jolly wraps his arms around another ruckman at a boundary throw in im going to fking kill somebody. All bloody preseason he has done it.

 

[Krueger]

Subscribed for entertainment

Mods, please move this thread to the Bay

Piss off coksmokr

 

[bothfeetshanker]

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.

yeah, no doubt about that. But after my week it was either punch out words on the keyboard or punch out some plasterboard after the last quarter. i think I took the right option...

 

[daneswan]

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

well written. sad, but true. I guess thats the difference between being a good side and being an excellent side like saints,cats..

 

[larrikan]

I'm sick of sifting through 800 threads after a loss so please do all venting here.....

For me, I have never been so GUTTED, SHATTERED & ****N ANGRY in my whole entire life.

That second half effort, when the Saints were 2, very good players down, was disgraceful. I'm sure the goal kicking will be a focus but that was mainly in the 3rd quarter. The biggest problem is the last quarter when we were very much in the game and just went to water....

Davis ... PISS OFF! I'm sick of hearing about how good you are!!! I would much rather have players that actually have a crack!

Malthouse.... You did nothing to cover the two ruckmen in the last quarter! Why the **** not!?

[/VENT]

most of the posters have vented what I wanted to say...I want to add and I said this before the game...we cannot win finals with these players...tonight was our finals pressure game...Medhurst, Davis, Fraser and Cloke missing in action! Plaudits to Thomas, Wellingham, Sidebottom, Ball, Pendlebury, Swan and the backline - they can stand the pressure.

We reached a new low in game plans tonight. I hate Lyon but he outcoached MM. Since when does the boundary line plan resort to kicking to contested situations around the boundary. FFS. Why not kick to contested situations down the corridor then.

As far as I am concerned Buckley is responsible for the forwards - Davis and Medhurst! Stop talking about our untried saviour - he does have responsibilities as the forward coach. But MM tonight was shocking.

Now my vent: Sure poor kicking cost us in that we should have been 4 or 5 goals clear at some stage and changed the game BUT my disappointment is from the lack of intensity/heart/guts in the last quarter. I hate to say it - we gave up after a brilliant display of intensity in the first half...maybe we had nothing left in the tank after the first half. I don't know. And how did the Sooks run over us - just like everyone else - running through the corridor.

One last thing - lets get real - in game one the Bulldogs had Morris out with the flu and three or four more playing with the flu. We struggled against Melbourne. We struggled after half time against an under manned depleted beaten up Sooks.

For me - Fraser ~ Medhurst ~ Davis will never play in a premiership side for Collingwood so MM do the right thing move over...Bucks should develop the new side with Jmac, Caff, Reid, Dawes, Blight, Blair and co. and a new game plan.

 

[Grumpy Bum]

if Darren Jolly wraps his arms around another ruckman at a boundary throw in im going to fking kill somebody. All bloody preseason he has done it.

Obviously he is feeling a little homesick for some Sydney type loving

 

[Suspense]

Dear Mick,

Do you have a favourite crunk song?

Yours sincerely,

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

 

[jaybo75]

First i have to say well done Sidebottom, Ball and Wellingham for really having a go.

We lost the game in the last quarter, if the players in our side that some of us talk about being elite or close to had stood up and played like an elite player for the last we wouldn't be sitting here venting.

A question for experts on this board can we continue to have as many pure finishers in the side by this i mean Didak, Davis and Medhurst type players, not a knock on them but they are finishers of other peoples work dare i say like a S Milne who i can't stand, but there is only one of him in the saints side and 3 of that type in our side who we seem to rely on and also see them as potential mids, i don't think any of the 3 can be match winning mids they are purely finishing small forwards?

Also goal kicking goes without saying we need to just practice this surely it can't be put aside.

But my biggest vent is that i can see this season being the same as the last we will get a run on make the finals then play a side like this for same result, i have maybe missed any improvement from last year. Every year i say to myself maybe this will be the year when finally I can sit down and watch a game like last week against Melbourne and say comfortable win, like i imagine Geelong supporters do when they play a Melbourne but it is not the case who really knows what cwood side will turn up, until we get consistency we will not be a contender.

I love Collingwood and just want us to find that consistency where the whole side collectively just wants to win, much like the Saints tonight and Geelong last week certain players after 3 down qtrs just appear to turn it up a notch, what are your opinions is it players attitude, coaching or club culture that each week a different side can turn up, seems to have been the same for so many years?

 

[Kazy]

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)

Love it...!!

Please, if by some miracle you do get a reply...post post post!

 

[Cousin of Daicos]

yeah, no doubt about that. But after my week it was either punch out words on the keyboard or punch out some plasterboard after the last quarter. i think I took the right option...

No doubt.

I just genuinely feel for you is all. And the though that that stubborn p**ck wouldn't take that at least SEMI-seriously annoys me.

I REALLY want to see the excuses spew from his mouth at the press conference.

 

[drummoyne]

I am disappointed but lets not go overboard.

We stuck it to those bastards for 3 quarters and could have had the game sealed up had we kicked even moderately straight. For one reason or another our last quarter was just shocking - I think the continued misses up forward really deflated a few of our players.

I dont think Malthouse was to blame for this loss. If we had kicked straight he would be lauded amongst posters. We had the men and the pressure to win this game.

Biggest passengers in the game for me were Medhurst (always plays the man, play the bloody ball for once!), Davis, Leroy and Fraser. The same names keep cropping up, I hope MM has the balls to drop some of these generally regarded as 'best 22'.

 

[Ron]

Can someone just answer a quick question.

What happened to allow Goddard to get their first goal? I was at the game and didn't have a clue. Was it an interchange thing?

 

[dima17]

Gutted. I am soo dirty at the moment.

My mind keeps going back to that huddle we got into when sam fisher was carried off. I would have thought that there is no reason for anyone to say anything in that huddle. The players should have taken it upon themselves to realise that they within a goal of a st.kilda side who is riewoldt-less, fisher is down and hence they have a bench of two. If the prospect of being 3-0 at the start of a season (inc. a win over the dogs/saints) then f**k me i dont know what is.

1. Stop bashing Dale Thomas. Open your fu**ing eyes! he gut runs and gets hurt for that jumper and he is always in the top half of players in our side.

2. Mick. Bad game. If your going to play macaffer, dont put him on the HBF. we have soo many good small forwards (when they decide to show up) that we should be kicking it to leading players like medhurst, davis, macaffer, etc. Why do we constantly bomb it long.

3. Jolly. Poor. Luke Balls Kicking. Poor.

4. Didak, Swan were woeful. So was Pendles. So was davis.

Im over it.

 

[Ron]

Also one other thing, i have no idea what people see in McCarthy. Everytime i've seen him he is pretty much useless. Really doesn't seem to be an AFl level footballer.

 

[Primetime Pricey]

Can someone just answer a quick question.

What happened to allow Goddard to get their first goal? I was at the game and didn't have a clue. Was it an interchange thing?

Leigh Brown tried to act tough and gave a free away and then Harry O abused the ump about it so it was 50m from the centre square

 

[smiddaz123]

Can someone just answer a quick question.

What ahppened to allow Goddard to get their first goal? I was at the game and didn't have a clue. Was it an interchange thing?

Leigh Brown put his hand around a Saints player's throat, would've been Goddard I guess. Free kick in the centre of the ground.

O'Brien then abused an umpire, so 50 metres was paid.

 

[alfiiee]

Dale Thomas gives his all.. A lot of his work goes unnoticed..
Didn't see Pendles in the second half.
Stars go missing too easily
Ball was great
Cloke was great before he limped off

There is no forward line structure at all
Apart from all the missed shots which were actually from tough angles, i thought the boys did okay tonight. I'll say the game plan and the lack of presence in the forward line is why the kicking was shocking.. Missed probably about 4-5 easy ones, the rest were tough shots. They were tough due to our boundary line game plan. Even in the last when we were down by a few goals, we needed to start taking risks and going long down the middle. didn't happen.

 

[bothfeetshanker]

Love it...!!

Please, if by some miracle you do get a reply...post post post!

Will do, though don't hold your breath!!!

 

[Rustin Cohle]

Leigh Brown put his hand around a Saints player's throat, would've been Goddard I guess. Free kick in the centre of the ground.

O'Brien then abused an umpire, so 50 metres was paid.

Umpire Vozzo, the stupid ****. One of the umpires who seems to revel in the attention that comes with being an umpire. Never misses an opportunity to blow the whistle.

 

[Greening Magic]

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

Outstanding Post.

The only thing I would add is that momentum is so vital in modern day footy.
When a side has the opportunities like we did to kick clear and miss, you know the opposition will get their chance to make you pay and rest away that momentum. The Saints are also the best side in the comp at denying sides the option of using the corridor. Bulldogs allowed us that luxury in Round 1, and we took it.

 

[Zahki]

Just watched Malthouses press confrence. What a joke, some good questions posed to him and as usual he treats them with utter contempt. Get off your high horse Mick, it was your game plan that lost that match.

 

[Krueger]

Also one other thing, i have no idea what people see in McCarthy. Everytime i've seen him he is pretty much useless. Really doesn't seem to be an AFl level footballer.

Same. All I see are his measley stats at the end of the game. Might go alright in the VFL but I have seen jack shit in the AFL.

 

[larrikan]

swan4brownlow great post with many valid points...

I just wanted to say one more thing to all those bad kicking posters - poor set shots from the boundary line are a result of our game plan....just because Buddy makes it look easy doesn't mean Cloke can. Many shots were under pressure and from the youngsters who may feel perceived pressure, and outside 50. How many shots on goal did Davis/Medhurst and Didak have?

So are we not giving the Saints enough credit for forcing us wide, putting us under constant pressure in our forward line, holding their structures solid and wearing us down? Possibly we were just beaten by a better side with defensive structures that are better than ours - both in the forward and backlines. I can't see how we can beat them this year.