What's happened to the pies this year

[steviewonder36]

Questions

1. Is there some kind a rift between Malthouse and the players?

2. Senior players aren't showing enough Leadership?

3. Confidence is shattered, perhaps carried over from 2003 GF?

4. Injuries are unsettling the playing group, affecting structures etc?


I can't understand how we can go downhill so quick!

I don't think we will make the 8, but now I'm concerned we may finish on the bottom.

Draft picks mean didly squat, this years draft could be crap.
The young guys on offer may not be as talented or up to the standards compared to previous drafts.

 

[CatManDo]

Obviously the Pies have discovered that there team was good, but not quite good enough... and that the only way to win a bloody GF is to wait until the Lions eventually fade. So they're having another dip in the draft with a view to the 2006 GF.... and hoping that the Lions will finally be in decline by then.

 

[TheBloods]

There was a lot of talk around last year, some of it from people close to the club, that Malthouse had 'lost' the players. Of course most Collingwood supporters dismissed it, but it may be the answer.

 

[Seb]

Psychological scarring.

Getting over one Grand Final loss is hard enough; two is near impossible.

 

[Mark Viduka]

Injuries. 1 look at their squad and you realise why. You can't go into an AFL with something ridiculous like only 26 guys who have ever played an AFL game and hope to be even competitive. They've been lucky with injuries for 2 years and this year it caught up with them.

 

[labrooy]

Injuries are a factor but not for losses like today. The players just aren't playing with the passion they showed last year (GF excluded). I can't put my finger on the reason for this. Maybe there is a problem between coach and players but this seems to be very unlikely as MM seems to get on well with most of them.

 

[Jimmae]

You were a solid collection of players who worked together... a few injuries and a few of the better players out of the side... sound familiar? Hello Carlton of 2001 - 2002.

Form flucuation and a lack of draft penalties will soften the blow... learn from our mistakes.

 

[jerry springer]

we suck,we have no heart and we are gutless

there is your answer

 

[CharlieG]

Betheras and Scotland would be useful right now.

 

[Ripper]

Originally posted by Mark Viduka
Injuries. 1 look at their squad and you realise why. You can't go into an AFL with something ridiculous like only 26 guys who have ever played an AFL game and hope to be even competitive. They've been lucky with injuries for 2 years and this year it caught up with them.

Bull****. Mick Milkshake "lost" his players after the GF when he blamed everyone bar himself. For a list that is the SECOND highest paid in the league a few injuries should be extremely coverable, especially against the team that came 15th last year.

 

[skipper kelly]

To me it highlights how tough the competition is and how hard it is for one group to keep up such a high level. So IMO Brisbanes feats are quite remarkable and Port Adelaide must do something more this year, or that group may miss the boat.

As for Collingwood, there is obvious scarring from the last 2 years, along with injuries to kep players, a lack of confidence, and maybe a few of the excuses have crept into the players mentality. As I have said previously if there is only a 5% belief amongst the players, in relation to the cap excuses given by their president, then they are gone. If any of that belief has filtered into the player mentality, then they are let off the hook, and may not work as hard, both physically and mentally, in rectifying any flaws in their performance.

A team may be lucky and make 1 grand final, but to make 2 in a row, they must have some talent. You dont fluke making 2 in a row.

The advantages of having a high profile President are obvious, but there is also some disadvantages. Now Collingwood are at the crossroads, its time for their president to lead from the front, back off with all the snide comments and innuendo re Brisbane and focus on his team.

Im not blaming EM solely but like all organisations its starts from the top.

 

[Outoftheblue]

Skill. Or lack thereof.
Even based on the first three quarters, when the Pies were in front, I could not believe the amount of skill errors the team made.
I read somewhere during the week that Carlton was second in the league for clangers and Collingwood first - and that's what the game looked like for most of the day. Given Carlton's seven wins in the previous two years that is hardly surprising for the Blues, but for a team to use the ball as badly as Collingwood after making back-to-back grand finals was astonishing.

Enjoyed Carlton's win - led by Fevola and some surprising last-quarter heroes - but I shudder to think what a decent team would have done to us given the amount of mistakes the Blues made in the first three quarters.

 

[docb43]

16 collingwood players that played today played in last years grand final, add Rocca, thats 17, playing the worst side for the last 2 years with the worst list up 27 points in the last quater still cant win.

No problems at Collingwood

 

[bricon]

They've finally reached their true potential.

 

[Lockyer24]

Questions

1. Is there some kind a rift between Malthouse and the players?
Don't know, but he is coaching like a silly old fart who refuses to admit he is wrong. Continues to position our players to apparently develop them as footballers i.e defensive players forward (Cloke), skilful forwards playing back (Swan), not only does he make them look stupid we lose in the process.

2. Senior players aren't showing enough Leadership?
Have to be on the park to lead. Everyone has injuries, ours have been strictly to our best 8 or so players this year. Buckley, Burns, Lockyer and our potential next Captain Fraser all not out there today.

3. Confidence is shattered, perhaps carried over from 2003 GF?
It may be, but it shouldn't be. We wiped the majority of the competition last year when the business end of the season came. We aren't playing Brisbane everyweek.

4. Injuries are unsettling the playing group, affecting structures etc?
With our injuries we don't expect to be world beaters, just to be competitive and at least keep our head above water until it all comes together again. Judkins average recruiting which will effect us in future is just being exposed a little earlier with all these players out.

 

[JeffDunne]

I think Aker's pre-season prediction re: Collingwood was spot on.

 

[lamby29]

Their depth is very ordinary.

After Buckley, Tarrant, Burns and Fraser, the talent falls away.

And unlike most clubs, they don't really seem to have many kids with superstar potential.

 

[Carlos Santana]

Originally posted by Outoftheblue
Skill. Or lack thereof.
Even based on the first three quarters, when the Pies were in front, I could not believe the amount of skill errors the team made.
I read somewhere during the week that Carlton was second in the league for clangers and Collingwood first - and that's what the game looked like for most of the day. Given Carlton's seven wins in the previous two years that is hardly surprising for the Blues, but for a team to use the ball as badly as Collingwood after making back-to-back grand finals was astonishing.

You can add to that Collingwood 16th for Inside 50's and Carlton 15th. An indication that the midfield is struggling. Burns and Buckley clearly make a difference in this regard and someone like Lockyer as well. Got to think that Woewodin, Licuria and O'Bree aren't picking up the slack. Scotland is pretty good in that regard.

 

[FuManchu]

How is this years draft looking?

 

[TheBloods]

Originally posted by Carlos Santana
You can add to that Collingwood 16th for Inside 50's and Carlton 15th. An indication that the midfield is struggling. Burns and Buckley clearly make a difference in this regard and someone like Lockyer as well. Got to think that Woewodin, Licuria and O'Bree aren't picking up the slack. Scotland is pretty good in that regard.

Some other stats for Collingwood:

15th in total disposals
16th in total disposals by opposition
16th in handballs
16th in marks by opposition
16th in hitouts
15th in centre bounce hitouts
13th in clearances
15th in net clearances (own clearances - opposition clearances)
16th in attempted tackles
16th in effective tackles
16th in goals kicked
14th in conversion accuracy
15th in disposals per goal
16th in I50s per goal
14th in opposition scoring shots per I50