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Collingwood far from a dynasty: Matthews

Roar Guru
3rd October, 2010
21
1195 Reads

Leigh Matthews has warned against the inevitable speculation that Collingwood’s 2010 premiership will lead to a series of flags for the Magpies.

Matthews, who coached the club to their 1990 title and also led Brisbane Lions to their three-peat in 2001-03, said it was too early to start talking about a Collingwood dynasty.

“That is said after every premiership victory and occasionally you’re right,” Matthews told Channel Seven’s “AFL Game Day” on Sunday.

“Dynasties are a retrospective view. You don’t look forward to a dynasty, you look back and say ‘yeah, that’s now been a dynasty’.

“Geelong’s been a dynasty (premiers 2007 and 2009), the Lions was a dynasty.”

Collingwood’s Mick Malthouse, 57, on Saturday became the oldest premiership coach in VFL/AFL history. The three-time premiership mentor has one more season in charge of the Magpies before handing over to his assistant Nathan Buckley, the former club captain.

“I’m ready to go again next year,” Malthouse said post-match.

“I’ll give everything I can next year.

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“We designed this side some years ago. We’ve designed it around getting it up into a position to be a good side in a new competition.

“We think we’ve got a really good, young list that will hold Collingwood up for a long time.”

As Buckley pointed out on Saturday night, the Magpies have a younger team than the 1993 “Baby Bombers”.

The oldest player in Saturday’s premiership side was Ben Johnson, 29.

President Eddie McGuire boasted of the courage shown by small forward Alan Didak who tore a shoulder muscle in round 21 and missed only one week before returning, producing a brilliant smother and goal on the run during Saturday’s grand final replay.

“He played through a finals series including two red-hot grand finals with an injury that would put most people on work cover for a year,” McGuire told an estimated 20,000 fans at a family day at Gosch’s Paddock near the MCG.

While Malthouse has been praised for his box-formation defensive strategy based on Roman legions, the master coach admits time waits for no man.

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“This game plan will succumb at some stage as well … It won’t last, because someone else will come up with something else,” he said.

Collingwood’s Scott Pendlebury said simply having a youthful playing group wouldn’t be enough to keep the Magpies ahead of the pack in 2011.

“We’ve got a young side … but you’ve got to be hungry to win these games,” the Norm Smith Medallist said on Sunday.

“If the boys have that same hunger going into next year, it’s going to be a good year.”

Consecutive premierships would be a great way to go out for Malthouse, particularly as another flag next year would lift Collingwood’s tally to 16, equalling arch rivals Carlton and Essendon.

Ross Lyon, who coached St Kilda to three grand finals in 2009 and 2010 for a 12-point loss, a draw and a 56-point defeat, says the battle continues.

“We’re not just going to fade away here. We’re going to do the work,” he said.

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TAB Sportsbet has installed Collingwood as $3.00 favourites for the 2011 premiership with St Kilda second-ranked at $4.50.

Hawthorn, who have announced Sam Mitchell has stepped down as captain and Luke Hodge will take over, are third pick at $7.00 and Geelong are at $8.00.

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