Collingwood have plenty of fight left in them yet

I think you’ve missed the point. When Bomber Thompson abandoned his commitments and departed GFC with less than complete honesty, he effectively rejected the club and its players. As a consequence he took with him part of the emotional ownership of the clubs success, the part which could not be shared as it should have been shared, among people who have mutual respect and regard for each other. That I suspect left a very empty feeling at Geelong. No-one is saying that Thompson didn’t contribute, of course he contributed. However the win on Saturday proves that the success at Kardinia Park belongs 100% to the club, not to an individual, not even Thompson, and it means that not only can GFC enjoy this year’s success to the full, but emotionally they have regained all the ownership of the previous success. Now, rather than being central to the success, Thompson is marginal to it. I’m talking about the way the players and the club now “feel” about their success, and now its a much better feeling down the highway I’m certain. GFC deserves the completeness of its heritage, it now owes nothing to Thompson, and it is up to him if he wants to re-join his past team-mates. They have now proven (to themselves) that they are a success without him. No-one should under-estimate the emphatic statement Geelong made last weekend in that regard, or the ensuing motivation they had all year to make that statement. Thompson is a mixed blessing for Essendon. What he brings to EFC in experience and technical ability, he takes away in moral leadership. If I were them I’d get rid of him, but I hope they don’t. While ever he’s around at Windy Hill (or wherever they will be), the smell will be there with him.

i am not bitter about Thompson leaving and i take umbrage that you state i dis respect everything that has helped make them great.IMO Thompson may have been in the right place at the right time.Other publications have questioned whether he could have got more out of this group of players.Just because you use inflammatory language it doesnt mean you are correct just like me you can only offer an opinion.Everyone deduces Thompson and Ablett leaving was the catalyst to this years flag but the young talent (which Thompson had at his disposal last year and didnt use)played a large part and to undersell Christensen particularly,Duncan, Menzel and Vardy doesnt do justice to there contribution this year.Anyway think what you like but dont tell me how i think.GO CATS.

I'm a bit puzzled by Collingwood appointing Eade ? Sure he's a great asset to most clubs, but Buckley could be excused for being a bit '...peeved' - having served an apprenticeship under Malthouse, then to have him conclusively off his back, only to find that someone else has been appointed to ...watch over his shoulder ? Maybe this is some sort of new trend - a la Thompson at Essendon, but I'm still far from convinced that that's going to work !

Brendan I fear you are blind, and the context of the team coaching themselves was after years of in ground work and gameplan they all understood what was needed and did it. As per having no plan B that wasn't just the coaches flaw it was also a failure of the players wanting to adjust to a more kick to mark style of play which they now have adopted, this has been discussed by Thompson in the media before. You think that Geelongs game plan against StKilda was the same as they played for most of the year, if you do you are blind and it all changed at the end of the first quarter, had it not changed they would have lost that final. The team needed to adjust to a new style Thompson knew they weren't hearing the new message from him, so he left. The right thing to do but not the right way to go about it. Having a new voice from Scott tell them the home truths about their games style made the team this year, but you would be a fool if you think the base of everything this team has achieved wasn't owed to Thompson and the coaching staff from the last 8 years. Scott could of ended up with the Power job this year rather the Geelong how'd you think that would have panned out? He knows how fortunate he was to end up at Geelong and Geelong was truly fortunate to have a 3 time premiership player end up as their coach because his voice had cred and he understands the group dynamic of being in a champion team.. You may support Geelong but you disrespect everything that has helped make them the great team that they are. Get over your bitterness of Thompson leaving he did the right thing by Geelong he could have easily stayed and collected a fatcheck waited till he got a new set of ears to hear a new message, but if he'd done that you wouldn't have your third CUP today.

Geelong have proved to be a great football team and fully deserved their victory. They covered the loss of Ablett better than many of us could have imagined and the emergence of Christensen, Menzel, Duncan have, if anything, made them stronger. The real killer blow in the last month or so has been the arrival, finally, of Tom Hawkins. He was sensational in the GF and is at last making full use of his immense physical attributes. This final series will be the making of him. I had him out of the team earlier in the season and now he's (almost) the first one picked. A couple more GF goals, instead of those misses, and he may have won the Norm Smith Medal. I suspect the window is still open for Geelong and may be a for a couple of years. There's some talent there that watched Saturday's game from the grandstand so I reckon the Cats will be ok for a little while yet. The Magpies, meanwhile, are still a very good side. Three goals up just before half time and looking good. Had they maintained that lead to the half, who knows, but the Cats lifted and at the break were probably feeling a lot more confident than five minutes previously. Footy's a funny game and once Geelong got a sniff they never really let the Magpies back in. Collingwood clearly had some distractions leading up the game. Injuries, Mick's pending departure and a lack of form of some key players must have impacted on the club. I'm not sure Eddie's succession plan was such a good idea, especially announcing it two years ago then watching Malthouse claim the flag. It probably seemed a good idea at the time. It also meant a successful coach was being punted just to keep a favourite son. Mick never seemed to fully embrace the idea and his departure, completely, is totally reasonable and probably expected. Eddie is still trying to justify it - Mick was burnt out - but nobody really believes him. They see his comments for what they are - attempted justification. Mick certainly does not agree with Eddie and I don't think anybody else does either. Nathan Brown will be a good "in" for Collingwood next year but Leigh Brown might be missed more than some think. He applied fantastic pressure to keep the ball in the forward lines and somebody will have to step up next year to replicate some of that. Davis may be gone, Jolly is getting older and Didak had a year to forget while some others showed they were good players but not great players. The Magpies will be around the place next year but it remains to be seen if Eddie's vision of a Buckley dynasty comes to fruition. Buckley will be under normous pressure next year to right the wrongs of this season but as the last month has shown there's only one month, and one match, that really count. Then there's Hawthorn. If they get Gunston, and Roughead comes back healthy, then the Hawks may cause some angst among the contenders. Can't wait for next year.

Stumpy,Thompson may have been a great conditioner or manager of players but even he said these guys coach themselves.He didnt have a plan b against Hawthorn in 08 and didnt play Menzel or Duncan in last years final series.As a Geelong supporter i am vey happy but wonder whether Thompson could have done better with the list he inherited.Look at the 01 draft Bartel , Kelly ,Johnson and Gary Ablett jnr.Steven Wells who recruited these players (I acknowledge Ablett as father son) deserves more credit .As another example of his recruiting look at these Rookies he recruited in 06 Mumford,Laidler and Moles.

Brendan and Richard what a load of crap, Scott acknowledged that the making of this playing group owed itself to the toughness of Thompson and other coaching staff. In particular the preseason of 02. Every player that comes into Geelong is now measured against and to that standard as it has evolved to present day. Fine you don't like Thompson but he. his assistants, list management and the players made what the club is at present. It fractured at the end of last season and Scott was the perfect glue to put it all back together, his approach was to fit in with the Geelong way and help it evolve rather then drastically change everything. Scott did a great job this year but he knows he walked into a great system and he acknowledges it and those that helped create it, so should everyone else.

Scotty Pendlebury is not interested in GWS. He is waiting to see what the settlement is from the AFLPA negotiations and hoping to get a larger slice of the increased player payments funding which will become available. Pendlebury wants to be well paid and he will be but he also wants a premiership. He'll get that with Collingwood. He'll be ok for the 'Pies. Neon Leon will also stay IMO, although I'd be ok if he was to go to Freo for a decent draft pick. Freo have been good to CFC over the years. Looking good for next year the 'Pies. No Mick, but Bucks with a Rocket.

Well said Brendan. Thank you.

I would of thought given I don't think he will find a place in their backline when Nathan Brown comes back.

That's all Pendlebury would sign. As I said he wanted to keep GWS in play and I think was hoping that he would win a few awards to make his negotiating point stronger.

Didn't know that Macca .Strange terms for a contract of arguably there best player.

Richard you truly are a gracious Collingwood supporter .In terms of Thompson he may be the luckiest coach of all time.This Geelong side won seven in a row in 02 and reached the 04 prelim so Thompson had the talent to work with and IMO went along for the ride. All the best for next year win lose or draw Collingwood will always be a great club.

The team that surprises in 2012? I'm tipping Melbourne under Mark Neeld. Don't be surprised if Mick Malthouse helps from the background.

The Blues premiership window is just starting, they solved their defensive problems this year, have what will become one of the best ruck combinations going around and a midfield that is now adding depth to it's class. A key forward who can clunk contested grabs is the only missing piece and if the can get one of the previously mentioned trio or snare one through the draft or trade this year look out.

So are you saying, that there is no cure available for the next few years, i hope you are wrong, and i may seek a second opinion on that !!.

You might want ot see a doctor then Stabby because you could be in for a rough few years. On Tuohy, look for him to cement his spot in the side next year making it more likely Jordan Russel could be trade bait.

A strong arrogant Carlton makes me ill !!. Recently i found another reason to dislike Carlton, and although it's clutching at straws a bit, it works for me, on a matter of fact sort of level, one of the clubs founders in 1864, the renowned hanging judge Redmond Barry, was the man who sentenced Ned Kelly to death. A orangeman from Ireland, wonder what Redmond would make of Zac Tuohy's game a couple of weeks ago, all pretty harmeless sort of stuff these days, but not so back then.

Yeah I am a blues fan but they are putting things together to be a real threat in the next 4 years. Put Roughhead and Gilham back into that Hawks side and they will be much better than this year and they only missed out on the GF by a couple of minutes. West Coast are an interesting one, it was thier old blokes who got them to where they did this year but Natanui, Darling and Kennedy will all be better again next year but I take your point, if Cox, Embley and Kerr struggle with age and injury the eagles might tread water.