While injuries crushed Collingwood’s chances of playing into September, coach Nathan Buckley has come to terms with his AFL season concluding before the finals.
According to Buckley, who has a long off-season to prepare his 2015 tilt, it’s not the end but the beginning.
The Magpies came into their Friday night match with Hawthorn knowing an unlikely win would send his side eighth but the Hawks put them out of their misery with a 65-point belting.
The result guarantees Collingwood has its first free September since 2005, bringing to an end the AFL’s longest current streak of finals qualification.
With the Magpies missing nearly 20 players as injuries spiralled in recent weeks, Buckley looked a man at peace with the result.
“For what we put out on the park it’s a fair representation of our season,” he said.
“We’re disappointed with the second half of the year, clearly.
“We had high hopes.
“We exposed our young fellas before their time… but that’s exciting because we’ve seen some players come up to the level and we’ve seen a glimpse of our future.”
Luke Ball won’t be a part of that future after playing his 223rd and last game on Friday night.
After making noises about continuing on earlier in the week and confirming his retirement on Thursday, Ball said the conversation with his coach was difficult.
“It was tough. I think it was made easier though by the respect I’ve got for Bucks,” he said.
“I think (the respect’s) mutual, that made it a lot easier.”
Buckley allowed Ball to hunt the footy in the last 10 minutes, which both he and the crowd lapped up.
“Unfortunately we were playing a side that’s it’s bloody hard to get the ball back off,” Ball laughed.
Buckley was pleased with debutant Corey Gault’s two-goal display and said there was plenty to build on for the future.
“I made a comment in the box at the end to the coaches, it doesn’t feel like the end, it feels like the beginning,” he said.
“It’s the beginning of whatever we want to make it.
“We’ve got people of the right calibre of character to be able to drive our team-mates.
“The commitment of the players and coaches is what’s going to give us the chance to be at the level that Hawthorn are at at the moment.”
Harbinger
Guest
It is hardly a complete coincidence that since Buckley took over the Pies have been decimated by injuries, and he has now been forced to admit, that his inept over the top training regimen, which also led led to David Buttifant leaving the club, has been a key contributor to this problem. Buckley elected rightly or wrongly to jettison a wealth of proven talent from the club, in some instances more on the basis of personality than the ability of the players concerned to contribute to the Pies success. The majority of mature age players joining the team under Buckley have been complete duds including Lynch, Young, Russell and White, with recent top draft picks being spent on injury prone recruits, who have not managed to even get onto the park. Although Buckley remains in denial, describing the malaise that exists at 11th placed Collingwood as exciting, the team will in all likelihood finish amongst the bottom six during season 2015, which poses the question as to how long Buckley's failure and rash of excuses will be tolerated, before he is inevitably forced out of the club.
Dave14
Guest
Am sick to death of those naysayers who want to now sack Buckley simply citing the downfall of the pies since 2010. If you look at pies getting belted by cats by 40 in GF in 2011, then by similar margins by hawks & swans in 2012 finals & then port again in 2013 then you ask what combination of those players & any new drafts would be challenging for a premiership in the past couple of years or at moment? Heath Shaw aside those who have left are not setting world on fire. Let the jury stay out until we have an injury free year & the young kids get 30-50 games under their belt. Then if there is no improvement we show bucks the door!