After missing the finals for the first time since 2005, there is a lot of work to do for the Collingwood Football Club if they are to contend for another premiership in the years to come.
A mixture of injuries, poor form and the retirements of premiership players Nick Maxwell and Luke Ball conspired against the Pies as they crashed to their lowest placing since 2005, finishing 11th after being in the top four midway through the season.
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The club also suffered from inconsistent results on the field, most of which contributed to their downfall in the second half of the season. That is something the club should rectify if they are to return to the upper echelon of the ladder in 2015.
That said, let’s see how Collingwood’s 2014 season unraveled and forecast what lies ahead for them in the future.
Collingwood
Final ladder position: 11th (11 wins, 11 losses, 94.1%)
Rising Star nominees: Tom Langdon (Round 7)
Retirees/delistees: Nick Maxwell, Quinten Lynch, Luke Ball, Caolan Mooney, Marty Clarke, Peter Yagmoor, Ben Hudson
What went right?
After dropping two of their first three matches of the year, including the season-opener against Fremantle by 70 points, the Pies warmed into the first half of the season, winning seven of their next eight to be sitting in the top four after Round 12.
They also defeated five of the eight eventual finalists – Sydney in Round 2, Richmond, North Melbourne and Essendon in consecutive weeks, as well as against Port Adelaide in Round 19.
They also kept their undefeated record against Mick Malthouse intact, winning both of their encounters against Carlton by 34 and 15 points in Rounds 7 and 15 respectively.
What went wrong?
After sitting in the top four after their Queen’s Birthday win over Melbourne, the Pies fell away badly. They won just three more matches for the rest of the season. Further, their largest winning margin in this period was by only 15 points against Carlton.
Injuries started to ravage the team and this was evident in losses by more than ten goals against Essendon, the Brisbane Lions and Hawthorn, all at the MCG, and all within the final seven weeks of the season.
In the end, season 2014 will be remembered as not only a season which signalled the end of their finals run, but also one where injuries struck at the wrong time of the season.
Best win: Round 22 versus GWS Giants at Spotless Stadium (won 11.9 (75) to 9.13 (67))
As far as the club’s best victories in season 2014 go, while this was not the most impressive one, it was the most courageous.
The Pies arrived at Sydney’s Spotless Stadium not only on the back of a heavy loss to the Brisbane Lions the previous week, but also without Ben Reid after he injured his hamstring in the opening minutes of that defeat.
Further, they lost Dane Swan and Clinton Young to hamstring injuries, as well as Brent Macaffer to the dreaded ACL injury, mid-match, meaning the Pies could only operate on a one-man bench for all but the opening seconds of the second half.
But anything GWS (who also operated on a one-man bench in their 64-point thumping of Melbourne the previous week) could do, Collingwood could do better.
Behind with just over five minutes remaining, two quick goals saw the Pies claim an eight-point victory as the Giants fell back to their old habit of tiring late in matches.
Worst loss: Round 1 versus Fremantle at Etihad Stadium (lost 5.10 (46) to 17.14 (116))
It might not have been indicative of how poorly Collingwood’s season would eventually unfold, but there’s no doubting their 70-point loss to Fremantle in the season opener was very disappointing.
The Pies welcomed the Dockers to Etihad Stadium in what would be the first ever season opener to take place under the roof, and to the disappointment of many of its fans, they would only kick five goals against last year’s runners-up.
They were missing Ben Reid and Jesse White through injury, while Travis Cloke was kept goalless on the night, his poor showing being the result of poor forward entry by the Pies, and relentless defence by the Dockers.
It was to be, marginally, the Pies’ worst defeat for season 2014, and it placed them last on the ladder at the end of Round 1, but from there the club would start to build its season as already recapped earlier.
The future
Not only have Nick Maxwell and Luke Ball retired, premiership defender Heritier Lumumba could also be on the way out after reportedly not being happy over a homophobic message posted about him within the club.
Last week he was spotted having coffee with Melbourne coach Paul Roos, which has led to speculation the Pies could offload him to the Dees. He would be a perfect replacement there for James Frawley who is expected to leave the club as a free agent.
There’s also the chance he could reunite with his premiership winning coach, Mick Malthouse, at Carlton. While that appears unlikely, it could also add some spice to the first time the Blues and Pies face off in 2015, likely to be as early as Round 5.
Other than those, injury-prone Quinten Lynch also hung up his boots, while Caolan Mooney and Marty Clarke have both quit the club to return to Ireland.
With an earlier start to the pre-season, and still with some key decisions to make in regards to their playing list, the Pies will have more time to either prepare for a return to the finals in 2015, or to continue to reshape its list that is capable of contending for another flag in future years.
Matt P
Guest
You have a short memory, when Maguire came in as president of Collingwood we were a basket case both on and off the field. I was at Victoria park for the last game and we got smacked by the up and coming lions. Maguire does have a blind spot though and that is Buckley. If I were to rate him as a coach from my limited knowledge of what I see: Tactics: Clearly has been watching Hawthorn play, wants to play the same way but that doesn't play to the strengths of his list. Big hulking forward, great contested ball winners. And highlights there weaknesses, slow and lack of foot skills. Buckley also doesn't appear to have a plan b or the willingness to implement a plan b. Against Adelaide man behind the ball was hurting team the whole night however Buckley never pulled the trigger and played the 6th forward. Recruitment: Wins: Langdon, Grundy Maybe: sharonburg, Freeman, Adams, Armstrong, white Misses: young, karnezesis, lynch, Buckley (Carlton) Man mangement: With premiership stars, ThomaS, Shaw, didak, jolly, lumumba, dawes, ball all having issues reported and if rumours are believed Beims and Goldsack wanting to leave. This is perhaps Buckley s biggest Downfall, no one seems to be doing s Harry Taylor and staying for less money with the pies. Add to that the above all leaving with questionable replacements and Buckley has effectively ripped the heart out of a premiership team and replaced them with untried kids. Part of the reason for this appears to be Buckley s ability to handle some of the bigger personalitie in the group. We keep hearing that next year he will have the team that he wants but we continue to I think that slip backwards
Paul
Guest
He'd be a worthwhile assistant though!
Floreat Pica
Guest
And yet at the beginning of 2012, Lumumba (then O'Brien) was happy to laughingly put some pretty inappropriately sexist language out in front of around 10,000 members live on the a 'players panel' at the Exhibition Centre. Double standards; Hertier dropped his colours that day but is uncompromising in this.. Turn the other cheek H, so they say.
Gregor
Guest
And the Eagles beat them by 10 goals when they had a full complement of players, but it was in Perth where they usually play so well.
Shmick
Guest
Pies should finish top 8 in 2015.
asd
Guest
Like the russians in stalin years a great purge of older players over small issues. Player forced out over petty crap . Hope pies go to the bottom of the ladder . Over the treament of players
Mellad Ibrahimi
Roar Rookie
Beams is only 24, I hardly think his best football is behind him. But I agree with the fact that Pendlebury has too much on his own shoulders. Although he has been getting tagged for the last 3-4 years week in week out, he hasnt had the same midfield protection and quality thats been running around with him in the last couple of years.
Stan McCan
Guest
Jamie Elliott will be A grade
BigAl
Guest
Thompson is way, way over rated.
Copeland
Guest
Although Thompson has now declared that he is unwilling to consider coaching offers from other clubs, this sentiment could potentially be overturned by the right offer. Collingwood will in all likelihood finish in the bottom six during season 2015, and the time will be ripe to remove Nathan Buckley, who has been consistently exposed both in terms of his inability to effectively relate to the playing group and as a lacklustre tactician. The Pies need to put a legitimate succession plan in place now, rather than wait for Buckley's inevitable failure to hit them in the face like a wet fish.
andyl12
Guest
"With the list Buckley is building & most likely a better run with injuries they should return to finals football in 2015." I'm not so sure- Swan, Cloke and Beams are no longer the players they were, Pendles has too big a load to carry and Lumumba has left another hole in their backline. Sure they have youngsters like any other club does, but who of these will become an A-grader in 2015?
Olivia Watts
Roar Guru
Forgetting Lumumba's reasons for potentially leaving, I think it is safe to say that his departure might be the best for everyone in the long term. The long term also happens to be where Collingwood now needs to be focusing. I cannot see a team with such good young players (Langdon, Frost, Fasolo, Scharenberg, Freeman, Elliott, Blair, Adams) bottoming out but I do see them spending the next few seasons rubbing shoulders in the 10-14th bracket on the ladder. Current and soon to come retirements and departures will free up funds for future player raids and I doubt their time out of the top tier of teams will be short. Just an observation based on personal feeling; I don't see Nathan Buckley as the right coach to build a united, youthful team with a sprinkle of stars from scratch. The Pies might do well to invest in Bomber Thompson now, whilst he is available, and have him in the wings waiting.
Shmick
Guest
It's a new one, someone scribbled a comment over a picture of Beams & Pendlebury in their mad Monday outfits. It was intended as a harmless joke but Lumumba (who campaigns against discrimination) took it very seriously.
Franko
Guest
Is this a new one this year, or the same homophobic "joke" that Heritier took offence to last year?
Shmick
Guest
The "homophobic" message was a joked aimed at Beams & Pendlebury, not Lumumba, but he took offense to it. 2014 easily the unluckiest season Collingwood has had in a very long time. With the list Buckley is building & most likely a better run with injuries they should return to finals football in 2015.
Momentbymoment
Guest
Collingwood's fall from grace has Eddies paws all over it. He may be good for the business but he sure has stuffed up the football team.