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There is a never-ending list of problems that doomed Collingwood in their embarrassing 80-point loss to Sydney.
That tends to be the case when you get humbled to the extent that the Magpies did on Saturday night.
The excitement, hunger and buzz that fuels through a club and its players at the beginning of the season obviously didn’t reach the black and white jumpers on Saturday. Coming off a pre-season full of hype and optimism, the Pies are now suddenly filled with questions that need desperate answers.
Of course, the illicit drugs scandal, with reports as many as 30 Magpies tested positive, will be a cloud hanging over the club for weeks to come. That cannot, and should not, explain what occurred at the SCG on Saturday Night.
Heck, even if the game were played at ANZ Stadium, a venue move that angered the Magpies brass, it wouldn’t have made much of a difference.
No matter where the game was played, when you loss the contested possession count 174-141, a discrepancy that looks better than it actually was, you have no chance of winning.
This is the most alarming aspect for Collingwood, a team that ranked first in contested possessions last season, averaging 144.4 per game.
That number really puts in perspective how poorly the Magpies were in the contest on Saturday night. They were basically on par with their average last season, which was better than any other club but still were smashed in that area (and every other one).
Sydney was a pack of dogs against a flock of fledging Magpies. It is very cliché to say that the Swans were the hungrier team to the football on Saturday Night but it is the closest thing to the truth. The Swans were first to the footy and didn’t allow the Pies any room to breathe.
The ferocity Sydney played with seemed to shock Collingwood, when it really shouldn’t have been a surprise. It’s Round 1, so every team is going to play with an added edge. Heck, even a bunch of replacement players at Essendon played with a greater intensity than the Magpies did.
Plus, it was Sydney. They thrive on chaos and are made up of players who love getting their hands dirty and playing a physical, contested style of footy. Luke Parker had a game high 40 disposals, with exactly half of them being of the contested category.
Collingwood were a step slow in the contests all night long. Sydney was first to the ball and used their physicality to get out and run on a disjointed Magpie defence. Once the Swans won the contested footy and started running, they had a fired-up Lance Franklin to target.
Franklin kicked four goals, while the trio of Travis Cloke, Darcy Moore and Corey Gault combined for just a single goal, as Collingwood had no structure up forward, after being praised for their flurry of goals and scoring options in the NAB Challenge.
It really is ironic that a Nathan Buckley-coached club was so hesitant to get physical and go tough at the footy. Buckley prided himself on exactly that during his playing career and while keeping perspective that it is just one game, to see a team led by him come out so soft and weak in the season opener was unforeseen.
The Swans applied immense pressure that the Magpies simply couldn’t overcome. This is a result from the contested footy dominance of course. Win the contest and the opponent loses confidence and suddenly looks around, almost waiting to be tackled.
Perceived pressure stemmed into Collingwood’s mindset, as they were kicking the ball everywhere but the target. The Pies struggled to string a chain of handballs together and couldn’t move the ball effectively out of the backline.
It’s gets worse, as Dane Swan will most likely be lost for at least half the season with a broken fibula and multiple fractures in his foot. Add in a looming suspension to Steele Sidebottom and mild scares to Marley Williams and Nathan Brown, it was simply one of those nights for the Pies.
Many predicted Collingwood to be the big climbers this season. A talented midfield that is as deep as it is talented. A forward line that is full of up and coming youngsters, a defence built on toughness and the contract issue of Buckley no longer a distraction.
All the elements seemed to be coming together for the Pies to make a run back into the finals.
Now, one loss doesn’t change any of that. However, an off-season that was filled with loads of excitement is now overshadowed with uncertainty and questions that are begging to be answered.
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