There’s being a lot of talk of the pressure on Nathan Buckley being extinguished – partially at least – I’ll have to disagree with that view.
At the time of writing, Collingwood have of 43 of 45 available for selection.
Add to that this current midfield not at full strength are matching or beating teams around the contest and is gaining popularity within in the media.
On Monday, Dermott Brereton labelled it as a top three midfield in the current landscape and there are two to come in that add significantly to the structure. Enter Daniel Wells and Jordan Degoey.
Wells gives outside running and his disposal efficiency is regarded as silky and not many would disagree.
Degoey is an inside bull and will add extra grunt Taylor Adams style and that would leave Levi Greenwood to spend time forward to impact – as he did last Friday night, his forward pressure was top shelf.
Let’s look at this year’s numbers from the games against last year’s two grand finalists to back up the reverence on this midfield:
Against the Dogs:
Contested ball: 161 vs 135
Clearances: 42 vs 26
Hitouts: 50 vs 25
Against the Swans:
Contested: 162 vs 161
Clearances: 40 vs 40
Hitouts: 45 vs 48
Those are heady numbers against teams that pride themselves on their coal face ability.
No doubt Sydney fielded a young team, but those players almost dragged them over line.
Collingwood’s first quarter, apart from the lack of conversion, has to be some sort of record. Kicking through centre traffic with pinpoint accuracy was running at 90 plus per cent, resulting in 23 forward 50s, versus just two.
This is the footy that Buckley wants his team to produce, and make no mistake they were playing for each other – it was visually so. Then to be headed and still get the points in the opposition’s back yard tells us that they believed and delivered – as a group. Externally it looks like the group are collectively buying into the coach’s theorem on game style.
You could argue – and you wouldn’t los -e that the forward set up does not enjoy the same admiration from the media as the midfield currently.
That, my friends, is the challenge that Nathan is facing to get confidence and consistency forward of the centre square. Right now it looks like the defence is holding up in the three games so far and it could not be argued that the coaching staff do have some influence in that.
Good form and in some parts devastating form added to a healthy list surely raises the pressure on Nathan now, there is nowhere to hide and no excuses to be made.
Should the list stay reasonably healthy this will prove once and for all Buckley’s ability (or lack of) to coach.
The players are available and they seem to believe in their coach, assistant coaches and footy department.
Buckley’s knowledge is not in dispute – what has been debated is his ability to get his chargers to jump on the bus. I for one have been critical of his connection or disconnection if you will – emotionally with his players.
He wants the list to play a certain way rather than harness each individuals strengths for the team – ala Mick Malthouse, Alastair Clarkson or Luke Beveridge.
This year there is no room for error given the favourable list availability and so far the way the group is playing, it looks different than last year, it looks (externally at least) that he seems to be engaging with his chargers more positively and seems to be taking advantage of each players strengths.
Given only three rounds have been completed, praise of this current group may be premature. That said it does not eliminate the fact the pressure is really on now, he has no excuses, nowhere to hide.
We will know by August – or earlier – if the champion player can truly lead his men from the coaching box.
Should he fail the critics will gleefully send a rendition or two of “I told you so”.
Should he succeed, and make no mistake that means finals, then you could argue that the club and the coach have just had luck that resembles walking under a ladder while stepping on a black cat on Friday the 13th ever since the door hit Mick on his way out at the Holden centre.
Bucks, I hope you got nerves of steel because now more than ever in your coaching career the pressure is on
Tricky
Guest
Agree with all that you've said there and IMO it is his (seemingly) emotional disconnect with his players that is the cause of the "guessing" on the field we are witnessing. For example this guarding space and double back to get numbers on the opposition around the ball from last year (how it looks from the stands - and maybe how the players read it!) And that's the difference between an "analyst" and a "coach" it's all good and well to understand the game but for the players to "play for you" is an art that only good coaches can possess - people skills - externally it looks as though he does not possess that. As he has a full compliment at his disposal we will find out if we've all been fooled and he engages with his group or it will prove he is just really an overrated analyst - should be doing Kingy's job
Gecko
Guest
He's already proven very adept at finding excuses. If the list stays healthy, I'm sure he'll find some other creative reasons. Some options might be unfavourable draw, media pressure, key player/s down on form, many young players still adapting to the game plan, etc, etc. They haven't being playing badly this year but they just don't look like they know what the forward plan is. That's sufficient evidence that he can't coach.
Gecko
Guest
Floreat must be Bucks' niece. Very generous view of what Bucks has done to us. I think Bucks got players working hard in the first few games but the hard work didn't pay off on the score board.I don't want a new culture if it comes with a dysfunctional forward set-up..
Gecko
Guest
Interesting analysis Tricky. Makes sense to excuse our [mostly] young backline, praise our midfielders and note our forward deficiencies. But I'm not convinced about Buckley's footy knowledge related to forward set-ups. I've never even been able to understand his game plan for the forward line. 1. Guys like White, Fasolo, Moore and Elliott seem to be able to get a regular game without developing strong defensive skills. 2. We started the season with 3 tall forwards (which arguably cost us the match against the Bulldogs) then changed the game plan and went smaller. 3. Under Bucks, there's never been any connection between the lead-up forwards and our midfielders. The normal plan seems to be to create no space to lead into and for midfielders to bomb or run it in - not to hit up leading forwards. Moore's strength is as a lead-up forward but the forward structure doesn't allow this (I'm not agreeing with David Cloke, whose son Travis was defeated not by the Collingwood game plan but by the increasing speed of the game). If you can explain the current forward game plan, I'd be interested to know.
Tricky
Guest
How long to put up with you ask? It is quite simple as soon as the finals cannot be made or the team make the finals. That is the point of the article, a near full compliment to choose from and it will prove once and for all if he can coach
slugger
Guest
if you think Collingwood is a top 8 side you really need to get out, perhaps get a hobby. More trade disasters have seen an incompetent, undersized forward line. Players like Fasolo, Blair, More, Crisp, Broomhead, Mayne, Greenwood, White would not make any top 8 team forward line. Also Floreat Pica, I am not sure what your point is. Yes Buckley cleaned out the culture whilst reducing a powerful team to a mediocre one. And that is the truth of it. How long will CFC supporters have to put up with this, Buckley sooner or later will be sacked yet we are forced to watch a charade, which will now culminate to seeing whether on not Daniel Wells can rise for the dead and save our souls. Give me a break!
Tony
Guest
Collingwood does attract a lot of negative press because people love to hate Collingwood. Just read Mark Robinson's articles as an example. Like you say, the changes have been made and it will be interesting to see where Collingwood goes to from here. I think they are a top 8 side if they start winning close matches and beat the teams that are under them. In other words just play consistent football.
Tony
Guest
Good summary. I think inconsistency in results is about young players being unable to maintain week in week out consistent football. Due to a lot of injuries over the last couple of years a lot of players have been promoted to AFL a little before they were ready. The positive is that many are now closing on that 50 game level where they start to become good consistent players.
Tricky
Guest
Those unexpected wins and losses were due to what looked like a zone setup style that when worked was uber impressive and almost impossible to defeat, however it was equally taxing and difficult to execute because of the gut running required to make up space should the disposal not marry up to the game plan - required Hawthorn like disposal skill for it to come off. This year it looks like (looks like- not saying it is) instead of demanding that style it is more seemingly that he's engaged with his players and giving more licence to bring their own individual strengths and apply that to the opposition they have that week. No doubt the midfield is in winning form - it is the forward line that he and his coaches need to do the same with. He'll be judged on whether or not he can bring the team to winning form, given there are no other excuses
Tricky
Guest
And this is the where he'll be rated, there have been coaches in the past that have got the best out of so called duds into a formidable team. An example going way back would be Tom Hafey - took a spoon side to the GF the next year in 76 - 77, more recently MM from 99 to 2 consecutive gf's 02 -03, turned no names into a top side
Don Freo
Guest
Oh.. that's nasty all right. So are all your comments. Prove me wrong...write something, anything positive about anything non-Cats.
Cat
Roar Guru
Nothing nasty in my comment. Bucks coaching record speaks for itself. Less wins every single year since he has been in charge.
peter wolf
Guest
Floreat Pics he's changed the Club's culture & club list and game plan i guess that's true but where has it got The Pies the last 3 years? We have no doubt have great supporters and we are also hated by other sides & non supporters which is to be expected for sure and it's fare enough and what happens behind closed doors i am sure it's working fine but success has to be on the field and winning more games, now the good thing we seem to have all players fit which is a blessing, are we a top 8 side i'd say no, it will be interesting to see where we go from here
Don Freo
Guest
Opinions hey. Yours are so often nasty. Is there anything you like, Cat? I'm with you, Tony. Such put downs are just cheap. Bucks impresses me. The side he has built is really exciting this year.
Floreat Pica
Guest
Completely agree withe the main sentiments here. The rest of this season will dictate much of the perspective over Buckley's tenure. Even with a list reeling from injury I have stood by Buckley optimistically as I watched the club win some very unlikely matches with their backs against the wall, but my concern has always been that we simply play to the quality of the opposition, and never with the consistency our game-plan demands. Last year this was typified as we came close to winning both matches against the Bulldogs and also Hawthorn in the final round, and played some great games against GWS and Geelong during patches where they were dominating teams. Yet then we appeared unstructured and listless against teams of seemingly lesser quality and have copped disheartening blow-outs such as against Sydney, Port and North. Its very hard to drive consistency with a list that has missed so much playing time together, but for four years it has been two or three-quarter football, with a near constant emphasis on the fact our best is highly competitive but needs application throughout games- even in many of our most stirring victories. The commitment to forward pressure works in games where we have intent to be relentless (for mine the key term in our brand under Buckley- and one both he nd the club overtly promote). But when this intent is not brought to bear- frustratingly, especially against mediocre opposition- we are too easily cut apart with the rebounding ball for easy goals. This for me, as the author alludes to, is the biggest challenge that Buckley needs to nail to fulfil the promise he shows as a coach. Yet he has already succeeded in his bigger task. His mandate was to clean out the club of the Malthouse party-boys. Often to our immediate detriment, we have retired early, or traded away those players who were able to provide spark as individuals both onfield and in the wrong news articles, and instead retained those deemed more 'professional'. Buckley is thus responsible for creating a club that will hopefully avoid the issues that surrounded both Malthouse's Eagles and Hird's Bombers (I acknowledge the exceptions of Keefe and Thomas with the former- interesting that neither has been mooted yet for selection- and that in the latter case at Essendon it was obviouslty not player-driven). Buckley has changed the club culture, he has changed the club list, he has changed the club's game-plan. These all should be to the long term benefit of sustained success on-field as well as off- and it is clear the club management believes in these changes. Now the list is as near fully fit as any club could hope for, the club must see on-field success or it will be someone else who will inherit Buckley's legacy. The pressure is on for him to receive (finally) the ultimate success his long commitment to the game deserves, and it will not abate until he does or retires.
Cat
Roar Guru
Doesn't make his statement less accurate. Buckley is a bad coach - the results prove it.
Tony
Guest
I don't think Buckley will lose any sleep over your rating.
Rob
Guest
I dont rate Collingwood as a top 8 side - maybe not even top 10 so if their midfield is a top 3 midfield then every other player on the list is a dud. Buckley will, given the list he inherited, be deemed as a failed coach when everyone at collingwood wakes up to the gigantic mistake they made 6 years ago.