Blogging the Collingwood versus Adelaide clash at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday afternoon was a treat.
An outstanding contest, thrilling finish and a result that threw a spanner in the works of the top four.
For 60 minutes the Magpies were impeccable. It was hard to believe what was occurring.
Coming off solid wins against Gold Coast and West Coast, the Pies faced a sterner test against the competition benchmarks yet blew the Crows off the park in the first half.
The Magpies tripled the score of Adelaide soon after and things almost looked certain.
Logic said the Crows would fight hard after the break and they did. It took some time to make significant inroads yet eventually they clicked into gear and seven goals in the third term had the Collingwood faithful trembling.
What happened next will be a season highlight, replayed endlessly, as people write the post mortems on 2017. Mitch McGovern’s Leo Barry-like effort with two seconds on the clock and the subsequent goal was orgasmic for independent observers, uplifting for Crows fans after a poor first half and heartbreaking for the Collingwood faithful.
The ultimate question around the future of Nathan Buckley still remains, more curious and confusing than ever before. Bluntly, the Pies have slipped down the ladder steadily since he took the reins in 2012. This is fact.
However, watching the style of play Collingwood were able to execute against Adelaide, it was clear that the team are playing for Buckley, committed to the cause and the issue of consistency appears their major flaw.
When you strip back all the peripheral commentary, media pressure and mathematical measurements of Buckley’s success or lack of it, what remains is a complete mystery.
Personally, I thought Buckley used up his lives last season. Not that I wished it upon him. The statistical downward spiral was clear. Yes, there have been horrific injury tolls yet the general trend was south.
(AAP Image/David Crosling)
The squad looked something of a development team early this season yet what they were able to produce Sunday afternoon was not a developing performance.
The hazy picture that arises from analysing the coach and the performance of his team is mystifying. Outstanding wins against West Coast, Sydney and Geelong are counterbalanced by nightmarish performances such as the losses to Carlton, St Kilda and Port Adelaide.
Close and heart-breaking losses to Melbourne (four points), Greater Western Sydney (three points) as well as the two points that slipped away against the Crows on Sunday, suggest that season 2017 could and should have been a little better for the club and for Buckley’s stress levels.
When you factor in all of the above, you could mount an argument that the Pies should currently sit in the eight and be on track for finals football. Collingwood fans could tack on at least two more wins, take the two points against Adelaide of which they were ‘robbed’ and claim another victory against one of the lesser lights to whom they have lost.
This is what fans do. They play the ‘if only’ game. Close losses can be over-ridden by a loyal logic that says ‘we was robbed’. Injuries excuse brave defeats where the team performs well in the face of adversity and the umpires must surely have cost us at least two games this year.
Unfortunately for Buckley and every other coach, there is only one statistic, column or measurement that really matters when all is said and done. That being, wins and losses.
However impressive the game style, however injury riddled or unfairly umpired, the cold hard facts lie at the heart of the ladder. In this scenario, Buckley should be gone. Yet something has held Collingwood back from making that call.
The fact that he is a club legend no doubt weighs heavily on the minds of those charged with the decision. Perhaps this has been harmful over the term of his reign. Would a less loved and affable member of the Collingwood community have been showed as much latitude in terms of the win loss column? Who knows?
In addition, Buckley talks a good game. He fends off media with a smile, a smirk or a blunt analysis of the situation and deflects criticisms about his future quite effectively.
Stating that it is for others to decide his fate is logical, yet expressing the opinion that he also needs to decide if he wants to be the coach of Collingwood was bold, arrogant and somewhat aggressive.
Only time will tell whether Nathan Buckley is the man to steer the Collingwood list into the future. Statistically, he doesn’t appear to be, but there is something about his fervour for the job, self-belief and ability to lift players when the chips are down that breeds an eternal hope about his abilities and the Club’s future prospects.
That is potentially, Buckley’s greatest attribute. The instilling of hope. Sunday saw another instalment of that hope. A team devoid of its captain and realistically playing for pride and pride alone, found a way to demolish a polished Crows team for 60 minutes.
It was glorious to watch and stunning, considering the missed opportunities throughout the season.
I’ve given up trying to work it out. Whether Nathan Buckley is a terrific coach, hamstrung by circumstances, injury and misfortune or a great football person a little out of his depth in a senior coaching role, still gnaws away at more astute judges than me.
What matters far more than the conjecture, was watching a Collingwood team show the form they did on Sunday afternoon at the ‘G’. I just wish they would make a decision on Buckley and tell me whether he is any good or not, because I am sick of trying to work it out.
Chris
Guest
He is transitional and may be given a skills coaching appointment on retirement. He is there to teach them good ball use and it appears that some are starting to pick up a few tricks from the old silver fox....
Peter the Scribe
Guest
I do like your style Chris....for one part of your wishes I think they drafted Brayden Sier to be the big bodied hard tackling mid....the jury is out as he has been largely injured and in the twos all year.
Gecko
Guest
The fact that Cordy is not generally remembered for playing a big role up forward in the premiership, and the fact that he hasn't played up forward much in 2017, suggests his forwardwork wasn't as important as you may think Matty. But now I'm nit-picking because he's not central to the argument. He's a fairly agile tall so he doesn't fit into the power forward category anyway.
Chris
Guest
As a real Maggie, I can safely say that I don't really have a great deal of love for you lot. However, it may be wise to keep your comments low key because if the Tigers blow it this year they could be slipping and sliding down the ladder in 2018 and beyond. It's now or never......I hope they do well as a fellow Victorian but you may find that you won't be up there for too much longer...They could be one hit wonders...
Chris
Guest
I believe as a humble Maggie that Polly Farmer was the best footballer I have ever seen. This is where our respective clubs are at fault. Mine lives in the 27-30 era and yours in the sixties and the recent past. It's about time they both got their acts into gear and showed the football public a bit of initiative and daring...
Chris
Guest
Peter I have lived through it all. The 58 flag came round the year I was born. I have seen the injustices of 64/66/70/77/79/81/2002/2011. The 1980 and 2003 affairs are left out for obvious reasons.Undermanned teams were sent in to do jobs beyond their means.I see the Red and Blue and I see the word KILL. I see the Navy Blue and I think DO OR DIE. I see the Red and Black and bleed to the last drop. I see Yellow and Black and get yellow fever. I want these guys to realise what these contests mean the world to us. They are more than a Sunday kick in the park. They are tribal encounters and social rivalry that goes back more than a hundred years. If you don't destory these foes you don't win anything...How can you like Norm Smith or Ron Barrassi? They are and were loathsome figures who twisted every rule in the book to win at the expense of fair play. I simply want you guys to raise your voices and show the real Johnstone Street tradition of fighting to the death for what we deserve and feel is right. I am fed up with Mickey Mouse performances and weak timid sheep being taken to the slaughter. It's high time the Board and Eddy got their acts into gear. Talls up and down the line. A fast midfielder to up the tempo and remove the one-paced midfield. An elite ball user to put Buckley's plan into proper effect and a really robust onballer to give the physical presence of a Luke Ball. There is nobody there with the physical presence to make tackles stick. I think that is what we need and it's up to the management and Matt Rendell to sort things out for good! No more feeble interviews by Derek Hine and his entourage. I want sound judgement and wise comments. No more Collingwood six-footers in key positions. Will Hoskimn-Elliott is no Royce Hart to play Centre Half Forward. Not eben John Greening could do that.Darcy Moore is a Forward Pocket and not a Full Forward. Hence the menu has as such:- 1. Tackling hard-nosed midfielder; 2. Elite ball using half bank flanker with pace; 3. Centre Half Forward of around 1.95 4. Centre Half Back of around 1.95 5. Full Back with long spiral punts and no messy short kicks. He ought to be 1.90 plus 6. Full Forward with a lead and long accurate kick. These are the apparent needs of the Club. The essence is there. It's the finishing touches that need attention.
Knoxy
Guest
Peter, as a fellow Pies supporter I admire your passion, however I disagree. I would rather the club had taken the Geelong route and tried to get as much out of our 2009-2011 list as possible, rather than gut the list prematurely and take a gamble rebuilding on the go (a gamble which so far hasn't paid off). Geelong may not have won another flag but they've gotten close a few times. I would much rather be in their shoes constantly competing rather than steadily dropping down the ladder with no end in sight like Collingwood has in recent seasons.
Chris S
Guest
As a tigers supporter I say "keep Nathan Buckley" and while your at it give Eddy another 20 years. I love what they are doing at Collingwood
Bretto
Guest
While Peter made some interesting points early on in the comments, (possibly his missus posting when he was asleep), please remember Peter does not represent the club or the Pies supporters. Peter represents PeterWorld.
Bretto
Guest
Jesus wept! Tippett? I trust you are a Swans supporter and looking to offload one of the worst recruits in the last 10 years (when you consider the money he's on). He played one decent game for Adelaide against Hawthorn in the finals. It used to be that Collingwood got decent players from Sydney (Licuria, Rocca,..) and now you are trying to even the ledger starting with Jesse White.
Thommo
Guest
Nailed it
Mattyb
Guest
Sammy,Adelaide aren't going to get a good player from another club for Lever,that's not how list management works. The players probably have to much say nominating clubs but that's probably another discussion regarding managers. I wouldn't mind Lever at the dogs but we've stocked up on that type of player recently but I think we might have a look simply because he's very good,and maybe try and make a forward out of Young or Adams. My guess is lever is worth a first round pick and a swap of seconds,clubs seem to love swapping picks and Adelaide should go deep into the finals. You might be able to up it by getting an outright second or maybe a fringe player from somewhere who has a bit of potential. A fringe player from a decent club would be more the go because of a lack of opertunity as opposed to a straight up reject. Petes offer might be fair but I can't see a club giving up two first round picks,maybe if we didn't have this nomination thing but we unfortunately do. There will unfortunately be no Treloar or Grundy. A good example of the potential player is someone like Kennedy from the Eagles,that was a big win for WC,and they got Masten with the pick. List managements a funny thing,I'd back Adelaide to come out well whether Lever stays or goes,their a smart and successful club. Clubs are successful for a reason.
sammy
Guest
Look, I don't want to lose Lever, but there is another player I really rate and if we could get him and say an end of first round draft pick, I could stomach lever heading across. The player I am thinking of is an ex Sturt player - Brodie Grundy who would head up Adelaide's Ruck stocks for the next 7-8 seasons as Sauce is coming towards the end in the next 1-2 years I would think
Mattyb
Guest
Yeah ,his kicking is a worry but it would be interesting to see how he might go in a decent side. Wouldn't cost as much as say Tippet and Tippet I feel is more a ruckman than forward. Carlton are super keen on the compensation pick and have structured their offer to him solely around that which he's well aware of,won't be getting anymore money out of the blues and he's not going to cost the world. It's a pretty similar scenario to what happened with Vickery and to a lesser extent Mayne,I'd rate Casboult above them. I say Maynes a bit different because Freo made out like bandits with that compensation pick. Makes for an interesting conversation about list management and some of these dudes have a whole manner of strategies us common fans havnt caught onto yet.
Peter the Scribe
Guest
Thanks Paul D...never heard of that but at least he wasn't serious
Peter the Scribe
Guest
Gee Matty we already have had enough players who can't kick for goal mate!
Peter the Scribe
Guest
ha ha...no way would I part with Treloar! he is a jet! How about pick 6, future 2019 first round and Tim Broomhead?
Tony
Guest
May as well get Cloke back, neither of them are reliable in front of goals.
Paul D
Roar Guru
He is an underrated shot for goal, that is true. Much the same reason the Hawks kept David Hale on for so long, he didn't get many shots on goal but he kicked true on most of them
Paul D
Roar Guru
Casboult wouldn't be the worst option for them up front