Collingwood’s big loss to Richmond has left them outside of the AFL’s top four but coach Nathan Buckley insists the Magpies aren’t far off their best.
Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley has put a positive spin on his side’s worrying AFL form slump, insisting the Magpies are only “a couple of per cent” off their best and declaring they will not make wholesale changes at selection.
Friday night’s 14.14 (98) to 9.12 (66) defeat to Richmond at the MCG means the Magpies sit outside of the top four with four rounds remaining.
Last year’s premiership runners-up have lost four out of six games since their mid-season bye, including last week’s similarly hefty defeat to GWS.
For the second week in a row, the Pies were dominated after giving up a huge lead early in the game.
Buckley’s men were held goalless for almost an hour of play between Adam Treloar booting the first goal of the match in the opening minutes and Scott Pendlebury’s roving finish shortly before halftime.
With Taylor Adams (hamstring) a late withdrawal and Jordan Roughead concussed during the second quarter, the Pies again had far too few contributing.
Towering ruck-forward Mason Cox was again held goalless and struggled to make an impact in the air, Jamie Elliott managed just five touches on return from injury and Josh Daicos, Callum Brown, Travis Varcoe and Josh Thomas were all quiet.
With a growing injury list leaving the Pies with few options at selection, Buckley said the Pies needed to find improvement from within.
“We need to keep believing in the way that we think the game should be played,” he said.
“I think there’s enough evidence over the last year and a half that when we do what we do well, it stacks up.
“We’re just a little bit off at the moment. We’ve generally covered for each other really well in a role sense and been able to come together and find some really good team synergy.
“We’re probably just a couple of per cent off that as well. It doesn’t take much. The margins are pretty small at the top end.
“We lost the game quite convincingly but I’m not disheartened by what we saw in many ways. There’s a lot of improvement in us but we’ve got a month to find that if we’re going to give
ourselves any chance when we get into the (finals).”
Buckley was unsure whether gun midfielder Adams, who pulled up sore at training during the week, would be available for next Sunday’s clash with bottom-placed Gold Coast.
Chris
Guest
Perhaps Josh Thomas could be added after his recent "form" dips too!
Spur
Guest
Nathan Murphy was drafted in 2017. 2018 has been his only season. He played the bulk of it in the VFL, and had a few games in the seniors. So where exactly hasn't he seen out a full season? Beams played 21 games in 2018 and 19 in 2017. I wouldn't have traded for him, but he'd been in excellent form prior to coming to Collingwood. Why delist Goldsack, who is coming of an ACL and was probably kept around for depth? Prior to the ACL, he's been durable. I agree with some of the other choices. Reid should've went. Wells is only around because of his contract. Crocker should've went. I can understand why they kept Dunn -- unless your point is simply to cut older players. Throwing in Sier to your list is laughable given the promise he showed last year. He's had a bad run this year at Collingwood, but he's not the only one.
Chris
Guest
The next issue that needs to be dealt with is the gameplan and the backroom staff. We have Nathan Buckley, Robert Harvey, Brenton Sanderson, Justin Longmuir, Tarkyn Lockyer, Jaryd Rivers, Brad Gotch, Matthew Boyd and Anthony Rocca. Peter, the most pertinent question is how many of these distinguished gentlemen will remain ? I will not accept the argument that they have done a good job. We seem to shelling out money so that guys can learn a trade. The reserves are doing badly, the firsts are in freefall. Nothing is going right at all. Too much possession with little end product. Another enquiry is in order but this time it ought to start with Eddie McGuire and his meddling, cronysim and nepotism. We have lost our working class soul and spirit. Sad to say this....Collingwood ain't Collingwood any more and for all the wrong reasons!
Ozibatla
Guest
Sobering perspective when you write it down like that Peter. How can the most viably successful side in the comp (financially speaking) continue to be behind the curve with issues such as injuries. Every person who visits the clubs facilities just marvel at whats available to everyone involved in the club. A major review is now mandatory as is any solution to the review. However drastic this solution may be, it has to be implemented regardless. Also there are many issues and theories that have been commented on as to what has caused Collingwoods demise. Most of these points have merit. One issue that I only noticed the other day when it was specifically raised in a partucular article was the amount of coaching staff either in the coaches box or on the interchange bench. On a week to week basis Clingwood has no fewer than 26 people employed through the coaching ranks. Thats right, 26! Surely messages, advice and demands are being misinterpreted, blurred, lost in translation etc etc. This is absolute over-kill and is having some sort of detrimental affect on the players. We can brag all we like about having the most toys in the comp yet the one we want most continues to allude us: premiership cup! Einstein once said that the very definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Unless Collingwood changes/evolves, they cannot complain about being labelled insane, inept, inferior, inadequate etc etc. Side note: Just as everyone is saying we need to move on from Mason Cox's prelim performance last year so too that we move on from the fact that we lost the GF by under a kick. At the end of the day we walked away empty handed and as blunt as this may sound theres ultimately no difference between 2nd and 18th. If your not first, your last and that is fact in this ruthless result driven business.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Credit to Triple MMM… Magpies injured/susp team. Says it all really. Suns odds must be pretty tempting. B: Quaynor, Dunn, Langdon HB: Kelly, Moore, Murphy W: Aish, Beams, Phillips HF: Wells, Reid, Sier F: Stephenson, De Goey, Noble R: Roughead, Greewood, Adams. Int: Sam Murray
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Beamsy is back at The Holden Centre tomorrow Chris to contibue his rehab. He will play in 2020 and is a remote chance to play in what will possibly be our only final if we can beat the Suns. Of your others listed, Murphy was our best performed in preseason training before going down with yet another Pies injury, he will be given another chance. Out definitely: Wells, Reid, Goldsack, Dunn, Murray, Varcoe, Out possibly: Crocker, Elliott, Wills Staying: Beams, Sier.
Chris
Guest
¨Peter, Can you clarify the following point? How many of the following are staying next year? Daniel Wells, Jamie Elliot, Sam Murray, Tyson Goldsack, Dayne Beams, Lynden Dunn, Travis Varcoe, Ben Reid, Nathan Murphy, Ben Crocker, Rupert Wills, Brayden Sier. Thirteen players out of a possible 47 represents 27.65%. Add onto that the other injured fraternity and more than 33% or 1/3 of the playing personnel can't contribute anything whatsoever. Even Superman would break down under such starin. Running ace Phillips is down....No wonder....Poor management, poor planning, poor vision. I don't think I'll ever live to see another premiership in my lifetime.... Thanks for the memories Pies but now it's all down hill. Next year will be the worst of Buckley's at the helm.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
De Goey, Phillips and Quaynor out for the season. Pies will struggle to field a side next week. Get on the Suns. Year over. Go Cats.
Chris
Guest
Six fit players are needed to lift the Pies. Buckley is delusional unless he knows something that we don't. If they are saving players for the business end of proceedings then so be it. However, any flag hopes they may have had are diminishing by each round that passes. They need four wins in a row to secure fourth place and hope that one of the top four slip along the way. I can't see that happening. Can anyone see them beating the Suns (MCG) Melbourne (MCG) Adelaide (Away) and Essendon (MCG) on current form? This has a 2014 8-3 followed by 3-8 and 2015 8-3 and 2-9 ring to it! You can't deny that he isn't consistent. At present we have gone from 10-3 to 4-1. Could we end up with 7-2? Heaven forbid.
Chris
Guest
Lack of key position players has been our problem for the last sixty years. The recruiters go for the flashy Collingwood six-footers. Hence the September failure. That's it in a nutshell!
Chris
Guest
Daniel Wells, Jamie Elliot, Sam Murray, Tyson Goldsack, Dayne Beams, Lynden Dunn, Travis Varcoe, Ben Reid, Nathan Murphy and Ben Crocker should have been delisted last October. Therein lies Collingwood's problem. There are too many players that are either too short or too weak physically too see out a full AFL season. Peter the Scribe was told so right here by yours truly but did not prescribe to my argument dending some of the above. You can't win football matches with guys on one leg and you can't win premierships by being nice and sympathetic! The ruthless prevail time and time again! Massive clear-out awaits us and mini rebuild in the offing. Perhaps we can add Rupert Wills and Brayden Sier to that group, too!
Goodie
Roar Rookie
It just don’t feel right with the cats on top.....it a wast
Goodie
Roar Rookie
It will be Fremantle mate ..... no way the eagles have salary cap
Goodie
Roar Rookie
Doing it a half a year………..tiger smashing in the future
The Brazilian
Roar Rookie
He gave his players a shellacking a few weeks back. Maybe that backfired so he's adopting a more positive approach. Many players these days don't take too kindly to a harsh dressing down. Could be a problem moving forward?
Aransan
Roar Rookie
I did think of him as well — I don’t think he would be near $800k though, and that is a good reason why teams competing at the top level have no excuse for lacking a high grade key position back. Forwards are a different matter. It is cheaper if you develop your own rather than attempting to poach players from other teams, but that takes time and good list management.
Yattuzzi
Roar Rookie
Lol
Cat
Roar Guru
Geelong has been doing it all year. Nothing special about it.
Goodie
Roar Rookie
Where there
Jack A
Guest
Add Barrass for WC (great spine).