I appreciate that the bulk of football interviews mean nothing.
What do the players and coaches spout outside of the typical clichés that mean nothing?
Something like Adam Treloar’s passionate honesty is rare. It’s farcical that some media demand greater accessibility, despite the fact we’re not getting anything new or heartfelt or meaningful.
But we understand that’s part of the industry. Coaches and players are obligated to fulfil media commitments, and they’re hardly going to use that time to be brutally honest, or (as much as I’d like to see) cut a pro-wrestling-like promo against the opposition.
Sometimes, though, we do need to break from the script.
Now we get that when a player or coach or president retires, or is sacked. These are occasions where we expect meaning. As they exit the industry (or at least their position in the industry), the individual isn’t beholden to meaningless diplomacy and usually will be open, raw, and emotional.
And the other times we need a break from the script are when we want to see that the individual – or an individual speaking on behalf of a club – is feeling their supporters’ pain, rather than deflecting it, or minimising it, or outright denying it.
Collingwood went all-in on Nathan Buckley, appointing him with just two years’ worth of experience and managing out Mick Malthouse who was beloved by the players. It was a brave decision to stick with the succession given Malthouse had finally coached the team to a flag, as well as successive grand finals.
(Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
Even when Collingwood missed the finals in 2015, 2016, and 2017, the club continued to back Buckley.
But throughout 2017, there was genuine supporter unrest. Premiership heroes had been traded out. The team was playing ugly football. List management had made mistakes.
Had Collingwood sacrificed some bright, promising future for this?
We’ll never know.
All we could hold onto was what came next if we persevered with this madness. It certainly didn’t look promising.
As good as 2018 was for Collingwood, it was still just another grand final failure. But it provided hope – a band aid on that unrest. Maybe this is what we’d all been waiting for.
But Collingwood didn’t build on that effort – they clumsily took a step back. In the two years that followed, the club unraveled with bad trade deals, horrible salary cap management, and explosive racial issues.
Check social media and you’ll find that band-aid has been torn off, and taken a fair bit of skin with it.
Supporters verge from restless, to angry to disgusted.
How has the club done it again? How have they gone from a position of strength (2010-11, and 2018) and spiraled into this blundering ineptitude?
(Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
Isn’t anybody else supremely concerned? Or am I the only idiot who sees patterns repeating, a lack of self-awareness, and a potential swan-dive off a cliff? Am I exaggerating the poor shape of Collingwood’s list with ageing champions and a plethora of untried youth?
On Saturday night, an undermanned GWS defeated a Collingwood team who exhibited all their habitual problems: poor decision-making, skill errors, rigid play that lacks any creativity, vulnerability on the counter-attack, a lack of synergy between various facets of the team, and a perseverance with incumbent underperformers who offer nothing new.
Yet the coach comes out and it’s the same rhetoric.
Buckley pioneered the usage of ‘brand’ as an identification of on-field efforts, and is a master of the corporate-speak. Very rarely does he genuflect into actual real emotion.
Even his predecessor, Mick Malthouse, would show surliness or anger at times. Buckley is always relatively composed and says a lot without saying very much.
Meanwhile, we have a football department who is silent and joint presidents who are mute.
Perhaps this is a tactical retreat after having an outspoken president, but the club feels like they’re either oblivious, in denial, or just embarrassed about where they find themselves, and have no real idea how to proceed from here other than to hit the typical Collingwood rah-rah.
These are the people who got the club in this mess.
And this goes back to the succession plan. The same identities are in place.
They’ve tried to catch-up, take shortcuts, find direction, and yet here we are, with the club floundering at 1-3, yet persevering with an ageing list rather than the youth the club recruited with the claim they’d revitalise the list.
In regard to the football itself, Jamie Elliott will miss the bulk of the year with a broken leg. Taylor Adams went down with a medial ligament injury, which is about eight to 16 weeks.
(Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
Collingwood’s lack of depth and experience is now exposed. They will be forced to play unprepared youth – some of whom Collingwood should’ve pumped games into (last year) rather than persevering with the same-old.
It also shows how much their 2020 trade period debacle has hurt the club. Collingwood claimed they could cover these players. Really? Well, those players seem to have rediscovered their 2018 form at their new clubs, while present-day Collingwood flounders.
And the club itself? What do we get?
Well, some might urge we unequivocally, unquestioningly and unintelligently trust in the club – the club is composed and planning and blah, blah. This is the blind faith that the zealous express. They will shift goal posts on every argument, trying to find validation – or browbeat you into resignation.
Given the way this club has been run in the last decade, and particularly the last couple of years, I cannot trust that any genuine build, rebuild, or refocusing, is occurring. Maybe our off-field non-football endeavours are thriving, but our core and foundational business is not.
Just about every facet of that is a mess. We know there are issues with the list. We have a struggling coach and besieged assistants.
Everybody’s banking on yet another year of injuries. On-field strategies aren’t working. We have no guarantee that the salary cap issues are now fixed. We have damaged our reputation. And we’re actually something of a laughing stock.
Yet, somehow, we’re asked to believe – and have faith – that in the present we’re still a contender, and that the future is fine? We’re expected to accept yet another president who hasn’t been voted in by the members?
Ditto on the board. We’re expected to justify and rationalise and excuse what’s going on? We’re expected to be meek and just shut up while we watch it collapse in front of us?
The club has the distinct aroma of stagnation, and the same people cannot, and must not, be relied on to pull it from the mire.
This is the group who put it there. Twice.
As well as the group who committed a whole series of other blunders.
I’d like to see the club exhibit some genuine empathy for their supporter base, for their situation, and real accountability – not this crap they tried to sell after the trade debacle that it was all part of a strategy, treating the footballing world as if they were idiots who couldn’t recognise salary cap bungling at its worst.
I’m so tired of the lack of public discussion, as well as media scrutiny, on the powerbrokers behind this club.
I cannot believe it’s not the primary discussion in football.
Moving forward, Collingwood needs more than a lazy facelift.
They need to spill every off-field position – from coaches to administrators – and to inject a fresh perspective that will galvanise their outlook and implement long-term planning to rebuild their standing.
Because the current mob give absolutely no confidence of being able to do so.
Terrence
Guest
Sack Buckley can’t coach a under 10 side a complete enbrassment
Mooty
Roar Rookie
Only at Collingwood would they put up with Pendleburys terrible disposal efficiency for so long and not do anything about it. It is consistently around 55% which means nearly half his disposals either are in dispute, or go to the opposition. I’m sorry but he would not survive the “Champion Captain” label for too long at many clubs unless he lifted his game
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Trent Bianco has been injured all season and is still 3-5 weeks away.
George Apps
Roar Rookie
I agree Les, I'm heartily sick and tired of only excuses and not solutions to problems in the club. As I see it we NEED someone with "intestinal fortitude" at the club and empathy for our long-suffering supporters. It has gone on for far too long, in my opinion, and must be rooted out, otherwise they are going to lose even more fans than they already have.
Apparently Buckley has lost the senior leadership with the exception of Pendlebury. Grundy is reported as being one of the most vocal critics internally, which is something of a shock to me given how Buckley has shielded him from all criticism. Buckley does appear somewhat dispassionate and his corporate style speak is wearing thin. Buckley likes to follow the science and the data so it will be difficult for him to think outside the box (especially given the assistant coaches he has around him). Collingwood had the opportunity to inject (immediate) real change last year when Dean Soloman became available but preferred more of the same old, etc.
DTM
Roar Rookie
"You learn little from well-run clubs, same as well-run businesses." I disagree. You learn a lot from well run clubs and well run businesses. There are several well run clubs in the AFL - and they are not always at the top of the ladder. No club is immune from it's players and staff making mistakes but it is how you deal with those mistakes and learn from them that strengthens the club. The same applies to business and there is a lot to learn from well run businesses (think Apple, Google, McDonalds etc even MacQuarie, BHP and others in Australia). I agree that you learn most from your mistakes but seldom do we learn from other (people, clubs or businesses) mistakes.
Rick
Guest
The mighty magpies we are not that at all the place is stale and going nowhere we still pick the same old players that keep failing us it's time to bring in youth and put Darcy Moore to the forward line and a change of coaches are needed it's time for Graham Wright to shake this stale club up
Thepiewoman
Roar Rookie
Being a newcomer to AFL, I don’t really know much about the intricacies of the game, but I do know about business.....it seems Collingwood the business has poor management, unskilled staff, overpaid staff for their contribution,unhappy customers, no business plan ( or a weak one) poor reviews, a history of racism, is a slothful beast slow to act on obvious trends of business downturn.... it is still of little relevance that they are a football club to me and so it seems, to them.
Kevo
Roar Rookie
Been waiting for a Les article and not disappointed. The shabby treatment of Treloar and co was always a real threat to Buckley's credibility and his relationship with his players. A little bit of pressure and the chickens were always going to come home to roost. Bucks had his most important intimate relationship ended recently, and on top of that he also seperated from his wife. Talk about feeling the pinch. A boring predictable negative defensive game plan that we all know too well, especially the opposition. Little creative flare, imagination, inspiration, magic. Collingwood are the biggest confidence team in the comp. If they're firing and maintaining the rage they can beat anyone. If they're slightly off the boil any team (maybe not North atm) can run rings around them. They have to be no 1 in the comp or close to it in hard ball gets, first possessions, genuine hard tackles, smothers, the one per centres, balanced mongrel, etc if they're going to have a sniff. They look miles away from this. And blood the young because our skill and speed through the middle is absent, when we happen to go there. Despite Buck's gibberish on the subject, people are starting to acknowledge Grundy is not a genuine ruckman. I don't really blame him. Collingwood have been negligent in not providing top class ruck coaching for he and Cox for the past 7 or 8 years. And of course the stupidity in offering him the mega dollars contract, along with the woeful management of the salary cap which of course led to the shabby treatment of.... full circle. Mostly I've grown to like and respect Bucks and I truly wish he had won his flag in 2018, which would have been an awesome effort. But I had huge reservations about the coaching " handover" when it happened which I have banged on about before. More chickens.... more full circles.... A little bit of patience, humility and wisdom can go a long way. In general the club feels like a mess but don't be surprised if things turn around quickly......... after some more pain.
okapiman
Roar Rookie
The jockeying for leadership revolves around who if anyone can secure Clarkson. If someone can come up trumps - they get the Chairman position. Hence spill is awaiting on a few elements..
JPF555
Roar Rookie
Why would you play someone who is currently injured?
COB
Roar Rookie
Agree 100 percent DTM
Clayton Cross
Roar Rookie
You learn little from well-run clubs, same as well-run businesses. You learn the most from your mistakes. Collingwood unravelling before your eyes, with all their failures and shortcomings so public - it is great to watch and learn from. Would your club sack a premiership-winning coach and put in a person who has never won a premiership (never will) and was most famous for being selfish? Probably not anymore.. Would your club sack the games top administrator? For a friendship reunion between Gubby and Eddie.. so they can have some beers together? Probably not anymore... Would you put a 6-7-year-old of mathematical standards in charge of your salary cap? Probably not anymore.. You cant write dozens of good articles about clubs who are generally on the right path.. but they will not have the impact on the mediocre run clubs..
Clayton Cross
Roar Rookie
As Collingwood is so insular and Eddie still trying to control the ship. Do not expect any real changes anytime soon. But is a pleasure watching mediocrity in a large footy club play out at all levels in such a public manner. A positive is Collingwood should be entitled to JobKeeper for longer than any other sports club. I think a missing point in the discussion is player unrest. This will create the tipping point or be the catalyst as the bureaucrats are presently too focused on self-preservation. I have heard several players are looking at exploring their options and some decent names.. in them. Once that becomes public Buckley goes and a few more follow..
Naughty's Headband
Roar Rookie
Are you a St Kilda fan by chance? Way to make a post about Collingwood into a post about a mediocre St Kilda player.
Pat Malone
Guest
Temporary solution....S.A.N.D.O....then look for permanent coach..S.A.N.D.O...cannot change personel... though he has runs on board as senior coach..he would change the game plan.....
Footyguy
Guest
Play Trent Bianco I say! Pick 40 touted as a first round draft pick Within many mock 2019 drafts predicting him around pick 17 not pick 40 Die hard Collingwood supporter studied up on Collingwood analysed them researched them at school for assignments Reminds me of Tom Holland spiderman how he was an iron Man fanboy Play him! Play him!
Footyguy
Guest
That means buckley will show them the articles as motivation in the training sessions today and they'll use it against the Eagles like the way saint kilda did it. Bradley Hill a week ago this man is rubbish this man should have a spell of vfl , 9ne dimensional cornes ripping into him Puts in an absolutely terrific a grade performance You know what was great about it? He put in when he was required to he took the game on
Greg
Roar Rookie
Listening to Nathan Buckley's press conference today it appears that nothing is going to change. I think it's going to take his removal now.
AdamDilligafThompson
Roar Rookie
Silly question but does it worry Collingwood supporters about Degoey, the way he shopped himself around last year and then decided to stay at collingwood and correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't it come out from him or his dad that he wanted to put in a huge season in order to stitch up a new lucrative deal, just from the outside looking in, it looked as if was all about him and not collingwood and if another team comes along with the right pay packet and years, he'll be out the door quick as a flash and won't think twice about it.?