First and foremost, Craig McCrae, thank you. You came in at one of Collingwood’s low points and reminded every one of us to smile and embrace the journey.
You brought in values of genuine care, authenticity and a mind only focused on the present moment. It was infectious.
As you mentioned many times in your press conferences, you cannot take all the credit for the rise. Justin Leppitsch, Brendan Bolton, Josh Fraser, Neville Jetta and someone people may not give credit to, Jarrad Wade (high-performance manager) also deserve praise.
These are all very good people and they showed their positivity towards the group and the supporters. The way Wade spoke in his weekly injury updates always provided hope and optimism for supporters.
Translating that hope and optimism to a playing group that had lost their love for football was going to be tough.
A mighty task, but it was clear the coaching group knew they would re-energise them.
Boy, do we love the McCrae-isms.
The windscreen wiper analogy – wipe it away, forget about it, move forward, water what you want to grow and act like winners were some of the key analogies adopted by the players.
Next, be brave. Take the game on, move the ball forward at any opportunity and take territory. Let’s not be boring.
Finally, always look to win.
A fresh, daring, positive and hope-driven mindset was just what was needed.
Given a similar playing group to 2021, the group went from finishing 17th to third, losing the preliminary final by just a single point.
(Photo by Mark Kolbe/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)
Amazing how a shift in mindset can bring the best out in a playing group.
But what’s next for season 2023?
Continuing the growth mindset, which has already started at the trade table.
There were some holes in Collingwood’s best 22:
– Key defender
– Key forward
– Small, fast-paced pressure forward
– Inside midfielder
Enter general Manager of football, Graham Wright. He identified Daniel McStay from Brisbane very early in 2022 and appeared to be sold on Collingwood very early. Key forward, tick.
Ian (Bobby) Hill had already requested a trade in the previous season which didn’t eventuate. Another one completed throughout the season. Small forward, tick.
Wright then sourced out Billy Frampton from Adelaide. A 200-centimetre key defender stuck in the reserves who can come in and play a role in a team defence, tick.
The final piece was an inside midfielder. Who would have thought it would be one of the best ball winners in the competition who knows how to feed the ball out with absolute ease, Tom Mitchell, tick.
However, there was a cost to bringing in some recruits.
It appeared Oliver Henry felt he wouldn’t be able to find a spot in the best 22 with the additions of Hill and McStay, so he requested a trade to play with his brother in Geelong.
The other loss which appeared to be brought upon by the club was Brodie Grundy. Due to the length and size of his contract, the club felt it was best to get the money off the books moving forward. The Pies ended up trading him to Melbourne and will be paying a portion of his salary.
With that move, the downside is the Pies’ ruck stocks appear a little thin. Darcy Cameron will take the main mantle and has Mason Cox as a backup if required. McStay or Nathan Krueger seems to be the pair that will help Cameron moving forward, but if Cameron goes down and other than Cox, who is ready to step up?
With all the changes in mind, how might the pies line up come Round 1? I haven’t considered new draft picks.
B: Maynard Frampton Howe
HB: Pendlebury Moore Quaynor
C: JDaicos Adams Sidebottom
HF: Elliot McStay Hill
FF: McCreery Mihocek Krueger
Foll: Cameron De Goey Crisp
Inter: Mitchell, Ginnivan, NDaicos, Lipinski, WHE*
Emer: Noble, Murphy, Cox
Missed: Johnson, Carmichael, Bianco, Macrae, Dean, Kelly, McInnes
*Currently talk of having a fifth player on interchange instead of a sub.
The four new recruits slot in fairly seamlessly. Frampton in for Nathan Murphy, McStay in for Cox, Hill for Ash Johnson, and Tom Mitchell for John Noble.
The core that played in the preliminary final stays quite similar. Krueger seems to be the better fit over Johnson with Krueger’s energy in the ruck and up forward during the final exactly what Collingwood need more of moving forward.
Hill will add some much-needed defensive pressure and goal-sneak ability to the forward line.
Frampton adds size and height into defence to play a role in a team defence and allows Jeremy Howe and Darcy Moore to play their intercept game.
(Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
The development of Murphy, Charlie Dean, and Will Kelly will be crucial with Howe (32) needing a successor and Brayden Maynard hunting for more midfield minutes.
Mitchell aids the need to win more contested ball and feed it to the outer players like the Daicos brothers, Jack Crisp, Jordan De Goey, and Scott Pendlebury. Mitchell also helps the loss of Grundy in the sense that they won’t be winning as many hit outs, with the need to be smarter to win the football back off the opposition.
The unlucky ones in Noble, Cox, Murphy, Johnson, and potentially Will Hoskin-Elliot depending on the new interchange rule will all be needed at some stage in the season with injuries likely to hit at some point, however, it shows the potential depth the squad may have.
The club is looking in good shape for another crack at winning the ultimate prize in 2023 but most importantly, continuing with a growth mindset, and looking to be better each day will have the players and Magpie faithful excited and craving a big year.
Macca
Roar Rookie
I don’t disagree but my point was he and McStay play the same role and will find it hard to gel together
George Apps
Roar Rookie
Mihochek doesn't need a lot of marks to be damaging - I'm happy with his efforts so far.
George Apps
Roar Rookie
Grundy was brilliant at tapping the pill down to Pendles! I've just watched the 350 games highlights of Pendlebury's career and I'm amazed at how good they were together!
George Apps
Roar Rookie
We can't be too optimistic can we, after all we are Pies supporters!
Ray Williams
Roar Rookie
IMO the ruck position is now overrated in the current game
Bangkokpussey
Roar Rookie
Take a chill pill Pete. you're coming off of a good year so everyone wants to take the pies down a peg. They were the come from nowhere team that we seem to have happen nearly every season. Was it a new coach bounce? How will the young bloke handle a tag? will a harder draw make a difference? I expect Carlton to do better so you and Macca will both be vying for bragging rights. Re Ollie Henry. When pies picked him up getting an earlier pick than the cats, I did say you would only have him to the end of his first contract. He always was a died in the wool cat. Both You and Macca have a lot to look forward too. Expect both will be in the finals. Richmond will still be there as will brisbane and swans. Horse wont take that loss lying down, although I think Buddy is finished. Is Freo the slider or if not who? sorry to say I think the doggies are cooked. Did the Cats fire their last shot in the locker and can melbourne get back to premiership form? It's all speculation anyway.
George Apps
Roar Rookie
Mason Cox, believe it or not, has taken the second most contested marks in the game, being 8 against Richmond in the 2018 Preliminary final.
Gabe F
Roar Rookie
Most underrated player in the whole league is Nathan Murphy. Cant see Frampton being promoted to the 22 round one, unless Krueger comes out. Lipinski another one. Went missing in the finals a little bit. Could make some room for WHE on the wing. I can also see Noble coming back too, has been great in 2022.
Macca
Roar Rookie
Careful Kevo - Peter thinks this type of thing is "ganging up"
Kevo
Roar Rookie
Just read this thread. Pathetic tripe from Macca and Yattz, adolescent stuff, not worthy of the time I wasted reading it. Peter your integrity is in tact. Keep posting.
Macca
Roar Rookie
:laughing: :laughing: Classic Peter - can't defend his blatant hypocrisy so simply claims he is right! :laughing: :laughing:
Macca
Roar Rookie
Resorting to personal insults again Peter – very telling. Perhaps when you return in Feb you might finally be able to say how much the Carlton player on long term contracts are getting paid, when they are getting paid it and how it is supposedly blowing our cap – but I doubt it, you really don’t like facts.
O M
Roar Rookie
I actually laughed out loud when I first read his comment, Pete. It’s one of the most embarrassing I ever seen here. I think he needs a dose of reality!
O M
Roar Rookie
His behavior has not gone un-noticed, Pete.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Oh dear Macca. Please do yourself a favour and get outside occasionally, breathe the air, take in some nature. Vitamin D is important. If you don't like the outdoors then read a book, take up an instrument? Sitting immersed in Footywire stats all Summer and trying to always feel you win an argument on one word even when proven wrong time and time again is well... it's just sad. I'll be back in Feb I'm sure you will enjoy your word games and Footywire stats with others in the meantime for your entertainment. Enjoy whatever it is you do.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Keep digging Macca and you'll get out of your hole eventually as will the Blues
Macca
Roar Rookie
1) What argument did I lose 2) You choose to engage me all the time with you constant references to me and made up posts about the Blues - you just childishly don't mention my name. 3) If you accuse someone of "going to town on Cox becuase he is 30" and he is actually 32 - above which not many player manage to still play at AFL level - that seems quite significant to everyone except the Person who made the mistake.
Macca
Roar Rookie
Ahh Peter, if you think those posts help your cause you are very wrong and also that isn't all that you said on the matter, you also mentioned Henry getting booed by 65,000 Collongwood fans when he played his first game for North when it looked like the Geelong deal wasn't going through. (I remember because I mentioned there was no way you were getting 65k to a Collingwood North game). But even if we just look t the statement above, aren't you a memebr of the Pies faithful? And there is clearly a celebratory tone about the Pies faithful booing Henry in your comment, yet you were outraged at Ginnivan being Booed. At
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Macca it’s more that every time you lose an argument, you focus on a word or something insignificant rather than the actual discussion. Makes you boring to engage with which is why I chose and will choose not to in the future. A lot of pressure on Carlton next year. Hope you focus on the footy rather than distractions you have sought out as a result of your side’s poor performances for two decades.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
This is what I wrote Macca and below was your spin on it. This is exactly whay you can’t be taken seriously anymore and why you are more interested in arguing on a word or an age being 32 or 30 than any real substance. I understand that Carlton have been woeful for two decades now and the Pies tipped you out of the finals by one point after you’d spent the whole season there. I know that hurts but time to move on. Peter the Scribe Roar Guru October 12th 2022 @ 6:09am “Agree Bretto. Both Grundy and Treloar loved the club and were messed up contractually in the chase for that flag 2018-2020. Carlton are going for the same thing now by high ending a few elite. GWS have tried the same and failed . One more goal in 2018 and the strategy would have been worth it. Ollie will get hammered by the Pies faithful to the level of Daisy Thomas in his first game for Carlton where the boos got to him and he completely shanked a shot for goal, barely made contact with his foot.” Macca Roar Rookie October 19th 2022 @ 5:29pm “I must say I have had more than one laugh at the hypocrisy of Collingwood supporters potting Henry after decrying the supposedly terrible treatment of Ginnivan. PTS claimed he was looking forward to booing Henry when he runs out for the Cats but booing Ginnivan was causing him mental trauma.”