Mid-Season Report Card

Herald Sun - Jon Anderson

IT was to be a dynasty to match the Hawks and the Lions, the Collingwood class of 2010 that had both youth and skill on its side.
So what went wrong with a group that won a premiership in 2010 when their average age was 24.17 (the youngest since 1978), made a Grand Final the year after and have been on a slippery slide since?
One that looked set to enjoy an era of sustained finals action at the very least rather than struggling to keep in touch with the eight while watching rivals go past them.
And right now that is the most galling aspect of Collingwood's demise, that their position of perceived strength has been eroded to the point where the Western Bulldogs and Melbourne have gone past them, and St Kilda may be pointed towards more immediate happiness.

Collingwood was on the verge of a "mini dynasty" according to some after winning the 2010 premiership.

Even their long-term hated rivals Carlton sit above them on the ladder, a Blues side that has achieved very little of note in the past 15 years. But who would you rather barrack for right now, Carlton or Collingwood?
That it's even a matter for debate is surprising given where the respective clubs were expected to be in 2016. Yes, the Pies have been badly hurt by injury to irreplaceable players in Jamie Elliott and Dane Swan, and a variety of others causing them to use 38 players this season.
But that's now. What about the group that was going to springboard their era? Aren't Nathan Brown, the 2010 kid who did such a fine job on Nick Riewoldt, their go-to man up forward Travis Cloke, running defender Alan Toovey, promising forward/on baller Brent Macaffer and swingman Tyson Goldsack all still at the club?
Correct, the problem being they are shadows of the 2010 versions and spent last weekend in the VFL. It's unprecedented that five players of that ilk should lose form to the degree of this quintet.
Then there are the players they traded out, or in the case of Jonathon Ceglar, delisted. Would Ceglar have played against Melbourne on Monday? In a heartbeat, as would Dayne Beams, Heath Shaw and Sharrod Welllingham. You could also make a case for Chris Dawes, Heritier Lumumba, Paul Seedsman and Dale Thomas, all of whom were traded for differing reasons.
That is the case with every AFL club, although when you trade champions such as Shaw, you put your "judgment hat" right on the chopping block.
Shaw was a popular and influential member of the 2010 team, just as he is now with GWS.
And the value he is providing to Zac Williams, Nathan Wilson, Nick Haynes and Matt Buntine up back is invaluable, just as it would be if providing the same to Marley Williams, Tim Broomhead, Adam Oxley, Matthew Scharenberg and Tom Langdon.

Nathan Brown was dropped, and then suffered an injury, after a poor performance against West Coast. Picture: Daniel Wilkins

WHAT HAPPENED?
The Pies won the flag in 2010, but the list they began the 2011 season with, poised for a "mini dynasty" according to some, has been turned on it's head.

TRADED
Dayne Beams (Brisbane), Jonathon Ceglar (Hawthorn)*, Chris Dawes (Melbourne), John McCarthy (Port Adelaide), Heritier Lumumba (Melbourne), Paul Seedsman (Adelaide), Heath Shaw (GWS), Dale Thomas (Carlton), Sharrod Wellingham (West Coast), Cameron Wood (Carlton)   *Delisted

Travis Cloke is struggling for form and playing in the VFL. Picture: Mark Dadswell

SUSPENDED
Lachlan Keeffe, Josh Thomas

DELISTED
Daniel Farmer, Luke Rounds, Trent Stubbs, Kirk Ugle, Tom Young

RETIRED
Luke Ball, Leigh Brown, Simon Buckley, Leon Davis, Brad Dick, Alan Didak, Ben Johnson, Andrew Krakouer, Nick Maxwell, Chris Tarrant, Darren Jolly.

STILL THERE BUT PLAYING VFL
Nathan Brown, Travis Cloke, Tyson Goldsack, Brent Macaffer, Alan Toovey.

PLAYED IN LOSS TO MELBOURNE
Scott Pendlebury, Steele Sidebottom, Ben Reid, Jarryd Blair, Ben Sinclair.

INJURED
Alex Fasolo, Dane Swan.