Collingwood 2015 Season Review

REAL FOOTY

Finished: 12th Last season: 11th

Players used: 36

Personnel changes
The three key pillars – president Eddie McGuire, chief executive Gary Pert and senior coach Nathan Buckley have remained a solid team for several years now, confident in the list regeneration and changing culture under Buckley despite the fact the club has shifted down, or at best maintained their position, on the ladder every year since parting ways with Mick Malthouse. "Bullish" is the term regularly used by the club and good industry judges in relation to the Pies' premiership charge. Next year is the time to start running back up the ladder. Assistant coach Scott Burns could yet be a candidate for the Essendon, or maybe even Adelaide, senior coaching jobs.

Out the door
The two big names that won't be available next year are Lachlan Keeffe and Josh Thomas, although the club have committed to re-signing the pair for 2017 once they have served their suspensions for consuming performance-enhancing drugs. What happens to Clinton Young? The former Hawk did not play a senior game this year and will be 30 next year.

What went right
The first half of the season. As it turned out, the club's 8-3 start wasn't as good as it appeared, for seven of those wins came against non-finals teams. But it certainly looked impressive at the time, as Buckley's team found itself inside the top four halfway through the year. In a most unpredictable year, the Pies have actually bucked the trend by basically beating all the teams below them and losing to those above them. That in itself is an achievement. The only exceptions (as at round 22) were the surprise loss to Melbourne in round 18 (it is too harsh to put the three-point away loss to Port Adelaide in the same category) and the early win over North Melbourne and late one over Geelong. In reference to the bright start, Buckley concluded midway through the year that it was an "old-school mentality" to tell his players they had not achieved anything. "The fact is, we have achieved something," he said. Presumably, he will still feels the same way.

What went wrong
The second half of the year. The week after Buckley uttered those words, the Pies went on a six-game losing streak – their longest since 2005 – and eventually missed the finals. The 8-3 start turned the corner into a 2-8 finish (as at round 22) and included a stretch that defined the season: close, but not close enough. The Pies lost to premiership contenders Fremantle, Hawthorn, West Coast and the Western Bulldogs in games they were right in. But when it counted most in the last quarter, they "failed to step up to the plate", as Buckley would later surmise. Finding the forward line balance has improved late in the year, but remains a concern given Jesse White wasn't able to perform, and Ben Reid only started playing late.

Shining lights
Dane Swan has rebounded strongly from a down year in 2014, Taylor Adams has taken the "next step" the club hoped he would, while Scott Pendlebury has done what he always does. The Pies knew they were getting more than a "set of steak knives" in Jack Crisp, but he's probably surprised even himself with the level of impact he's had. Travis Varcoe has proved another handy pick-up, while No.5 draft pick Jordan De Goey lived up to his reputation as a ready-made player, contributing most of the season. Speaking of bright futures, how good does Darcy Moore look?

What's required to improve in 2016
One of Reid or Moore needs to step up and spread the load in the forward half, Levi Greenwood should have a greater output next year and we could start to see something from a couple of top 10 draft picks – Matt Scharenberg, provided he stays, and Nathan Freeman, provided he gets fit. Brent Macaffer could also become a factor.

Who'd have believed it
The words "Travis Cloke" and "trade" would come up in the same sentence.