The Real Problem With Nathan Buckley’s Coaching

The Roar - Samuel Gates

Nathan Buckley’s coaching career has come under more fire this week after his side produced another mediocre performance against an improving Melbourne Demons outfit.
From the midway point of last season, the Magpies have won only three of their last 15 games. Buckley has inherited a squad from Mick Malthouse that was brimming with top four potential, coming off the back of a 2010 premiership and a minor premiership in 2011.
He may as well start booking his 2016 September holiday now.
It’s easy to point out the lack of results and lead the ‘sack Buckley’ war cry, but where is it actually going wrong for him?
If you look at the statistical breakdown of the 2010 side under Mick Malthouse, compared to today’s team under Buckley, there’s a significant worrying trend. Collingwood don’t run with the ball anymore.
In 2010, Collingwood’s regular half back flankers were Heath Shaw and Heritier Lumumba, who have both moved on to other clubs in the Buckley reign.
In 2010 they averaged 3.7 and 2.9 bounces per game. In 2009, Shaw recorded an incredible 167 bounces in a season at average of eight a game.
After four rounds in the 2016 season, Adam Treloar leads this stat category for the Magpies with a measly three bounces at 0.8 per game.
So why is this even relevant?
The current offensive trend in the AFL is to generate a significant portion of your attacking drive from the half back line. This was made particularly popular in 2014 from Port Adelaide’s strong running game under Ken Hinkley.
Other sides have also adapted to this trend very well.
A feature of the GWS Giants’ demolition of the Power on Sunday was the strong ball carry from midfielders such as Dylan Shiel and Stephen Coniglio, and the movement from the backline from Nathan Wilson and Heath Shaw.
The Power looked their best in the game when Jasper Pittard ran with the ball from defence.
A strong running game involves risk, but it’s one of the best ways to take the game on in modern football. It puts the opposition on the back foot through the centre of the ground and possibly explains why midfielders tend to kick more goals in the modern game.
Arguably the most exciting aspect of Collingwood’s play in the Malthouse era was when players like Shaw and Lumumba would run the ball hard through the middle of the ground, then link up well with good ball users such as Dane Swan, Dale Thomas, Scott Pendlebury, Ben Johnson or Alan Didak.
What we see now is a Collingwood side that is void of that creativity.
Buckley’s go to strategy on the weekend when his men were rebounding out of defensive 50 seemed to be to simply bomb it long down the line. Melbourne were then far better when the ball hit the ground, then a number of quick handballs allowed them to move the ball quickly through the centre to produce quality entries inside their forward 50.
A default strategy to kick long down the line will probably cut it in local football, but your coaching panel needs to have more imagination at the top level.
Collingwood have flirted with the idea of placing Pendlebury at half back this season, but then confusingly had Jesse White start the game on the half back flank in the clash against the Demons.
Collingwood needs to ask themselves, do we have a legitimate offensive strategy from half back? Who are our running defenders? Who are we moulding into this role?
Shaw and Lumumba have left large holes in this area.
Until we start seeing a Collingwood outfit that’s prepared to play a creative and hard running brand of football that takes the game the game on, we can expect to see many more lacklustre performances from the Magpies this season.

Shaw on Buckley

SUPERFOOTY

Pre-Season Game 2 Collingwood v Carlton Sunday March 15, 4.40pm Queen Elizabeth Bendigo Fox Footy 4.30pm Weather: Min 12 Max 24 Chance of rain 5%: < 1mm Wind: SSE 21kph Betting: Collingwood $1.45 Carlton $2.75

COLLINGWOOD legend Tony Shaw says Nathan Buckley’s favourite son status won’t save him if the Pies’ slide continues.
Shaw told the Herald Sun he didn’t see Buckley in the gun, but said a “volatile” coaching industry meant his side had to start performing soon.
Buckley is contracted until the end of 2016 and his regeneration strategy has the backing of club chiefs.
But it’s Collingwood’s drop from fourth to sixth to 11th in his three years in charge that has the sharks starting to circle.
Shaw, a 1990 premiership captain and Norm Smith medallist, was told to resign as Magpie coach in 1999.
“It doesn’t matter what name you are, whether you’re a favourite son — and I’ve been through it — you’ve got to pay a price, but I hope it doesn’t happen because I’ve got enormous respect for the bloke,” Shaw said.
“I reckon they had heaps of excuses (last year), but the excuses fall by the wayside if they continue. It’s a big year, you’d hope they make the eight.
“He’s got two years left on the contract so I wouldn’t think anything would be done unless it’s disastrous and they were non-competitive in a lot of areas until his contract is up.
“The pressure is on, of course. You’ve got to keep competitive and keep winning, but poor clubs make poor decision. Ed’s backed him in and they’ve gone down that track.”
Former Collingwood ruckman Darren Jolly, who was delisted by the Pies in 2013, said it was obvious his old side was “under the pump this year”.
“I’m sure he (Buckley) is probably feeling a bit of pressure to get the season underway and we’ll have to wait and see,” Jolly said.
“I’m sure they would have liked to have finished a bit higher the last few years, but ‘Bucks’ knows what he’s doing and they’re a big club with a lot of professional people.”
Incredibly, not one of 20 experts in the Herald Sun Footy 15 magazine, available tomorrow, has tipped Collingwood to play finals this year.
But Pies staffers remain bullish over what they claim is their best pre-season for some time, with a healthy list the cause for most optimism after a nightmare run of injuries in 2014.
Premiership defender Michael Christian, part of the fabled 1990 flag side, said he couldn’t understand the rumblings.
“I’ve heard people say this is a make or break year, but I don’t subscribe to the view that if Collingwood don’t make the eight in 2015 then we’ve got to start panicking,” Christian said.
“I’m quite optimistic and I still think there’s another 2-3 years with this group to hopefully make a Grand Final. I see 2016 as a real year where progress needs to be made and I don’t think it all hinges on 2015.”
Buckley delivered a stirring speech at Thursday night’s Collingwood season launch, finishing with a pointed reference to those critical of his progress.
“There’s plenty of people asking questions out there, about what we’re capable of,” Buckley told the crowd.
“They can ask all the questions they like. Only what we do on the park is going to count.”

Round 1: The Washup

SUPERFOOTY - Jon Anderson COLLINGWOOD ACCOUNTABILITY: Was virtually non-existent after quarter-time as highlighted by Freo kicking 3.2 from kick-ins (opponents normally concede one scoring shot a game from kick-ins). DISPOSAL: The Pies found targets by foot only 56% of the time which was 12% less than the Dockers. Teams don’t win too many games with that level of kicking inefficiency. UNAVAILABILITY: Significant. Ben Reid and Jesse White will bring them some tall versatility but that wasn’t their main problem against Freo. Same goes for Lachy Keeffe who was an emergency. Losing Marley Williams run was significant and the return of Josh Thomas will add to midfield depth. Paul Seedsman can provide dash from half-back. OUTLOOK: Given they had more out than Carlton and Richmond, they are entitled to be judged when near fit. That doesn’t change the fact they stank against Freo. NEXT 3: Sydney (ANZ Stadium), Geelong (MCG), Richmond (MCG). Collingwood Magpies presser 9:07 LONG-TERM Will the Pies have another crack at a premiership before captain Scott Pendlebury finishes up? There might be some rough seas ahead while their five first-round draft picks they netted in the past two drafts get 50-odd games under their belt. But once Ben Kennedy and Tim Broomhead are running the ball with confidence, Nathan Freeman is bursting away from stoppages and injured defender Matthew Scharenberg is intercepting across the back line, things may look more rosy. Brodie Grundy, Ben Reid, Lachlan Keeffe, Jarrod Witts and this year’s father-son pick-up Darcy Moore should provide a more than capable spine. Josh Thomas and Taylor Adams are front-line on-ballers in the making.	SUPERFOOTY COLLINGWOOD INJURIES  Tim Broomhead (wrist) 2-3 weeks Nathan Freeman (hamstring) 2-3 weeks Corey Gault (groin) 1 week Patrick Karnezis (osteitis pubis 2-3 weeks) Adam Oxley (ankle) 1-2 weeks Matthew Scharenberg (feet) indefinite Paul Seedsman (hip) 2-3 weeks Josh Thomas (knee) 1-2 weeks ON THE BLOCK: Nathan Buckley said the heat would be on some of his senior players after the disappointing Round 1 result against Freo. Marty Clarke could be in the gun after a subdued outing in the season opener. Time will tell if other more-experienced names will pay. Tyson Goldsack and starting sub Ben Kennedy could make way as the Pies welcome back a couple. ON THE CUSP: Ben Reid and Jesse White will return against Sydney in two weeks. Alex Fasolo is certain to be banging down the door for a game, while Buckley may give Tony Armstrong a crack at his former team. Tall defender Lachy Keeffe, considered stiff by many not to play against Freo, could come in against the Swans if a match-up presents. FORECAST: It just got hotter down at the Westpac Centre. We’re only a week into the season but with a daunting early-season draw, the Pies are facing a big one in Round 2 when they travel north to face Buddy and the Swans. They’ll be buoyed by their strong record up there, but there’s plenty to work on between now and then. 'Heat on senior Pies.'
REAL FOOTY AFL legend Wayne Carey has accused Collingwood of playing ''bruise-free'' football, while there is a ''big watch'' on Nick Maxwell and Marty Clarke as the Magpies begin the task of regrouping after a shocking start to the season. After an even first term, the Magpies were mauled by 70 points by Fremantle in front of a disappointing crowd of 37,571 at Etihad Stadium on Friday night. Collingwood chief executive Gary Pert had expected a crowd of 45,000, while the AFL was confident of 42,000, on a day league boss Andrew Demetriou lamented the unavailability of the MCG to open the season. The Magpies were unable to deal with Fremantle's sustained pressure and a new, attacking game plan involving quicker ball movement and a desire to seek coast-to-coast goals, using what coach Ross Lyon later branded ''through balls'' rather than kicking sideways and holding up play. Advertisement Collingwood’s score (46 points) was its lowest under coach Nathan Buckley and lowest ever against the Dockers, while the losing margin of 70 points was its highest since Buckley took charge in 2012. That the Magpies were unable to physically worry the Dockers had Carey declaring they had played ‘‘bruise-free’’ football after quarter-time. ''They did not put a finger on Fremantle players for periods of the game,'' Carey said on Triple M. "For some goals, we know the one that went from one end of the ground to the other - when [Hayden] Ballantyne wheeled around and kicked that goal - but the one that shocked me was the one [Ryan] Crowley marked at the top of the square, uncontested ... an uncontested 15-metre chip, that for me was just unforgivable.'' Carey said the Magpies, with power forward Travis Cloke held goalless after being at times triple teamed, had played as bad as struggling Melbourne had last season. The stinging loss prompted Melbourne great and commentator Garry Lyon to question the futures of Maxwell, the former skipper, and Irishman Clarke, declaring there is a ''big watch'' on the pair in the coming weeks. The Magpies maintained through the pre-season that Maxwell was still in their best 22. It clearly wasn’t the start the Magpies, even without injured talls Jesse White and Ben Reid, had envisaged, particularly after Pert had said pre-match the Magpies expected to win a flag within the next three years - the life of Buckley’s new contract. Collingwood has next weekend off as part of the split round but then face a potentially harrowing six weeks, with Sydney and Geelong in its immediate sights. Magpies head of football Rodney Eade denied the loss was a reality check but said goalkicking, kicking efficiency and use of the ball was the ''most damning thing for us that we have to get right''. Buckley, whose anger boiled over at times in the coach's box, said the ''heat'' was now on the entire club. "When there’s such contrasts in the way that you perform from quarter to quarter, it puts heat on everyone,'' he said. "We will more than likely sit at the bottom of the ladder with our percentage at the end of round one, but we will be four points away from the top team. So it’s a loss, it’s a poor loss, but you don’t wrap the season up. "We’ve clearly got some players who performed really well, but we just didn’t have enough support, there weren’t enough troops, there wasn’t enough weight of numbers for long enough. "So the heat goes on if you don’t perform - players and coaches and administrators alike.'' Eade said Reid and White would be available to tackle the Swans. Lachlan Keeffe, Alex Fasolo, Jarryd Blair and Sam Dwyer are likely to be in contention for a recall.	REAL FOOTY It sounded like an intriguing, if unconventional, season opener. Collingwood, the box office champion, against Fremantle, the rising power. A perennial finalist and Victorian power against the 2013 grand finalist. There had been talk that Freo had ‘‘earned’’ the right to open the season against the heavily supported black and whites. In truth, it was leviathan Collingwood that wasn’t equal to the occasion. It was the proven attraction that flopped on opening night. When did a Pies team last seem so impotent in the face of vastly superior opposition? Hawthorn might have owned Collingwood for two years, but the Hawks never submitted them to a humiliation of the kind that Ross Lyon’s well-drilled troops inflicted upon them. After a spirited, if highly inefficient, first quarter, the Pies could not score another goal for more than an hour. The occasion underwhelmed on a number of levels. The crowd was down several thousand on what one might have predicted. Collingwood folk, perhaps, had a premonition of what was coming. The strangling was completed early – by the middle of the second quarter, Freo had rendered its prey lifeless, before swallowing it whole. And the Dockers showed a capacity to score that wasn’t always evident in 2013. They also showcased the talents of a fellow called Nathan Fyfe, whose majestic performance reminded us of his James Hird-like ability to waltz into contests and emerge with the ball. Aaron Sandilands reminded us of his stature as the game’s most imposing – and biggest – big man. Hayden Ballantyne reminded us that his wasteful grand final was an aberration. The Dockers belonged out there, under the brights lights of opening night. The Pies were embarrassing. Nathan Buckley might have been buoyed by a two-year contract extension, but he has some problems and should brace himself for some flak. While the defeat by Fremantle shouldn’t come as a surprise – the 22 that Collingwood sent into the season opener lacked class, in both defence and attack – it was the extent of destruction that was worrisome. A four or five-goal loss would have been palatable, considering Fremantle’s strength and Collingwood’s personnel issues. But a belting of this scale invites questions, and unfortunately for the Pies, the fixture does not afford them much respite – next up, they face the Swans in Sydney, another team fancied to figure in the box trifecta at season’s end. Buckley’s issues were everywhere, but were most pronounced at what he terms ‘‘the pointy ends’’. Travis Cloke has often found Luke McPharlin difficult – the Docker defender is elite in one-on-ones – but he did not have a chance, given the combination of terrible disposal and Fremantle’s systematic out-numbering. Jesse White and Ben Reid in particular were major omissions. Without a foil for Collingwood, or another aerial threat, the Pies sought to manufacture goals with mid-sized players – which is difficult against any quality team, and nigh impossible against the Lyon cage. They couldn’t hit targets anywhere. Reid is likely to play in attack when he overcomes his calf problem, but one can mount a case that he is equally needed in a defence that is without Heath Shaw and won’t have his prospective successor, Marley Williams, for an undetermined period. The Collingwood backline was replete with either unfamiliar and inexperienced names – Jack Frost, first-gamer Tom Langdon – or names that are familiar but not distinguished, such as Marty Clarke, who simply isn’t up to scratch. The Pies have a bye next week before the challenge of the Swans. The Dockers could be said to have had an unexpected bye a week earlier.
Herald Sun Sport - Mark Robinson FOOTBALL and expectations can be a killer combination. The bigger the expectation, the greater the criticism when it goes pear-shaped. At Collingwood the bar has been set high and, if we can make judgments after just one game, they are a little misguided too. Coach Nathan Buckley recently said his team would contend for the premiership this season. “Play our best, win every game that we play ... contend for the flag. That’s our expectations,” he said. Just 30 minutes before the bounce on Friday night, Magpies chief executive Gary Pert said: “I would suggest not only playing in finals for the next three years, but I would expect us to be top-four and winning a premiership during that time.” The Magpies were trounced by Fremantle and the reaction from Magpies fans has been extraordinary. The criticism of Buckley has been unreasonable. Pies fans bleed black and white and some still bleed for Mick Malthouse. It’s time they got over it. Malthouse is at Carlton. Buckley is coach. The 2010 premiership was a lifetime ago in the way football is played and the way with which teams have improved and gone backwards. We’ll never know whether Malthouse would have had Collingwood in better shape than Buckley. President Eddie McGuire backed in his decision with a contract extension for Buckley which was announced two weeks ago. The point is, Collingwood will not contend this year and Buckley’s pre-season prediction says more about his glass half-full confidence than the practicalities of his list. The Pies are slow, small, young, can butcher the ball and the midfield doesn’t work hard enough defensively. Last year, Scott Pendlebury called them cheats and Friday night wouldn’t have improved his thinking or changed his view. Dayne Beams and Dane Swans are elite players but wouldn’t know who their opponents are most of the time. Luke Ball is a warrior, but he’s slow. Nick Maxwell’s the same and the sand is falling through his hour glass. The size of Ben Kennedy (175cm), Taylor Adams (181cm), Jarryd Blair (174cm), Marty Clarke (181cm), Sam Dwyer (180cm), Jamie Elliott (178cm), Alex Fasolo (181cm), Kyle Martin (180cm), Steele Sidebottom (180cm) and Josh Thomas (178cm) is also a concern. Perhaps it’s not about the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog. Clarke’s career is at the crossroads, Elliott played well in a great team and needs to do the same in an average one, and the footy world is looking at Sidebottom. Star in the making or a pretty handy mid/forward? The defensive group is young, the rucks are younger, and if Buckley wants to contend he has to finish top four. The Pies are going backwards before they go forwards. '... criticism of Buckley unreasonable'	SUPERFOOTY FORMER Essendon champion Matthew Lloyd poured cold water on Collingwood’s bid to win a premiership in the next three years, saying the Pies are “nowhere near it”. Collingwood copped a 70-point hiding from Fremantle on Friday night only hours after chief executive Gary Pert said the club expected to win another flag before coach Nathan Buckley’s contract expired in 2016. Senior Pies have already been put on notice ahead of their Round 2 meeting against Sydney in a fortnight, with Buckley confirming the Round 1 thrashing would put players under immediate selection pressure. Key forwards Ben Reid and Jesse White are expected to return from calf injuries for the Swans clash. Despite a heavy player turnover in recent years, Pert said the club expected to maintain its run of eight-straight finals appearances under Buckley. But Lloyd was adamant the Magpies’ short-term premiership ambitions were unrealistic. “They are going to go down before they can come back up,” Lloyd said on The Sunday Footy Show yesterday. “He (Buckley) is playing kids. He’s made statements on older players who were his best players but I think there are some clubs leapfrogging Collingwood at the moment.” The Pies have the sixth-youngest list in the competition including the addition of five first-round draft picks in the past two years. Among the departures were key players Dale Thomas and Heath Shaw and a host of other veterans who weren’t in the club’s next premiership vision. But Pert said on 3AW the club was aiming high under Buckley and coaching director Rodney Eade after last week extending Buckley’s contract for two more seasons. “They have created a culture, they have created a list and team that we have very high expectations of,” Pert said. “I would suggest not only playing in finals for the next three years, but I would expect us to be top-four and winning a premiership during that period of time.” The Pies butchered the ball in the season-opener, with Buckley describing the team’s ball-handling as “woeful”. The coach said the Round 1 shocker “ puts heat on everyone ”. “We will more than likely sit at the bottom of the ladder with our percentage at the end of Round 1, but we will be four points away from the top,” Buckley said. “It’s a loss, a poor loss, but we don’t wrap the season up. “We’ve clearly got some players that performed really well … but we just didn’t have enough support. “So, yeah, the heat goes on if you don’t perform. Players and coaches and administers alike.” THE GOOD AND THE BAD TICK — Dayne Beams 31 possessions and seven clearances TICK — Brodie Grundy 13 hit-outs and 14 possessions TICK — Jarrod Witts 11 hit-outs and eight possessions TICK — Tom Langdon 24 possessions six marks CROSS — Luke Ball 27 per cent kicking efficiency and seven clearances CROSS — Steele Sidebottom 40 per cent kicking efficiency and three behinds CROSS — Dane Swan 35 per cent kicking efficiency and two tackles CROSS — Martin Clarke 13 possessions and 0 tackles COLLINGWOOD’S NEXT FOUR Rd 2 v Sydney Swans (ANZ) (N) Rd 3 v Geelong Cats (MCG) (N) Rd 4 v Richmond (MCG) (N) Rd 5 v North Melbourne (MCG)
The Australian IT was a three-quarter thrashing that prompted accusations that Collingwood had played “bruise-free” football, yet it is one facet of Friday’s debacle the Magpies might challenge. As much as it seemed Fremantle was able to move the ball without pressure and brush bodies away at will in a rout that prompted the above accusation from AFL legend Wayne Carey, statistics suggest Collingwood’s physical approach is not what let it down. The Magpies compiled only one contested possession less than the hard-nosed Dockers and actually laid 14 more tackles, though that in part is due to Fremantle’s dominance. It was Collingwood’s kicking, both in general play and for goal, that proved the biggest issue as the confidence eroded against a rival that Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley yesterday described as scary. The likely inclusion of Ben Reid, who missed against Fremantle with a calf problem, will provide another marking option for Collingwood to kick to in its second round clash against the Swans in 12 days. Jesse White, too, looks a likely inclusion given Collingwood’s director of football Rodney Eade said Reid and the former Swan would have been able to play had the Magpies played in the second half of the split round. 'Collingwood’s kicking the biggest issue.'	SUPERFOOTY Collingwood studs: Many Super Coaches were tossing up between Dayne Beams (136) and Scott Pendlebury (127). Not a bad idea to have both based on Friday night’s form. Meanwhile, draftee Tom Langdon (111) could be a steal in defence. Collingwood duds: He’s promised more accuracy in front of the sticks this year, but right now Travis Cloke just needs to get more of the pill. The forward only collected 35 points although it was a tough night as the Freo backline dominated. The returning Alan Toovey only scored 30. Beams: Super Coach pick

CRUNCH TIME: Round 15 Collingwood v Carlton

Collingwood News Collingwood v Carlton Friday July 5, 7.50pm MCG 7mate / Fox Footy 7.30pm Weather: Min 8 Max 13 Chance of rain 60%: <1mm Wind: WNW 28kph Betting: Collingwood $1.91 Carlton $1.91 Collingwood’s 35-point loss to a red hot Port Adelaide has seen supporters scanning the newspapers and surfing the Internet bulletin boards in search of the panacea to the team’s middling form. Collingwoodfc.com.au has compiled a list of players who could be considered for selection when the match committee submits its team on Thursday evening. From the coach: “Our VFL (team) had a win earlier this afternoon. Andrew Krakouer, Clinton Young and Lachlan Keeffe were a few boys that performed pretty well. We expect to get Beams and Goldsack back into match play next week so there’s four or five there that are up and about and ready to come in. It’s good to have competition for spots. We had obviously some players tonight that had their colours lowered and if that happens too consistently then clearly selection needs to come into play. Benny (Reid) was thereabouts. He’ll play next week,” – Nathan Buckley after Collingwood’s loss to Port Adelaide on Saturday. What’s next for the seniors? Friday night football against Mick Malthouse’s Carlton at the MCG. The eyes of the nation will be on the two clubs that currently hold eighth and ninth on the AFL ladder after 14 rounds. Where is the VFL team at? The VFL Magpies will take on the ladder leading Box Hill at Box Hill City Oval on Saturday at 2pm. 6. Tyson Goldsack Has taken more time to recover from a pesky hip injury than first anticipated but was touted as a possible returnee by Buckley in his post-match press conference. Considering the amount of football he has missed, Goldsack is probably more likely to return via the VFL. Last played: Round Six v St Kilda In 2013: 5 games, 5 goals. Averaging 11.20 possessions, 2.60 marks and 2.40 tackles 7. Andrew Krakouer In slashing form at VFL level in recent weeks. Won 25 possessions (17 contested) against Coburg and returned from the bye to win a team-high 24 touches in Saturday’s win over Port Melbourne. He was a key in Collingwood’s ability to hold out the more experienced Borough in the second half and inspired his teammates with several desperate acts. Last played: Round 10 v Brisbane In 2013: 5 games, 6 goals. Averaging 13.40 possessions, 3.20 marks and 3.00 tackles 14. Clinton Young Poor Young has endured his share of frustration since crossing from Hawthorn as a Free Agent last October. He looked the part on the wing in the NAB Cup but played only one game in the opening 11 rounds of the home and away season (and even that was only a 10 minute stint in the VFL before injury struck). Fortunately, it appears as if he is over those hurdles and he hasn’t taken much time to find his touch in the VFL. In his two games at that level he has won 13 and 21 possessions and his long left foot has set him apart from his opponents. Got four quality quarters under his belt against Port Melbourne on Saturday and it will surely be tempting for the match committee to call upon his services for Friday night’s clash with the old enemy. Last played: Grand Final v Sydney 2012 (for Hawthorn) In 2013: 0 games, 0 goals 15. Jarrod Witts Hasn’t been seen on the MCG since the loss to Sydney in round nine but his VFL form has been solid in recent weeks as he begins to form a reliable ruck partnership with Brodie Grundy that Pies fans hope will sustain the team for the next decade. Witts had 24 hitouts against Coburg and followed that up with another 19 against Port Melbourne. He also had an impact on the scoreboard in both games and has looked dangerous leading out of the goal square. Last played: Round Nine v Sydney In 2013: 3 games, 1 goal. Averaging 6.00 possessions, 2.67 marks, 1.33 tackles and 5.33 hitouts 17. Dayne Beams The man Collingwood supporters have been patiently waiting to see all season. The 2012 Copeland Trophy winner injured his quad at the final training session before the first game of the year and has struggled to shake it ever since. Nathan Buckley has provided hope of a recall in his recent post-match press conferences. First, he told reporters after the win over the Western Bulldogs: “Dayne Beams has had a bit of a breakthrough over the last couple of weeks and he was where ‘Goldy’ was probably a month ago. We’d be looking to have him back, if not the first game out of the bye, then the second.” He followed up almost a fortnight later with this after the loss to the Power: “We expect to get Beams and Goldsack back into match play next week.” On that basis, Beams is in the frame for a game this week. Whether it’s in the VFL or the AFL is up to the match committee. Last Played: Preliminary Final v Sydney 2012 In 2013: 0 games, 0 goals 18. Darren Jolly Sat out Saturday’s game due to a toe injury but is expected to be in the frame this week. “They’ll both be assessed again after the weekend rehab sessions,” Director of Football Geoff Walsh told collingwoodfc.com.au when it was announced that Jolly and Ben Reid would miss the trip to South Australia. “At this point it doesn’t look like they’re long term injuries.” Last Played: Round 12 v Western Bulldogs In 2013: 9 games, 4 goals. Averaging 11.78 possessions, 4.44 marks, 3.56 tackles and 23.22 hitouts 20. Ben Reid Like Jolly, Reid missed Saturday’s loss to the Power but is expected to come into the reckoning for a game this week. “Benny (Reid) was thereabouts,” Buckley said after the match. “He’ll play next week.” Reid was substituted out of the round 12 clash with the Western Bulldogs during the third quarter. Last Played: Round 12 v Western Bulldogs In 2013: 12 games, 3 goals. Averaging 16.17 possessions, 6.17 marks and 1.67 tackles 23. Lachlan Keeffe They say that good things come to those who wait, and Lachlan Keeffe has had to wait longer than most for a chance to restart his AFL career. He missed 12 months after undergoing a knee reconstruction and then had to sit out another fortnight as the result of a kidney injury sustained in his comeback game against Essendon’s VFL side. He has now strung two high quality games together and could be thrust back into the action against the Blues on Friday night. Although he has played most of his senior football as a centre half back, Buckley hinted that he could even be used in a Quinten Lynch/Leigh Brown role as a key position player that can give the senior ruckman a chopout late in the quarters. “’Keeffey’ played today and he’s going to be an important part of our second half of the year (in terms of) competition for spots,” Buckley told the press after the win against the Bulldogs. “It’s pretty hard to create that sort of competition for a player like Quinten Lynch who in the last couple of weeks has been really good for us but to have that second ruckman opportunity and also pressure on our key backs is important. Keeffey is a player who showed in the first half of last year what he was capable of. He’s only played nine games of footy and in the last 12 months he’s been getting over an ACL. Big fellas take a bit of time. We can’t expect a great deal from Keeffey.” Last Played: Round Nine v Adelaide 2012 In 2013: 0 games, 0 goals 29. Tim Broomhead Collingwood has already blooded seven new players this season, so what’s stopping it from introducing an eighth? If the match committee is looking for more new blood, Broomhead could be the man. He has been a solid contributor in all five of his VFL games since recovering from a pre-season bout of glandular fever and his form was acknowledged by the coaches when he was named as an emergency for the game against the Bulldogs. The South Australian onballers had 18 possessions on the weekend and kicked a classy goal in the second quarter. Last Played: Yet to debut In 2013: 0 games, 0 goals 33. Jackson Paine Twelve months ago, Paine was coming off a two goal game against Fremantle and kicked another two against Carlton before being demoted to the VFL. He has only appeared once in the 360 days since and not once this season. But that doesn’t tell the full story. Paine, who underwent surgery on his shoulder last summer, has been a key reason behind Collingwood’s bright start to the VFL season. He has kicked 27 goals in 11 games (already 10 goals ahead of last year’s haul), peaking with five against Geelong in round six. The 194cm full forward has made solid improvement as the year has worn on and is well placed to make an impact if called upon by the match committee this week. Last Played: Round 23 v Essendon 2012 In 2013: 0 games, 0 goals 43. Adam Oxley A revelation in the first half of the VFL season and was deservedly given opportunities in the seniors against Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs. He acquitted himself well after starting as the sub on both occasions but was squeezed out against Port Adelaide. Started Saturday’s game against Port Melbourne a little quietly by his usual standards but ended it as Collingwood’s second most prolific player (22 possessions, seven marks and a team-high five rebound 50s). Last Played: Round 12 v Western Bulldogs In 2013: 2 games, 0 goals. Averaging 5.00 possessions, 1.50 marks and 0.50 tackles
The Tackle IT will be a blockbuster between a team fighting and losing and a team losing and not fighting. Carlton is two games outside the eight, having lost seven games, the greatest margin being by 22 points against Sydney on Friday night. Two weeks ago the Blues lost by 15 points to the Hawks and before that by five to the Bombers. They are thereabouts without being good enough. They have stars and foot soldiers and a couple in between, which makes them competitive without being a threat to the top teams. The Magpies beat Brisbane Lions, Melbourne and the Bulldogs leading up to Port Adelaide and were embarrassed by Ken Hinkley's boys. They sit in eighth spot and have more issues than Carlton. Arguably, they are flat-track bullies. The days of the maniacal Magpies are long gone. They play nice footy. Not so much cheats' footy, but footy in the nicest possible way. Against Port, they waited and stood off, hoping the ball came their way, whereas Port had waves of players attacking the contest and the man. When Collingwood won the ball and got it forward, it was too predictable. It's Travis Cloke or bust, and Port simply double-teamed the big man and, when the ball came to ground, scampered it out of defence. The Cloke situation, in fact Collingwood's forward-50m formation and productivity, is a shambles. The smalls are young and inconsistent, Quinten Lynch has disappeared, and for the first time it can be said the Pies might be missing Chris Dawes as a secondary target, regardless of whether he marks the ball or not. Clearly, their eyes are focused on Cloke. As a forward target this season, Cloke is the No.1 go-to man. The Magpies kick it to him a remarkable 42 per cent of the time. The next most in the competition is the Giants' Jeremy Cameron at 35 per cent, followed by Lance Franklin 32 per cent, Drew Petrie and Tom Hawkins on 30 per cent and Nick Riewoldt at 29 per cent. Last year Cloke was the target only 29 per cent of the time. Indeed, the Pies are as predictable as death, taxes and KB defending the umpires. The Magpies do have excuses. They were without Ben Reid, Darren Jolly, Dayne Beams, Dale Thomas, Clinton Young, Andrew Krakouer, Tyson Goldsack, Ben Johnson, Alan Toovey, Alex Fasolo, Alan Didak and Lachie Keeffe, and while most of them will play again this season, time is against them for match hardness and team chemistry. Still, "excuses" is not a word in Nathan Buckley's vocabulary. The Pies were overrun, as they were against Fremantle, Essendon and Hawthorn. As an experiment, this column went to Collingwood fans on Twitter for their thoughts. In no particular order, they argued: TOO many inexperienced players. LACK of intensity and spirit. NOT quick enough and lack of defensive run. GAME plan exposes defence when the ball is turned over. TOO Cloke conscious. Let's agree that there are too many passengers, highlighted by Buckley's post-match comments that selection would likely be an issue this week. All-over defence also is an issue. The Pies have conceded the most points of any team in the eight and, although just four points worse than second-placed Geelong, the Cats have kicked an extra 45 goals. The Blues have scored 51 points more than the Pies and have let through 47 fewer points. That doesn't mean the Blues are automatic selections this week, but right now their game seems have to more substance about it. Of course, both clubs could learn from Port Adelaide. It was a terrific performance from the most-improved team in the competition. Its pressure was extreme and cohesive, and if David Attenborough had been commentating at AAMI Stadium on Saturday, he would have likened the Port players to a pack of African wild dogs hunting a shell-shocked Thomson's gazelle. As Attenborough would say, even the youngest members of the African hunting pack have a role to play.	The Roar Are Buckley and the Magpie players on the same page? That is a very hard question to answer, but looking at some of Collingwood’s lacklusture efforts in recent times – especially Staurday evening’s bad loss to Port Adelaide – the answer at times could be yes. There’s been talk of a simmering standoff between coach Nathan Buckley and the so-called Brat Pack group of players, Dane Swan, Heath Shaw, Alan Didak and Ben Johnson. All four are among the Magpies most experienced but appear to have had their differences in recent times with the coach, who was also a former teammate. Shaw, in particular, has been seen deep in conversation during matches with Buckley and the chats haven’t looked as friendly as they should if everything was really going swimmingly. The ‘Pies have a season defining game against their arch rivals Carlton this week, with both teams eying off a spot in the bottom part of the 8. As well as an apparent cold war between the coach and some players, Collingwood also has to deal with a long injury list, which means their depth is being exposed. The Magpies have established a reputation in recent seasons for having excellent player depth, but it doesn’t matter how solid or good or depth is. If the injury list continues to mount, teams will struggle on the field. As well as including mature age rookies from the VFL, like Kyle Martin and Sam Dwyer, who look the part, the ‘Pies have had to blood many of their teenagers, such as Josh Thomas, Adam Oxley and Ben Kennedy, all at once instead of gradually, which they have been able to do during the previous three seasons or so. All of these youngsters look the goods, but as the rebuilding clubs like the Bulldogs, St Kilda and Melbourne are finding out, if you have too many in together, you are going to have up and down performances. Saturday’s display against Port Adelaide was an example of that. Collingwood needed their experienced and established stars, such as Scott Pendelbury, Dane Swan, Steele Sidebottom and Luke Ball, to dominate and for Travis Cloke to mark everything up forward. Unfortunately for Nathan Buckley’s men, that didn’t happen, with all bar Pendelbury struggling to make an impact against Port’s manic pressure. Too much responsibility was placed on that group of young players and they were not able to deliver at the level required. This made players frustrated and no doubt helped contribute to Shaw’s ‘interesting’ discussions with Buckley. The Magpies have a golden opportunity to knock the Blues out of the finals race this weekend and that should be a big enough incentive for their stars to be on the same page, lead by example, and drag the younger ones with them to get the job done and ensure that their top four aspirations are still flickering away. They would need to improve dramatically for mine to make the top four and be a premiership contender. Getting some of their injured stars back, such as Dale Thomas and Dayne Beams, as well as ruckman Darren Jolly and a focused Andrew Krakouer, will help them become more competitive and consistent. After the Blues clash, the ‘Pies have a chance to set their season up and launch a legitimate crack at decent September action as they will start favourites against Adelaide, the Gold Coast and GWS. However, more performances like that dished up against Port and Collingwood won’t deserve to be in the finals. The AFL competition is the most brutal of team sports. It’s a cliche, but there’s no ‘I’ in ‘team’. Does everyone know that at Collingwood? The next few weeks should reveal plenty.
Real Footy Is Collingwood half the side it was back in 2010? Last Saturday's listless performance against Port Adelaide certainly suggested so, and not just figuratively speaking. In the sobering 35-point loss to a spirited Power were just 11 members of the Magpies' 2010 premiership team, four of the missing having either retired or been traded, another half-dozen out injured, and one playing in the VFL. But that on its own is not sufficient explanation for why the Collingwood of 2013 has been such a shadow of the flag-winning model, nor just injuries, or even the alleged disconnect between a group of senior players and a still relatively new coach demanding higher standards beyond game day. The Magpies have arguably turned on just one performance - the six-point defeat of Geelong in round eight - in keeping with the standard they had set for the best part of three years. And their five losses have been far more instructive. The Magpies allowed Hawthorn 15 goals in a half and a dozen to Essendon on Anzac Day. They were jumped at the start and overrun at the finish against Fremantle, held to just four goals in three quarters against Sydney, and against Port could not manage more than two goals in any quarter. Their average losing margin of 42 points is surpassed only by that of Melbourne, Greater Western Sydney and Brisbane. And only the AFL ladder's bottom six have won fewer quarters than Collingwood's lowly tally of 24. The Pies sit a mediocre 11th for scoring and 10th for fewest points conceded. They are fairly damning bottom lines. And the more subtle tweaks Collingwood and Buckley have attempted to make have not gone according to plan, either. At the Magpies' pre-Christmas training camp in Utah, Buckley nominated contested ball and transition from defence to attack as key focuses of the pre-season campaign. ''I thought at times we were nutted [for contested possession],'' Buckley said then. ''We need to be able to put pressure on the ball constantly, and with a big pre-season and a better fitness base and with a focus on controlling the ball, we're going to be able to put more pressure on.'' But that hasn't transpired. Collingwood's ranking for contested ball has indeed slipped further, from fourth to 13th, and on the differentials, from third to 10th. Last year, its two best contested-ball winners, Scott Pendlebury and Dane Swan, both ranked in the AFL's top 10. In 2013, Pendlebury, while still having a fine season, is 12th, and Swan barely top 20. The focus on transition out of defence with quick ball movement and long kicking was evident in the trading of Quinten Lynch from West Coast, Jordan Russell from Carlton and Clinton Young from Hawthorn. ''Nearly every one of the players we've brought in has real penetration in their kicking,'' Buckley said at Christmas. ''I felt we had lost the ability to penetrate, we sort of relied so much on turning the ball over in the front half that we actually lost a lot of penetration rebounding out of our back half.'' And that still hasn't been restored. Young is finally set to debut for his new club this week after persistent hamstring problems, and the run lost in the departure of Sharrod Wellingham has been replaced only to an extent by the likes of Paul Seedsman, one of the 2013's brighter stories for the Pies. Getting on for two seasons since his retirement, Leon Davis' rebound from defence is still being missed, and too much pressure is placed on Heath Shaw and Russell, who is, as yet, failing to give the Pies what they are looking for. Meanwhile, Lynch, who Buckley hoped could not only adequately replace the departed Chris Dawes but also the mobile rucking role Leigh Brown provided in the 2010 flag, has disappointed. Only 13 per cent of his disposals have been won inside 50, the consequence a goals per game average of just 0.4, his lowest since 2004, which increases the burden on Travis Cloke. Far from using long kicking as a weapon, Collingwood has actually gone the other way, its ranking for effective long kicks down from third last season to 15th, its short kicks up from ninth to second. No side could fail to be affected by the absences of Dale Thomas and best-and-fairest winner Dayne Beams, and season-ending injuries to Alan Toovey and Alex Fasolo. But the concern is that the ''ups and downs'' and ''flat spot'' to which Pendlebury referred on Monday are becoming more the norm. The side Collingwood wants to be is an outfit it is no longer capable of being.	The Australian COLLINGWOOD'S consistency problems may be solved in coming weeks with the return of several senior players, beginning with Friday's season-shaping game against Carlton. Key defender Ben Reid, small forward Andrew Krakouer and Hawthorn recruit Clinton Young seem certain starters on Friday night for a match in which Collingwood has the chance to deal another blow to the finals aspirations of its biggest rival. Premier ruckman Darren Jolly also looms as a possible inclusion should a toe problem have healed sufficiently while, at reserves level, star midfielder Dayne Beams and the versatile Tyson Goldsack will take another step towards senior football. Scott Pendlebury yesterday said coach Nathan Buckley would find it hard not to select Young for what he termed the "biggest game of the year" after the former Hawk starred in the reserves last weekend by gathering 21 touches, including seven inside 50m entries. "I don't want to steal Bucks' thunder for later this week, but I think there would be a fair chance that Youngy will play," Pendlebury said. Not for the first time this season, Collingwood was criticised for its level of effort in the loss to Port Adelaide on Saturday. After the Magpies lost to Essendon on Anzac Day, Pendlebury said some of his teammates were cheating in their approach to football. He was more reserved yesterday, saying the Magpies had simply hit a flat spot. "I think every club has had a flat spot, here or there, and it does get frustrating," Pendlebury said. "We got three in a row but then just came out on the weekend and we just couldn't execute that well. "Obviously, we need to smooth things out in the run home." Pendlebury denied the fanatical approach to defensive acts that proved critical in Collingwood's 2010 premiership win under now Carlton coach Mick Malthouse was completely missing, saying rival sides were now better equipped to deal with the Magpies. "I think we've showed signs through the year that that manic Collingwood is still there, but other sides have improved and we've got to go up another level," he said. Pendlebury had no hesitation in labelling the clash between the eighth and ninth-placed sides the Magpies' most important this season. Sitting eighth, the Magpies are two wins clear of closest challengers Carlton, West Coast and Adelaide and can effectively end the finals aspirations of the Blues and Crows over the next fortnight. Victories in those two games would keep them within contention for a top four spot - they sit two wins behind third-placed Essendon - and Pendlebury said his teammates understood what was at stake. "I think most sides will talk about you've just got to control what you can control, the rest will fall into place," he said. "We're obviously in a position now where this game is our biggest game of our season. "We really need to win this game to create a buffer and stay close enough to the top four and if we lose it, it's probably hard to get top four." While Carlton fell to Sydney at the SCG on Friday in a match played in torrential rain, it again proved competitive against a flag contender. The Blues are also likely to receive a boost in experience after vice-captain Andrew Carrazzo was named in the best players at VFL level in his return from a calf injury. "Most of the boys know that they've been really competitive even when they've lost," Pendlebury said. "It's been a three-goal margin, and early this year we had a really good battle against them."