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Can Collingwood actually win a premiership?

Julie Tullberg

by Julie Tullberg

19 Jul 05:35am

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Filed under: Afl, Aussie Rules, Collingwood, Sport

32 comments

Ever since Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse got into strife after allegedly calling Saint Stephen Milne a “f***ing rapist”, the Magpies have done everything they can to earn their stripes.

Brent Macaffer celebrates after goaling on Saturday

The Woods’ victory over St Kilda on Saturday confirmed they are in the hunt for the AFL flag after claiming top spot on the premiership ladder.
The Woods were desperate to gain the upper hand over the Saints and show their authority after their April 9 horror game, in which AFL’s “role models” stooped to a new low following the ugly Malthouse-Milne exchange.

Malthouse’s faux pas was most likely the turning point of the Magpies’ season.
Since then, Collingwood, and particularly Malthouse, have worked extremely hard to win respect from fans and the football fraternity.
And to top it off, Malthouse is ignoring the Magpies’ sweet position, knowing how quickly fortunes swing in the AFL’s pressure-cooker world.
The Collingwood community expects the Magpies to win a premiership and Malthouse knows that second best isn’t good enough.
To his credit, Malthouse has handled the pressure perfectly, thriving on the challenge by developing his team in a calculated and clever way.
The Magpies have been focused on going about their own business, refusing to be distracted by the performances of top teams Geelong and St Kilda.
The Cats’ unfortunate Friday night in Adelaide, when a club doctor suffered a heart attack on the ground before the game, was a shock to the players.
All top teams will be tested, emotionally and physically, at some point and the super Cats are no exception, especially after copping a rough night against the Crows. The Cats slipped, losing by 11 points.

It’s usually this time of year – mid-July until late August – when the teams are vulnerable because of the accumulated injuries and general fatigue.

So it’s prime time for upsets – and that’s what happened all weekend. It makes AFL tipping impossible, leaving the fans feeling cranky … and the coaches too.
But the teams that can ride through the pre-September malaise – and mostly win - will fire up for the finals and perform when it counts.
Will the Magpies be one of these new-age teams who will overcome their weaknesses in September?

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32 comments

Show oldest | newest first

    • T.Chong says:

      06:00am | 19/07/10

      Damn straight they can, Julie.  Hooray for Collongwood !

      Reply

    • Maggie says:

      08:19am | 19/07/10

      Macaffer looks constipated ...

    • Gregg says:

      09:55am | 19/07/10

      You have a mirror on the back of the loo door do you Maggie?

    • acker says:

      06:12am | 19/07/10

      No the Dog’s will come out of training, experimentation, rest, rotate, trial and play 3/4 quarter pace and effort mode sometime in the next 3 weeks and start blowing teams including the Pies away

      Reply

    • martin says:

      07:23am | 19/07/10

      Allegedly, yeah right, why did he give a insincere apology if it were just an allegation?  this weeks win was not confirmation, they have been one of the top sides all season. Julie you know nothing about AFL culture if you for one fleeting second think Collingwood or anything about them is role model material. collingwood supporters love them no matter what, others will never respect them they do not nor never have operated in a way thet deserves respect as a club, most particularly results wise, Where do they drag the punch writers from, my goodness what a load of rubbish this article is

      Reply

    • ches says:

      08:15am | 19/07/10

      They needed the scalp for their own confidence and you could see it on Pendlebury’s face on Sunday morning. Everyone else knew they were a contender before the match. As a St Kilda supporter who as there, they belted usoff the field from the opening bounce. We’ve not been roughed up like that in a long time. We played rubbish, true, but they played great. As Rossy would say bank the four points and move on. The good news? At least 5 sides (and their fans) can lay legitimate odds on a flag. Can’t wait for the finals.

      Reply

    • shabangabang says:

      08:49am | 19/07/10

      “Can Collingwood actually win a premiership?”
      No. Ever heard of the Collywobbles? They can’t win.

      Reply

    • pheelion says:

      09:17pm | 19/07/10

      You must be either really young or old enough to have memory issues.  1990 is not that far back

    • Dale says:

      09:10am | 19/07/10

      Pies are rolled gold certainties as I have been saying all year. Dogs are suspect, saints are too ultra defensive and overrated and Geelong are now over using the footy with their players out and will feel the pinch come September. Dane Swan is fast becoming the best player in the comp, Pendlebury is the best player in heavy traffic going around, solid defence handy spread of goalkicking who is possibly going to stop them?

      Reply

    • Evan Findlay says:

      09:34am | 19/07/10

      I don’t think the pies will be able to conquer the anti social football of the Hawthorne football club. They’re just too soft. The pies lack a decent forward who can kick accurately week in, week out. They rely too heavily on their midfield to do their scoring. Their backline is also susceptible against respected forward lines.

      Reply

    • Tails says:

      09:59am | 19/07/10

      You obviously didn’t go to the MCG earlier this year, Evan. How much did Collingwood beat Hawthorn by then? 20, 30, 40 points? Or was it more?

    • Kate says:

      12:13pm | 19/07/10

      If North Melbourne can beat Hawthorn, Collingwood can too.
      Hawthorn always get the hype but will fail to deliver.

    • Evan Findlay says:

      01:30pm | 19/07/10

      Tails and Kate,
      What happened earlier this year is of no consequence. What matters is form leading into the finals, injuries as well as the calibre of your list. If you want to talk about the past, then let’s talk about Brisbane v Collingwood about six weeks ago. Does that mean anything? No.
      Hawthorne are in a rich vein of form and in my opinion a lot more of a threat to the likes of St Kilda or Geelong in a final series than Collingwood are. But no matter the outcome it should be an exciting final series.

    • martin says:

      02:50pm | 19/07/10

      what amazingly ignorant people we have here, the hawks fail to delliver, gee does a 2008 premiership count as failure, does a premiership in each of the last 5 decades (the only club who has achieved this) count as a failure. no team can win with huge injury lists, that is what affected the hawks in 2009 and earlier this year, same as Adelaide and Brisbane and Geelong this year, collingwood have remained comparitvely injury free, the season is not decided by a long shot

    • Peter says:

      01:22pm | 20/07/10

      @ Martin, and who did Hawthorn SMASH in the prelim final in 2008 to win the premiership? St Kilda… Also, when it comes to big games Hawks vs. Coll, Hawthorn always come out on top..

      When Hawthorn hit odd of 28 to 1 after losing 6 games at the start of the season I was advising everyone to get on them for the flag. It’s going to pay off, and the Hawks, the most successful AFL club in the last 50 years is going to win another one..

      I love my Hawks.. How many people under 40 can say they have seen their team play in 11 grand finals? They played in 2 extra grand finals as well in that time but at 5 years of age i was too young to remember..

      GO HAWKS!!

    • Arnold Layne says:

      09:46am | 19/07/10

      Can Collingwood win the flag?  God I hope not!!

      Reply

    • Jenni says:

      02:55pm | 19/07/10

      and so say all of us!

    • hot tub political machine says:

      11:25am | 19/07/10

      Well, a by-product of the AFL’s decision to sacrifice its integrity as a sporting competition for extra gate receipts has been giving Collingwood the best draw in the competition year in - year out. So they better hope they can win.

      If I started a game of chess with more pieces on the board I would be pretty embarrassed if I couldn’t win. So should Collingwood if they can’t manage a flag.

      Reply

    • Roja says:

      09:48pm | 20/07/10

      Collingwood play Hawthorn, St Kilda, Geelong, Carlton and the Bulldogs twice.  They have the hardest draw of any team in the league in 2010. 

      The money for gate receipts is quite true, the pies 11 away games are the most desired of any teams in the league due to the devout fans.

      That said, the draw counts for nothing in the finals - it’s down to who plays the best on the day.  Should be a good series this year.

    • Peter says:

      11:30am | 19/07/10

      No they can’t because Hawthorn will stand in their way. Sure they won the first time around against an injury depleted team. But the Hawks will win this even though they are in 7th position now…

      Reply

    • Tails says:

      12:16pm | 19/07/10

      Wiping tears from my eyes. Seriously. That’s the funniest thing I’ve read all day. Brilliant.

    • Peter says:

      03:28pm | 19/07/10

      I know i plan to have a chuckle on the 25th September.. What about you?

    • Kate says:

      12:16pm | 19/07/10

      Collingwood could win the premiership - however, surely everyone’s sentimental favourite at this point is the Western Bulldogs?
      Geelong have already won two in three years. St Kilda haven’t had one in a while, but they are arrogant and cocky and some dislike them for having f***ing rapists in their lineup. Fremantle are a long shot and Collingwood, well, you either love or hate Collingwood.
      Hawthorn might look impressive now but will choke when it counts.

      I’m a North Melbourne supporter from the west and I’d love to see the Doggies win a flag. However, the idea of Collingwood winning would be quite entertaining, if only to see North Melbourne’s favourite whipping boy Leigh Brown with a premiership medallion.

      Reply

    • CSallen says:

      01:13pm | 19/07/10

      Freo just consolidated 4th position after winning yesterday. Hardly a long shot.

    • martin says:

      02:57pm | 19/07/10

      ah poor Kate you dont know much about footy do you. when has Hawthorn ever choked, Never, they have won and they have lost but we have never ever been dead set certainties and lost, that is choking, that is what the saints did last year that is what geelong did in 2008 that is what collingwood have dont about 100 times and about 20 of them in grand finals, go back to knitting, you might have opinions but they are worthless cos you are basing them on emotion not facts

    • Jenni says:

      02:58pm | 19/07/10

      CSallen - freo will choke in the finals like they always do. Even tits on a bull have more use than the Fremantle football club!

    • Peter says:

      03:30pm | 19/07/10

      Thanks for clarifying that Martin.. Hawthorn is the last team in the AFL you could ever accuse of choking…..

    • Dan says:

      03:38am | 20/07/10

      Kate, St Kilda doesn’t have any rapists in its lineup (you do realise that people must be presumed innocent?), and as for Hawthorn choking, they won the premiership in 2008!

    • Paul says:

      12:24pm | 19/07/10

      It will be interesting to see if they play the Western Bulldogs man on man or strangle the game with defensive tactics like they usually do because there is no way in the world they have same amount of talent on the field as the Dogs.  Until they can run out games better against the attacking teams like the cats, hawks and dogs they are a long way from across the line in the premiership race.

      Reply

    • Lauren says:

      01:26pm | 19/07/10

      Saturday was bloody brilliant. And we are gonna win the flag this year!!

      GO PIES!

      Reply

    • Phill says:

      02:52pm | 19/07/10

      If they win I am moving to a country that has never heard of AFL.  I don’t think I can bear listening to the Collingwood supporters for the next 12 months.

      That being said, no they can’t win.  The better teams have eased off to keep their players fresh for the end of the season, Collingwood are still going too hard and will be burnt out come finals.

      Reply

    • Dan says:

      01:40am | 20/07/10

      Collingwood? Premiership? *pffffftt* Everyone knows you can’t get hot pies in September.

      Reply
 
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