Post match. Pies gallant in defeat - All comments please

[Donny]

I cannot comprehend this 'heavy heart' stuff or 'start of an era last night' either.

The 'era' began around the start of this season, with the successful blooding of so many talented youngsters.

For those of you who think winning is the only thing and a flag is all that counts, you will end a hell of a lot more seasons with a heavy heart than a joyous one.

Of course, that's your choice.

My choice is to enjoy the journey, irrespective of the season result. 2007 had it's ups and downs but has left me feeling proud and full of admiration for MM and the team.

My brother is a 50 year Cats' supporter. He phoned me immediately after the game. Not to gloat either. He was in awe of the Magpie spirit and wholly relieved his team scraped home.

[Didaksgoal]

At least Bryan competed. Richards was pushed around like a high school science room skeleton.

Cam, that is a classic comment mate

To be one straight kick away from a Grand Final was a fabulous effort from the team and coaches this year. I am shattered we lost, but the future looks very bright.

Things learnt this year are leon and Dids can definitely play in the midfield. I think Dids starting in the middle the last couple of games has been a winner. I hope we keep Dids and don`t trade him, it would be a mistake if we did.

Bucks needs to play next year, just one more year. His leadership is crucial. He`s not the same Bucks of old with 35 touches a game, but we need him.

Extremely proud of the club this year, but no premiership.

Go the Pies.

[Jason]

You have to agree that Collingwood's journey this year has been amazing. I got the feeling the whole year that we were sliding backwards, our wins weren't emphatic, in fact some were hardly earnt at all (the win over 'tanking' Carlton) and our losses were embarrassing (like the 93 point loss at the hands of Brisbane, 28 point loss at the hands of Richmond). I wasn't surprised when we didn't place in the top 4.

But these results are fantastic when you consider the just how many young players were on the field. They took charge when the senior players couldn't make it and kept cool heads and even showed up the experienced players of other teams. They grew and grew week to week and by the end of the year we were well deserving of a top 8 position. This was Collingwood's real success in '07.

Our boys' spirit isn't to be denied either. Finals pressure is huge but the young guns didn't flinch, and applied equal pressure on the opponent. The tackling was fantastic and the midfield was cool, calm and collected (Clarkies ball to Pendlebury in the first extra time period against West Coast is testament to that). Sure we have room for improvement, but if our boys keep improving by as much as they have done this year, we'll be a real premiership contender as early as next year.

As for our last game of the season, what a thriller. 20 seconds more and we'd have been off to capture the flag. We can always say 'what if...' and 'shoulda coulda woulda' and I'm sure the players themselves will have those thoughts on repeat in their minds for the next few months, but in the end we did far better than anyone (including ourselves) expected. And perhaps we should take comfort in the fact that most Geelong supporters would've been pissing themselves with fright in those dying seconds

2008 will be the year of the Magpie!

[Dragme]

Just watching the replay on foxtel. Geez we are a good team.

Everyone played their part and gave it their all. Can't wait to see the youngsters after another preseason under their belt. Bigger and stronger.

I will not go down the path of asking for delistings or trading, I will leave it to the experts.

I take my hat off to the coaches and recruiting team. GO PIES, Go you good thing.

[piedys]

At least Bryan competed. Richards was pushed around like a high school science room skeleton.

Absolute powder-puff.
Does anybody seriously think he would have been selected again, had we got through to the Grand Final, to have him molested by Lade AGAIN?
Give me a crippled Fraser in 5 minutes bursts off the bench any day.

Boys I am so proud of you. It was an honourable loss and we were certainly gallant in defeat.

You really showed the rest of the world how good you are and will be.

Never gave up the tackling and desperation.

Although I am sad about the defeat

Sums up what many of us are thinking in 4 simple lines.
Same feeling as after 2002 grand final?

Dont mean to critiscise people but sometimes I wonder how much we look at what is going on in a football game.

For instance, whilst I agree Rocca had a poor night, he was not the reason we lost. The reason we lost was because our mids butchered the ball thru the middle of the ground and it resulted in turnovers or kicks that just did not hit targets.

And that Snoopmeister, is the story of our season, butchering the ball when it should be hitting the target. Not landing at their shins or a metre wide of their lead. This is a fundamental problem first evident in round 1, which MUST be addressed over the summer.

Bucks needs to play next year, just one more year. His leadership is crucial. He`s not the same Bucks of old with 35 touches a game, but we need him.
Extremely proud of the club this year, but no premiership.
Go the Pies.

Surely a managable pre-season is owed to him? He doesn't need to be run into the dirt with the others over summer! Just go easy on him, play him in bursts from rounds 1-11, and from there his natural endurance should see him through until end of 2008.

And how about: Swan's clinical towelling of Ling in first quarter? Brought the hillbilly freak back to reality didn't it?
Maxy's pole-axed tackle on Rooke. Gave me a stiffy.
Bear Bryant's tackle on serial arse-merchant Johnson, nearly popping his AC joint into 2008.
You could smell the shit in the Geelong supporters pants from the Gold Coast. And Geelong supporters shitting themselves in finals is all we expect from them, bunch of inbred imbeciles they are. So don't go getting too many premiership tattoos carved into your dumb asses this week eh ladies?

Dyso

[Heather]

How easy it is to sit back and play the blame game.
The fact remains that there were 18 black and white jumpers on that ground, each one (although sometimes play not going the way they would have liked it) giving their all. So Richards got creamed,(that was always going to be the case), at least he tried. (Imagine how he feels).

C'mon people we've been here before...it hurts, no doubt about that...no-one knows more than us older generation...

But be PROUD, this is a team on it's way to the top...

Patience is something all Collingwood supporters learn from a young age.

If we have to blame anyone, then blame Geelong for being just too good on the night.

[Northern Pie]

The only reason Collingwood is not in the grand final this year is because of 1o minutes of extra time last week in Perth. In that last Quarter the boys looked absolutely stuffed, hell they looked stuffed half way through the second quarter.

To me last night was this years True Grand Final as the 2 best Teams out of the 4 left were the 2 teams that played a Ripper of a match last night...Hats off to both sides and I actually hope Geelong go on to win it!

The future! Well I dunno, depends if we still carry on not learning from our mistakes. Smashed by Keating in 2002 & 2003 and Now smashed by Otten's in 2007...errrr does that tell anyone in the football department that we might be in need of a ruck?

Anyways, We will have to go into next season now with the pressure of being favourites, I hope the young guys and next years "Collingwood Academy" kids are up to it!

Go Pies

Cheers

[CQ]

What a bummer. I'm sad we're not in the GF but happy we went so far. I reckon if Fraser had have played we probably would have won, Ottens killed us. The only other negative is it would have been good if our forwards had have pulled down a few more marks, but thats pressure footy I suppose.

Oh well, we could have not even made the finals or got kicked out early. The young guys stood up and apart from the end result we played a damn good game! Good onya boys, maybe next year hey!

[doriswilgus]

Fantastic effort last night,i was so proud of the boys.You've got to take your hat off to them-they never know when their beaten and they just keep trying.It's amazing to think how far we've come from the start of the year when everyone wrote us off and predicted us to finish bottom four.And to think we went with five points of beating the best team in the competition and getting into the grand final!The loss of Fraser was crucial last night- i think it probably cost us the game in the end.Getting a ruckman must be our first priority next year,and Judd woundn't hurt either!If we can get a decent ruckman we could go all the way next year,but we definitely have to finish top four.It's too hard to win the premiership from sixth place.

[Cam]

I cannot comprehend this 'heavy heart' stuff or 'start of an era last night' either.

The 'era' began around the start of this season, with the successful blooding of so many talented youngsters.

No No the era began in 2005 when we tanked to get Daisy and had a stack of injuries that allowed guys like Heath Shaw in the door.

[bourkee]

sooo proud of collingwood!!
We showed the football world how great a team we are.
Bring on next season ...we are sure to bring home a flag very soon...can't wait!

[Magpie Jack]

Fantastic year.

We are definately on the verge of a very successful period.

I predict 2 flags in the next 5 years.

[Adz]

Well apparently Tyson Goldsack is feeling 'content' today lol

[magpie57]

[quote="Heather"]How easy it is to sit back and play the blame game.
The fact remains that there were 18 black and white jumpers on that ground, each one (although sometimes play not going the way they would have liked it) giving their all. So Richards got creamed,(that was always going to be the case), at least he tried. (Imagine how he feels).

C'mon people we've been here before...it hurts, no doubt about that...no-one knows more than us older generation...

But be PROUD, this is a team on it's way to the top...

Patience is something all Collingwood supporters learn from a young age.

If we have to blame anyone, then blame Geelong for being just too good on the night.[/quote]


Well said

[magpie57]

great gutsy effort from a team that most of "the experts" gave absolutely no chance.

I would rather have seen Rusling on Scarlett, Anthony is far to slow to go with him, I find it amazing that Mick would even expect him to when he has shown before that he cannot.

We need rucking strength, a better functioning forward line, Chris Judd and then I think we can string a couple of premierships together.

We have a fabulous group of young players who would slot into any team, they just need a bit of support around them.