MM goes to next step in rebuilding.......

[magpie24]

MELBOURNE, May 8 AAP - Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse has identified the next step in rebuilding the once powerful Magpies - teaching his young side how to back up after a big win.

Collingwood, which has not made the finals since 1994, is progressing well under Malthouse this season and Sunday's win over arch-rival Carlton lifted it to seventh place with three wins and three losses.

But Malthouse is concerned his team may still be caught up in the emotion of its come from behind victory against the Blues when it meets the Kangaroos at Colonial Stadium on Sunday.

'You can't win a game like that and then go out the next week thinking 'wasn't that fantastic last week',' he said.

Malthouse believes his side has already been guilty of that this season - when beaten by Richmond in round four after thrashing the Western Bulldogs by 12 goals the previous week.

'We learned a lot from the Western Bulldogs game and more importantly from the following week when we played dreadful football and embarrassed ourselves against Richmond,' he said.

While the Magpies lost that game by 15 points, the final margin flattered them after they kicked only five goals in the opening three quarters.

'We had a dash at Richmond for 15 minutes (in the last quarter) but you could write off the rest of that game because we were pretty ordinary,' he said.

And Malthouse knows if the Magpies drop their intensity even briefly this weekend they will be in trouble against a Kangaroos' side with their backs against the wall.

The Roos, who have not missed the finals since Denis Pagan took over as coach in 1993, will be virtually out of September contention if they lose to the Magpies.

After six matches they have only one win and the competition's worst percentage of 59.4.

And Malthouse knows it was the Kangaroos who began the Magpies' slide last season, when they inflicted the first of nine losses in a row on the club which had begun the season with a five-match winning streak.

'There is no comparison to last year, we are a totally different side,' he said.

'We are better than last year and we're more mature than last year.'

The Roos have to decide whether to drop one of their most experienced players, ruckman Corey McKernan, following his failure to win even a single possession last week.

The Magpies are expected to welcome back vice-captain Scott Burns from a hamstring injury.

From the AFL site. GO PIES

[AlfAndrews]

G'day Magpie24.

I hope you pulled up all right from the other day. I wonder if you can remember our conversation.

Anyway. I know exactly what Malthouse is on about. Especially once the media gets on the Collingwood bandwagon. All those young players getting a bit carried away by it all. And you've got a potential disaster coming up. And especially against the Kangaroos who have a bit of a history of stuffing us up at crucial moments. Really, there should plenty of motivational material for Malty to work with. We owe those bastards ... BIG TIME.

Guess who I'm tipping next week, mate.

I'll give you a clue ... It won't be the same team that you tip.

Yours truly
The resident pessimist.


**floreat pica**

[magpie24]

Yes Alf i woke up alright,spose Carlscum just brings out the best in me, especially when i thought we were going to lose after leading all day{now that would have been hard to take since i was with 8 Carlscum scumbags}

Alf as long as you keep picking losers i will be very happy lol lol cheers....
GO PIES