Post match. Pies thrash Bombers. All comments please

[stui magpie]

Great win, came out hard and killed it in the first half. Yeah we dropped off in the second half but they also lifted. I'll take a 69 point win any day after the rubbish we served up so far this season.

If that doesn't make it clear to the doubters, I don't know what will.

It's not the coach or game plan that's been the problem, it's the players ability to execute.

Today they came out and performed. That's the new benchmark. The Sack Buckley brigade should all go skydiving without parachutes.

Sorry Stui but you must have inhaled to many of Lazza's fruity farts.

While I'm stoked to win in reality today was merely the result most would have expected during the off season against a seriously depleted Essendon side.

What only matters now is if we can build upon this performance and use it as a catalyst moving forward.

A win next week is probably the stuff of fantasy but we need an honourable loss at least to hold ground gained today.

The following two weeks though need to be wins against opposition likely to fill the bottom 3 places with Essendon.

LOL, Lazza's farts are a tad fruity, but that's a different topic.

Yeah, that's the result we would have expected 6 weeks ago. We didn't expect the last 4 weeks though.

After the crap we've dished up, that was a statement that when the players are switched on, we are a good team. It's up to them now to repeat that effort and go onwards.

I'm not fussed by the fact that we dropped off a bit after half time, that was entirely predictable.

Same game plan, same coach, most of the same players. What's the variable?

[swoop42]

The variable is the opposition.

Essendon will likely finish last.

[jackcass]

Great win, came out hard and killed it in the first half. Yeah we dropped off in the second half but they also lifted. I'll take a 69 point win any day after the rubbish we served up so far this season.

If that doesn't make it clear to the doubters, I don't know what will.

It's not the coach or game plan that's been the problem, it's the players ability to execute.

Today they came out and performed. That's the new benchmark. The Sack Buckley brigade should all go skydiving without parachutes.

Sorry Stui but you must have inhaled to many of Lazza's fruity farts.

While I'm stoked to win in reality today was merely the result most would have expected during the off season against a seriously depleted Essendon side.

What only matters now is if we can build upon this performance and use it as a catalyst moving forward.

A win next week is probably the stuff of fantasy but we need an honourable loss at least to hold ground gained today.

The following two weeks though need to be wins against opposition likely to fill the bottom 3 places with Essendon.

Yeah, sure that's what the Melbourne supporters would have been saying.... Oh wait...

[DT]

The Good

Grundy - excellent game, promising development
Sidey - picked him pre-game to win the medal and delivered in spades. Should play forward more as he is a goal kicker
Adams - back in form
Greenwood - played a role well
Pendles - played in the middle - needs to kick more and handpass less
Reid - quality
Oxley - continued good form
Smith - good skills, found the footy and will find his composure with experience
Cox debuting and rucking
Treloar - gun
Moore - good signs
Ball movement - finally!

The Bad

Varcoe injury
VFL
Second half of today
Missing Elliott Ramsay and Scharenberg - all good kicks
Aish - the lad is really struggling. Really poor kick for goal and just doesn't look hard enough to play seniors

The Questions

Will Crisp improve or is he a one season wonder? Better today but still 30% off last year
Will the improved cohesion continue against West Coast?
Can we get at least 11 wins? Today was a step up from bottom 3 footy to top half of the ladder footy but will we be consistent enough to challenge good teams?
Have we recruited the right players for today's game?

[3rd degree]

Very happy like us all so wrapped for big mason and young smith , also seeing frost back to his best , Sidey and Pendles were great and lead in their class . Greenwood did a great job on zakarharkis and got a couple himself . Chop was great and trealoar showed why he is worth the picks. Keep it coming next week will be tough but let's show up and some jam tart.

[3rd degree]

[daicos35]

Brilliant effort from a young and enthusiastic team. Closest thing to the preseason form to date. Loved the spirit when both debs got their first goals. Kept some fuel in the tank for a crack at a contender over here in Perth next week. Looking forward to seeing it LIVE!! Yeehah! Six day break versus 8, sheesh!!

Well done boys, lets get on a roll!

[Dave The Man]

My only real disappointment was Aish. I just can't see why we pursued him. I wonder if he had a different surname whether he'd have been drafted by anyone. He's just way too hesitant to play senior footy. I'll reserve judgement on Howe. He showed a bit, but needs to show a lot more. Losing Varcoe is dreadful as we don't have another player of his ilk. Maybe Broomhead and Wills will come in next week.

We liked him as he is a Smart Footballer who is a Classy User of the Ball.

His Problem at the Moment is maybe a Lack of Confidence,

As always seems to take the Safe Option and not to try to take the Game on.

I don't think he is Hesistant at all. Just take that extra Second to make the Right Call

The Biggest thing I like to see him is attack the Ball Now.

Aish is not the 1st player who did not start like a house on Fire but others then come real Good.

Just look at Adams. When he 1st started everyone was Calling Him a Dud but they not saying that now

[Dave The Man]

Told you be a lot better without Cloke

You don't know how good we would have been today with Cloke so just guessing Dave.

The 5 Games he played so far this Season. All teams Struggle Badly

We might of lost with Cloke in the Side

[Dave The Man]

Great win, came out hard and killed it in the first half. Yeah we dropped off in the second half but they also lifted. I'll take a 69 point win any day after the rubbish we served up so far this season.

If that doesn't make it clear to the doubters, I don't know what will.

It's not the coach or game plan that's been the problem, it's the players ability to execute.

Today they came out and performed. That's the new benchmark. The Sack Buckley brigade should all go skydiving without parachutes.

Let's just enjoy the win and not get into this shit again, as next week we play WCE and if we lose, will you go skydiving without a parachute? Give the war a rest for a week.

Plus only been 1 Great game out of 5. Not the Greatest of Looks but Hopefully this Kicks starts our Season

[Dave The Man]

We need stability. Varcoe out should be the only change this week unless we decide to stretch the weegirls and play Cloke.

Aish is way out of his depth in the AFL atm. He needs to find confidence and rhythm playing in the VFL for a while.

Out: Aish, Varcoe (inj)

In: Sinclair, Wills or Broomhead

Could he do that in a VFL Side that has been Flogged 2 weeks in a Row?

[Dave The Man]

My Thoughts:

That was a Totally Different Collingwood I seen in the 1st 4 Weeks. The Team played Together. Then with Fast and Good Ball use was lot better then the Slow Stagnet Stuff in the 1st 4 Games

Both Debutants Smith+Cox had really good Games

Adams was Fantastic and Who would of Thought he do well as a HBFer?

Treloar was big yet again. Also used ball very well

Varcoe doing his hammy sucks as he is a Very Important Player

Moore did a Very Good Job as our Main Tall Forward. Kicked a Few Goals and Contested everything near him. Also a Lovely Kick

Steele was Massive and Deserved his Anzac Medal

Aish was Disappointing. Did a Few Nice things in 2nd Half after only 4 Touched in 1st Half. Really not Good Enough and is Better then That.

Howe had a Real Good Game. Took some good Strong Marks and Kicked 2 Goals

Hopefully this can Kick-Start our Season

[bally12]

Cox showed his value in giving us decisive hit-outs, and giving the opposition something to worry about as a focal point in the forward line. Have to admit I doubted he could make the transition, but well done to him..he looks like a lock for us going forward. Witts..ball's in your court now.

Sidey was awesome today. Varcoe really gives us a spark, and is vital to our team. Really didn't expect to be saying that when we made the trade for him. Kudos to Bucks for getting this one right.

Much better today with our overlap handballing. Would love to see us go for and nail those high-risk kicks through the corridor, and also spread faster on the break. We're a couple of steps behind most other teams on this. Skills and running power required for fast transition need to be the focus going forward. If the coaches didn't know this fact, it's hit them smack bang on the face after the first 5 rounds. Enough of the stop/start business. I'd rather them make mistakes than play a boring style of football that doesn't work anyway.

Happy for the win, however let's not get carried away. We were really playing a reserves side today. Let's check back next week.

[Dangles]

Told you be a lot better without Cloke

You don't know how good we would have been today with Cloke so just guessing Dave.

The 5 Games he played so far this Season. All teams Struggle Badly

We might of lost with Cloke in the Side

It's not hard to imagine Cloke getting on the end of a few in the first quarter today and then completely deflating the rest of the team by missing gimme goals.

[Jezza]

Out: Crisp....just a horrible footballer. And Howe and Aish, both give us nothing. Howe is still in Melbourne high-flying mode, and Aish is...well.....irrelevant. Looks really small and one-paced as Cometti pointed out.

Harsh call on Crisp. He isn't performing anywhere near what he was producing last year but I still think Crisp will be a good player for us in the long run but a stint in the reserves wouldn't do any harm either to regain some form and to keep him on his toes. Statistically, today was his best game of the year.

It's early days with Aish and Howe. Both have been underwhelming so far but I'm willing to give them time to adjust to a new club and understand what is required from them. They're not immune to a stint in the reserves if poor form warrants it.

I think Aish will be a gun in the future, but I never saw Howe as a gun rather he was merely added as another forward option to complement the likes of Cloke, Elliott and Fasolo.

The secret to Collingwood success has been revealed for all the world to see.

Any team with Cloke in it fails (just look at our VFL team this weekend).

He is cancer, disliked by the rest of the playing group.

When he's omitted the rest of the team lifts and play to win, put him back in and team spirit is poisoned.

How do you know Cloke is disliked by the rest of the playing group? I'm not saying that you're necessarily wrong but I haven't seen any evidence to support your statement either.

I don't think Cloke's exclusion from the senior side automatically meant we became a much better side. Correlation doesn't always equal causation.

Great win, came out hard and killed it in the first half. Yeah we dropped off in the second half but they also lifted. I'll take a 69 point win any day after the rubbish we served up so far this season.

If that doesn't make it clear to the doubters, I don't know what will.

It's not the coach or game plan that's been the problem, it's the players ability to execute.

Today they came out and performed. That's the new benchmark. The Sack Buckley brigade should all go skydiving without parachutes.

Very happy with the win Stui, but today didn't clarify to me that Bucks is a good coach or that the players are necessarily 'playing for him'. The first half was excellent as we played aggressive and fast football but we also benefited from playing very poor opposition at the same time.

The second half was underwhelming somewhat with several skill errors and scrappy football but regardless of what we think of Bucks, today should be a day in rejoicing that we smashed a major rival.

We'll know against a better sides whether we're up to it or not this year. Today was our best performance of the year, so let's hope we can build from it and improve.

Smith was playing his first AFL game in front of 85,000 on Anzac Day.

He and Cox handled themselves really well.

Both debutants played very well for the expectations that were placed upon them.

I'd be happy to retain both of them for the Eagles match.