^ Collingwood folklore is a miserable thing.
Looking at that 2013 Elimination Final team, it is surprising we did not lose by 25 goals. Names like Marley Williams, Lachie Keeffe, Sam Dwyer, Brent Macaffer, Paul Seedsman and Josh Thomas hardly indicate, with the benefit of hindsight, a strong team. Add in a failing Alan Didak, a baby Thor (Jolly had done the bulk of the ruck work in 2013 but did not play in the final), Beams off a lengthy injury layoff etc etc and it is plain that was one very average (at best) football team. I remember not paying any attention to the game on the day (a finals first for me) because it was obvious they were going to get flogged. The angst after the event on here was, frankly, out of all proportion to the team's prospects of winning. I doubt that Heater "lost" us the game - a generalised lack of talent will do that for you in a final almost every time - but, in any event, that loss probably just saved us from a more embarrassing flogging by a better team later in the finals.
https://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2 ... 30907.html
Ultimately, Heater was correct. 2013 Collingwood was a terrible team and it took 5 years to get the Club back to finals. A few days after that inevitable finals exit, Jolly and Dids were told they wouldn't be offered new contracts. Ben Johnson retired, the Thomas who could play went to Carlton, and Heater was traded for Adams.
I suppose we needed the list spaces to bring in Scharenberg, Freeman, White, Karnezis, Armstrong, Marsh and the Future Captain, and to elevate Sam Dwyer from the rookie list.
While we took the universe by storm with our newly acquired guns, Heater went on to play another 152 games for GWS. In that time, he played in 9 finals for GWS - and would have played in at least another 2 if he hadn't hurt his knee in 2018.