Collingwood

[GVGjr]

From the HUN

It was a devastating end to 2019 for Collingwood fans.

After entering the preliminary final as short-priced favourites, a disappointing three quarters left them just short of the Giants at the final siren.

But with more of their best back and an experienced group, there is no doubt they will be contenders again.

Here’s eight reasons why the Pies will excel in 2020.

1. TOP CONTENDER

It’s hard not to get excited about a team that shapes as one of the leading contenders to win the 2020 premiership. The Magpies were a kick away from a second consecutive Grand Final last September, but fell Greater Western Sydney by four points in a preliminary final. From that team, only one player has left the club during the off-season — James Aish to Fremantle. That bodes well for Collingwood to have another crack at going all the way as it looks to secure its first premiership under coach Nathan Buckley and first flag overall since 2010.

2. THIRD-BEST LIST

If the Magpies’ form of the past two seasons doesn’t have you convinced they are a serious premiership contender next season, their list ranking might. Champion Data’s number-crunchers rate Collingwood third for individual talent behind only reigning premier Richmond and the Western Bulldogs. Broken down into positions, the rankings suggest the Magpies are strong on every line. They rank fourth for talent in defence as well as their ruck stocks, while also rated fifth in both forward line and midfield.

3. MORE ADAMS

Including finals, Collingwood played 24 games last season. Taylor Adams featured in just 12 of those. The star midfielder and Magpies vice-captain was back in time for finals but missed a significant chunk of football in the middle of the season with a groin injury, as well as the opening two rounds. And it hurt. With Adams, Collingwood went 9-3 last season. Without him, the Pies went 7-5. The 26-year-old averaged 24.4 disposals and 5.6 clearances per game. He ranked first at Collingwood for score assists (average 1.5 per match), second for tackles (5.1) and equal-fourth for score involvements (6.3). A full campaign from Adams next season could well be the difference for the Magpies.

4. MORE STEPHENSON

Like Adams, forward Jaidyn Stephenson was sidelined for much of the year. A 10-match betting suspension meant the 2018 Rising Star Award winner returned for the start of finals. During Stephenson’s absence, the Magpies’ scoring average dropped from 92 points per match to 78 and the team won just six of 10 games. Stephenson sat as Collingwood’s second-ranked forward behind Jordan De Goey and averaged 1.7 goals per game in 2019. If the Magpies can get that sort of return out of him across 22 games plus finals, they will be thrilled.

5. MORE MOORE

Key defender Darcy Moore was in the mid-year All-Australian teams of many experts last season. But by the end of the home-and-away rounds he had played only 15 of 22 games after another hamstring injury struck. A first All-Australian jacket looms for the versatile backman in 2020 if he can stay on the park. Moore was one of only two Collingwood players rated elite by Champion Data and averaged 14.8 disposals, 5.1 rebound 50s, 7.6 intercept possessions and 79 SuperCoach points per match last season. His strongest performances were in Collingwood’s two finals and, at age 23, you sense the best is still to come from Moore.

6. BEAMS BACK?

This time last year, Dayne Beams was talked about as the big boost to Collingwood’s midfield. But his first season back in black and white after four years at the Brisbane Lions did not go to plan. Beams managed just nine games, his season ending after Round 11 due to a hip problem and personal issues. The 2010 premiership player impressed when he was out on the field. Beams averaged 25.1 disposals, 4.6 clearances and kicked five goals from his nine matches. The Magpies announced in December that Beams was taking an indefinite break to focus on his mental wellbeing. If he can return to full health, the Magpies’ already potent midfield — which includes Scott Pendlebury, Taylor Adams, Adam Treloar, Steele Sidebottom and Tom Phillips — will be a serious force to be reckoned with.

7. FORWARD SOLUTION?

Key forward and 2010 premiership player Ben Reid looked like he was set to sail into retirement after a largely luckless injury run last season. But he returned from a calf injury and did enough in Collingwood’s preliminary final loss to the Giants to earn a new one-year deal. Since Round 9, 2017, Reid has played just 22 of a possible 60 AFL games. But former Essendon and St Kilda champion Brendon Goddard believes he can “once again become an important tall option” for the Magpies if he can get his body right in 2020.

8. EXPERIENCE COUNTS

Collingwood’s list profile suggests now is the time to strike. The Magpies enter 2020 as the second-oldest list behind only Hawthorn, with an average age of 24.8 years. Not only that, they also rank as the second-most experienced side behind the Hawks with an average of 78.9 games played. In the preliminary final against GWS, Collingwood’s had 15 players line up who were between the ages of 23 and 28. Traditionally, that has been a prime hitting zone for launching a premiership tilt.

[GVGjr]

I'm not sure why but I never rate Collingwood highly but in recent years they have performed well
I think Buckley is a better coach than he is often given credit for

In 2020 are they genuine contenders or just pretenders?

[bornadog]

I think Buckley is a very good coach. He has improved over the years and has put together a pretty good squad. They will be right in the mix again.

[bornadog]

Darcy Moore named as captain

[Mofra]

Darcy Moore named as captain
He's very marketable

[GVGjr]

He's very marketable

I wonder how he will go in the role because not everyone is as capable as Bontempelli

[bornadog]

He's very marketable

His father Peter was also Captain.

[Sedat]

Hi father Peter was also Captain.
Being captain didn't stop him incurring the wrath of the supporters. First game agains the Pies after he defected to Melbourne, the Collingwood banner was "Moore Filth"

[bornadog]

Being captain didn't stop him incurring the wrath of the supporters. First game agains the Pies after he defected to Melbourne, the Collingwood banner was "Moore Filth"


hahaha, didn't know that

[Stevo]

Did they have a deep list of contenders? I kept hearing Maynards name mentioned but he's never struck me as a captain of a high profile club.

[bornadog]

Did they have a deep list of contenders? I kept hearing Maynards name mentioned but he's never struck me as a captain of a high profile club.

Maynard is now co vice captain with Adams and Howe

[Go_Dogs]

Not many clean skins to pick from. Don’t mind it for the Pies.

[azabob]

Maynard is now co vice captain with Adams and Howe

Adams very unlucky. I wonder if his injury history went against him.

[bornadog]

‘I am so remorseful’: Magpies star Ginnivan banned in illicit drugs bombshell (https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/magpies-star-banned-in-illicit-drugs-bombshell-20230218-p5cllj.html)


Collingwood star Jack Ginnivan has been suspended for four matches, admitting to taking illicit drugs.


The goal-kicking young gun, 20, admitted on Saturday that he had taken drugs recently in the Torquay Hotel toilets - on a day off after the club’s pre-season camp on Victoria’s Surf Coast. Ginnivan said “a few drinks and a lack of judgement” had let him down.

story continues here (https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/magpies-star-banned-in-illicit-drugs-bombshell-20230218-p5cllj.html)

[GVGjr]

The education the clubs and AFL undertake with the players on the problems of taking illicit drugs isn't being heard.

[EasternWest]

Firstly: I'm aware that these drugs are illegal.

Secondly: they shouldn't be.

Thirdly: I don't care.

[Happy Days]

Honestly go off king.

Illicit drugs bans are dumb and counter intuitive.

[bornadog]

Honestly go off king.

Illicit drugs bans are dumb and counter intuitive.

true, but. You want to be an AFL footballer, then follow the rules

[hujsh]

true, but. You want to be an AFL footballer, then follow the rules

Well... it's more like don't get caught. We know a majority of players (especially the younger ones) do not follow these particular rules. There's even a couple of get out of jail free cards built into the system to help with that. Almost like the AFL also doesn't really care but feel they need to keep everything 'family friendly' except the ability to watch the game in the stadium without going deaf or on TV without seeing sex pests

[jeemak]

The education the clubs and AFL undertake with the players on the problems of taking illicit drugs isn't being heard.

They're being heard and ignored.

[GVGjr]

They're being heard and ignored.

Seems that way. Every time this crops up the reaction is something along the lines of we must educate the players more but they're just going through the motions and it won't change much.

[bornadog]

Seems that way. Every time this crops up the reaction is something along the lines of we must educate the players more but they're just going through the motions and it won't change much.

The only education they listen to is trying to not get caught

[1eyedog]

Being captain didn't stop him incurring the wrath of the supporters. First game agains the Pies after he defected to Melbourne, the Collingwood banner was "Moore Filth"

Time heals all wounds unless your Jake Stringer (or Rian Griffon)

[1eyedog]

The education the clubs and AFL undertake with the players on the problems of taking illicit drugs isn't being heard.

Is it being heard in society in general? No and it won't.

[Axe Man]

Wow, what a piece of trash filming him over a toilet wall and hocking the footage to the media.

How Jack Ginnivan drugs scandal went from grainy video to club suspension (https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/news/glenn-mcfarlane-why-jack-ginnivans-brain-fade-can-be-catalyst-for-behavioural-change/news-story/5a0365dafd7b1cdc9bf69aceafc6cc20)

Jack Ginnivan’s illicit drug use in the last week of January was a tale as old as time.

Much-hyped young player with a whiff of rock star gets ahead of himself and makes a stupid choice in a crowded pub or nightclub while catching up with old mates.

Age-old story, but the events of the past 48 hours provide an insight into football’s modern operating model for responding to a scandal.

It’s club and league working in lock-step, the club buying time with the promise of an exclusive interview with the bad-boy talent, then the scandal neatly bundled with a solution, sound bites and a suspension crafted to minimise pain for Collingwood and the AFL. Sorry, and the player.

Ginnivan’s drug use is understood to have taken place on Australia Day Eve on the final day of Collingwood’s three-day training camp in Lorne.

Collingwood’s players had several days off after the camp, so four Pies players including Ginnivan, and several of the 20-year-old’s civilian friends, adjourned to the Torquay Hotel for a midweek session.

At some stage after a few drinks he did what so many 20-year-olds of his age are doing in increasing numbers – he upped the ante.

He snorted a drug believed to be ketamine off a friend’s car key while in a toilet cubicle.

Recording the lead-up to that drug use was an eager-eyed witness shooting over the top of the brick toilet wall.

So far, so very 2023, except Ginnivan had enough of a public profile for the budding videographer to know he had a scandalon his hands.

From there he began shopping the video to Melbourne television networks, with Seven putting the allegations to Collingwood by Thursday.

There were real shortcomings with the vision – it was taken in a toilet, it didn’t show his face, it didn’t show him actually snorting the drug.

And there was also potentially privacy issues if it was published given Ginnivan was in a private place not expecting to be filmed.

But Seven could still report the contents of the footage so Collingwood kicked into action, with football boss Graham Wright putting the allegation to the forward by phone on Thursday night.

To his credit, he immediately owned up, which led to Collingwood alerting the AFL’s integrity team on Thursday ahead of a flurry of Friday meetings at Pies headquarters.

Ginnivan fronted the Collingwood leadership group, led by new captain Darcy Moore, and had to explain his actions to coach Craig McRae.

The ridiculous nature of the AFL’s drug code means had he confessed drug use to the Pies he might have dodged suspension and perhaps even a drug strike had he cited his own mental health battles.

But the story of the footage was inevitably going to come out.

Collingwood and the AFL knew the long-established precedent for punishment was Ginnivan accepting a two-week ban and an illicit drugs strike.

Adelaide’s Brad Crouch (now at St Kilda) and Bailey Smith had accepted identical punishments.

Call it a brand damage ban.

The AFL and Pies needed time to work through that process with the AFL and their integrity team.

So Seven accepted the deal that they would hold off until Saturday at 6pm on the proviso Ginnivan conducted an exclusive interview confessing his guilt.

For Seven it was the best of both worlds – they didn’t have to show the footage, they still got their money shot in a contrite Ginnivan.

The AFL too got what it wanted – a Ginnivan confession, the two-week ban and Collingwood’s response all tied into a nice, neat ribbon.

In his interview Ginnivan artfully dodged around the question of whether this was his first experience with drugs, saying he wanted to “reflect on the now”.

Seven asked all the right questions and Ginnivan hit all the right notes – sufficiently contrite, exonerating teammates from drug use, smartly refusing to play the mental health card to explain his actions.

Collingwood will hate the negative publicity, but also might believe this is the reality check Ginnivan needs.

The Pies have had very recent case studies in crisis management.

Twice in the past 18 months Collingwood and the AFL have been unable to stop a Jordan De Goey controversy turning into a seemingly endless media circus.

That would have helped them plan and get on the front foot.

Steve Johnson famously broke his ankles jumping the fence at the same Torquay pub in 2003, but it was the 2007 club-based suspension for another boozy night which saw the penny drop.

This could be Ginnivan’s line-in-the-sand moment, and hopefully someone at Collingwood has pulled him aside and given him a history lesson on former Pies Lachie Keeffe, Josh Thomas and Sam Murray.

With Collingwood and the AFL’s help Ginnivan will hope he has endured the shortest possible drama, and now it is up to him to complete the redemption arc the AFL community loves so much.

[chef]

I feel sorry for the jack, what a scummy thing to do to another human. So much pressure nowadays on these players.

[hujsh]

At least he wasn't dumb enough to film it himself. Bad luck lad you'll get away with it next time.

[Grantysghost]

Fmd what a prick filming that.

Deny deny deny.

[Sedat]

Firstly: I'm aware that these drugs are illegal.

Secondly: they shouldn't be.

Thirdly: I don't care.
For most of my adult life I used to have exactly the same mindset, that it is a mental health issue and not a criminal issue, and the simple solution was to legalise and tax everything and use the income generated to fund back into community health programs. I still think it should be decriminalised, but I also don't think the current rapid progression towards wholesale legalisation should happen either (it is a complex issue way out of my pay scale or abilities). All I know is that drug dependence (legal or illegal substances) is a horrible fate to befall anybody and we should be doing everything we can as a society to prevent it from happening to anyone, because it destroys lives.

These days I simply see drug dependence as a feature and not a bug when it comes to public policy, and colour me cynical but it is undeniably a very effective strategic tool used by incompetent politicians (of all stripes) to neuter the wider population into a semi-comatose state so that they are far easier to control (and coincidentally end up wholly reliant on said incompetent politicians).

Also legalising and taxing the bejesus out of everything will only result in the cheaper illegal variants thriving underground. Look no further than the illegal cigarette industry which is absolutely booming (if you are a smoker or know one, you'll know) because the legal cigarettes are being taxed so much.

Specific to Ginnivan, I do find it amusing when the players caught do their carefully scriped mea culpa and the clubs/AFEL also put on their grave, serious voices of contrived concern. It's all a bit of meaningless cosplay really. Illicit drug use is rife in all sections of the community and relevant to the AFEL nobody (players, clubs, code) really gives a shit until they are caught.

[hujsh]

For most of my adult life I used to have exactly the same mindset, that it is a mental health issue and not a criminal issue, and the simple solution was to legalise and tax everything and use the income generated to fund back into community health programs. I still think it should be decriminalised, but I also don't think the current rapid progression towards wholesale legalisation should happen either (it is a complex issue way out of my pay scale or abilities). All I know is that drug dependence (legal or illegal substances) is a horrible fate to befall anybody and we should be doing everything we can as a society to prevent it from happening to anyone, because it destroys lives.

These days I simply see drug dependence as a feature and not a bug when it comes to public policy, and colour me cynical but it is undeniably a very effective strategic tool used by incompetent politicians (of all stripes) to neuter the wider population into a semi-comatose state so that they are far easier to control (and coincidentally end up wholly reliant on said incompetent politicians).

Also legalising and taxing the bejesus out of everything will only result in the cheaper illegal variants thriving underground. Look no further than the illegal cigarette industry which is absolutely booming (if you are a smoker or know one, you'll know) because the legal cigarettes are being taxed so much.

Specific to Ginnivan, I do find it amusing when the players caught do their carefully scriped mea culpa and the clubs/AFEL also put on their grave, serious voices of contrived concern. It's all a bit of meaningless cosplay really. Illicit drug use is rife in all sections of the community and relevant to the AFEL nobody (players, clubs, code) really gives a shit until they are caught.

I think aside from weed the more common approach seems to be decriminalisation. Personally I'd be happy with either as long as we stop using drugs as an excuse to fill prisons.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

I believe it should be first drug strike out for a significant time.
AFL needs to lead societal standards methinks although a hypocrite in so saying.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

Honestly go off king.

Illicit drugs bans are dumb and counter intuitive.

I just read your subscript/signature that's exactly me too and Jane Austin!
All of us benefit from your signature as their own!

[BornInDroopSt'54]

For most of my adult life I used to have exactly the same mindset, that it is a mental health issue and not a criminal issue, and the simple solution was to legalise and tax everything and use the income generated to fund back into community health programs. I still think it should be decriminalised, but I also don't think the current rapid progression towards wholesale legalisation should happen either (it is a complex issue way out of my pay scale or abilities). All I know is that drug dependence (legal or illegal substances) is a horrible fate to befall anybody and we should be doing everything we can as a society to prevent it from happening to anyone, because it destroys lives.

These days I simply see drug dependence as a feature and not a bug when it comes to public policy, and colour me cynical but it is undeniably a very effective strategic tool used by incompetent politicians (of all stripes) to neuter the wider population into a semi-comatose state so that they are far easier to control (and coincidentally end up wholly reliant on said incompetent politicians).

Also legalising and taxing the bejesus out of everything will only result in the cheaper illegal variants thriving underground. Look no further than the illegal cigarette industry which is absolutely booming (if you are a smoker or know one, you'll know) because the legal cigarettes are being taxed so much.

Specific to Ginnivan, I do find it amusing when the players caught do their carefully scriped mea culpa and the clubs/AFEL also put on their grave, serious voices of contrived concern. It's all a bit of meaningless cosplay really. Illicit drug use is rife in all sections of the community and relevant to the AFEL nobody (players, clubs, code) really gives a shit until they are caught.
You are my new mentor and peer.

[Axe Man]

“Never Once Saw Drugs In My AFL Career” – Kane Cornes Reveals Nobody Liked Him Even Back Then (https://www.betootaadvocate.com/sports/never-once-saw-drugs-in-my-afl-career-cornes-reveals-nobody-liked-him-even-back-then/?fbclid=IwAR24FZZwtfK_YFRxvd5Hu2PUZnMSm1wG7vi8nYvmublzx4bk-iF1USozu9M)

Irrelevant yet prolific AFL Pundit and former player Kane Cornes has wobbled his mouth up and down in front of a national sports radio microphone this week, this time to pass comment on a topic he knows literally nothing about.

Speaking on SEN on Monday, Cornes took issue with the fact that after Collingwood player Jack Ginnivan’s recent drug scandal, there’s an impression that all AFL players are out there taking drugs and having amazing fun times, when the reality is that Cornes himself never took drugs with other players in his whole life.

“I feel like there is a belief that all players are using drugs,” he said.

“That’s not my experience – I never once saw it. Granted I was so naive with stuff like that and I’m still so naive to this day. People would laugh at me for how naive I am, but I never once saw it in 15 years – and that was a long time ago now and perhaps things have changed.”

Beyond his self-admitted naivety, Cornes’ startling admission reveals a deeper truth. It proves what many already suspect, that even back then when Cornes was at the height of his AFL career nobody wanted to hang out with the bloke.

The fact that he never once saw drugs in his 15 year AFL career is utter madness given that AFL footballers are rich blokes paid to play sport fo a few hours a week.

Despite this, Cornes has not yet twigged on to the fact that the reason he didn’t see any drugs throughout his career is for the same reason he sees neither of them now.

Sources close to the man admitted to the Advocate that he’s ‘one of those blokes who’d rat you out if he ever saw you bumping.’

These revelations about Cornes have rumours swirling that the unnamed pervert who filmed young Jack Ginnivan without permission in a toilet cubicle may have been none other than Cornes himself.

Cornes has denied any allegations of wrong doing thus far.

[hujsh]

Finally some real journalism