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  1. #1
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    Bevo v Matthews at Collingwood

    Comparatively Lethal’s years after Collingwood's 1990 Flag were better much than Bevo’s after 2016.
    Definitely not saying we sack Beveridge, but definitely think it’s an interesting comparison.


    By: Glenn McFarlane

    Games coached: 224 (1986-1995)

    In the mad minutes after Collingwood broke the longest and most embarrassing drought in its history in 1990, its chairman of selectors Ron Richards summed up the feeling of so many at the club and of its legion of supporters in one sentence.

    Asked what had made the difference after 32 years, Richards said: “We broke the drought because we employed the greatest footballer of the post-war era and watched him become the greatest Collingwood coach.”

    Sure, there was a bit of hyperbole in this comment. After all, Jock McHale won eight premierships as a coach, while Matthews’ flag return from 10 seasons as Collingwood coach was one – albeit one of the most important in the club’s history.

    But, in many ways, the sentiment was not too far off the mark.

    Matthews helped to transform a football club anchored by the failures of the past into a modern team committed to one another and divorced from the pressure that had attached itself to so many other black and white sides.

    The former Hawthorn champion was all about the present – and the future – rather than the past. He urged his team to make their own history, not to be burdened by a past that was not of their making.

    Matthews was appointed as an assistant coach to the great Bob Rose for 1986 – having first been approached by Rose during Hawthorn’s 1985 series – with the view that he would take over for the 1987 season.

    But after three losses to start the 1986 season – amid a tumultuous time on and off the field at Victoria Park – Rose called Matthews on the Sunday morning and told he was ready to hand over the reins immediately.

    Matthews was excited by the challenge, but realistic. He told the media: “I make no promises whatsoever … Talk of premierships and the (top) five are pretty much folly. Let’s just take it a week at a time.”

    He insisted he would look to build a side based on defence. And he wanted to indoctrinate the professionalism that had driven Hawthorn through the 1980s into those already at Collingwood, and those who come in the future.

    Matthews had a win in his first game as coach and would oversee a debut season where the Magpies would win 12 games and miss the finals only on percentage.

    In a sign for the future, the club’s under 19s side, comprising players such as Gavin Brown, Damian Monkhorst, Mick McGuane and Gavin Crosisca, won the flag.

    Yet all the good work was undone the following season as Collingwood slumped to 12th, winning only seven games. Matthews would recall how some questioned his coaching that season – “there were some unhappy people … mainly in 1987 when things were going bad. Then I doubted – everyone doubted.”

    The next two seasons brought finals campaigns, but more frustration. The Magpies finished the home-and-away season second in 1988, yet went out in straight sets with losses to Carlton and Melbourne. And a year later Melbourne once more proved a stumbling block in an elimination final as Collingwood finished fifth.

    Few people saw what was coming in 1990, but Matthews knew his team – one he had carefully and sometimes ruthlessly constructed – was building towards something special.

    In the first year of the rebadged Australian Football League, Collingwood had an outstanding home-and-away season, finishing second to Essendon, and yet Matthews’ team was able to produce an even more remarkable finals campaign.

    Having drawn with West Coast in the qualifying final, the coach inspired his team onto a big win in the replay and a comprehensive victory over Essendon in the second semi-final.

    Matthews kept his players insulated from the external pressure that was building on them. He would explain: “We’ve probably had to divorce the team from the club a bit … The club’s been here for a hundred years and it will be around for another hundred, but the team is the players who are here now.”

    In a sense, Matthews had purged the ‘Colliwobbles’ tag from the minds of the players. And it paid dividends as the club won its first premiership since 1958, with a dominant performance to restrict Essendon to only five goals in the Grand Final and to win by 48 points.

    That night, in the ebullience of the moment, president Allan McAlister basically guaranteed 38-year-old Matthews the Collingwood coaching job for life.

    McAlister told the premiership gathering at the Southern Cross: “(Matthews) won’t get away from us until he is too old and decrepit to do anything for anyone else.”

    But the next five seasons failed to produce another flag. A premiership hangover cost the club in 1991; it was unlucky in its finals campaigns of 1992 and 1994; and it missed out entirely on September action in 1993 and 1995.

    At the end of 1995, that “job for life” guarantee was gone. Matthews was told that after 10 seasons – and despite bringing about the most cherished of all the club’s premierships – the board wanted to go in a different direction.

    He was philosophical, saying: “I can see where they’re coming from, so there’s animosity. Sometimes you just need a change and sometimes the easiest position to change is the coaching position.”

    McAlister, who was also about to leave the club, told the media he had no regrets about his statement from 1990. “Of course, I don’t. That was after a flag. Be realistic. Indeed, I’m so sad today.”

    Matthews still had plenty of football life left in him. He would “get away”, coaching the Brisbane Lions to three successive premierships (2001-03), including wins over Collingwood in the latter two years.
    It's better to die on our feet than live on our knees.

  2. #2
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    Re: Bevo v Matthews at Collingwood

    Every week he remains coach is a week wasted.

  3. #3
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    Re: Bevo v Matthews at Collingwood

    Quote Originally Posted by SonofScray View Post
    Every week he remains coach is a week wasted.
    He's made finals 3 out of 6 years, including 1 flag.
    If only all our past head coaches could be so awful.

    Dimma looked awful at Tigers for a long while, Hinkley seems to be always under pressure to survive at Port.

    We should not rush to judgment on Bevo. And that is not to say we should not be heavily reveiwing our entire football program. But to lay it all at Bevo's feet is too simplistic.

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  5. #4
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    Re: Bevo v Matthews at Collingwood

    Quote Originally Posted by SonofScray View Post
    Every week he remains coach is a week wasted.
    No.
    But.
    Maybe we need some fresh ideas from outside.

  6. #5
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    Re: Bevo v Matthews at Collingwood

    Is Bevo rooting player partners?
    Nobody's looking for a puppeteer in today's wintry economic climate.

  7. #6
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    Re: Bevo v Matthews at Collingwood

    Quote Originally Posted by Yankee Hotel Foxtrot View Post
    He's made finals 3 out of 6 years, including 1 flag.
    If only all our past head coaches could be so awful.

    Dimma looked awful at Tigers for a long while, Hinkley seems to be always under pressure to survive at Port.

    We should not rush to judgment on Bevo. And that is not to say we should not be heavily reveiwing our entire football program. But to lay it all at Bevo's feet is too simplistic.
    Agree, frankly I get sick of those sort of comments - so easy to say, but no solution for the whole team

    Happy to get some new assistants and mix it up, as we have only had a couple of changes in 5 years, but to me as I have said in other threads, we don't have the players to take the next step and be a top four side. I honestly thought bringing in Keath and Bruce was going to make a huge difference, but it has exposed other issues for us.
    FFC: Established 1883

    Premierships: AFL 1954, 2016 VFA - 1898,99,1900, 1908, 1913, 1919-20, 1923-24, VFL: 2014, 2016 . Champions of Victoria 1924. AFLW - 2018.

  8. #7
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    Re: Bevo v Matthews at Collingwood

    Quote Originally Posted by bornadog View Post
    Agree, frankly I get sick of those sort of comments - so easy to say, but no solution for the whole team

    Happy to get some new assistants and mix it up, as we have only had a couple of changes in 5 years, but to me as I have said in other threads, we don't have the players to take the next step and be a top four side. I honestly thought bringing in Keath and Bruce was going to make a huge difference, but it has exposed other issues for us.
    Contributors can’t get sick of people’s considered comments without stating their own opinions about the details they are referring to.

    Most people here are saying ...this is what I think ........because....... and that’s helpful.

    In your case ...can’t be a top 4 side.......don’t have the players.

    In my case........should be a top 6 side consistently......do have the players (but not using them wisely).

    I look forward to more comments.

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  10. #8
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    Re: Bevo v Matthews at Collingwood

    Quote Originally Posted by Danjul View Post
    Contributors can’t get sick of people’s considered comments without stating their own opinions about the details they are referring to.

    Most people here are saying ...this is what I think ........because....... and that’s helpful.

    In your case ...can’t be a top 4 side.......don’t have the players.

    In my case........should be a top 6 side consistently......do have the players (but not using them wisely).

    I look forward to more comments.
    I am just giving you my opinion.
    FFC: Established 1883

    Premierships: AFL 1954, 2016 VFA - 1898,99,1900, 1908, 1913, 1919-20, 1923-24, VFL: 2014, 2016 . Champions of Victoria 1924. AFLW - 2018.

  11. #9
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    Re: Bevo v Matthews at Collingwood

    In some ways the back half of last year could have been a bad thing for the club. It sealed over cracks and put a bit more blind faith into Bevo, the coaches and the players.

    I’m happy to continue with Bevo (I’m also happy not to) but if we do, we need a thorough review. I think Bevo needs to eat some humble pie and listen to some new incomers. If he can do that I think we can turn this ship around. If not, see you later and thanks for 2016.

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  13. #10
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    Re: Bevo v Matthews at Collingwood

    Quote Originally Posted by bornadog View Post
    I am just giving you my opinion.
    Which I appreciate and I look forward to more.

  14. #11
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    Re: Bevo v Matthews at Collingwood

    Quote Originally Posted by Danjul View Post
    Which I appreciate and I look forward to more.
    I appreciate your comments too as you come at it from a different angle, and that is thought provoking.
    FFC: Established 1883

    Premierships: AFL 1954, 2016 VFA - 1898,99,1900, 1908, 1913, 1919-20, 1923-24, VFL: 2014, 2016 . Champions of Victoria 1924. AFLW - 2018.

  15. #12
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    Re: Bevo v Matthews at Collingwood

    Quote Originally Posted by bulldogsthru&thru View Post
    In some ways the back half of last year could have been a bad thing for the club. It sealed over cracks and put a bit more blind faith into Bevo, the coaches and the players.

    I’m happy to continue with Bevo (I’m also happy not to) but if we do, we need a thorough review. I think Bevo needs to eat some humble pie and listen to some new incomers. If he can do that I think we can turn this ship around. If not, see you later and thanks for 2016.
    The compromise I am prepared to make: Bevo stays, the rest of the coaching dept is subject to a spill and fill.

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  17. #13
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    Re: Bevo v Matthews at Collingwood

    Quote Originally Posted by bulldogsthru&thru View Post
    In some ways the back half of last year could have been a bad thing for the club. It sealed over cracks and put a bit more blind faith into Bevo, the coaches and the players.

    I’m happy to continue with Bevo (I’m also happy not to) but if we do, we need a thorough review. I think Bevo needs to eat some humble pie and listen to some new incomers. If he can do that I think we can turn this ship around. If not, see you later and thanks for 2016.
    We need strong leadership and oversight at the Club, in terms of who Bevo reports to.

    Chris Grant, Bains and Peter Gordon: By all means be mates with Luke but please do your job open and honestly. The Club and the Supporters deserve this, not a bunch of yes men, (a la the Bumbers with the Hird era) where the Coach says jump and his superiors respond by saying how far!

    I am probably making something out of nothing (we do have one of the youngest lists that is a work in progress but the bar has been set hi by the team and their actions and talent) but one needs to just look over the other side of the Maribyrnong to see what happens when there is no oversight and accountability.

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