The Final List…

Collingwood has finalised its list heading into the national and pre-season drafts, with Tobias Thoolen being the final casualty on the Magpie chopping block — whilst rookies Wellingham and Macaffer have been elevated to the senior list.

Thoolen, similar to Casey-Leigh, was delisted after being on the list for only a single season.  Thoolen was a very raw prospect who was used experimentally in various roles for the VFL side, without looking suited to any particular position.  Admittedly, Thoolen was taken in a draft that was largely considered weak and in any other year it is likely that he would have been a rookie selection as opposed to a national one.  The club has obviously decided that Thoolen’s current standing does not warrant a senior list spot; which I have no objection to.

With Thoolen’s departure and the elevations of Macaffer and Wellingham, Collingwood’s list is now officially final and we will head into the upcoming drafts with five senior list spots vacant and four spots on the rookie list to be filled.

Exciting times lay ahead, as this year’s draft promises a lot of talent and perhaps most important of all is its depth.  With that in mind, what does the club plan on doing?  We have the option of using five picks within the national draft; those picks being #11, #29, #45, #46 and #77.  Alternatively, we could use four picks and save a spot to take a player in the pre-season draft.  With the delisting of Thoolen, we can safely assume that Derek Hine rates the upcoming draft and expects to land five likely prospects.

As far as the pre-season draft is concerned, the crop of available players – at least those who would last until our pick – isn’t at all enticing.  I’m of the opinion that there isn’t a recycled player we could take in the pre-season draft that would improve our list.

A few teams have traded out of the third and fourth rounds this year or simply haven’t delisted enough players to take part.  Depending on final list lodgements, pick #77 is likely to in actuality be a pick in the early 70’s.  Hine has had some past success in the later rounds and rookie drafts, with the likes of Wellingham, Cox, Macaffer, O’Brien and Goldsack all being overlooked by the rest of the league.  With that said, I’m hoping that the club backs Hine in to conjure another late round smokey.

Commiserations to Thoolen for the time being; there is always the chance that we might rookie him again this year if no better options emerge.  Congratulations to Wellingham, who well and truly earned his position on the senior list after playing 12 senior games in 2008.  Wellingham looks likely to play a part in our 2009 campaign and if he continues to work hard and develop his game, could become a prominent member of our midfield rotation.  Macaffer was impressive as a forward in our VFL side this year, winning the Joseph Wren trophy for best VFL player.  With the elevation of Macaffer, our forward line depth continues to grow.

In summing up, the run down is that Collingwood will select five players in the national draft (or a possibility of four in the national draft and one in the pre-season draft) and four in the rookie draft.  I’ll be looking at draft prospects in an upcoming article, so stay tuned!

Collingwood Goes Cold On Cousins

After months of speculation, Collingwood have definitively stated that they will not be pursuing Ben Cousins.  The decision has divided the Collingwood faithful, who were eager to bolster our midfield stocks with a big name acquisition.

Gary Pert sent out a letter – well more of a memo really – explaining the club’s reasoning for the decision.  The gist of the explanation was that Cousins did not fit into Collingwood’s current youth policy and that our premiership window would not be truly open within the next year or two.  There is some merit in the justification of the decision; however there is undoubtedly more to the story.

Over recent months it has been well publicised that Collingwood has gone to extreme measures to investigate Ben Cousins.  With this in mind, it is apparent that the club has shown due diligence in assessing the value of Ben Cousins.  The problem that a lot of supporters have with the decision is the belief that the corporate image of the club has been given priority above on-field success.

Further adding fuel to the spot fires breaking out amongst disgruntled supporters is that the acquisition of Cousins – should his return be approved by the AFL – would not have cost the club anything bar a list spot as we were considered the best placed team to gain Cousins in the pre-season draft.  The line of thinking was that Cousins could be placed on a zero tolerance contract, whereby if relapse occurred he could simply be axed and the club would have effectively lost nothing.

The situation wasn’t helped by many Collingwood supporters getting increasingly excited about the prospect of Cousins.  The off-season is a dull time for football fans and there is a tendency to expect surprises or unnecessary moves to be made in order to sate supporters and increase promise and expectations for the coming season.  Added to this is Collingwood’s apparent history of being unable to secure marquee players; with the likes of Lockett, Judd and Stevens being the common names that emerge during such times.

Cousins could potentially have answered some of our immediate on-field problems; of that there is no doubt.  As our list stands, we lack some talent in the midfield as well as on-field experience, both qualities that Ben Cousins possesses.  The operative word however is potentially; as there are no guarantees as to how Cousins will perform after being out of the game for more than a year.

A lot of supporters seem to believe that because Cousins was still able to perform at his best in the past whilst having a drug addiction, that his “extracurricular activities” would have no bearing on his future output.  I think it’s important to remember that during Cousins’ prime – which is now in the rear view mirror and fading – he had the demands of football balancing these activities.  It became obvious as Cousins neared his ultimate demise at West Coast that he was finding it increasingly difficult to maintain this balance.

Without having football providing that counter-balance for the last year, it’s hard to say how detrimental Cousins’ demons may have become in recent times.  This is all speculative of course, but crucial to keep in mind nonetheless.  There are no guarantees regarding Cousins and despite the confidence many have in regards to his ability; it is understandable to remain skeptical as to whether Cousins was indeed the answer to our problems.

Ultimately, the club has decided that Cousins is not the answer and despite their reasons befuddling some supporters, the merit of the decision is something that only time can determine.  I have been largely indifferent in regards to the whole Cousins situation and to be honest, I’m nonplussed with how it has ended.  What I’m looking forward to the most is the continued development of our young playing group and the upcoming national and rookie drafts.

Part of me is glad that the speculation involving Collingwood and Cousins can now be laid to rest.  It’s time to look forward and hope that our youth policy and the decisions made because of it prove to be fruitful in the future.

Welcome: Anthony Corrie

Trade week has ended and whilst Collingwood bid farewell to Rhyce Shaw, it has welcomed a new addition to the club in Anthony Corrie.  We managed to acquire Corrie’s services by trading Pick #93 to Brisbane.  This has been considered a bargain basement price for a player who started in 20 out of 22 games in 2008.  With Brisbane accepting such a nothing pick, it is obvious that their intention was to delist Corrie if no other offers emerged.

Firstly, I must give credit to Brisbane for doing the right thing by a player and finding him a new home.  I’m not entirely sure as to the reasons why Corrie was considered expendable but all clubs have their reasons and in this instance Brisbane at least worked to keep Corrie’s AFL career alive.  In fact, this is reminiscent of the Ben Davies trade to North Melbourne.  That trade didn’t work out for Davies – as he was unable to etch out a career at North – but I dare say we’re more likely to have better luck with Corrie.

As for what Corrie brings to the table, I think many Collingwood supporters will be delighted at the exceptional pace that he possesses.  Rhyce Shaw brought a lot of pace to the table, but Corrie is on par – if not superior – to Shaw in the speed department.  Another aspect of Corrie’s game that is sure to please is his disposal, particularly by foot.  Corrie carries the ball well and is a good finisher; whether delivering the ball lace out to leading forwards or shooting on goal.

There are question marks over Corrie’s game however; as his eventual market value would suggest.  Corrie has a tendency to be too outside at times and lacks contested ball winning ability.  Despite having blistering pace, his endurance is not at all comparable to the likes of Rhyce Shaw and this fact is a major reason as to why Corrie doesn’t win as much ball as he potentially could, or should.  The bright side is that these are shortcomings that can be ironed out in a players game.  Skill deficiencies are something that Corrie does not suffer from and are the hardest things to improve; something that we have learned the hard way in the past.

Brad Scott mentoned that we would be looking to play Corrie in the forward half, calling upon his skills to deliver the ball well into the forward line along with his goal kicking ability.  This makes me wonder though, as our forward line is already becoming inundated with small forwards and flankers.  A more likely use for Corrie would be from the half-back line, where Corrie played a majority of his junior football and has proven to be useful at Brisbane.  In this regard, we would be lessening the loss of Rhyce Shaw by having a player who can provide us with pace on the rebound and down the wings.  Even playing in this role, Corrie could provide us with good delivery to leading targets.

There is some confusion as to Corrie’s forward exploits, largely due to the fact that he is considered inaccurately as a crumbing forward.  After watching a lot of Corrie this year, he does not excel in the crumbing or opportunistic stakes; instead he tends to score his goals by receiving in the middle or half-forward and having a running shot, a skill he is proficient at.  If not on the run, Corrie finds other opportunities as a leading target, pushing deep into the forward line and then using his pace to beat an opponent on the lead.  As a set shot Corrie is fairly reliable, although he has not done enough to cement himself as a viable full-time forward option.

Despite the trade leading us to believe he was on his last legs, Corrie’s stats for 2008 – whilst not mindblowing – prove at the very least that he is a zero risk, wise investment.  Corrie could be great value for Collingwood in the starting line-up or at the very least as a depth player.  Corrie finished third in Brisbane’s goal kicking this year, with a return of 21 goals in 20 games after returning from a knee injury.  We can’t take too much from this though, as Brisbane struggled with finding a third avenue to goal all year, with the likes of Rhan Hooper and their attacking midfielders not delivering on the scoreboard.

Corrie also finished 13th in Brisbane’s best and fairest count, ahead of the likes of Justin Sherman, Josh Drummond (albeit injury plagued), Rhan Hooper, Jamie Charman and Ash McGrath; most of which are respectable company.  With this in mind, it was obvious that the coaching staff at Brisbane must take issue with aspects of Corrie’s game that we are yet to become fully aware of.  Time will tell, but if it is mental application then a change of scenery could do wonders for Corrie and we have had success in the past with recycled players.

Collingwood has done well in acquiring a ready made player for free (assuming that Brisbane don’t use pick #93).  As stated earlier, if we can improve Corrie’s endurance and application then it could very well translate in us getting the surprise packet of 2008.

Welcome to Collingwood, Anthony Corrie!

Trade Week Concludes: How We Fared…

Trade week this year left many fans impatient and frustrated, as only a single trade had been made leading into the final day.  Collingwood played their cards close to their chest this week and it seems we have waited until the eleventh hour to make some moves; one of them expected and the other proving to be something of a surprise.

The expected move was the trade of Rhyce Shaw.  It was all over the place leading into trade week that Rhyce had requested a trade and even before the grapevine got involved, it was the general consensus that if anyone was going to be leaving Collingwood it was likely to be Shaw.  Collingwood has traded Rhyce Shaw to the Sydney Swans along with our 4th Round Pick (#61 overall) for Sydney’s 3rd Round Pick (#46 overall).

In this year’s trade period, a third round pick was about as good as we could get for Rhyce.  With clubs being reluctant to trade draft picks with the impending GC17 expansion, a third rounder seemed to be valued as a second rounder in any other year.  What Collingwood has effectively done is parted ways with Rhyce – who was looking to move on – whilst upgrading our position in the draft so that we can have four picks within the top 50.

It could be argued that Sydney have done pretty well in this trade, being that they’ve essentially only downgraded their position in the draft by 15 spots whilst picking up a ready made player.  The fact is, Rhyce Shaw despite being a good servant was emblematic of the skill deficiencies on our list.  Rhyce never really established himself within the starting line-up during his eight years at the club and as 2008 winded down, Rhyce found himself within the “dead wood” category in the eyes of many supporters.

With all that said, Rhyce did provide some assets to the side that will be missed.  With Shaw’s departure, Collingwood will need to find an alternative option for pace.  Rhyce was one of our better players at running and carrying from half-back and down the wings; coming second only to Dale Thomas in the bounces stat.  There was never a questionmark over Shaw’s ability to find the pill, just a question over how he used it.

Sydney have landed themselves a serviceable player who will provide them with some dash from half-back, something that they have sorely missed since Kennelly and Barry have begun the decline.  Whilst Collingwood have put an end to what was becoming a stagnant partnership and can look towards making the most out of a promising draft.

As for the surprise packet of our trade week: Collingwood have picked up Anthony Corrie from the Brisbane Lions in exchange for our 7th Round Pick (#93 overall).  What this basically means, since neither Collingwood nor Brisbane intended on using Pick #93, is that Collingwood have picked up Anthony Corrie for free.

Nobody expected this, despite the Magpies showing interest in Corrie a couple of years back.  Brisbane obviously were looking to delist Corrie and hence the trade, but I can’t quite fathom why.  I have watched most Brisbane games this year and since returning from a knee injury, Anthony Corrie managed 20 games for the season and was serviceable in most – if not all – of his outings.  He averaged roughly 13 disposals and 3 marks a game, whilst also averaging one goal per game.

These stats aren’t overly impressive at first glance, but it’s the tools we have to work with that are promising.  The loss of pace with the departure of Rhyce Shaw is covered with the arrival of Corrie; whilst the suspect disposal that Rhyce Shaw became somewhat known for is drastically improved with the skills that Corrie brings to the table.

Notably, there is more scope for improvement and flexibility with Corrie, who has played as a forward option and also as a half-back flanker and been effective to varying degrees in both roles.  I imagine Collingwood may be pencilling Corrie in to provide us with some run and carry from half-back, whilst we also have the option of pushing him forward where he can be quite dangerous.  Topping this off is the fact that Corrie is three years younger than Shaw and about to enter what is considered to be the peak age for footballers.

A change of scenery may bring out the best in Corrie; with Paul Medhurst’s evolution as a footballer setting a good example for players arriving at Collingwood by way of trades.  In the end, it’s a no risk trade as we have sacrificed nothing to gain Corrie’s services.  We have gained a player who has the potential to become something better than a fringe player, whilst also improving our position in the draft about as well as we possibly could have given who we were willing to trade.

Derek Hine has something to work with this year and we can now turn our eyes to Novermber’s draft.

The Fall Out

Collingwood Gain: Anthony Corrie, Pick #46
Collingwood Lose: Rhyce Shaw, Pick #61, Pick #93

Collingwood Draft Picks: #11, #29, #45, #46, #77*

* Unlikely that we will use this pick.

Welcome: Scott Reed

Whilst Collingwood are yet to make any moves in trade week, we have signed up Scott Reed via our NSW Scholarship scheme.  Whilst this isn’t news as such – considering the acquisition of Reed was a foregone conclusion – the fact that we have signed Reed to our rookie list is the noteworthy aspect.

I mentioned in an earlier article that I felt we should rookie list Reed in order to leave open a senior list spot and also to allow Scott to develop.  It seems the club may have been thinking along similar lines and what is most impressive is the willingness of Reed to oblige.

Reed had done enough at U18 level to justify using a senior list spot on him; especially considering we would have only had to use our last draft pick.  By agreeing to a two year rookie contract, Reed has shown that he is prepared to develop his game and work his way towards the senior list.

As for his vital statistics, Scott Reed is a 192cm midfielder who has the capacity to play forward or back.  From what I have seen of Reed – and granted that is not much at this stage – he strikes me as similar to Goldsack, albeit with more capacity to play in the midfield.  His height gives him extra reach in marking situations and in the footage I have seen, his second and even third efforts are exceptional and have all the hallmarks of a player who is prepared to work hard both ways.

His disposal is solid whilst needing some refinement; which I expect will come considering the mechanics of his kicking action are sound.  Whilst not quite having the poise of Pendlebury (how many do?) he is competent and tracks the ball well in traffic; usually keeping the ball to his advantage if not trapping it with his first touch.

For a player of his height and frame, he recovers quickly and is able to withstand contact whilst disposing to advantage.  Reed was awarded best on ground honours in the AFL Sydney Premiership game, steering his team to a 104 point victory.  On top of this, Reed has performed well for the ACT Rams at the U18 Championships, playing a vital role in making the Rams a more competitive outfit and being named amongst the best more often than not.

The early signs are good for Reed and he really looks the sort of player that Hine loves, being that he is pliable at this stage with a solid foundation to build upon.

There are a couple of other points to note in the signing of Scott Reed.  Firstly, the rules for the rookie list have been changed for 2009 onwards; now rookie listed players are eligible for senior selection after round 11 of the regular season.  This means that Reed – or any other rookie listed player – is available for senior selection from round 11 onwards regardless of whether we have sustained any long term injuries.   Secondly, Scott Reed has been signed as a NSW Rookie which means that he will also not be taking up a spot on the primary rookie list, leaving us more spaces for potential talent during this draft period.

I have to say, Collingwood have worked this situation very well and made the most out of not only the NSW Scholarship scheme, but also the changes that have been made in preparation for the GC17 expansion.  We now have the opportunity to develop a promising young lad and didn’t have to give up a senior list spot or a national draft pick to do so.

Welcome aboard Scott Reed, we look forward to tracking your progress over the next two years and hopefully beyond.

The Chopping Block & The Trade Table…

Monday marks the beginning of the AFL trade period, which ends a few days later on the Friday.  With the draft looming at the end of November, it’s safe to say that Collingwood’s list will change some more before we head to Telstra Dome for the draft meeting.

In fact, forget I said it’s safe to say our list will change; nothing is a given and as Collingwood supporters we’ve all been left bemused at this time of year in the past.  What I really meant to say is that we would be negligient – in my mind – if we didn’t make some more moves during this trade period.

We should be looking at opening another space or two, as currently it looks likely that we’ll only have four vacant spots to work with if we remain dormant during next week.  This simply does not give us enough flexibility during the upcoming national and pre-season drafts.

The onus during this trade period should be to acquire another pick, which would likely be within the third round given our trade stocks.  If not obtaining another pick, we should look to open another spot or two with the view to addressing some midfield issues with some ready made potential from other clubs; depending on what shakes loose next week.  We should also look to upgrade our current picks within the second and third round if possible.

With all this in mind and for us to be active during next week, some players would need to be culled.  The following are the players who shape as potential trade bait; or who have had their names and futures called into question.

Rhyce Shaw

Rhyce was shopped around last year, most notably in a package deal to the Brisbane Lions in an attempt to secure Cameron Wood.  Rhyce remained on our list and we managed to obtain Wood anyway, but considering this and on the back of an average year that was marred with off-field indiscretions, Rhyce’s future at Collingwood looks to be in doubt once more.

Personally, I feel Rhyce’s time at Collingwood has run its course.  He provides us with dash, but his disposal has always been suspect at best and has not improved to any reliable degree.  Rhyce can break the lines and can occasionally perform a capable run-with role, but the flaws in his game have a tendency to cost us more than any other player on our list.

Two instances I can outline are the Bulldogs game during the home and away season, where Rhyce had several gettable attempts on goal which could have virtually ended the contest early; but instead resulted in all too predictable misses.  The second example would be the elimination final against Adelaide, where Rhyce’s errors in the first half enabled Adelaide to get into the game.

At best, Rhyce Shaw is a depth player who has been overtaken by other players within the starting 22.  It’s important to have depth players, but unfortunately if we are to become serious contenders in the future we need to assemble better quality in this regard.  Further to this, Jaxson Barham – who was drafted last year – has shown good signs in the latter half of the VFL season and shapes as a potential replacement for Rhyce.  Jaxson’s early resume reads very similar to Rhyce’s, exceptional pace but still needing work on his disposal.  The point is, Jaxson has time on his side — a commodity that may have expired as far as Rhyce is concerned.

Rhyce is a decent enough footballer to play a role in most teams, although I can’t see too many being interested.  Fremantle is a possibility, given they need to fill many spots on their list after a considerable clean out.  Rhyce – along with one of our picks – could play a part in upgrading our second or third round pick, along with opening up a spot on the list.  If we are able to secure even a third round pick for Rhyce then I think that is the best result we could hope for.  This draft appears to be relatively deep, a third round pick could be of some value.

Ben Johnson

Johnson managed 16 games in 2008, but for a large portion of his season his position in the side looked in jeopardy.  Similar to Rhyce Shaw, Johnson’s kicking has always been called into question and hasn’t improved as his career progressed.  When Johnson was up and firing, he was providing us with more run and carry than any other player in the side.  Unfortunately, Johnson hasn’t been able to rekindle this form and has also looked to be a weak link defensively.

Once upon a time, Johnson could be called upon reliably to man the opposition’s best – and in most cases speediest – small forwards; whilst still providing good drive from the backline.  It appears that Johnson has lost more than a yard of pace though and his ability to regain this aspect of his game through improved fitness is in doubt.  Johnson has expressed that he wants to remain with Collingwood and is determined to recapture some long forgotten form, but it may be too late or just a case of bad timing.

The problem is, even if Johnson does regain fitness he’ll still have the same dubious kicking action.  Johnson is also more of an outside receiver than a ball-winner and when it comes to receivers, the prerequisite is that they can use the ball well and regularly hit targets — an ability that Johnson lacks.

In the case of Ben Johnson – who has had previous public indiscretions – and Rhyce Shaw, their perceived lack of dedication off-field in regards to “scallywag behaviour” and fitness could give the powers that be all the reason they need to pull the trigger.  Didak and Heath Shaw’s indiscretions were equal or worse, but their on-field value could see them given a lifeline whilst Johnson and Rhyce become an example for others.

As far as trade value goes, I would rate Johnson on equal terms with Rhyce at this point in time.  At best we could try and nab a third round pick, or upgrade a second/third round pick whilst opening up a spot for a pre-season draft acquisition (Ben Cousins anyone?).

Other Possibilities

Sean Rusling is another name that has been tossed around during the silly season.  Only by speculating Collingwood supporters of course, but nonetheless it’s worth pondering.  There are a few teams out there at the moment who are looking for some forward options.  The likes of Adelaide, Western Bulldogs and Melbourne have all suffered throughout the year for lack of forward targets.  If Sean Rusling’s late 2007 form is still in the memories of the coaches at some of these clubs, then we might be able to get some good value.

Considering he was laid up all season from a shoulder reconstruction, it seems that Sean is probably still more potential value to Collingwood than what we could potentially receive in a trade.  The fear for Collingwood though is that Sean – who is a couple of days away from turning 22 – has only played 17 games since debuting in 2005 and could be one more shoulder injury away from being written off.

Rusling’s trade value was at its highest at the end of last year, so unless a team surprises us by going over the odds, he is probably one we should roll the dice on and reassess at the end of 2009.

Shannon Cox came into the side late in the season and did well enough to perhaps bolster his trade value.  In particular, along with Leon Davis he was the only player who could hold his head up after our performance against Fremantle in Round 22.  Cox is originally from Western Australia and given that Fremantle are looking to restock their list and got a good look in at Cox, we could receive some good value.  In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me to get more value for Cox in a trade than either of Johnson or Shaw.

On the other side of the coin, I’m torn as to what we should do with Cox.  His skill set is well above average, even extremely impressive at times, but sometimes his focus and intensity just seems non-existent.  At 188cm and a mobile 93kgs, Cox has the physical attributes to play several positions and fill gaps; which is invaluable in the modern game.  The inconsistency and the gulf between Shannon’s best and worst is what leaves supporters uncertain as to his future; one week he looks to be the answer to many of our problems and the very next he becomes a contributing factor to those shortcomings.

I’m in no position to comment on Shannon’s personality or temperament, but I dare say it will play a large part as to whether the coaching staff persist with him.  Turning up to pre-season training overweight this year did Shannon no favours, but some of his end of season form may sway some favour.  I’m a little indifferent as to whether we should retain or trade Cox, as I wouldn’t be surprised nor disappointed either way.

Being a realist, with the emergence of Hawthorn this year and the departure of a lot of experience, it appears that Collingwood’s premiership window may be a little further away than we originally thought.  We must use this trade period to place us in good standing heading into November’s draft; hopefully putting together a side that is going to contest – convincingly – in two to three years time.