It’s not easy being a Collingwood supporter, but would we have it any other way?
The almost primal hatred of all things Collingwood is perhaps the only thing that can unite opposition fans within the AFL. Similarly, it is this same hatred that unites Collingwood fans, reinvigorating the black and white faithful as they march in unison under the credo of “side by side.”
In recent weeks, it has become public knowledge that Collingwood has lost eight million dollars through failed investments in pubs. Whilst our public disapproval of Richmond’s recent attempts to snare an extra PSD pick – which may be used on Ben Cousins – has also made headlines.
There’s nothing like Collingwood brewed bad news to fill opposition fans with glee; for many, you would be forgiven for thinking they cherish such Magpie misfortunes more than they would a premiership victory.
Graham Cornes has become the new poster boy for such opposition supporters, after a conveniently timed tirade about the Collingwood Football Club. In his article in the Adelaide Advertiser, Cornes took aim at Collingwood in regards to our recent history of success, or lack there of to be accurate.
On top of this, he expressed his distaste at Collingwood questioning the validity of Richmond’s belated appeal to be compensated with an extra PSD pick in light of Graham Polak’s medical condition after being struck by a tram earlier this year.
Throughout the course of the article, Cornes outlined Collingwood’s lack of interstate travel, our apparent demand for blockbuster games and accused us of holding the AFL to ransom; being gifted a favourable draw and benefits not accessible to other clubs.
I have to give it to Graham, I actually thought the article was well written – even articulate – for what was essentially a mud-raking piece. The Paris Hilton comparison was a nice touch; apparently Collingwood are famous simply for being famous, with very little substance to back up our standing.
The failed investments were a disaster, there is simply no way of sugar coating that debacle. People need to be held accountable and with the AGM just around the corner, questions will be asked. It is important to remember however, that whilst we have clearly made an error – an extremely costly one at that – we are looking to correct it without seeking hand-outs. It is this kind of self-sufficiency that renders any outside opinions irrelevant.
It is our problem and does not hinder any other club, or the league at large. Any queries or speculation from opposition fans or media personalities is merely a case of schadenfreude.
As for our lack of success, you’ll find no Collingwood supporter who would argue that we could be considered largely successful on-field; one flag in fifty years speaks for itself. The supporters demand premierships and despite popular belief, the club strives to reach those heights. There isn’t a single person at Collingwood, from the administration to the players, who don’t enter each season aiming for premiership glory – I dare say it’s the same at every other club.
Whilst we demand success, we are completely aware that you don’t get something simply by demanding it; despite what certain Paris Hilton analogies would have you believe. The club works to obtain this success by investing more money into it’s football department than most clubs and by utilising such initiatives as the NSW scholarship program to the fullest extent; whilst looking to be innovative in finding new ways to unearth talent and better develop our list.
Such steps include having a stand-alone VFL side, allowing us the ability to have full control over the development of our younger brigade. Recently, we have put a proposal forward to field an under-18 side in the Sydney football competition, so that we can improve the odds of turning potential into genuine talent with our NSW scholarship players.
The aforementioned initiatives don’t speak of a club who is only interested in off-field success or notoriety, they speak of a club determined to do everything within its power to achieve success. I might add that all these initiatives are well within the rules of our sport, which is more than I can say for some of the shenanigans that certain other clubs have been found guilty of.
The Richmond situation is one where many people clearly missed the point. Collingwood has no problem with any other club picking up Ben Cousins, we made the decision to pull out of the race whilst there were two other clubs still running. The issue that Collingwood and at least two other teams take umbrage with is the timing and the actual request, which at this point in time falls outside of the rules in place for such situations.
Polak’s situation is unfortunate, but the extent and nature of his injuries surely would have suggested to Richmond that Polak was not going to be a proposition any time in 2009. Nobody is expecting Richmond to enter 2009 with one less available player, that is what the long term injury list is there for. Richmond have the option of placing Polak on the LTI whilst elevating a rookie to their senior list.
In doing this, Richmond still have the option of taking Cousins in the PSD, as they still have a pick available. Collingwood is within its right as an AFL club to protest such instances where another club is obviously trying to gain an advantage in such a dubious manner; it would be remiss of them not to be pro-active in such circumstances.
The line of thinking – one that Cornes is obviously a subscriber to – that it would be a travesty for the sport if Cousins was to be left behind; that the code at large seemingly owes something to Cousins is quite ludicrous. There are always tragic stories within football. It was tragic that Lee Walker, who showed so much potential, had his career cut short by knee injuries. It was tragic when Jason Snell’s career was ended by injury and it is possible that the same fate may befall a current Cat in Matthew Egan.
The difference is, unlike Cousins these players had no choice in their fate. The Ben Cousins story might end unceremoniously, but it is entirely of his own making. Collingwood isn’t trying to prevent Cousins from re-entering the AFL. In fact, Cousins has done more for that cause than anyone else.
As for our draw, the blockbusters and our interstate travel; it seems difficult for many people to accept that our draw is made to benefit the AFL at large, opposition clubs falling within that category. Nobody complained about our draw when we sported one of the worst lists in the competition, yet had to front up to power houses in Essendon and Carlton twice a year, every year.
It’s also fact that many flailing opposition clubs request home games against us as a means of bolstering their coffers. As far as our interstate travel is concerned, we are scheduled four interstate trips per year, which would be about the norm for all Victorian clubs should they decide not to sell games interstate as a means of making money. Our interstate draw is often comparable to Carlton and Essendon, yet nobody questions their interstate fixture.
But hey, the general consensus amongst Collingwood is one of willingness to cross borders. We have a respectable record interstate in recent years, particularly in South Australia; which may be a cause for Cornes’ apparent bitterness.
The blockbusters are considered blockbuster games simply because we made them so. We took the initiative along with the opposition club we face off against in every instance, from Anzac Day to the Queen’s Birthday. These games have become tradition because we got the ball rolling. It’s comical to hear people accuse our club of “squealing” within the same breath of complaining about such things; perhaps they are the ones who should be more pro-active about such matters.
It has been a tumultuous year for the Collingwood Football Club, with off-field indiscretions and failed investments, yet we are still Collingwood and unapologetically so. Perhaps this is what draws the ire of so many, that we have throughout our history faced adversity so staunchly. That despite what befalls us, our faithful always show up as optimistically and passionately as only Collingwood fans can.
I would have been hard pressed to find someone within the AFL supporting community who had a pleasant word to say about Graham Cornes prior to his latest article. If there is one thing that I can take from this, it is that a hatred for Collingwood could perhaps render Dale Carnegie’s “How To Win Friends And Influence People” redundant.
It’s common knowledge that you either love or hate Collingwood. The worst collective nightmare of opposition fans consists of a premiership cup draped in black and white.
The mere specter of such a possibility alone and the effect it has on so many is enough to bring a smile to every Magpie fan.
