Collingwood Heartbreak & Success

It's now been over two seasons without a Collingwood premiership. Doesn't time fly? At the end of 2013 it will have been three seasons without a premiership. The team of 2010 promised so much -- they had the winning formula, or so we thought, to win a string of premierships. People were talking "dynasty", and at least in 2011, "back to back". However, it looks like myself, and the thousands of Collingwood supporters around Australia (and indeed the world), will have to wait, and wait, and wait again until the next magic moment. Collingwood premierships are few and far between, but certainly worth the wait.

I do feel for supporters of other teams though. The poor old Saints supporters were so close a couple of years ago, but it was just one "toe tap" in 2009, and a Lenny Hayes awkward bounce that destroyed the dream. For the Bulldogs it's been even longer, and they can't even seem to get past a Preliminary Final. Melbourne supporters have been suffering since Norm Smith was sacked in the '60s. At least as a Collingwood supporter (and member I might add), I've experienced two Collingwood premierships: 1990 and 2010. Let's just hope the next one isn't in 2030!

But for Collingwood supporters, the journey has been a tough one. From the days of the dreaded old "Colliwobbles", and all the associated jokes, it seemed that the players in those teams almost believed they were cursed. For a young boy of the '70s and '80s, it was tough to go to school after each premiership or finals loss. I look back now at those days rather fondly, but also with the jealousy of my Hawthorn and Carlton friends who seemed to have premierships handed to them on a silver platter each year or so.

After Collingwood's premiership of 1958, the team began their "unlucky" streak of premiership and finals distress. In 1960 they were up against a far superior Melbourne team, but in 1964 they had an opportunity and probably the first sign of the Colliwobbles curse could be seen. Ray Gabelich, the big bear, went stomping down the wing in the last quarter to put Collingwood in front, before an unlikely Melbourne backman put the Demons back in front to pinch the game.

In 1966, Collingwood finished on top of the ladder, but couldn't quite get over the line thanks to a desperate St. Kilda team looking for their first flag. The old "wobbly" Barry Breen point stopped the game from being a draw (and why didn't Tuddy keep running just before the siren? He had a paddock in front of him and just bombed it nowhere!).

Then there was 1969. Collingwood finished on top. No premiership. 1970, the famous Carlton/Barassi comeback (handball at all costs!) from 44 points behind. It had to be bloody Carlton didn't it?

Then again in 1973 the Maggies finished on top -- 19 out of 22 wins, but went out of the race in straight sets.

1977 was the first Grand Final I remember. It was also the first live telecast Grand Final on Channel 7. Collingwood v Nth. Melbourne. I swear Phil Carmen was sent by the Devil to sabotage a Collingwood premiership. How could he get a two week suspension the 2nd Semi Final? Ok, he did strike Michael Tuck, but in those days everyone did it. Needless to say, the drawn Grand Final would have been won and lost. Surely that would have been Colliingwood's year. Top of the ladder, straight through to the Grand Final. Premiership coach (Hafey brought Collingwood from the wooden spoon in 1976 to the Grand Final in '77).

The only good thing about the Grand Final replay was Phil Manassa's run and goal. Apart from that, Collingwood were still buggered from Hafey's killer training routine during the week.

1978 - Preliminary Final loss. Meh.

1979 - Bloody Carlton again. Wayne Harmes' famous tap in probably was inside the boundary, but either way, Collingwood still had plenty of time left to win it. It should be noted that this era of Collingwood is special to many people. Hafey's Pies were a bunch of goers. They weren't overly talented, but they were gutsy. Hafey got Collingwood into 5 Grand Finals in 5 years, but they just couldn't win one. In 1979 Carlton were just too good. In 1980, Richmond were too good. 1981 is the one that hurts though. I still have the scars. 1981 was the year that Collingwood should have finally won the premiership.

There are probably many reasons why they didn't (playing Peter Moore with a hamstring injury stands out), but it still doesn't make it better. That era though, had all the childhood heroes -- Rene Kink, Stan Magro, Peter Moore, Billy Picken, Graeme Anderson (I wore his 21 on my footy jumper), Andrew Ireland, Ronnie Wearmouth and so on and so on.

The years were baron after 1981. They sacked Hafey and the "New Magpies" made sure that recruiting old players from other teams for an enormous amount would become trendy. David Cloke was the only one worth a pinch of poop. And we got the "father/son" as a result.

So by the time Lethal Leigh Mathews took over in 1986, the signs began that there would be a new challenge to end the Colliwobbles. Out in straight sets in 1988 and 1989, the turning point came in 1990 with the drawn Qualifying Final. I was right there behind the goals with Dad when Peter Sumich for West Coast missed the goal on the siren. From the replay of the game the following week, the team were never going to lose. 

Winning the 1990 premiership was amazing. I went to all the finals that year, but couldn't get Grand Final tickets. I stayed up all night watching the Football Marathon, although I wouldn't have slept much anyway, in anticipation. The saddest part for me was that Dad wasn't there to watch it with me. While that's another story, Dad and I have reminisced about the great game many times since.

Who would have thought that was all for 20 years? The team was young enough and skilled enough to win one, maybe two more. The premiership hangover for breaking the 32 year drought proved too much. Then Darren Millane was killed. The team bottomed out until Mick Malthouse came.

The 2002 Grand Final was one of my favourites. Even though they didn't win, Collingwood, overwhelming underdogs against an amazing Brisbane team, almost pulled off a miracle. It was 2003 that hurt. They went in favourites against an injury effected Brisbane and still managed to lose, pre-1990 Collingwood-style.

So when 2010 came, it was a build up of years of planning by the coach and players. In 2010 they found out what worked and what didn't. The swarm, the forward pressure, the fact that once it was inside Collingwood's forward 50 it was very difficult to get it out. They almost coughed it up in the drawn Grand Final, and if it wasn't for a bad Lenny Hayes bounce, it could have been a Saint's flag.

The Magpies were never going to lose the replay. There were signs there early. Heath Shaw's smother and Didak's goal demonstrated to the world that there would be no "Colliwobbles" circa 1977 that year. And there wasn't. But will Collingwood supporters have to wait another 20 years? 32?

Could be worse though. Could barrack for the Saints, Demons or Bulldogs.