https://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au The complete history of Australia's greatest sporting club Tue, 30 Jan 2024 23:13:09 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.0.21 https://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/players/jamie-elliott/ Wed, 16 Jul 2014 12:03:08 +0000 http://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/players/jamie-elliott/ https://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/players/andrew-j-krakouer/ Wed, 16 Jul 2014 12:03:03 +0000 http://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/players/andrew-j-krakouer/ His former Richmond coach Danny Frawley claimed Krakouer was the player most likely to win a Brownlow Medal “if football was played in a phonebox”, such was his ability to be clean in congestion. The son of Jimmy, he was recruited to Tigerland from South Fremantle as a long-term prospect, but showed glimpses of the family magic in his first three appearances in 2001. In 2002 he showed he was capable of brilliant pieces of football, but was unable to string it all together across a few games or even a match. In 2004 he played every game and started to mature as a footballer, finishing sixth in the best and fairest. While he lacked consistency over the following couple of years he was constantly willing to apply pressure in the forward area. His career looked over after he served time in jail in WA over an assault, but he returned to the WAFL, playing for Swan Districts. He had a superb season, winning the Sandover Medal (as the best and fairest player in the league), and the Simpson Medal, as best afield in the Grand Final. Krakouer’s performance in the 2010 WAFL Grand Final has already gone down in football folklore, gathering 42 disposals and kicking four goals. He single-handedly won his side the game, kicking the match winner with minutes remaining. His fairytale was completed when he was pre-listed by Gold Coast during October, and then traded to Collingwood (along with Murray Bushranger Jonathon Ceglar) in exchange for selection 25. Krakouer a fine return to AFL  football, playing 23 of the 25 matches and kicking a career high 35 goals. His inclusion released Leon Davis to the backline where he was named in the All-Australian team. Krakouer himself played in the side’s pre-season premiership and complied an impressive highlights reel as the year progressed. He won Mark of the Year for his hanger over Adelaide’s Luke Thompson and teammate Dayne Beams in round nine and bagged four goals twice (in rounds 19 and 23) and laid 78 tackles. He was one of the better performed Magpies on Grand Final day, kicking three goals in the first half and setting the side alight before Geelong reined him in. Trouble struck in February 2012 when he tore his anterior cruciate ligament during a practice match against Geelong on a boiling hot day at Kardinia Park. He had switched from No.7 to No.3 during the off-season but quickly arranged a move back to his old number. Remarkably, Krakouer staged a late-season comeback, working his way through his rehabilitation with Brent Macaffer. The pair returned together in the VFL against Bendigo, and it took Krakouer only a matter of weeks before he slotted back into the senior side, kicking a goal from 11 disposals against Essendon in round 23. He was worth his weight in gold a week later, kicking four goals in the Qualifying Final loss to Hawthorn, but went goalless in the fortnight that followed. Krakouer endured a topsy-turvy 2013, first appearing in round six and playing eight of the next 10 games before being omitted after the shock loss to Gold Coast in round 17. Still, he had proven that his best was still up to scratch, kicking three goals to help sink Geelong and Carlton. At the age of 30, Krakouer was delisted at the end of the season, but left with his head held high, thrilling the fans with 50 goals in 35 games.]]> https://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/players/chris-tarrant/ Wed, 16 Jul 2014 12:02:18 +0000 http://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/players/chris-tarrant/ Late in the year he turned in a couple of impressive displays, notably in the final round against Sydney. Tarrant was aware that he was probably given more senior games than he deserved in 1998, but the experience stood him in good stead. After suffering off-season pelvic problems he did not stake a claim for a regular spot in early 1999. Midway through the year, a match-winning four goal effort from centre half-forward against St Kilda caught the eye, as did screamers against Port Adelaide and North Melbourne. Although Tarrant returned home to Mildura before the start of the 2000 season, there was no way known Collingwood was going to allow him to abandon his AFL career as they always saw him as one of the most exciting youngsters on its list. Despite his delayed start to the season, Tarrant played several outstanding games for the Magpies and pulled down many spectacular marks. He had hamstring problems late in the year, but still managed 19 senior games for 28 goals. Tarrant benefited by the arrival of Jarrod Molloy in the forward line in 2001 and he had a strong season at full-forward, topping the club’s goalkicking with 53. Along the way he took a memorable pack mark against Melbourne at the MCG on the Queen’s Birthday which ranked amongst the truly great grabs. A hip injury dogged him in 2002 and his inconsistency was a frustration, but he had a mighty 2003. In some games his pace and marking ability made him virtually unstoppable such as the clash with St Kilda when he took 17 marks and kicked six goals. Some opponents tried to stand in front of him to limit his leads, but it did not always work. He was strongly influenced by Magpie assistant coach Terry Daniher who noted that Tarrant needed his space “but also liked reassurance and feedback”. Daniher likened him to Paul Van Der Haar for having a relaxed attitude off the field but a competitive and proud nature on the other side of the white line. He showed his maturity in round seven against Adelaide when he kicked the winning goal after the siren. He seemed more comfortable with public attention but did admit: “I love playing footy, but I don’t like to get recognised too much walking down the street.” Tarrant played in Collingwood’s Grand Final sides in 2002 and 2003 and was selected as an All-Australian in 2003 as well as running second in the best and fairest. He injured a hamstring early in 2004 but shouldered the burden in attack with others injured or lacking form. As ever, he was prepared to cover a lot of ground. Tarrant was patchy for the next two years and was unreliable in attack. In 2006 he also got into hot water for some off-field indiscretions. At the end of the year he was traded to Fremantle in a deal that netted Collingwood Paul Medhurst and Ben Reid (the latter via the National Draft). He was average in 2007 and slow to get going in 2008 but by mid June he started to fire. At Collingwood he had been shielded from the media, refusing to do interviews, but he opened up eventually at Fremantle and commented in mid-2008 that football had never been the top priority in his life. He reflected that he had probably not kicked on since his boom year in 2003 but laughed off suggestions by former captain Nathan Buckley that he could have been as big a star as Lance Franklin. In 2009 he was switched to defence and found a new lease of life, running fourth in the best and fairest and being unlucky not to win All-Australian selection. He had Achilles then knee problems at the end of 2010, but it was common knowledge that he and his wife wanted to return to Victoria, and he achieved a trade back to his old club. Tarrant capped off his career with two fine seasons in the Black and White jumper, trading in his old No. 20 for No. 2. He finished in the top 10 in the Copeland Trophy in 2011 and was one of Collingwood’s best in the Grand Final defeat when he had Geelong’s James Podsiadly covered before his former Magpie teammate went down with a dislocated shoulder. Injuries hampered his final season, but he still managed to feature in the 2012 finals series when he was again one of his side’s most reliable players.]]>