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/taylor-adams/ Wed, 16 Jul 2014 12:03:15 +0000 http://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/players/taylor-adams/ https://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/players/paul-medhurst/ Wed, 16 Jul 2014 12:02:50 +0000 http://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/players/paul-medhurst/ Recruited from Claremont, Medhurst’s career as a Fremantle Docker got underway with a three-goal haul against West Coast in the first round of 2002. Aged 20, he kicked 36 goals for the season including four against Collingwood in round 12. By the time he had followed it up with 50 in Fremantle’s run to September the following year, Medhurst appeared on the verge of superstardom in the west. But form issues took their toll, despite a bag of nine against Brisbane mid-way through 2004, and when he could average only a goal per game across 12 outings in 2006, he found himself on the move to Victoria. Medhurst was known as the ‘steak knives’ in the trade that saw Chris Tarrant become a Docker and Collingwood land the eighth selection in the 2006 National Draft (Ben Reid). But by the time he hit his straps, Pies fans knew they had got more than they had bargained for. Medhurst began 2007 slowly, having his tonsils removed during the pre-season, breaking a bone in his foot during a practice match and straining ankle ligaments early in the year. Despite all this, he played in the first three rounds of the season, kicking four against Richmond under lights. His season only really gained momentum late in the piece when he recorded two three goals in the space of seven days against Richmond and Melbourne on the eve of the finals. Medhurst showed his true colours in September, kicking two important goals in the win over the Eagles in extra-time before taking a leading role in the epic Preliminary Final cliffhanger against Geelong, kicking three goals including the one that brought the Pies to within a kick with a minute to play. He enjoyed a career-best season in 2008, kicking 50 goals, landing a place in the All-Australian team and receiving the R.T. Rush Trophy as runner-up in Collingwood’s best and fairest. After a slow start to the year, Medhurst clicked into gear during a horror loss to North Melbourne in round five, kicking five majors before backing it up with six against Essendon on ANZAC Day to win the ANZAC Day Medal as best afield in a 73-point win. Two more bags of five followed, against West Coast and Adelaide (when he kicked 5.5 in round 15), and he ended the season with at least one goal in all bar three of his 24 games. Although his form tapered off slightly at the tail end of the season, Medhurst was an important contributor in the surprise win over the Crows in the Elimination Final. He started 2009 in solid touch, peaking with four goals and 13 disposals against the Lions in round four, a night memorable due to the fact that he kicked his last goal concussed and did not know at the time which way his team was kicking. Injuries began to take their toll as the year wore on and meant he could not get the continuity in his football that made him so dangerous twelve months prior. Medhurst kicked just five goals in his last nine games and only one in September, but started 2010 on the right foot with four goals against the Western Bulldogs in round one. Unfortunately, injuries again took their toll and his best form deserted him as a result. He had one final spike, kicking three goals in consecutive weeks against the Blue and the Kangaroos in rounds six and seven but would play just three more games for the year as foot injuries robbed him of his momentum. He was brought back for one time against Essendon in round 20 but appeared rusty. After the game, coach Mick Malthouse admitted he had kept Medhurst in the VFL for too long. “I thought he (Medhurst) played like a VFL player coming up to play AFL football,” Malthouse said after the 98-point win. “I’ve said it all year – he typifies the level of skill which is not necessarily greater than VFL, but the level of intensity is massive. “And if you’re out of it too long, and that’s my fault, he has probably been out of it for too long. He’ll need time to reacquaint himself with that sort of intensity. “Paul understands that, the longer you’re down there, it gets harder.” Sadly, that Friday night against Essendon was the last the AFL saw of Medhurst. He played out the remainder of the season in the VFL, and according to coach Gavin Brown was his side’s best player in the Elimination Final loss to the Northern Bullants at North Port Oval. “Paul was our best player,” Brown told collingwoodfc.com.au. “He had an interrupted start to the game as he was held as a carry-over player (for the seniors’ match against Hawthorn). He drove from the MCG to North Port and arrived at the ground 10 minutes into the first term.” Medhurst announced his retirement three days after the team’s win over St Kilda in the Grand Final Replay, and soon returned to the WAFL where he continued to dazzle the local supporters. “He has outstanding abilities and possesses a wonderful mark and a beautiful kick for goal,” Malthouse wrote in an online tribute to Medhurst. “It would be fair to say through his career he had highs and lows, not about his abilities, but about his mindset and focus. “At 28, he has several years left in footy but he has also got a calling outside of football where he wants to spend his life doing other things. “He got on very well with people. I am delighted we were able to get him over here and play for Collingwood. “I am not surprised and very happy for him that he made a decision and left something in the tank and people will remember how good he is.”]]> https://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/players/scott-pendlebury/ Wed, 16 Jul 2014 12:02:49 +0000 http://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/players/scott-pendlebury/ https://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/players/nick-maxwell/ Wed, 16 Jul 2014 12:02:42 +0000 http://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/players/nick-maxwell/ https://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/players/dane-swan/ Wed, 16 Jul 2014 12:02:40 +0000 http://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/players/dane-swan/ In the years that followed, Swan made incredible improvement to the point where he became the 2011 Brownlow Medalist, and earned the label of ‘untaggable’ from many commentators. A strongly built midfielder who is dangerous if released to half forward, Swan’s unique ability to repeatedly out-sprint his opponents, allowing him to power from contest to contest, made him Collingwood’s most consistent player of the Malthouse-Buckley era. Criticised earn on by some for his occasionally errant kicking, Swan’s disposal was soon considered to be as good as any other. His barrel chest meant he could hunt down the ball at the stoppages and explode away from them courtesy of his deceptive pace. Far from a front runner, Swan averaged 84.4 tackles between 2007 and 2011. He also had ability to make himself a threat in attack, be it around stoppages, outrunning his opponent when the side’s in possession and when isolated one-out where his underrated ability overhead made him the complete package. After a disappointing and injury-plagued 2014, he returned to stellar form in 2015, running second in the Copeland Trophy. He began the 2016 campaign well, starring during the NAB Challenge, only for a rare foot injury suffered minutes into the season opener against Sydney to end both his season and his career.]]> https://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/players/shane-woewodin/ Wed, 16 Jul 2014 12:02:39 +0000 http://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/players/shane-woewodin/ The blond haired Woewodin was a decorated player at the Junction Oval, winning the Demons’ best and fairest in 2000 and playing more than 100 consecutive games since his debut in 1997, a run that included the 2000 Grand Final loss. The son of a Ukrainian immigrant, Woewodin was famous at Melbourne for his fastidious attention to detail in preparation. His dietary preparation was one of the most detailed ever undertaken by a League footballer as he underwent tests to determine what time of day he should eat and what foods would benefit his body most. Collingwood gave up selection No. 14 (Daniel Bell) in exchange for Woewodin and received good service from the left-footer over three years. Woewodin polled three Brownlow votes on debut, winning 24 disposals and kicking a goal against Richmond in the first round of 2003. He put in another best on ground showing against Adelaide in round seven, collecting 32 disposals and kicking two goals in a famous win in enemy territory. He continued to perform credibly as the year progressed, polling the maximum votes against arch rivals Carlton (round 17) and Essendon (round 22). A veteran of Melbourne’s 2000 Grand Final, he began the 2003 decider against the Lions by kicking Collingwood’s first goal of the day from in front of the MCC Members stand but had just 12 more touches for the afternoon as Brisbane stormed to a 50-point win. Woewodin produced his most consistent season in a Black and White jumper in 2004, making a steady start before settling into a solid year in which he failed to miss a game for the third year running and tied with Ben Johnson and Paul Licuria for second place in the best and fairest. Unfortunately, Woewodin’s career came to a halt the following year when, despite playing 15 games, it became apparent that his pace had deserted him as the Magpies slipped to 15^th spot on the ladder. A strong finish to the season, capped by two goals and 20 disposals against the Bulldogs in round 22 (his 200^th senior game), gave him hope of continuing his career at the highest level. After he was delisted, he trained at North Melbourne but was overlooked on draft day, bringing to an end a career that had its origins in the 1997 pre-season draft.]]> https://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/players/brodie-holland/ Wed, 16 Jul 2014 12:02:34 +0000 http://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/players/brodie-holland/ A dangerous small forward in his early years, the Taswegian morphed into one of the competition’s best taggers during his heyday and became one of Mick Malthouse’s most reliable lieutenants when the Magpies tumbled down the ladder during the mid-2000s. Holland was originally drafted to Fremantle midway through the 1997 National Draft, crossing the country to commence his league career. He debuted less than twelve months later and was used as a rover during his first season, impressing to the point where then-Dockers coach Gerard Neesham was moved to compare Holland to St Kilda champion Robert Harvey. Unfortunately for Fremantle, Holland’s career stalled in the years that followed and by the end of 2000 he was shipped off to Collingwood along with James Clement in a convoluted deal that saw Paul Williams become a Swan. Holland was among a batch of experienced bodies recruited by Mick Malthouse to bolster his baby Magpies ahead of the 2001 season, and made an immediate impression, with his goal kicking nous ensuring he held his place in the side for most of the year. Dermott Brereton, then working for Channel Seven, observed Holland would often star early in a match, fade out of the contest during the middle two quarters and then hit back in the final quarter. His finest hour on a football field arrived early the following year, when Holland kicked eight goals against West Coast to single-handedly carry Collingwood across the line by a solitary point in round two, 2002. But as the season wore on, Holland’s impact lessened and youngsters such as Alan Didak and Leon Davis took over his role in the forward pocket, leaving Holland on the bench or in the blue and gold of Williamstown, the club’s then-VFL affiliate. Holland was not used during any of his side’s three finals (he was named as an emergency for the Grand Final loss to Brisbane) and he entered his third season on the list with his future at the crossroads. After a terrible start to 2003, where he recorded just one kick and was suspended for a fortnight for striking Richmond’s Greg Stafford, Holland fought back and by the halfway mark of the season had established himself as Collingwood’s premier tagger. But the rush to the finals wasn’t all plain sailing. After a firing encounter with Carlton’s Scott Camporearle in round 17, Holland was suspended for two weeks following a behind the play incident involving Paul Williams against Sydney in round 21. One of Channel 10’s off-the-ball cameras captured Holland and Williams grappling more than 50 metres off the ball, though some observers believed the Magpie was fortunate to escape with just a two week penalty. He was an automatic inclusion for the Preliminary Final against Port Adelaide, replacing the omitted Andrew Williams, and made good on his coach’s faith, kicking two goals as his side motored into its second straight Grand Final. On a dirty day for many who wore the Black and White jumper, Holland was not disgraced, fighting the match out even when the result was well and truly beyond doubt. By 2004, Holland had established himself as one of Collingwood’s most valuable and trusted players. He ran fifth in the best and fairest, missing four weeks after kicking Carlton’s Camporearle in round seven. Holland finished runner-up in the Copeland Trophy twelve months later, playing all 22 –games and adding a ball winning string to his bow, reminiscent of his early days at Fremantle. At season’s end, Holland was a celebrity contestant on Channel Seven’s Dancing With The Stars. His profile grew during his foray into reality television, but it wasn’t all fun and games – he would have to learn and perform four dances ahead of schedule, for Collingwood’s first pre-season training camp in Arizona clashed with the final rounds of the competition. On-field, Holland’s form continued as his teammates and coaches had come to expect in the early rounds of 2006 before he damaged his Achillies against Brisbane in round 10. It took him six weeks to recover, but he made an immediate impact upon his return against the Eagles round 16. His season ended on a sour note when he received a six-week suspension for a front-on bump that sent Western Bulldog Brett Montgomery flying during the opening seconds of the Elimination Final. Holland later argued he had come in off the line of the centre square to help protect his teammates. The suspension meant Holland made a delayed start to 2007, and although he performed strongly against Melbourne on the Queen’s Birthday, injuries and a lack of match fitness told against him as he missed out on a finals berth at the pointy end of the season. Holland’s career came to a close in 2008 when injuries restricted him to just one senior game (against North Melbourne in round five). His troublesome Achillies hadn’t settled, while a broken wrist in the dying stages of a loss to Werribee in the VFL brought the curtain down on the career of one of the Collingwood faithful’s favourites. In the years that followed, Holland went on to become a playing-coach with Maribyrnong Park in Melbourne’s northern suburbs, and he was a regular participant in the E.J. Whitten Legends Match.]]> https://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/players/james-clement/ Wed, 16 Jul 2014 12:02:34 +0000 http://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/players/james-clement/ Malthouse, it turns out, had unsuccessfully tried to recruit Clement as a teenager to West Coast. The coach had watched him as a junior in the mid-1990s, but the Dockers had first dibs as part of their zone selection options, given that he had played with South Fremantle in the WAFL. He made his name at South as a mobile half-back and winger, but once he joined Freo he spent most of his time in defence, quickly becoming a regular in the seniors. In 1998 he had a brief burst of success as a forward, kicking five goals in consecutive matches against West Coast and Essendon, but mostly he was a defender. He played all 22 games for the Dockers in 1999 but managed just eight the following year. Malthouse was by now at Collingwood, so when Judkins suggested Clement was frustrated and might be gettable, the coach couldn’t have been keener. He’d actually kept in touch with Clement over the years, and the two were keen to work together.     At the end of 2000 he was traded to Collingwood in a complex deal that saw him joined in black-and-white by Fremantle small forward Brodie Holland, while Paul Williams headed to Sydney. And as good as Willo was for the Swans, nobody doubted that the Pies ended up with the best of that deal. Clement was an instant hit at Collingwood, snagging three goals in his first game (only 10 more would come in his Magpie career). He was understated off the field and could not stand hype. On the field, he loved the contest, hated fuss, and preferred a low-key approach. He was tall, strong, good overhead but also quick and agile, capable of playing on both tall and small forwards. An educated man, he was one of those players who was never going to have to rely on his football career to steer him through life, and yet he played the game as though his life depended on it. He rapidly developed into one of the game’s premier defenders, missing only six games in his first six seasons at the club. His durability amazed some teammates. In a contest against his former side in 2004, he played three quarters with a suspected fracture cheekbone. And in a practice game earlier that year he suffered an eye injury that would not stop bleeding for two days, prompting concern over the health of his eyesight. Clement’s consistency and his rare ability to win his contests, regardless of the result, saw him become a star in a revamped team that would contest the 2002 and 2003 Grand Finals. He was third in the Copeland Trophy in his second season at the club, and also shared the best finals player award that year. He then won consecutive best-and-fairest awards in 2004 and 2005, and finished second in 2006. He was named in two All-Australian teams (2004-05), though some of his teammates insist he should have been selected in more. “He was probably the best defender in the competition for two or three years,” Scott Burns maintained. “He was an All-Australian lock. I still can’t believe he didn’t make it (the team) in a few other years.” Clement took on and eclipsed some of the best forwards of his time, and is widely remembered for one clash in 2006 where he outpointed Essendon’s James Hird so comprehensively – often with perfectly timed subtle nudges under the ball – that the AFL subsequently introduced the “hands in the back” rule. “He absolutely dominated James Hird that day,” recalled Burns, “and Hird sooked and Essendon sooked, and we got the stupid ‘hands in the back rule’ as a result.” Clement could play on power-marking big men or the fleet of foot, mobile smaller attacking players, which set him apart from other more predictable, one-dimensional defenders. “Jimmy could play on the smallest of forwards and the tallest of forwards, and he would knock them all over,” Nathan Buckley said. “He was hard, really hard, and he made himself that on and off the field.”   He was rarely beaten one-on-one, was an exceptional rebounding defender and in an age where metres gained was not necessarily a focus, his ability to break free from his opponent and roost the ball 60m out of the defensive zone was a huge part of the Magpies’ game plan. He was a beautiful kick of the football and rarely missed his targets. But more than anything it was class and composure that James Clement brought to the heart of Collingwood’s defence. He was cool, unruffled and seemingly always in control. The whole defence seemed tighter and more assured from the moment he stepped into it. As understated as he was off the field, Clement proved extraordinary guidance and inspiration on it, and stepped into the captaincy breech whenever Buckley was missing. It wasn’t until 2007 that injuries began to catch up with him. He managed only 13 of 25 games that year, missing 11 straight with a calf injury. He returned in Round 18, and did not miss a beat as the Magpies won their way through to another finals series. Fittingly for a player who won the club’s best finals player in 2002 and 2006, Clement was among Collingwood’s best players in the heartbreaking preliminary final loss to Geelong in 2007. Few took much notice when he gave a wave to the crowd as he left the MCG that night. He was 31, and seemed to have so much more left to give, almost certainly as the next captain. But Clement was ready to move to the next phase of his life, helping to support his wife, Jeanne, who was undergoing a health battle. He quietly gave the game away, with no fanfare, no media conference and no looking back. For a guy who eschewed the limelight for so much of his career, it seemed the perfect way to go out. James Clement finished his career as one of the AFL’s most respected defenders of the early 2000s, and his legacy was upheld by several of his younger teammates such as Nick Maxwell and Heritier Lumumba, who regularly cited Clement’s influence as a key driver behind the nucleus of the group that was to take out the 2010 premiership.  ]]> https://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/players/jarrod-molloy/ Wed, 16 Jul 2014 12:02:32 +0000 http://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/players/jarrod-molloy/ After attaining cult status with the Lions in 1999, Molloy played all 24 games the following year but lacked the impact he’d had previously and was traded to Collingwood in exchange for Mal Michael. A debutant at 17, Molloy was an old 24, in football terms, when he joined the Magpies and immediately added leadership and grunt to a team that was rapidly regenerating. In an odd twist of fate, his move to Collingwood was a form of returning home as he had sold Football Records at Victoria Park as a youngster. In the lead-up to the 2001 season he lost a massive 10 kilograms, and his hard-hitting, crash through style in the forward line gave an extra dimension to the Magpie attack and provided the perfect foil for Chris Tarrant and Anthony Rocca. He ran second in the best and fairest count, starting the year with three goals on a hot March afternoon against Hawthorn and was a consistent contributor throughout the year. He was robbed of a Mark of the Year contender mid-way through the year when he took a hanger over Sydney’s Andrew Dunkley, only for teammate Anthony Rocca to infringe for a push in the back. Dunkley had to be assisted from the field after Molloy had landed heavily on him. Hamstring, foot and knee injuries decimated his 2002 season, reducing him to just seven games. He made a brief impact against his old club in round eight but played just twice more before being recalled on the eve of the finals. Molloy won just three disposals in the Qualifying Final and, despite his status as vice-captain, was omitted for the Preliminary Final. Jason Cloke’s suspension paved the way for his return on Grand Final day, but he struggled with limited game time, winning just the one kick and laying two tackles. Molloy hit back in 2003, playing all bar one of the first 21 games in the senior side. He sparked the team after a mid-season lull, kicking 3.3 against the Bulldogs in the first week after the bye. The Magpies lost just twice more for the year. His final starring role was played under the lights at the MCG on a Friday night against Richmond in round 16 when he kicked four goals, took nine marks and won 23 disposals in a 69-point win. Molloy lost his place just before the finals, appearing for one last time in wet conditions against Sydney in round 21. His battering ram style had taken its toll and although he was an emergency for the Grand Final, he retired at the end of the year aged 27. In retirement, Molloy worked in television and radio commentary and coached locally.]]> https://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/players/ben-l-johnson/ Wed, 16 Jul 2014 12:02:28 +0000 http://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/players/ben-l-johnson/ In 2002 he improved dramatically and his pressure on opposing small forwards made him a permanent part of the defence. He still made the odd mistake, but his determination more than compensated for it. He progressed even further in 2003 when he became more of an attacking force. He played in the 2002 and 2003 Grand Finals and in 2004 had his best year to date as primarily a defender whose running talents and ball-collecting skills were great assets to the side. It resulted in him running second in the best and fairest. He started well the following year, but a thigh injury threw his season off the rails and he finished up in the reserves side. He returned to form in 2006 and the only blemish on a good season was an over-inflated press coverage of a late-night drinking incident. He was in good touch in 2007 until copping a six week suspension for a high hit on Melbourne’s Daniel Bell, and then had an uninspiring 2008 campaign. Johnson had changed his lifestyle considerably – eating better and drinking less alcohol – when his career was on the line and he had been put forward as a possible trade. He was rewarded with a premiership medal in 2010. He was an excellent performer in the 2011 Grand Final loss, but missed much of 2012 due to a shoulder reconstruction. He began 2013 in the senior side but injured a calf in the third round and retired late in the season, before going on to work in administration at the club.]]>