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/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/scott-burns/ Wed, 16 Jul 2014 12:02:05 +0000 http://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/players/scott-burns/ The underrated Burns was runner-up in the best and fairest award of 1996 and there were few players who could match his work ethic. Surprisingly for a player standing just 181 cm, he was second (to Nathan Buckley) on Collingwood’s 2000 marks list. A determined backman who never gave an inch on the field and was remorseless in applying pressure. By 1996 he broadened his role from being purely a defender to taking a hand in midfield and pushing forward. In that year he represented South Australia for the first time. The Magpies missed him when he injured his groin in the latter part of 1997 and the bad luck with injuries continued when he broke his arm in the first round of 1998. Two weeks after his return he was suspended for two games then to continue a horror season he was knocked out when he received the full force of a kick by Nathan Buckley. As a measure of his stature in the club the gritty all-rounder was appointed joint vice-captain in 1999. He was a fine example for the younger players in the team. Burns missed four games with a hamstring injury late in the year, but still polled well enough in the club best and fairest to run fourth. He had a solid 2000, but hamstring problems restricted him to eight games in 2001. He returned to fitness in 2002 and his hardness made him a leading light in Collingwood’s great year. He played in the Magpies’ losing grand final side and was runner-up in the best and fairest. He was again a constant driving force in 2003 when he came third in the best and fairest. As he reached veteran stage Burns was still able to make a significant impact coming off the bench and spending concentrated periods in the midfield. He was a fine captain for his final year in 2008.]]> https://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/players/nathan-buckley/ Wed, 16 Jul 2014 12:01:59 +0000 http://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/players/nathan-buckley/ He overcame the burden of expectation and from his earliest days was central to the Collingwood game plan with strategies built over his magnificent kicking in after behinds were scored. Under state of origin rules he was bound to the Allies team and at times in these games it seemed that he was one of the few men who could build passion about the concept. Collingwood jealously guarded its hottest property and was relieved when he re-signed with the Pies after Port Adelaide had tried to woo him back to Adelaide when his contract ran out at the end of 1996. Similarly at the end of 1999 Collingwood made no secret of the fact that it wanted to sign him for life. Buckley had to work against a public perception in his early years that he was self-centred and arrogant, but to the contrary his coach Leigh Matthews said that early in his career he tried to short-pass too often. Buckley has also admitted that he tried to hide his own feelings of insecurity behind a facade of self-assurance. When rumors were flying in 1993 that he would cross from Brisbane to Collingwood, the Magpie players gave him a hard time when the teams met. As a result Buckley played his worst game for the year. Ironically one of the players giving him a serve that day was Craig Kelly who later became his manager. Even when Buckley became captain of the Magpies in 1999 he realised that he had to tone down his on-field criticism of teammates and remain positive and at the start of 2001 took part in a special leadership course to modify his approach. If the football public needed any reminder that Nathan Buckley was one of the most talented players in the AFL competition it came during the international series played between Australia and Ireland at the end of the 1999 season. Buckley, the captain of Australia, adapted better than any other Australian player to the vagaries of a lighter, round ball. In 1999 Buckley was Collingwood’s leader in more ways than one. Despite missing five games after he fractured a jaw, Buckley was a runaway winner in the club’s best and fairest award and finished equal third in the Brownlow with 20 votes. His powerful kicking, strong and clearcut ball handling and possession winning ability were a constant menace against opposing sides. Buckley was in sensational form for most of the 2000 season, then injured a knee against Port Adelaide in Round 13 and although he missed just the one match, his form tapered. Even so, Buckley’s extraordinary ability to win the ball saw him dominate many games and he eventually polled 18 Brownlow votes, just six behind Melbourne’s Shane Woewodin. He won All Australian honours for a fifth consecutive year and as expected, romped away with Collingwood’s best and fairest for 2000. He was so dominant as a player that the fact he came third in the 2001 best and fairest made news in its own right. Over the summer of 2001-2002 Buckley reduced his weight to 90 kg after having usually played at 95 kgs. He later led the Magpies brilliantly in their narrow 2002 grand final loss to Brisbane. His consolation was a Norm Smith Medal as best on the ground. Buckley had a wonderful 2003 season, culminating in a Brownlow Medal triumph. He polled 22 votes to share honours with Sydney’s Adam Goodes and Adelaide’s Mark Ricciuto. Buckley also led the Magpies to another grand final in 2003, but again they went down to the Lions. The Collingwood star was again selected as an All-Australian in 2004 and he won his sixth Copeland Trophy adding to the best and fairests he won in 1994, 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000. In 2004 he began fairly well, but a hamstring injury sidelined him for the best part of two months. Despite the setback he still ran seventh in the club championship and was an effective player. The hamstring problems re-occurred early in 2005 and there was even doubt over whether he would continue, but he came back strongly in the second half of the year. By 2006 his role had been modified with more time on the bench and less on the ball, but he remained a potent force and the man to whom Collingwood looked when things were going badly. Buckley retired when it was clear to all that his body was finally wearing down in 2007. After two years in the football media, Buckley became a key cog in Collingwood’s coaching succession plan when, in July 2009, it was announced he would learn the ropes for two years as an assistant to Mick Malthouse before taking the reigns in his own right in 2012. While the intention was for Malthouse to remain as Director of Coaching, he left the club after his coaching tenure ended after the 2011 Grand Final. Buckley led the Magpies into a Preliminary Final in his first year at the helm before guiding his young side into the Elimination Final the following year.]]> https://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/players/gavin-brown/ Wed, 16 Jul 2014 12:01:34 +0000 http://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/players/gavin-brown/ Brown was a popular and integral part of the 1990 flag team and when he was felled at quarter time it precipitated a huge brawl. He was made skipper in 1994, but struggled in 1995 and 1996 as hamstring injuries restricted him. Talk was rife of other clubs chasing him, but he stayed with the Magpies and continued to serve the club nobly. Just when many were writing him off he made a brilliant response in 1997 and led the Victorian team in his best season for years. In the state game he showed the way to his teammates by totally negating the dangerous Darren Jarman. Over the years much of Brown’s work was not reflected in statistics. His fierce tackling and tenacious work at ground level paved the way for others, and he was considered the ultimate team man. He wasn’t keen on meekly handing over the Collingwood captaincy at the end of 1998, but the club considered it was time to pass the baton to Nathan Buckley. Even Buckley said in mid-season that he had not thought the change necessary and was afraid that change had been made for change’s sake. His performances in 1999 showed that he still had plenty to offer when many thought that his battered body had absorbed enough punishment over the years. He came third in the club best and fairest voting and turned in a year of consistent high quality football. In 1999, despite the side’s struggle at the foot of the ladder, he seemed to thrive on the enthusiasm that was generated by the youngsters around him. His five seasons as captain from 1994 to 1998 would be enough on its own to ensure a place in Collingwood’s Hall of Fame, but he also won the Copeland Trophy as best and fairest on three occasions – 1989, 1994 and 1997- and was twice an All-Australian selection. Ever the ultimate clubman, Brown was a conditioning assistant in 2001 before taking an assistant coaching post from 2002 until the end of 2007. He then led the rebirth of the club’s stand alone VFL team, where he oversaw the development of several 2010 premiership stars before moving to Carlton at the end of the flag campaign. After three years at Princes Park, Brown took up a role as a development coach at North Melbourne ahead of the 2014 season.]]> https://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/players/mark-williams/ Wed, 16 Jul 2014 12:01:07 +0000 http://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/players/mark-williams/ In Black & White wrote: “There is no such thing as a light-hearted conversation with him when it comes to football. He is intense even when answering the most trivial questions about the game. His obsession with football is undoubtedly a strength. He detests losing and hates playing badly. He loves winning and performing at his peak.” While those words conveniently ignore the lively and outgoing parts of Williams’ personality (it was he who smuggled a black cabbage patch doll into the 1985 team photo), they do neatly sum up his approach to the game back then. That approach might have owed something to his background, because he came from SA football royalty. His father, Fos, was a legend in SA football, having played more than 200 games and won two best and fairests with Port Adelaide. He then captain-coached Port for nine years, coached them for a further 12 years (in all leading them to nine Premierships), then coached West Adelaide. No wonder he and his brothers, Anthony and Stephen, (who were also fine players) were serious about their footy. And Collingwood were the ones to benefit. After an outstanding junior career, Williams found himself playing senior football at age 17, firstly with West Adelaide, then Port. He looked likely to head to Hawthorn but the Hawks lost interest just as Williams was becoming more and more determined to try his luck across the border. That’s when the Magpies stepped in. After winning all-Australian selection and a second flag with Port in 1980, Williams was ready to move. From the moment he stepped through the door he was right at home, both at Collingwood and also in VFL football. He won the Copeland in that debut season and was also chosen to play for Victoria, starting a brief but glorious career in the black-and-white. The key to his success in the VFL was that, unlike many previous SA recruits, Williams played a very Victorian style of football. He was desperate, a fierce competitor, a strong tackier and a player totally committed to doing the hard, team-oriented things. He gave his absolute all for the team every time he played, and wherever he played. Mostly that was as a ruck-rover, in the centre or on the forward line, but he also spent most of his 1985 season – during which he won his second Copeland – as a run-with player assigned to stars such as Leigh Matthews and Tim Watson. He wasn’t a pretty or stylish footballer – his kicking style was actually ungainly – but he was certainly effective. Collingwood had no more gutsy or effective contributor during the first half of the 1980s. He was also more skilled than many appreciated, and actually finished ahead of Peter Daicos in a long-running goalkicking contest the two held before and after training sessions. Still, it was his endeavour and effort and assault on the footy that most people remember – and which his teammates loved. “He read the play well and attacked the ball like a maniac,” wrote Tony Shaw in his book A Shaw Thing. “Desperation-wise he is a bit more along my line of thinking about how a footballer should play the game. I like a bloke who plays like Mark.” It was no surprise when he was made captain in 1983, and he spent four years at the helm, quickly winning a reputation among his teammates as an admired and inspirational leader. In addition to his two Copelands he also won awards for most courageous (after which he remarked that “courage is an indication of the number of times you get stitches in your head”), Magpie of the Year (twice), most consistent (twice) and even leading goalkicker. Despite those achievements he was still on a relatively modest salary at the end of his second contract, but he and the club ran into a dead-end when negotiating the third. That stalemate ended up with Williams crossing to the fledgling Brisbane Bears. It was a move that nobody seemingly wanted. Williams would much rather have stayed. His teammates wanted him to stay too. Their admiration for him was obvious when his career ended four years later, after a game against the Pies in 1990. And he remains a fan favourite, their affection for him apparent again in 2014 when news emerged that he had been diagnosed with lymphoma. Magpie fans were amongst the first and most vocal to support him, even though he was involved with Richmond at the time. By this time, Mark Williams had established himself as a big name in coaching. He’d started in the AFL with Essendon as an assistant coach, then moved to Port Power in the same role before taking over as their head coach in 1999. He stayed there until 2010, winning a flag in 2004, after which he spent time as an assistant with both Greater Western Sydney and Richmond. As a coach he became famous for his intensity, his insight into the game and his skills in educating and dealing with younger players. The highlight of his coaching career came in 2004, when he led Port to their first AFL flag, after a couple of years of near-misses. His post-match antics (grabbing his own necktie as a middle finger to those who’d branded his team ‘chokers’, and his pointed words to club chairman Alan Scott) that day attracted plenty of criticism. But the real story was that Mark Williams’ Port Adelaide team had just beaten the Brisbane Lions, and in the process had protected the four-in-a-row record set by Collingwood’s mighty Machine teams in 1927-30. He must still get a buzz out of knowing that a Collingwood ‘insider’ was significantly responsible for protecting the club’s most cherished record. For one who still clearly loves the Pies, that is overdue reward for all that he gave while wearing the black-and-white jumper. – Michael Roberts]]> https://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/players/tony-shaw/ Wed, 16 Jul 2014 12:00:56 +0000 http://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/players/tony-shaw/ https://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/players/peter-moore/ Wed, 16 Jul 2014 12:00:41 +0000 http://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/players/peter-moore/ https://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/players/ray-shaw/ Wed, 16 Jul 2014 12:00:39 +0000 http://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/players/ray-shaw/ Rhyce and then Heath, became significant figures in the Magpies’ on-field fortunes. As a Magpie through and through, little else could have given Ray Shaw greater satisfaction. – Michael Roberts]]> https://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/players/max-richardson/ Wed, 16 Jul 2014 12:00:22 +0000 http://forever.collingwoodfc.com.au/players/max-richardson/ seenWayne in action until he played against him in his first Collingwood intra-club practice match! Most of Max’s early football was played on a half-back flank, where he was more easily able to pick up the tempo of Victorian football. He adjusted quickly, rarely missing a game over the next 10 years as he alternated between half-back, ruck-roving and eventually the centre. For a while in the early seventies there were even plans to turn him into a full-back — something which seemed to be asking a lot of a player who stood only 182cm (5ft 11.5in). In the end that did not eventuate, but Collingwood selectors had learned early that this was a man for whom they could set huge tasks because, wherever he played, Max Richardson always gave 100%. His commitment, desire and courage were unquestionable. The key to Richardson’s game was the quality of his disposal. It was something that had been instilled into both he and Wayne from an early age, and on which they had worked as youngsters. The benefits of that work showed when they arrived in the VFL. Like Wayne, Max was highly skilled on both sides of his body. He was not quick, so had to rely more on his reading of the game to get to the ball first. He also countered his lack of pace with strength and by doing the hard things such as tackling, harassing and diving into packs. His real strength was his consistency. He was neither flashy nor flamboyant, but he was doughty and resolute, highly skilled and a high possession-winner. “He was tough, consistent, solid, reliable and highly-skilled,” said Barry Price. “He was one of the old school of footballers.” “The thing about Max was that he gave a good solid performance week-in, week-out,” said Phil Manassa. Ted Potter marvelled at his courage. “He would do things on a football field that I thought he was going to get killed doing,” Potter said. When former teammates talked of Max Richardson, the recurring themes in their testimonials were of honesty, hard work and reliability. The players respected him for the way he put in, and for his no-frills approach to the game. This did not win him a lot of votes in either the Brownlow or the Copeland (though he once finished second in the latter), but it did win him respect. That’s just one of the things that made his and Wayne’s dumping from the team in 1976 so hard to fathom. These were dark days at Victoria Park, that year’s team ultimately claiming the club’s first wooden spoon. After losing the first two games of 1976, Wayne and Max were dropped to the reserves for the first time in their careers. Wayne then lashed out in the media, and at a meeting on the Saturday morning was suspended for four weeks. Max was changed and ready to run out for the reserves against Hawthorn when he heard of Wayne’s fate, and decided not to play as a matter of principle. Max was given only a severe reprimand. Less than a year later he was captain, leapfrogging over vice-captain Len Thompson to replace Des Tuddenham. In the process he and Wayne became the first of Collingwood’s many pairs of brothers to have both been appointed captain of the Club. In 1977 Max played in every game, won interstate selection for both Victoria and WA (a state-of-origin game), helped lead the team from last on the ladder to first, and was just 30 minutes away from being a Premiership captain at his first attempt. So it was a surprise, to put it mildly, when he was stripped of the captaincy for the 1978 season. Max was shattered, and admitted so to the media. He refused the vice-captaincy, and instead played out the year in the unfamiliar No.12 guernsey. He played every game that year despite the snub, but after yet another unsuccessful finals series was one of a number of senior players purged from Victoria Park. He spent the next three years at Fitzroy, two as a player and one as coach of the seconds, before finally retiring. Max followed the pattern set by so many other former players when he returned to Victoria Park in the mid-1980s to work as a coach of the development squad and as an under-19 selector. In a club famed for the number of siblings that have pulled on the guernsey, the Richardsons stand among the very best. Max might have been the bonus offering, but history showed him very much to have been a prized asset on his own. – Michael Roberts]]>