Western Bulldogs great Robert Murphy has compared the Tigers' emergence in 2017ย to Collingwood's breakout 2018 season.
After finishing 13th the year prior, Richmond made significant changes to their football department and coaching staff, while Damien Hardwick altered his leadership style, famously leading the Tigers to their first flag in 37 years.
Similarly, the Pies finished 13th in 2017 and conducted a mid-season review of the entire club, changing the coaching personell around Nathan Buckley. It has vastly shifted Collingwood's culture, who have shot up to second place on the ladder after 16 rounds this season.
And Murphy says he is seeing deja vu unfold, with Collingwood following a similar path to Richmond's.
โIโve got a really good hunch with Collingwood because I think the same thing happened with Richmond the year before,โ he toldย SEN Afternoons.
โIn the off-season they were derided, ridiculed and itโs all about when the coach was going to get the flick.
โThey used that to protect that gang mentality of the team and the club of 'itโs us against the rest of the world'.
โTwo thirds of the way through the season, all of us and myself included, weโre all with Collingwood now and inside theyโre like โdonโt forget, theyโre not with us. Itโs us against them.โ
โI think you watch them play and theyโve got that magic of 'us against the world', theyโve been able to harness it and protect it.โ
