A disappointing loss has raised questions around Collingwoodโs future as they manifested a Jekyll and Hyde type performance against St Kilda on the weekend.
Their standard ultra-defensive and unhurried ball movement saw a return of one first-half goal with only three majors heading into the final term, where the Pies found themselves down by 43.
An impromptu comeback resulted in the pies faltering by nine points in the end, a result that has divided many, including some of the gameโs greats.ย
Collingwood Legend Tony Shaw was less than impressed as he ripped into his former team on 3AWย Football this morning.
โI hope Graham Wright is sitting in the coachesโ box today, to kick one goal in one half of football is not good enough for the whole organisationโ he said.
Shaw continued by commenting on the uncertainty around the Pies immediate future, imploring the club to work towards their goals immediately instead of waiting until the off-season.ย
โWhat needs to be asked of Harvey now in this role is, what are we trying to achieve with these players for the rest of the seasonโฆ I donโt care if we donโt win as we arenโt going to play finals but what I want to see is the futureโ, Shaw stated.
โWe know there is going to be a board challenge, we (Collingwood) need this quicker now. We need to get settled so we can get to the draft โฆ it has got to happen, it just canโt go to the end of the year with this rabble how itโs going.โ
Conversely, 2 time Premiership player David King lended sympathy towards the struggling Pies as he emphasised patience for their supporters in the wake of the recent coaching change.ย He went on to explain how itโs unrealistic to expect an instant fix to a style of football instilled into the playing group over a prolonged period.ย
โYou canโt just come in and say โall the stuff youโve learned for 18 months, shelve that, weโre going to play like this. You canโt re-educate system in three meaningful training sessionsโ, he told SEN Breakfast.
โYou donโt remove a coach and then just correct in a heartbeatโ.
King even went to the defence of caretaker coach Robert Harvey as he explained implementing a game plan is a lengthy and at times turbulent process.ย
โI think thereโs a bit of confusion and this was always going to come. Theyโre trying to play a more aggressive style, trying to play with a bit more handball and take some territory and there are times that just breaks downโ, he remarked.
โI donโt think weโll see the Rob Harvey game plan, if there is to be one, for another two to three weeks because you canโt do it in two weeksโ.
โJust embrace the pain, Collingwood supporters. Thatโs just your lot in the back-half of 2021โ.
Shawโs frustrations come down to a lack of direction around Collingwoodโs future whereas Kingโs calm is a result of persevering through this process.ย
Collingwood take on reigning Premiers Richmond this week in what makes for an interesting contest given the tigers current slump and the Pies continued adaptation to post-Buckley life.ย
