...

It's been almost two hours since the match ended and I still can't believe what just happened. That incredible turn of events can lead to one question and one question only... what the fuck?

How the fuck did that happen. How the fuck can you concede a 14 point advantage in the rain (IN THE FUCKING RAIN) with not more than three minutes game time remaining to an inferior team. I take that back, Essendon is not the inferior team. Right now no one is inferior to the Collingwood Football Club. Such a statement would be too harsh a damning. Today, Collingwood simply embarassed themselves. As to how a team with premiership aspirations can lose to a team that will struggle to escape the bottom four I don't know. But as to how it can happen when the weaker team loses their two most important players (Lloyd was on one leg) and still win is completely beyond me.

Management needs to re-evaluate everything the football club has been aiming for. This is not a premiership contender or even a top four contender. Making the eight will be difficult enough. Think this is a blood-pumped over-reaction? It's not. This team hasn't achieved anything in the past that would suggest an improvement. The past five years have seen two bottom four finishes and three unsuccessful finals campaigns. And yeah, they were unsuccessful, let's not kid ourselves. Two heartless and skilless exits to the Bulldogs and St Kilda, and a failure to capitalise on Geelong choking.

There are a lot of players that need to take a good hard look at themselves in the mirror today. Barham and Brown need to go back to the two's. Barham can't kick or handball, and Brown missed two opportunities to seal the game. Neither of them justified their place in the team. Shannon Cox I'm willing to give another week, on the basis of sheer potential. He needs to make better decisions though. He's at his best when he's instinctive, when he starts to think about things he turns it over. That's a worry. Credit to Travis Cloke today for lifting his game from 'dreadful' to 'extremely mediocre'. Small steps Travis. Blazing away on your left foot every single time isn't getting you anywhere. Robert Walls is a bit of a prick but he made a good point that Medhurst has reverted back to his Fremantle ways of playing for the free kick. Eyes for the footy Paul. Anthony Rocca needs more time to work on his body.

Josh Fraser. The best personification of the past decade for Collingwood football. A lot of hype, a lot of talent, a lot of promise... no reward. Josh Fraser was atrocious today. He cost us the game. There may have been 43 other players that were on the field yesterday, but none (including Patty Ryder), had more of a say in Essendon winning. For such a massive swing early to go Collingwood's way with Hille's injury, and then for Fraser to completely and utterly fail to capitalising on it - it cost Collingwood the match. Fraser has never been a good ruckman. Never. But there's no excuse for a veteran player who has spent ten years playing the position of ruck in the AFL to get beaten by a 21 year old playing out of position is simply unacceptable. Fraser had 10kg, 2 inches, 6 years and 122 games on Ryder and was completely embarrassed by him. Ryder was Essendon's best player. Fraser was Collingwood's worst. It's that simple. On a day which Collingwood supporters regard as the biggest day until September, Josh Fraser embarrassed us. On a day when he was chosen to be captain and represent his team, he let down his teammates. And on a day which evokes hardness, courage and heart, Josh Fraser let down his country. Josh Fraser, today, you are a fucking disgrace.

Another disgrace - Mick Malthouse. No excuses, he has to go. Today it became abudantly clear that his style of game simply doesn't win matches. Essendon, like Adelaide and Geelong before them, abused Collingwood through the corridor. You can't win matches tippytoeing along the wings. You simply can't. St Kilda does it too, but to a lesser degree, and they make up for it with incredible defensive pressure that Collingwood just doesn't bring anymore. Malthouse needs to go.

Today wasn't all bad. Okay, that's a lie, but there are a handful of players that didn't disgrace themselves. John Anthony was terrific all day, Mr. Reliable as always. Dane Swan racked up a tonne of possessions. Scott Pendlebury was great early and late, and kicked a magnificent goal in the last quarter. Marty Clarke and Dayne Beams were both solid. O'Brien, Brown and Presti in defence were rock solid. Dale Thomas, same story as always, when he got it he was terrific, he just didn't get it enough. Leon Davis had a shocking first half, but was fantastic in the second half.

Collingwood now has to evaluate everything. They'll have to because everyone else will to. Where exactly is this list, playing this style of game going? Some say that your only as good as your five worst players. I don't want my team to be measured by Leigh Brown, Jaxson Barham, Alan Toovey, Tyson Goldsack and Shannon Cox. For all the talk of promising youth, I really don't see it. Cox makes horrible decisions with the ball, Goldsack and Toovey have little to no skill, Barham has the worst disposal in the league and the likes of Cam Wood, Chris Dawes, John McCarthy, Ryan Cook, Danny Stanley and Ben Reid aren't going anywhere. Of the really young guys only Beams, Anthony and Wellingham look like they are AFL players. The old guard of Fraser, Prestigiacomo, Davis, Lockeyer, Johnson, O'Bree and Rocca just isn't good enough. For once, Collingwood has an excellent middle tier age of players in Pendlebury, Thomas, Cloke, Clarke, O'Brien, Shaw and Swan, with Didak and Medhurst hovering too. They can't do it alone though. This list isn't good enough to make a grand final. Something has to happen. With each passing week it becomes clearer and clearer that Nathan Buckley has to be the man to make the changes. The countdown to Mick Malthouse's exit begins today.

Votes

3. Dane Swan. I'm not his biggest fan to say the least, but today he played well. 37 disposals and 11 marks is a fantastic effort. His disposal was adequate and he took some fantastic marks. Solid all round effort.

2. Leon Davis. The spark. Today, as he went, Collingwood went. Stat line of 30 disposals, 8 marks, 7 tackles and 2.2 looks sensational. Fact is though, his first half was probably the worst he's played in two years. To his credit he turned it around in the second half, and in a big way. Two massive goals and his run off half-back swung the match into Collingwood's favour.

1. John Anthony. The only reliable presence in the forward line. Just the 9 touches but he sure makes them count. Four huge goals.

Honourable mentions to Scott Pendlebury and Harry O'Brien.

Leaderboard

Scott Pendlebury 8
Simon Prestigiacomo 4
Leon Davis 4
Dane Swan 3
Josh Fraser (ugh) 3
Alan Didak 2
Marty Clarke 2
Paul Medhurst 1
Dayne Beams 1