Collingwoodfc.com.au will be publishing several excerpts in the lead up to the launch of 'One Grand Week'.
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Thursday, September 30
Whenever Michael Malthouse considers detailed analysis on opposition teams, he also dismantles his own side in the process. His endgame is to create certainty and predictability in an uncertain, unpredictable game. It is predicated on all things being equal when, of course, in football nothing is further from the truth. Players are not pawns. Plans must change on the run, and football clubs live and breathe on the ability to adapt on short notice.
Sometimes change is forced by circumstance. Sometimes it is injury, and sometimes Father Time. Collingwood confronted all three in 2010, and adjusted accordingly. This morning, two days out from a Grand Final replay, Malthouse has some more adjusting to do.
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The Magpies enjoyed a charmed run with injuries in 2010. Few of its best players were forced to miss games due to bodies’ aches, pains or failings - 12 players played 24 or more games, including finals, with another half-dozen bettering the 19-game mark. It meant for consistency in personnel, a critical contributing factor to the Magpies’ 17-1-4 home and away season return.
The Round 20 win over Essendon obviously changed that for it was in this match that Prestigiacomo suffered his badly corked thigh which culminated in his four days in hospital and him missing six weeks of football before dramatically and selflessly ruling himself out of the grand final. Initially, given that it was still a fortnight away from the first final, it was not a major concern. In fact, it at first appeared a fortuitous opportunity to promote young defender Nathan Brown, who had been playing well in the VFL. A handful of senior games on the eve of the finals would no doubt sharpen up Prestigiacomo’s understudy. He got very sharp indeed.
Two days out from the Grand Final replay, Malthouse knew he could not now select a 32-year-old who had not played since August 13. Besides, the form of Nathan Brown in that first final presented a relief valve for the decision, though it also asked a major question of the young defender: he could curb Nick Riewoldt once, but could he do so on two successive weeks?
Malthouse is fiercely loyal to his players; from the perspective of the internal world of a football club, it might be his most endearing trait. While observers believe it is sometimes to a fault, his willingness to continually back talent he believes in gives confidence to players sometimes struggling for form or fitness. It is why he plumped for Prestigiacomo - an admitted Malthouse favourite - the previous week before the key defender’s decision to withdraw. Brown’s performance, coupled with another seven days of inactivity from a match fitness perspective, made the decision in the replay a no-brainer. Brown would survive.
Then there was the problem with Leon. Having omitted Davis from the preliminary final, Malthouse threw him a lifeline for the first grand final, sticking with his “horses for courses” philosophy. But apart from his inspired fourth quarter goal, Davis simply did not do enough in the first edition: six touches, two tackles and a goal. It did not help his cause that he became a media target, such that one newspaper referred to his being dropped as a “formality”. He was not even included as an emergency.
Davis was told on the Wednesday night. His captain knew it was coming, and was aware that Tyson Goldsack would be in the inclusion. Maxwell picked up Goldsack on the way to Wednesday training.
“Well done, mate, you get another crack at it,’” Maxwell said.
Goldsack was understandably delighted, having dealt with the disappointment of being omitted the previous week.
Books available for collection and will be posted from the 23rd November.
A special book launch will be held at the Westpac Centre on the 2nd December at a time to be announced.
Nick will also be available to sign your book on Saturday 4th of December from 1pm - 3pm at the Westpac Centre. The grand final replay will be showing so come down to relive the premiership glory.
A second signing session is scheduled for Saturday 18th December 1pm - 3pm in the Westpac Lounge, coinciding with a HUGE merchandise pre-Christmas event
