Collingwood Football Club, officially nicknamed
The Magpies, is an
Australian rules football club
which plays in the
Australian
Football League.
The players wear black and white striped
guernseys, similar to the colours of a
magpie;
emblazoned with the magpie emblem and the motto "
Floreat
Pica" ("Flourish Magpies", or "May the Magpies
prosper!").
The club
traditionally represented the working class inner Melbourne suburb
of Collingwood
; however it has now moved its training and
administration base to Gosch's Paddock and the Lexus Centre at Olympic Park in Melbourne
. They moved their home games from their
traditional suburban home ground, Victoria
Park
, to the much larger Melbourne
Cricket Ground
from 2000.
Traditional Melbourne suburban rivalries
Essendon,
Richmond and
Carlton remain fierce.
Collingwood has gained
interstate rivals, particularly in Port Adelaide and Brisbane
, but has
retained the reputation in the national competition as the
"team everybody loves to hate".
Collingwood have consistently attracted much higher than average
crowds and to their games than other Victorian clubs in the league.
In 1970, 121,696 spectators watched Collingwood and Carlton contest
the
Grand Final, the record attendance
for a football game of any code in Australia. Collingwood currently
boasts 44,462 members and the second largest membership base of the
10 Victorian clubs. As a result, several of the league's annual
blockbuster matches, including the
Anzac
Day clash and the
Queen's
Birthday Clash feature Collingwood. Due to the club's crowd
pulling power, on several occasions the AFL has been accused of
favouring Collingwood when scheduling the fixture to maximise the
league's attendance figures.
In the past, a large proportion of Collingwood supporters were
Roman Catholics and were known as "The Catholic Club" in years gone
by. The
average
crowd at Collingwood home games in 2007 was 54,898.
The noted Australian playwright
David
Williamson scripted
The
Club, a play inspired by the internal politics of
Collingwood, although "the club" is never actually specified in the
play or film. A film version was made in 1980 and features
Collingwood players in speaking and non-speaking roles.
History
Formation and early years
The Collingwood Football Club was born on the cusp of one of the
world's
worst depressions in February
1892. Collingwood played its first game in the
Victorian Football
Association (VFA), the premier football competition at the
time, against Carlton Football Club on 7 May 1892. The club won the
VFA premiership in 1896.
In 1897, Collingwood, along with fellow VFA clubs
Fitzroy,
Melbourne,
St Kilda,
Carlton,
Essendon,
South Melbourne and
Geelong split from the VFA and formed
the VFL (
Victorian Football
League). Despite being the youngest club it did not take long
for the Magpies to establish themselves on the new football
landscape.
During the 1920s and 1930s Collingwood was the most successful club
and, by 1936, it had won 11 premierships in the first 40 years of
the VFL competition. The club achieved many things including
winning a record four premierships in a row from 1927 to 1930, an
undefeated season in 1929, a
Brownlow
medalist and the longest ever serving coach,
Jock McHale, who played for Collingwood from
1902 to 1921 and coached from 1912 to 1949.
Recent history
The 1990 premiership team, coached by
Leigh Matthews and captained by
Tony Shaw, had a one-sided grand final win against
Essendon, the Magpies
recording a 48 point victory and ending a 32 year premiership
drought which included eight
grand
final losses and one draw.
After this, however, the club lapsed into a state of decline; their
status as a potential powerhouse at the beginning of the decade was
reduced with each passing season and the club ultimately earned a
second wooden spoon in 1999. Within a few years, with a change of
coach, playing list and club president, Collingwood reached
consecutive grand finals in 2002 and 2003 losing both to the
Brisbane Lions.
Collingwood's Home and Clash Jumpers
Membership
Collingwood supporters celebrating a
goal
| Year |
Members |
Finishing position |
| 1984 |
16,313 |
3rd |
| 1985 |
16,857 |
7th |
| 1986 |
13,971 |
6th |
| 1987 |
9,500 |
12th |
| 1988 |
11,985 |
4th |
| 1989 |
13,620 |
5th |
| 1990 |
14,806 |
1st |
| 1991 |
18,469 |
7th |
| 1992 |
18,921 |
5th |
| 1993 |
21,882 |
8th |
| 1994 |
20,843 |
8th |
| 1995 |
22,543 |
10th |
| 1996 |
20,752 |
11th |
| 1997 |
22,761 |
10th |
| 1998 |
27,099 |
14th |
| 1999 |
32,358 |
16th |
| 2000 |
28,932 |
15th |
| 2001 |
31,455 |
9th |
| 2002 |
32,549 |
2nd |
| 2003 |
40,445 |
2nd |
| 2004 |
41,128 |
13th |
| 2005 |
38,612 |
15th |
| 2006 |
38,038 |
7th |
| 2007 |
38,587 |
4th |
| 2008 |
42,392 |
5th |
| 2009 |
46,430 |
4th |
Off field
Collingwood was one of the last clubs to
abandon its traditional stadium, the famous inner-city Victoria
Park. Collingwood now plays home games at the
MCG. It now also has its headquarters situated
in the former Glasshouse Entertainment Centre which is now called
"The
Lexus Centre". This building is
also shared with the
Victorian Institute of Sport
(VIS).
Collingwood continues to be financially viable through the loyal
support of its huge following and numerous sponsors. After
finishing 2nd in 2002 and 2003 the team fell to 13th and 15th (out
of 16) in 2004 and 2005 respectively. This trend has plagued the
club since the glory days of pre-World War II VFL football. Since
1958, the club has won only a single VFL/AFL Premiership (the
inaugural AFL Premiership in 1990) making them one of the least
successful clubs in the modern era. Despite this, the club still
has won more individual games, more finals and made more
grand-final appearances than any other Victorian club prior to the
AFL.
On 9 March 2007, former Collingwood and Fitzroy defender Gary Pert
was appointed the Magpies' CEO, seven weeks after Greg Swann
departed for Carlton. In accepting the key Magpie post, Pert quit
as a club director and as managing director of Channel 9 in
Melbourne. In a press conference, it was stated that Collingwood
has budgeted to turnover about $50 million this year. McGuire hopes
the new administration will soon double that figure. "A finance
administration review has come up with how we are going to turn
Collingwood in to its next phase of its life", McGuire said. "What
do we do to make ourselves go from a $45 million a year turnover
business to a $100 million turnover business? "They sound like big
figures but in 1999 we turned over $13 million, so that is where we
are heading as a football club."
Rivalries
Collingwood is arguably a fierce rival of each of the other 15
teams in the competition, due to its name, supporters and history.
Carlton is the club's most bitter arch rival, with Essendon not far
behind. Following this, rivalries with Richmond and Melbourne have
faded slightly of late due to the fact that the teams have not
enjoyed onfield success at the same time; however, the feeling of
resentment still lingers.The rivalry between the Magpies and Demons
was at its hottest between 1955 and 1964, when the two played off
in the Grand Final on five occasions, the Magpies managing to hold
Melbourne from equalling the club's record of four premierships in
succession from 1927-1930 in 1958. The club's two opponents in the
themed Rivalry Rounds staged to date have been Carlton (2005-2006)
and Richmond (2007-2008). In recent times, rivalries have been
sparked with the new interstate clubs, including Port Adelaide, and
Brisbane, though it can be argued that the Lions were still major
adversaries of the Magpies in their guise as Fitzroy.
The rivalry with
Port Adelaide
stems from the fact that the Power were also known as the Magpies
in their local SANFL competition before switching to the Power when
fielding a team in the AFL in 1997 (the Port Adelaide Magpies
remain in the SANFL today).
Feelings were heightened when Port midfielder
Kane Cornes 'flipped the bird' at
Nick Davis following the
Power's close fought five point victory over the Magpies at
AAMI
Stadium
in round nine, 2002, only moments after Anthony Rocca had missed the opportunity to
tie the scores. Jarrod Molloy
and
Brodie Holland remonstrated with
Cornes after the match, with a feeling of hostility lingering after
the two sides had left the field. Collingwood managed to pip the
Power in the Qualifying Final later in the season in a boilover at
the same venue, before repeating the dose at the MCG in the 2003
Preliminary Final, heating up the choking phenomenon directed at
the Power which is ironic given Collingwood's inability to win
Grand Finals. To add to the feeling between the two clubs, the
off-field battle over Port's desire to wear Black and White stripes
was a major talking point between 2002 and 2007, when a resolution
was reached to the favour of Collingwood.
Brisbane,
meanwhile, first registered on Collingwood's rivalry list in 1999,
when they thumped the Magpies in the final fixture at Victoria
Park. A tense three-point victory over the
reigning premiers in front of a packed Colonial Stadium in round 8,
2002 took the Magpies to the top of the league table. Hostilities
were renewed in that season's Grand Final, the Lions holding off a
brave Collingwood by nine points on a wet afternoon. The situation
became even more prominent the following season, when the two clubs
clashed on four occasions. The Lions staved off the Magpies at the
Gabba in round four before thrashing them in Heritage Round in
round 19. Collingwood got its own back in the Qualifying Final,
when
Alan Didak broke the deadlock late
in the final term, with two superb goals from the boundary line.
However, it was the Lions who had the final say, walloping
Collingwood in the Grand Final. This match was so tense that one
Sydney-based Magpies fan even suffered a stroke during the 3/4
break. In 2004's Grand Final, Brisbane, playing against Port
Adelaide, threatened to equal Collingwood's record of four
premierships in a row, resulting in many Collingwood fans being
forced to put aside the Port Adelaide rivialry on the day, even
wearing the Black and White colours in temporary support of
Port.
The Lions battered and bruised the injury-riddled Magpies
throughout 2004 and 2005, but Collingwood got its own back in round
10, 2006, (obviously only a moot point after Bribane's defeat of
Collingwood in the 2002 and 2003 Grand Finals) six Nathan Buckley
goals breaking the Lions backs under the Saturday night lights of
the MCG. The night signalled the end of
Blake Caracella's playing career, crunched
by former teammate
Tim Notting in the
second term, very nearly paralysing the Magpie forward. After
Collingwood won its first match in Queensland since 1995 in round
9, 2007, the Lions again had the final say,
Jared Brennan's seven goals piloting a 15-goal
pasting of the Magpies in round 17.
Games between Collingwood and Geelong have become highly
anticipated since 2007. In round 15 Geelong beat Collingwood by 16
points in a high-quality match. In the Preliminary final, however,
Collingwood surprised many when they came within 5 points of the
eventual premiers. During the match Geelong forward
Cameron Mooney was awarded an just goal after
Collingwood defender
James Clement was
controversially said to have deliberately knocked the ball out of
play. Collingwood took revenge the next year, however, when they
thrashed Geelong by 86 points- 20.14 (134)- 7.6 (48) and handed
Geelong their only loss of the year to deny them equalling the
record of going undefeated for a regular season. This record
remains solely with Collingwood in 1929.
Records
Premierships:
VFA: (1)
1896
VFL/AFL:
19021903191019171919192719281929193019351936195319581990
1919 1920 1922 1925 1940 1965 1976
1960 1965 1974 1986
- Pre-Season/Night Series Premierships: (1)
1979
- Lightning Premierships: (2)
1941 1951
19591960196419651966
1901190519111915191819201922192519261937193819391952195519561960196419661970197719791980198120022003
- Undefeated In the Home and Away Season
1929 *18 Rounds
19761999
Current playing list
Squad changes for 2010
Ins
Rookie
- Lachlan Keefe (pre-selected rookie
as per AFL's non-registered players rule)
- Scott Reed (NSW scholarship rookie
selection)
Outs
Individual awards
Best and Fairest
Notable records
- Greatest winning margin: 178 points R4, 1979
(VP) - Collingwood 31.21 (207) v St Kilda 3.11 (29)
Records set by players
- Most consecutive matches: Jock McHale - 191 (1906-1917) - VFL record until
1943
- Most goals kicked in a match: Gordon Coventry - 17 goals 4 behinds (R12,
1930, VP)
- Most Best & Fairests: Nathan Buckley - 6 (1994, 1996, 1998, 1999,
2000, 2003)
- Most matches as captain/acting captain:
Nathan Buckley - 162 (1999-2006)
- Most goals by a single person: Gordon Coventry - 1299 (1920-1937) - VFL/AFL
record until 1999
Team of the Century
Collingwood announced its team of the century on 14 June 1997,
celebrating 100 years since the beginning of the
VFL. Gavin Brown was added as the
4th interchange player in 2002, as when the team was named in 1997,
only three interchange players were permitted on a team.
Captains
- This list comprises every captain of the club. This list
doesn't include deputy captains filling in due to an injury to the
named captain, but does include captains named after a player
retires or steps down during the season.
Club song
"Good Old Collingwood Forever" is the official
anthem of the Collingwood Football Club. It is sung to the tune of
"Goodbye Dolly Grey".
LYRICS:Good old Collingwood foreverThey know how
to play the game (Two, three, four)Side by side they stick
togetherTo uphold the Magpies name (Cor blimey!)
See the barrackers are shoutingAs all barrackers shouldOh, the
premiership's a cake walkFor the good old Collingwood!
Collingwood in the VFA/VFL
From 2000 to 2007 Collingwood was associated with the
Williamstown Football Club.
However, the desire by Collingwood to re-establish a VFL
Collingwood side in 2007 saw the end of that association. As of
2008 Collingwood did just that and is the first AFL team to return
fully to VFA/VFL competition.
Home matches are played at Princes Park, with
three to be played at Victoria Park in 2009.
The Collingwood Football club recently announced that they had
reached an agreement with the Yarra City Council for the clubs VFL
side to play all the home games at Victoria Park during their 2010
season.
Collingwood in popular culture
- David Williamson's 1977 stage
play, The Club, was inspired by the
backroom dealings and antics of the Collingwood Football Club;
although Collingwood is never mentioned by name. The 1980 film
version of the play — directed by Bruce
Beresford and starring John Howard, Jack Thompson, Graham Kennedy and Frank Wilson[13573] —
is set at Collingwood, and featured Collingwood players in speaking
and non-speaking roles. The film was almost entirely shot on
location at Victoria Park, both inside and on the actual oval.
See also
References
- Note that term "Pica" refers to the European Magpie in the
genus Pica. However
the club badge depicts an Australian Magpie, an unrelated bird in
the genus Cracticus.
- Another classic Sheedy moment
- Richmond - Sleeping Giants of the AFL
- Hall trains and is ready for Pies
- as of
May 14, 2009
- http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2003/10/08/962365.htm
-
http://www.watoday.com.au/sport/pies-blues-big-winners-in-afl-draw-20081024-585e.html
-
http://www.theage.com.au/news/rfnews/pies-a-drag-on-crowd-numbers/2009/05/12/1241893982559.html
- Membership.html
- The Illustrated Collingwood Encyclopedia, Glenn
McFarlane and Michael Roberts, 2004
- Collingwood Forever, Gavin Brown, 1997
- A Century Of The Best, Michael Roberts p.viii pub:1991
- A Century Of The Best, Michael Roberts p.x pub:1991
- Team of the Century
- McFarlane, G. & Roberts, M., The Illustrated
Collingwood Encyclopedia, 2004; Brown, G., Collingwood
Forever, 1997.
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