2003: Disgraceful Magpies took footy fans for a ride

This opinion piece by The Age’s late columnist Robert Walls was first published on September 29, 2003.

I feel let down. I’ve been shortchanged, fooled, duped and embarrassed. And I don’t even barrack for Collingwood. But I did tip it. And it did not give a yelp.

Never, not once at any stage in the game, did the team that I put my faith in show some resolve.

This team took us for a ride. It had so much going for it. Twenty-two fit players, fine form, the all-important week off during the finals, and a travel schedule that was almost non-existent.

If ever a team was poised to perform on the big day, Collingwood was it. But grand finals are something else. You cannot pick and choose what you do on “the” day.

Quite simply, the Brisbane Lions did not and Collingwood did.

There is no point in beating around the bush. Brisbane did not flinch. Not once. Each and every Brisbane player put his body on the line when it was his turn to go.

I’m talking supreme courage.

Not one Brisbane player took his eyes off the ball when confronted with a dangerous situation. Not one Brisbane player took a short step or side step when confronted with a collision. Collingwood could not say that.

Last year in the big one, Mick Malthouse’s men were brave. They were entitled to shed a few tears after a narrow defeat. There were no tears shed late Saturday afternoon, and nor should there have been, because the team effort was disgraceful.

Instead of tears shed, there should be some arses kicked.

Every second of a grand final is heavily scrutinised. There should be some mightily embarrassed Collingwood players.

While Brisbane stood firm, Collingwood flinched. Shane Woewodin and James Clement chose not to play with reckless abandon. Nor did Rhyce Shaw.

They chose at times to look and consider.

Now they will have long summers to do plenty of considering. Richard Cole, backing back, dropped too many marks. He could have made a name for himself by going back uncompromisingly hard into the unknown. But he did not. He chose to tread warily instead.

Shane Wakelin allowed himself to be too easily brushed aside in physical contests and Alan Didak got off line when crunch time came. Brodie Holland is a good frontrunner. When his team is up, he goes well. When the team struggles, so does he.

Jason Cloke is yet to prove he can win a kick in a contest. Playing loose in defence is the easiest gig in town, as is coming in from behind to be third man up to fist the ball away in a marking or ruck situation.

When given the chance to earn a kick as a key forward, Cloke could not cope. And Leon Davis is another frontrunner. And do not use size as an excuse, Leon. Get some tapes of John Platten and see what a big heart in a little body can do.

Allan Jeans’s speech to his players in the 1989 grand final is football folklore. Jeans told his players they would have to pay a price to win the premiership. That they did. Dermott Brereton, Robert DiPierdomenico, Gary Ayres ... the list goes on. They put their lives on the line. We heard Simon Black, as he accepted the Norm Smith Medal, say that he would die for his teammates. Do not knock it. Because that’s the way the Lions played.

Collingwood did not. They either would not or could not. The coach will cop criticism for his selections and placements. He should not.

He threw his faith in with youth (Tristen Walker, Cloke, Davis, Shaw and Cole). They did not measure up, but neither did most of the senior group.

Leigh Matthews had it easy. He admitted himself, he is in awe of his men. How they dig so deep. Michael Voss sets the example. The rest would be embarrassed not to follow.

Three premierships in a row makes Leigh’s Lions the best team I have ever seen. They have to be favourites for next year’s flag. As for the Magpies, I do not know where they go. They failed the ultimate test quite miserably. A whopping loss like that could set them back considerably. A dream run crashed ingloriously at the final hurdle.

And let us hope there is no whingeing about Anthony Rocca’s suspension. He got what he deserved. It was a stupid, costly, unnecessary, undisciplined act.

Mick, Eddie (McGuire), Balmey (Neil Balme), please tell him so. Do not let big Anthony feel he has been hard done by.

There is no doubt the Magpies improved this season. There is also no doubt that, come crunch time, they were embarrassingly meek.

Today, few Magpies will have physical pain. It’s the mental pain that is the problem. That will last forever.

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