As is often the case, it’s the negative stories that drive the media cycle and have the most cut through with the footy media and fans.
2018 has been no different.
Firstly it’s been the state of the game. Two new committees to fix it and the big changes that are coming in 2019.
St Kilda’s shocking season and Alan Richardson’s win/loss ratio since joining the club.
The plight of the Suns. Can a team survive on the Gold Coast? Is their captain invested and what happens if he walks out at seasons end?
Then there’s Carlton! Is this their first rebuild? Are they going about it the right way? Why are they playing so many Friday night games? And how many weeks is it now since they have kicked 100 points?
The pre-season camps! Melbourne’s refusal to go and Adelaide’s infamous trip that still have some players seeing red.
Speaking of Adelaide, what about all those injuries? And the stories this week of more players wanting to walk out on the club.
Plummeting TV ratings, games in China being a waste of time, Alex Rance diving, Ross Lyon paying hush money, Ross flossing his teeth, players touching umpires, concussion, botched score reviews and the Brownlow favourite getting rubbed out have all divided the footy world this year.
We are going to flip it here.
I want to know the good news stories of the year. What player or club has got you inspired?
I’ll start.
This time last year Collingwood legend Nathan Buckley was seemingly on his way out of the system and destined to end up as part of the media.
Surely the out-of-contract coach, of the AFL’s biggest club, couldn’t survive missing the finals for a fourth straight year?
To my surprise, he did.
Bucks and the Pies lost the first two games this year and it looked like the same old Collingwood. Not much had changed.
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It was a kid called Jaidyn Stevenson who set their season alight with five goals in game number four in a stirring win away from home against Adelaide. The club took a punt on him in the draft and now he’s set to light up the MCG for the next 12 years.
The big American Mason Cox is proving many (including me wrong) who didn’t think he could play. How good were his five goals on a big stage on Monday!
Right now Collingwood are playing the most attractive brand of football in the league. They move the ball with speed and their use of handball is cutting through opposition zones.
They have kicked 100 points or more seven times this year. Right now only percentage is keeping them out of the top four.
The story is only half written, and I don’t yet know if they are good enough to go all the way. But if they do, what a story it would be or resilience and backing in a club legend.
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