FOR THE Pies to go back to back this year, they will need to do everything right. Last Friday night's result actually says more about Collingwood's season than a simple dead rubber loss suggests.

Years ago I was fortunate enough to play in one of the great footy dynasties in the 80s with Hawthorn. After winning the flag in 1983 our legendary coach, the late Allan Jeans, tried to warn us how difficult it was to achieve back to back success.

He had tried once before at St Kilda through the years of 1965 to 1967 and had fallen short. In 1984, we got our opportunity and still looked likely, being up by 23 points at three-quarter time in the Grand Final before the rampaging Bombers ended the dream. The Hawks had to wait until 1988-89 to finally get consecutive premiership wins.

The Collingwood Football Club this week embarks on the same challenge and after a drubbing last Friday night, they will see the need to regroup. But in reality, they have had issues all year.

Looking back on last September, everything seemed to go right for the Magpies. They were young, injury free and hungry for success and apart from nearly stalling in the first Grand Final, they showed that they were the best team of 2010.

The 2011 season has appeared a simple process for this amazing team with only one loss until Round 24 and a record-breaking percentage. But when you investigate closer, it shows a remarkable resilience to get back to that position.

INJURIES AND INTERRUPTIONS
BACKLINE
The year started in disaster with the loss of key defender Nathan Brown. It was almost as if the Pies could read the future when a couple of months earlier some of us wondered how they could fit Chris Tarrant into the line up. All of a sudden he was a critical replacement for Brown and has done a brilliant job but now carries an ankle injury into the finals.

Alan Toovey has been a revelation for the Pies. Speed, toughness and honesty are his hallmarks but he is another who has just come back from injury. Missing a solid portion of the season and regaining confidence is never easy.

Add to this the shock we were all in when we heard of Heath Shaw's eight-week suspension. What a blow it was for the Pies match committee and now they have a tough decision of naming him this week after such a long layoff. It's a risk but they will and should back their man.

The final backline straw was their skipper Nick Maxwell breaking his thumb. The captain is a warrior but it's a tough call for Mick Malthouse and the club especially now that Tyson Goldsack is also sore from the weekend. They will also be hoping Leon Davis' hamstring holds up.

MIDFIELD
A couple of weeks ago there had been very few problems with this group. There was a mid-season freshen-up for Dane Swan but generally, most were fit. Dayne Beams is an important component to the midfield rotation and missed a huge chunk of football early in the season but he appears to have timed his run well.

Injuries recently to Ben Johnson and Sharrod Wellingham must make the club a little nervous as you want to them playing at their best in finals, yet they go in underdone.

Finally the last straw was suspension to Dale Thomas, who has had an All Australian year. The coaching staff couldn't risk challenging the decision and now won't have their star back until preliminary final day.

FORWARDS
Even the Collingwood forward line has had its issues. Coach Malthouse is always looking at where the next young star comes from and in 2011 he would have been hoping that Brad Dick could become that player. Another season ending injury was terribly unlucky for this young man but the recruitment of Andrew Krakouer gave them immediate cover.

Alan Didak has struggled to come back from his serious injury and operation last year. Although he has played better, he still does not look a match winner. The key injury to the forward end was to big man Chris Dawes. He is a major component to their structure. He has missed so much footy that there must be a question about playing his very best in September. Finally Travis Cloke's knee soreness does not help.  This is another headache for the coach.

BABIES AS BACKUPS
Last year Collingwood knew if they had any issues come finals, time they had some key experienced players at the ready hungry for the opportunity.
Veterans such as Tarkyn Lockyer, Shane O'Bree, Paul Medhurst, and Josh Fraser along with fullback Simon Prestigiacomo were all hoping for just one more game, but this year the Magpie backup players are all babies coming into September footy.

Young Ben Sinclair, Alex Fasolo, Lachlan Keefe, John McCarthy and Luke Rounds have all done a solid job this year when they have been called up but do not have the experience of last year's backups, which showed up Friday night.
If needed, can they fill the void when the whips are cracking?

The Magpies certainly aren't done yet but if they do get to the Grand Final, understand that the 2011 season has not been the smooth sailing that perhaps some of us thought it had been.

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs