Team song change is perfect up yours after Collingwood betrayal

Two new words being added to the Collingwood netball team’s song has given its big brother AFL club a perfect swipe.

They are two words that should make Collingwood’s top brass squirm.

The Magpies’ netball team on Saturday gave its big brother football club a perfect slap with a simple change to the team’s song after last month’s bombshell announcement that the football club has axed its netball program.

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Collingwood’s death by a thousand cuts continued on Saturday as they upset title favourites Adelaide Thunderbirds 53-50 at John Cain Arena. Their clinical win showed glimpses of the powerhouse they could have been, rather than what is – a team folding just seven years after conception.

When the news dropped last week that Collingwood wouldn’t renew their Super Netball license, it left the team in tatters. Futures of players and staff unknown, fingers pointed, and just pride left to play for.

That pride was enough for the Magpies to win their last ever home game on Victorian soil, leaving the team in tears after a tumultuous few weeks.

The Collingwood team had plenty to celebrate. Photo: Twitter, @collingwoodsn and Kelly Defina/Getty Images.

The emotions continued into the dressing room when players and staff gathered to sing the club’s iconic song.

However, there was a not-so-subtle change that is causing plenty of chatter on social media.

In video shared by the team’s Twitter page, players were heard singing “Good old Collingwood for two weeks” instead of the “Good old Collingwood forever” line at the start of the club’s song.

GOOD OLD COLLINGWOOD FOR [redacted] pic.twitter.com/fBUyz14APo

— Collingwood Super Netball (@collingwoodsn) June 3, 2023

Magpies players have been in free fall in recent days after having the rug pulled out from under them. All 10 players will be left without a club at season’s end.

While their agents are looking worldwide for future opportunities, contracting periods in the UK and New Zealand close before Super Netball’s even opens. So players have to decide whether to lock down a certainty overseas – potentially for far less money – or take a risk on missing out altogether.

And while the Magpies players will have to endure further cuts over the coming weeks, the deepest, perhaps, comes from Netball Victoria. The organisation have recently expressed their interest in remaining a two team state – one of them just won’t be Collingwood.

Netball Victoria’s preference is for a regional team, or as cynics put it, one that won’t rival the Vixens. Other parties that have publicly expressed their interest include Netball Tasmania, and potential white knight and founder of Melbourne Victory, Geoff Lord.

The celebrations got crazy. Photo: Twitter, @collingwoodsn

Sophie Garbin grabs the ball. Photo by Kelly Defina/Getty Images.

Applications for the eighth license, to be overseen by a subcommittee of Netball Australia, close on June 20th.

Meanwhile, the Magpies made a promising start to the game, with a near flawless attacking performance supported by defensive attrition.

Shimona Nelson was a tower of strength under the post, shooting 44 from 44 and reducing the usually brilliant Shamera Sterling to a spectator at times.

The rapid fire connection between MVP Kelsey Browne and Nelson proved difficult to stop, although Sophie Garbin’s reluctance to go to the post could prove costly for her come Diamonds’ selection.

Leading by four points at half time, Magpies coach Nicole Richardson was hopeful her side could hang on.

There were incredible scenes at full time. Photo by Kelly Defina/Getty Images.

She said to commentary, “We were in this position last week, we lost, so we need to learn from it.

“This win means so much to us. It’s been a crazy couple of weeks, so hopefully for the girls and the fans we can come away with the win and the points.”

Defenders Jodi-Ann Ward and Geva Mentor picked off six gains between them, keeping Eleanor Cardwell particularly quiet. Scoring just 13 points in the first half, the English Rose was visibly unhappy with her performance as the game progressed.

Leading by as much as 10 at one point, cracks appeared in the Magpies form during the last quarter. While the re-energised Thunderbirds narrowed the margin to two, Magpies hung on for an emotional win.

It was a surprising result given each team’s position on the ladder. Collingwood languish at the bottom, while the Thunderbirds are pushing for their first grand final success in a decade.

— with Jenny Sinclair, NCA NewsWire