A dejected Collingwood leaves the Gabba after its semi-final thrashing at the hands of Geelong. Photo: GETTY IMAGES

After yet another season in which it has failed to achieve the ultimate success, Collingwood appears to be in a state of purgatory heading into 2021.

Are they coming or are they going? The answer to that question will become more apparent in about eight months’ time. But to say the Magpies have a few concerns to deal with would be an understatement.

They finished the 2020 home-and-away season in eighth spot on the ladder and outside of their first four wins and that epic elimination final victory over West Coast, the Pies really struggled to consistently perform at a high level.

Granted, they did have to deal with key players missing big chunks of the season such as Scott Pendlebury (four games), Jeremy Howe (15), Steele Sidebottom (10), Adam Treloar (nine), Jordan De Goey (nine), Tom Phillips (four) and Levi Greenwood (13).

But they certainly weren’t the only team hit hard by unavailability this year. In fact, they don’t have to look any further than one of this week’s preliminary finalists in Richmond to find a side that also had to deal with significant absences.

The Tigers had to cope without Trent Cotchin (four games), Shane Edwards (11), Bachar Houli (eight), Dion Prestia (12), Toby Nankervis (10) and David Astbury (12), but here they are still alive and fighting for a spot in a third grand final in four years.

Collingwood’s frailties and vulnerabilities were stripped bare by Geelong in brutal fashion on the weekend in a comprehensive finals smackdown that rivalled Richmond’s treatment of GWS in last year’s grand final.

A few theories have been floating around since the Magpies’ stunning capitulation suggesting that the long-haul flight from Perth back to Brisbane may have left the Magpies with nothing in the tank.

But this was a genuine coin-flip game amongst punters prior to the first bounce, and for the Magpies to finish that game with 158 fewer disposals, 88 fewer marks, 22 fewer contested possessions and 13 fewer clearances is an indictment on that football club – not to mention the fact they trailed 80-7 early in the final quarter.

Don’t forget, Collingwood decided to make no changes to the side that beat West Coast and was missing only Jeremy Howe and Steele Sidebottom.

Which brings us to our next question – where to from here? They had the oldest list in the competition this year and also the fourth-most experienced squad.

The retirements of Travis Varcoe, Ben Reid and Lynden Dunn will go some way to remedying the average age issue, but big decisions still need to be made if the Pies are to be a contender next year and beyond.

In the past three years, Collingwood has lost a grand final, a preliminary final and now a semi-final – that is a club that is not only heading in the wrong direction but may have missed the boat with this current crop of players.

The Pies are starting to lose ground on the pacesetters and have even been overtaken by younger and more exciting sides like Port Adelaide and Brisbane.

Do they stand firm on Jordan De Goey’s financial demands and maybe use that cash by having a crack at someone like GWS key forward Jeremy Cameron? Would they consider trading Jaidyn Stephenson, who has really struggled since his debut year? Has the Mason Cox experiment done its dash?

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As serviceable as Brody Mihocek and Cox have been up forward, it’s clear that they desperately need help, the Magpies finishing in the bottom three for marks inside 50 per game in 2020. A move for Cameron makes a lot of sense when you take that into consideration, and might mean making a big call and letting De Goey go.

The intriguing Adam Treloar situation would be causing the club serious headaches as well, with his partner Kim Ravaillion accepting a contract with netball club Queensland Firebirds next year. Will he move up north too? That would be a dagger blow for Collingwood.

And if Brodie Grundy’s form in 2020 proves to be the rule rather than the exception, with his new seven-year contract yet to even begin, the Pies could be in even more trouble than first thought.

Season 2021 also looms as a big one off the field for the Magpies, and in particular coach Nathan Buckley.

Next year Buckley will become just the third coach in history to enter a 10th straight season at a club without having won a premiership. The other two were Neale Daniher (Melbourne) and Brad Scott (North Melbourne) – both lost their jobs during their 10th season.

If the Magpies are struggling midway through next year, and with Buckley in the final year of his contract without yet having signed an extension, will it finally be curtains on his coaching career at the Holden Centre?

After Buckley was given more chances to prove himself than most other coaches, especially during 2014-17 when the Magpies failed to make the finals, even his long-standing ally in club president Eddie McGuire might have to face reality and concede that a fresh start is required if a premiership isn’t achieved next season.

In turn, that would surely bring McGuire’s tenure under scrutiny as well. Next year will mark 23 years since he became Collingwood president, and while his latest term in the position isn’t due to end until early 2023, considering he orchestrated the so-far-unsuccessful coaching handover from 2010 premiership mastermind Mick Malthouse to Buckley over a decade ago, perhaps a transition plan for his own position will have to be put in place.

During McGuire’s reign at Collingwood, which began in 1998, six other clubs have won more flags than the Magpies, while another four have also won just the one premiership like the Pies.

There’s little doubt that McGuire has done more good for his beloved club than bad, drastically transforming its financial fortunes since he took over the role and placing it firmly at the apex of Australian sporting powerhouse clubs.

But the sun sets on every great career, even that of a behemoth such as Eddie.

And if it turns out that Collingwood has in fact missed the boat, then McGuire might just have to ride off into that sunset and take his trusty companion Buckley along with him.