Plenty to be proud of when rating Colina’s reign

FOOTBALL, like life, is always a matter of perspective.

A supporter can either highlight their team’s rigidity or ability to contain following a 1-0 win. A 2-0 win with a heap of spurned opportunities to extend that margin can negatively gear thinking, much the same as a 4-1 victory, for example.

The echo chamber of comments regarding the Socceroos’ style, and results that have followed under Ange Postecoglou, is an illuminating example of this.

At the local level, there are many ways of looking at Micky Colina’s departure from North Geelong this weekend.

Three-and-a-half seasons with Colina in charge at Elcho Park saw the Warriors secure a spot in Victoria’s top flight, twice.

On the way, his side showed determination and a will to win that any coach, player or supporter could be proud of.

Before Colina took over, the last time North competed at that level was 1997.

On the other hand, it was twice relegated from that same level, displaying almost comic levels of dysfunction both on and off the pitch.

There are valid reasons for his tenure to be deemed either a success or otherwise. Results are only one way of looking at it, however.

Holistically speaking, you can only ask one question. Has Colina left the Warriors in a more stable position? Looking back, Colina eked the very most out of a team that has now seemingly reached its end point.

Despite minor adjustments from year to year, the core of the team was mostly the same. This summer will undoubtedly be one of change with coaches, players and football operations staff.

That picture does not sug- gest stability. In this sense, North Geelong is in a state of flux. Many times in conversation, Colina said football was a results business. Results made his position precarious to begin with, so in his case, there is an element of truth.

Winning is never a coincidence however, and with a rebuild imminent, it is a simplistic perspective.