Semi tonight

Well once again Collingwood have the chance to show us all they can win. A really nice news story came out about Collingwood's captain Nick Maxwell (see below). Maxwell is a genuine nice guy who gives his all for the team and promote the club. Found here, He is playing the team that told him they were going to draft him, didn't in 3 drafts and then told him 2 days before a 4th there was no place for him in their side. Hopefully this come back to bite them on the backside. This is also a good article here on why Collingwood fans are passionate. In other news, the three people Lions supporters have held up as the great hopes of the team are leaving... rats leaving a sinking ship???

NICK Maxwell's dad will have a present for all his son's doubters if Collingwood wins the premiership.

The Magpies skipper was overlooked for several national drafts and rejected by Geelong, Hawthorn, Sydney and Port Adelaide.

On Friday he will lead out the Pies against the Cats in the preliminary final at the MCG.

In 2002, Geelong coach Mark Thompson broke Maxwell's heart when he told him the Cats wouldn't draft him after Maxwell had trained at Kardinia Park for three weeks.

Doug Maxwell will never forget it.

"You know I was pretty dark on 'Bomber' Thompson that night," he said.

"When Nick came home he was gutted. I'd still love to, to this day, see Nick holding up the cup.

"And if he did, I'd take a photo and post it to all who doubted him."

Maxwell, who went to school at St Joseph's, Geelong, was cut from three Geelong Falcons teams and overlooked for two national drafts and a rookie draft.

Two days after Thompson delivered his shattering news, the Pies selected Maxwell with their first pick of the 2003 rookie draft.

He made his debut in Round 9, 2004, and was made captain of the most famous sporting club in the country at the end of the 2008 season, replacing Scott Burns.

Despite the rejections, Doug Maxwell knew his son was a leader.

"He's captain because he's the best leader there," he said. "We knew he was a leader before he got there, from when he was playing Little League. He led by example."

His sister, Lucy, 22, said her brother's attitude got him the job.

"Because he got rejected by five clubs, he kept working and working and working. That's how bad he wanted it," she said.

"People know they can rely on him."