Cam Hooke’s Collingwood Life: Round 15 – The Year of the Magpie

True Believers, a Win against the ‘Olde Enemy’ is always good. As Bucks described it, it was an “ugly win”. Carlton, led by Cripps and Charlie Curnow (can that boy jump?) took it to us, representing a pretty solid improvement after their 57 point Loss to Freo the week before. But again, their performance was in patches; not through the whole game. But Four Points go to the Winner and none to the Loser. And into the Top Four we go. Us? I thought we looked in control throughout, even when they got a bit of a run on. As I said last week, a Win was going to require some effort; and it did.

Numbers:

  • Frees: 30 (us) to 19 (them). I didn’t pick up on that during the game. And I still don’t like 50m penalties that bring an opponent into the Goal Square.
  • Hit-Outs: 40 to 14. A Grundy ‘field day’. Well done. And he did some really good things around the ground at different times However, see the next step.
  • Clearances: 31 to 27. With such a dominance in Hit-Outs, this is not good enough. Mids?
  • Inside 50s: 53 to 37. Okay’ish. Really where the game was won.
  • Marks inside 50: 14 to 11. This is not good enough by either side. ‘Up and unders’ are not the best form of delivery.
  • Scoring shots: 24 to 14. Reflects the dominance of the Inside 50s.
  • Goals: 11 to 9. They shot a little more accurately than us though 11.13 is not ‘bad’; but could be better (like Carlton’s 9.5).

Assessment:

  • Best: Pendlebury (totally justified – Mr Smooth – even though both Pendles and Cripps led their team Best lists, seehttp://www.collingwoodfc.com.au/news/2018-06-24/talking-points-pendles-v-cripps for a little discussion of their respective influence), Sidebottom (don’t agree – regardless of his 31 Disposals he was less influential than usual), Stephenson, Phillips, Grundy, Treloar (19 Disposals – a rough day at the office probably not justifying his inclusion on the list), Hoskin-Elliott. Also quiet were De Goey and Cox. Bucks was critical of the team’s defence; not specifically the Back 6; more ‘manning up’ everywhere, I think.
  • Intensity. A pretty good example of an intense competition (mostly). We dominated Contested Possessions (125 to 112) but they won out on Tackles (51 to 58).
  • Other. So who else thinks there might be a ‘melee’ charge coming? Why was “little Daisy Thomas” picking on Cox? A few years back I had reason to check “Little Daisy Thomas” and discovered he stands about 6ft 1in (185cm). Any specific observations of others? From another game I suspect Jeremy Cameron from GWS might be in for as substantial rest, particularly as reports of the damage to Andrews worsens. My guess – 4 weeks minimum. Your thoughts?

Next: Saturday, 30 June versus the Gold Coast Suns at the Gold Coast; bounce at 7.25pm. Do we have any members up there?

Match Preview – http://www.afl.com.au/match-centre/2018/15/gcfc-v-coll. Perhaps not surprisingly, we are strong favourites with betting $1.15 to $5.50.

Them. This game is between 4th and 15th; 119.4% and 63.0%; 9 Wins to 3. And they are coming off Losses since Round 6 whereas we are fronting up following five Wins.

The Suns started the season well with Wins in Round 1 against North and Round 2 against Carlton. They beat Carlton by 34 points, which is greater than our winning margin, though Round 2 is a  long time ago. Their only other Win was the local Derby against Brisbane where they won by 5 points after having a Final Quarter lead of 27 points. Perhaps of more significance than these early games is their two point Loss to St Kilda in Round 13 from a final change lead of 31 points.

I’ve said previously of Brisbane and Carlton that I think they are each better than the Ladder indicates. The same does not apply to the Gold Coast. They play good football for periods, but ‘stop dead’ at other times. Not good enough at this level.

Who to watch for? Lynch (CHF; who knows where he might be next season; potential family?), Weller (HB), Swallow (rover), and, of course, Witts (ruck; family).

Us.

 

My perennial concern regarding our FF raised its head again. But Moore, Elliott, Reid and Varcoe really need to get some game time in the Twos.

 

Likely exclusions include Treloar (identified by Bucks initially as a cramp; nothing more sinister, but now heading to ‘double hamstring’) and Greenwood because of concussion. Likely replacements? Wills and/or Sier? and/or shift De Goey into the Midfield? Maybe trial McLarty into Forward Line and as back-up ruck? Crocker back? Your thoughts?

 

What do I want to see this week (and every week)?

  • Work at the stoppages linking Hit-outs to Clearances.
  • Better delivery to a mark inside 50; reduce the ‘up and unders’.
  • Don’t play ‘safe’.

My picks: Collingwood by 47 points. BOG – De Goey with 38 Disposals @ 88.0% DE and five goals.

TV. No FTA TV. Find a friend with Foxtel. I’ll be overseas, however will try and locate an appropriate ‘drinking hole’ with TV coverage.

The run home? Go to http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-06-24/the-run-home-round-14. Worth a read.

Supporter Heaven. Did anyone get to the range of games?  Reports pls?

VFL:

 

A narrow Loss to the Northern Blues by 4 points. Pies 8.4.52 defeated by the Northern Blues 11.10.76 (note 12 scoring shots to 21).

VFLW:

 

Another game; another Win. Pies 8.4.52 defeated Carlton 2.5.17. Well done, girls.

Netball:

 

Our woes continue; another Loss. The Melbourne Vixens beat us 65 to 57.

VWFL

 

  • Next: Sunday, 1July; Collingwood versus Essendon; ball-up 12.00pm at Boroondara Sports Complex, 271C Belmore Road, Balwyn North.

Other:

    • GWS – Next time at Manuka – Saturday, 11 August; bounce 7.25pm vs Adelaide.
    • Raiders – Saturday, 30 June; kick off 7.35pm –  away – Brisbane Broncos.
    • Brumbies – Saturday, 30 June; kick off 7.45pm – Home game – Hurricanes.

Go Pies.

For more of Cam’s Collingwood Life, CLICK HERE:

 

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Comments

  1. george smith says

    I fear that we are one loss away from starting one of those losing runs that so blighted Tony Shaw’s coaching era. We are running out of runners with Treloar in trouble. As I have said before, this should be a year of consolidation, learning to beat the Saudi Arabias and the Tunisias of the AFL before taking on the Brazils and the Germanys in the finals. After five years of misery the ghosts of finals past – Port, Swans, Richmond are there and waiting.

    One good thing – good Eddie is back, as opposed to pain in the butt Eddie that we are used to. A Sheedy-like idea to change the jumper to accommodate Carlton shows how much he really cares about the game in general. Whether the Brian Epstein of Collingwood who so inspired Mick, Dane, Heath and Pendo to produce such beautiful music in 2010 can do it again is a matter for the future…

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