Cam Hooke’s Collingwood life – Round 17: The Year of the Pie

It was a bad loss but a couple of things made it easier. Firstly, Cox’s out was large as after a strong first quarter, West Coast was able to adjust and two-team De Goey and this limited our goal scoring as Hoskin Elliot was having a quiet one and honestly he may have been ‘fit’ but he wasn’t up to a game of AFL. He should be better this week and Cox should be back. Secondly, I thought Darcy Moore play very well at centre half back – looked right at home actually.

 

I think at both ends is where we lost it. We missed Dunn badly (you need a Warhorse down back to take out their top forward) and West Coast had three quality forwards return and with the use of Optus Stadium they finally know how to use the space at the MCG and I thought completely outworked us. Thought that after Nic Nat was injured we could have lifted, but even Grundy didn’t dominate the ruck in the second half (like he normally does) and Pendlebury and Sidebottom were quiet, so it seemed everyone was having a day off.

 

We also lost it is the first quarter as we dominated and had many gettable goals but ended up 4.4 to 3.0 – 7.1 was an accurate description of how things were and had we shot that, it could have been a different story – could of, would of, should of…… didn’t.

 

I think Richmond will be a challenge, but the rest of this season’s matches are winnable (Sydney to me are having arsey wins, and to me they are ‘flying on vapour’ and I think their club will have a big slide down the ladder in coming years).

 

The WC match highlighted to me that although our forwards have been strong this year, we need more quality up there and Elliot and Fasolo couldn’t be back at a more important time. Imagine Cox, Elliott, Thomas, Fasolo, Stephenson and Hoskin Elliott with a centre of Grundy, Pendles, Sidey, De Goey, Treloar, Adams and Wells and backs of Dunn, Scharenberg, Moore, Phillips, Varcoe, Howe and Crisp.

 

That to me is quality all around the park and I think a flag is not too far away. I would focus more on getting another strong backman instead of Lynch (as Moore can always swing forward). Along those lines, I was pleased that Moore sounds like he is staying. Phew.

 

We should do North by five goals as long as Darcy plays (he dislocated his finger against WC) and makes Brown have a quiet one.

 

Go pies.

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Subject: 2018 – The Year of the Pie

 

All, sorry I’m a bit late; a combination of moving between countries and wondering what I could usefully say after that performance, not having been able to watch it. I followed it on the computer link – fairly unsatisfactory – have you noticed how parochial 6PR commentators are?

 

Again, a bit based on the media reporting. Again, I’d love it if some of you who there or watched it on TV gave us your views?

 

AFL: 

 

Okay, a Loss; and a fairly comprehensive one at that. Have the wheels fallen off our season? Should we be dusting off our ‘Buck’s criticism and rhetoric’ or what?

 

Maybe this was “the Loss that we had to have” to take our season all the way? I’d like to think so (see more on this below).

 

The Future. Next:

Round 18 – North (below);

19 – Richmond;

20 – Sydney, in Sydney;

21 – Brisbane, in Melbourne (sorry, Linda);

22 – Port, in Melbourne; and

23 – Freo in Perth.

We are right in this, sitting 3rd. As I suggested some time back we can finish in the Top 4 and go on to play and Win the Premiership. As I’ve stated from the start: “2018 – the Year of the Pie”. Let’s keep our optimism.

 

Match Reporthttp://www.afl.com.au/match-centre/2018/17/coll-v-wce

 

Buck’s commentshttp://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-07-15/magpies-lose-bucks-game-of-two-halves and http://www.collingwoodfc.com.au/video/2018-07-15/raw-buckley-reviews-loss-to-wce.

 

Numbers:

  • Frees: 24 (us) to 28 (them).
  • Hit-outs: 33 / 26. Well done, Brodie.
  • Clearances: 33 / 29. A fair transition from the Hit Outs. Well done, Mids.
  • Inside 50’s: 53 / 54. A fair’ish transition.
  • Marks inside 50: 9 / 14. Awful conversion rate by both sides; more awful by us.
  • Scoring shots: 22 / 27. Note their dominance; and…..
  • Goals: 9 / 15. Won them the game.

See other’s comments regarding ‘numbers’: http://www.collingwoodfc.com.au/news/2018-07-17/round-17-by-the-numbers. Short and worth a read.

 

Competitiveness?

  • Contested Possessions 141 (us) / 130 (them) – a significant difference balanced by their Tackles 42 to 63.

Lessons:

  • No comments – see Buck’s feedback, above.
  • Simply put, we played poorly last week against the Eagles; many of our team had an ‘off day’.

 

Next: Saturday, 21 July vs North Melbourne at the MCG; bounce 1.45 (AEST).

  • Preview: http://www.afl.com.au/match-centre/2018/18/coll-v-nmfc.  It is worthwhile noting that we are favourites $1.56 to $2.45. This game is between 3rd and 9th (believe it or not) but 117.6% cf 114.2% percentages; between 11 Wins versus 9 Wins. North cannot be underestimated; it will be close. We should Win, but it will take a ‘four-quarter’ effort.
  • Them: North have had a funny season and their place on the Ladder reflects the ‘strange season’ across the board; not just them. Since their 6-goal Loss to Geelong in Round 12, before their Bye, they’ve beaten the Bulldogs by 2 points, lost to Essendon by around 3 goals, beaten the Suns by 6 goals and last week, lost to Sydney (admittedly in Melbourne) by 6 points with a massive 6-goals to 3 Last Quarter. They are usually very good ‘early on’ (1st Quarter) having shown an early dominance. No, I can’t work them out either.
    • Who to watch for? Their Best populate the ‘corridor’. Brown at FF, Ziebell at CHF (or wherever he ends up – see comment for us, below), Goldstein and Higgins in the Mids and Tarrant (yep, recall the name) down back. They also have a number of players contributing from the Forward Pockets.
  • Us: A couple of changes last week didn’t work – Crocker and Varcoe and I think Daicos is due a rest; we should consider changes – bring back Cox (yes, I actually said that) and consider the inclusion of Murray, McLarty and Brown. I would suggest – Tag Ziebell? Yep, at least for the start. Use the Wings, rather than the corridor early on? Yep, again. Work on the conversion of Hit-outs to Clearance and Clearance s to Marks inside 50; and try and get more people scoring goals. Your thoughts?

 

TV? No FTA TV (in Canberra); find a friend with Fox.

 

My Picks: Pies by 17 points; BOG – Grundy – outpointsGoldstein with 29 Disposals @ 85% DE. Also gets two goals. De Goey gets five goals.

 

VFL:

  • A Bye last week.
  • Next: Saturday, 21 July versus Essendon at Windy Hill; bounce 11.00am – 7th versus 6th – could be worth watching, particularly the number of AFL players returning from injury. I’d love to get someperformance feedback?

 

VFLW:

  • Also a Bye last week.
  • Next: Sunday, 22 July versus Carlton at Craigieburn. Interestingly, the girls are sitting 2nd on the Ladder half a Win behind Hawthorn but with a game up their sleeve. Expect a quick return to the top.

 

Netball:

 

VWFL

 

 

Other sports, Canberra:

  • GWS at Manuka – Saturday, 11 August; bounce 7.25pm vs Adelaide.
  • Raiders – Next game Friday, 20 July versus Cronulla away; kick off 6.00pm.
  • Brumbies – No more home & away games.

 

Other:

Go Pies.

 

Cam

 

 

Comments

  1. george smith says

    Note that the next two games are not on FTA (Channel Kochie). This gives us hope because it means stuffing around with replays at the pub (in my case 2 weeks ago at the Grovedale RSL!) or watching highlights on YouTube. So with all the this maybe we can turn this around…

    Well, we’ve had a good run, and a good run with injury next year could see us right up there. But right now we are the coyote on the precipice – and the flag is the roadrunner!

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