AFL Round 6 – Carlton v Collingwood: Pies give Blues a bad headache

by Josh Barnstable

This was the unofficial Rivalry Round, despite some of the clashes not being what you would think as everyday blockbuster heated games. But North Melbourne v Melbourne and Geelong v Richmond, the two games that stand out as not fitting in with the theme of the round, do mean something in terms or rivalry. My Kangaroos up against Steve Healy’s Demons, while Michael Allan and Adam Bulman’s Richmond travelled to Kardinia Park for the impossible task of taking on Susie Giese’s Cats. This would lead to many interesting conversations between us, but of course the big one stood out from the rest. Damian Watson’s Bluebaggers fronting up to Danielle Eid’s Collingwood boys. This game was set to be a cracker, as these games always do (just forget Round 17 last year) and regardless of position on the ladder, it’ll always be a contest.

After waking up with a bad headache at my friend’s house, we ventured into his backyard to collect my thongs and viewing the aftermath of the big 18th birthday party that happened the previous night. After visiting two of the local Numurkah Bakeries for a morning feed and a read of the Sunday Herald Sun, I return home to watch the Sunday Footy Show on the real home of Football, Channel Nine. I can’t wait for this game of footy between the biggest rivals in the game.  

The Pies run out in their clash strip, which should be their home Guernsey. They kick the first goal through Scott Pendlebury after a heated opening few minutes. Chris Yarran snaps a goal in the goalsquare before Chris Dawes boots a ripper from 45m out on the boundary line. Marc Murphy runs into goal to draw scores level, but goals to Steele Sidebottom and Paul Medhurst (that’s a dangerous pair for Danni) see the Pies out with a handy buffer. Setanta O’hAilpin goals late to cut the margin to a goal at quarter time, 4.2 to 3.2.

The second quarter begins and the Pies start a rampage, but on the actual field. Luke ball snaps his first goal in black and white, before Dale Thomas, Medhurst and Alan Didak all goal to take the margin out to 32 points. Ball kicks a second, but the Blues reply swiftly through O’hAilpin, followed by one of his little helpers, Yarran, before big Setanta kicks his third. Didak kicks his second on the run, but Murphy replies with his second, cutting the margin to 22 points. A late major to Dawes after a great transition sees the Pies out by 28 points at the main break, 11.6 to 7.2.

The second half starts and O’hAilpin kicks his fourth, before another of his little helpers, Eddie Betts, gets onto the end of a great run by Dennis Armfield to goal. Simon White goes forward and takes a good mark before slotting an impossible goal from the forward pocket, and then a good mark to Ryan Houlihan in front of the big sticks saw the Blues all of a sudden within four points and I started to wonder where Tarkyn Lockyer was for Collingwood. They needed his aggression. Ball combined with Darren Jolly to kick his third, but Betts ran into an open goal, only for Dayne Beams to snap his first. O’hAilpin goaled from a 50m penalty, a career-high fifth, and the margin was three points. Carlton stopped playing then. They disappeared from the MCG back into the rooms as Collingwood ran riot. Sharrod Wellingham goaled, Dane Swan booted a ripper from 65m out which bounced through, Sidebottom kicked his second after receiving clumsily from Alan Toovey and Harry O’Brien put through a terrific goal from outside 50 on the three-quarter time siren, Collingwood leading by 27 points at the last change, 17.8 to 13.5.

The last term began and Betts hacked his third out of mid-air, before Travis Cloke goaled, followed by Beams on the run. Murphy booted his third from 45m out, but Dawes did likewise as the game was sealed. Jolly put the icing on the cake, and Wellingham kicked his second as the margin got out to 46 points. Jeff Garlett, another of Setanta’s little helpers, dummied around a Pies’ opponent and snapped a ripper on the left, but the Pies finished the game off with goals to Medhurst and a final nail in the coffin from Cloke after a big kick from beyond 55m on the run. Collingwood won emphatically, 24.11.155 to 16.6.102, in a great game of football.

Despite North Melbourne’s great win against Melbourne in Round 6, I feel very nervous about the upcoming game between the Kangaroos and Collingwood. It’s a game the Roos could win, or a game they will hardly trouble the scoreboard. But as for this match, it was the game we’d been waiting for. And Danni, Susie and I will bask in the glory that Rivalry Round brings. For a week anyway.

Carlton 3.2—7.2—13.5—16.6.102

Collingwood-4.2—11.6—17.8—24.11.155

Goalkickers:

Carlton-O’hAilpin 5, Betts 3, Murphy 3, Yarran 2, White, Houlihan, Garlett

Collingwood-Dawes 3, Ball 3, Medhurst 3, Wellingham 2, Cloke 2, Sidebottom 2, Wellingham 2, Beams 2, Didak 2, Pendlebury, Swan, O’Brien, Jolly

Best:

Carlton-Murphy, Judd, O’hAilpin, Simpson, Gibbs, Russell, Scotland, White, Carrazzo

Collingwood-Wellingham, Swan, Beams, Thomas, Ball, Dawes

Worst on Ground:

Leon Davis

Crowd:

80,645 at the MCG

Votes:

3: Marc Murphy (CARL)

2: Chris Judd (CARL)

1: Sharrod Wellingham (COLL)

About Josh Barnstable

21 year old North Melbourne supporter from country Victoria. Currently living in Melbourne studying a Bachelor of Sports Media. Dreams of becoming a sports journalist and broadcaster.

Comments

  1. Steve Healy says

    worst on ground? come on, lol/

    Good report mate, thanks for the mention

  2. Danielle says

    LOL great report Joshy!
    and NO it shouldn’t be our home jumper! i HATE that white thing!!

    Danni

  3. Damian Watson says

    Well Done Josh,

    Thanks for the mention.

    Although I would have to disagree with your theory that Channel Nine is the home of football. They only covered the football for 5 years and despite the criticism directed towards Channel Seven (and rightly so), they will still be referred to as the Home of Footy, after all they have covered it for a total almost 50 years.

    And Channel Nine only telecasted the double header on Sunday because those were their allocated matches for each round, this was dtermined by the TV Rights.

  4. Great article, Josh!

    Indeed, some questionable “rivalries” – clearly, we were just the left over taems :p

    Thanks muchly for the mention, it made me smile :-) Indeed, we shall be basking it up for the week :-)

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