Cam Hooke’s Collingwood Life: 2018 AFL Finals – The Year of the Magpie

True Believers, not a great weekend but we are still there.

 

AFL: 

 

A top effort. Well done. Could, quite easily, have gone the other way.

 

Was anyone in Perth for the game? I know people watched. Your comments?

 

Match Reporthttp://www.afl.com.au/match-centre/2018/24/wce-v-coll.

Buck’s commentshttp://www.collingwoodfc.com.au/video/2018-09-09/bucks-reviews-tough-loss. Worth a read.

 

Numbers:

  • Frees: 23 (us) to 23 (them). I try to avoid complaining too much about Frees, and we need to be careful that the equal numbers across the game don’t hide the issue, however the Q1 Frees were biassed and significant. Mostly, the Umps do a good job; it would be nice if they did the same for both sides.
  • Hit-outs: 49 / 28. A routine Grundy day at the office.
  • Clearances: 37 / 36. Not bad, but we are not taking advantage of Grundy’s dominance. Other Mids?
  • Inside 50’s: 51 / 51. Better conversion.
  • Marks inside 50: 8 /10. Very poor by both sides; worse by us, but reflecting the pressure being applied.
  • Scoring shots: 20 / 26.
  • Goals: 10 / 12.

Competitiveness?

  • Contested Possessions 163 (us) / 169 (them).
  • Tackles 64 to 58.
  • Disposal Effectiveness – DE less than 70% – 12 / 12.

and

Clangers, reflecting the disposal of ‘our’ ball direct to an opponent:

  • Players with three or more – 12 (us) / 9 (them).

 

Assessment?

 

An interesting game. We lost Q1 but recovered well. Q2 and Q3 were outstanding with us well placed entering the Final Quarter, 10 points up. But then we lost momentum, the Eagles scored five goals to our single running out reasonably comfortable but deserved winners. Congratulations to them. Over the past few weeks I have emphasised that Finals footy is different to H&A footy. If you needed this confirmed all you had to do was watch the games this weekend – each was about pressure and application. I’d love to see a comparison of the numbers of balls kicked off the ground rather than attempting pick-up – good pressure footy particularly in the slippery conditions.

 

Things to like?

  • Coaches’ Box influence, particularly at the end of Q1. Recognising the continuing participation of the coaches in the game. Well done. Not sure what else could have been done in Q4 – your thoughts?
  • The application by everyone was ferocious again; simply outstanding. Well done.
  • Well done to the three inclusions.

Not liking at all?

  • The transition of our Clearances to Inside 50s is still poor. The “kick and hope” into the 50 places huge pressure through rebounds as Possession, inevitably, changes. While it is pretty clearly a reflection of the pressure the Mids are under we need to be willing to ‘pause’ / ‘pass backwards’ to give time to locate a target.

Not sure?

  • Okay, let me try to be fair (unlike many of the very heated comments on Facebook) about Cox. He only had five Disposals at 40% DE, however had seven 1%’ers. But his performance needs to be assessed against his task – he is being used as a target to ‘crumb off’ (yes, I’m sure there are better ways of wording that). The apparent tactic is to kick a high ‘up and under’ that he might mark but, more likely, will come to the ground and our small forwards will crumb the ball and kick the goals – simple? Defence against Cox is, now, pretty routine – the big, spoiling punch, and it works. So, we need to consider whether this is the best use of a Forward position – your thoughts? And just to compare at the other end of the ground, Goldie had six Disposals, albeit at 83.3% DE but nine 1%’ers and he, quite rightly in my view, made the Best list. And Trav Varcoe, had only nine Disposals, but his goal and his ‘run-down’ tackle were both game-changing. Well done. Selections? No change.

 

Next Week:

 

Saturday, 15 September Collingwood vs Greater Western Sydney at the MCG; bounce 7.25pm. According to the Ladder, this game is between 3rd and 7th, 15 Wins vs 13  (though updating from last weekend, this is now 15 vs 14), 120.4% vs 114.3%. But, in reality, it is between two very even sides.

 

Preview: At http://www.afl.com.au/match-centre/2018/25/coll-v-gws.

 

Others’ thoughts? http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-09-09/the-big-questions-for-the-two-semifinals. Worth a read.

 

Previous. They killed us the last time, Round 2, but that was nearly a whole season ago.

 

Them: Since their Round 13 Bye, GWS have produced 8 Wins and 3 Losses, including their destruction of Sydney last week. They are coming off that Win, but before that two Losses against Melbourne (by 45 points) and Sydney (20 points). Their Wins in that period have not been startling – Adelaide 14 points, Carlton 100+ points, St Kilda 25 points, Port 22 points, etc. They did defeat Richmond in Round 17 by two points. So, not too convincing. We can Win this, particularly given we are home.

    • Their Best? Over the period since their Bye, their Midfield of Coniglio, Whitfield and Shiel have been dynamic, noting the infrequent inclusion of others. Up Forward, Cameron has been absent for much of this period, as has Greene (for different reasons) but both are now back. Ward has also contributed Forward, as has Himmelberg.
    • Who to watch? The Mids, listed, plus Himmelberg at CHF and Cameron at FF. Greene and Ward in the FP will challenge our defence. Tag? And Delidio, wherever he ends up; he can change a game.

Us:

  • Selections? No change.
  • Application – repeat. Continue improved crumbing round packs.
  • Game Plan:
    • Plan alternate avenues to goal – low and hard, in addition to the use of Cox as a target.Movement of Clearances into the 50?
    • Consider routine backwards/sideways passes from the Clearances to better target Inside 50s.
  • Don’t play safe.
  • ‘Run with’ on who(m)? Greene? Maybe not. It may be sufficient to keep the ball away from him rather than trying to keep him away from the ball. A major criticism in the past was the occasional tasking of someone who would never be able to ‘turn inside’ someone like Greene. Consider.

Weather? Showers forecast; 17 degrees.

 

Your thoughts?

 

TV? FTA – Yes; on 7mate   http://www.afl.com.au/tv-radio/broadcastguide

My Picks: Pies by 19 points; BOG – Treloar with 38 Touches @ 81.3% DE; One goal to Cox; but five Goal Assists.

 

VFLW:

Go girls.

 

VWFL


Other sports, Canberra:

  • Raiders – Season over.

 

Other:

 

Go Pies.

 

Cam

 

 

Comments

  1. george smith says

    Didn’t watch, all sogged out after the game at the SCG. Giants look very good, although i notice that things they did to Franklin, like pushing him over, did not incur the wrath of the pharisees, unlike our mob a month ago. They move the ball quickly, and then do that ring a rosy thing in the back half, to keep the ball away from the opposition. They have done this to our mob in Canberra many months ago, keeping us to 2 goals to 3/4 time. It would be very Alanis Morrisette if they started and ended our season by humiliating us again.

    Especially with ra a ain at the SCG!

    We got better, but the Pies still have to win final number two for Nathan Buckley. The season of regaining some respect continues…

  2. A potential game-changer was when Varcoe, who had played admirably given his circumstances, ran the ball inside 50 early in the last Q and slipped over, resulting in a 12 point turnover goal and momentum shift. After that the Pies midfield faded; Treloar should have been sent forward with DeGoey moving on ball. Cox needs to learn to be able to stand his ground and not be shifted off the ball so easily. Hopefully Treloar, Goldy and Howe will be better for the run and Pendles should be fitter. Thomas was quiet all game and needs to lift.

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