Cam Hooke’s Collingwood Life 2026: Round 4 Review/ Round 5 Preview

 

Hi, all. I still wear my Pies’ shirt around, even following a Loss. My response to individuals seeking to ‘rub my nose’ in an adverse result is “It’s easy to support a team when they are winning. It’s more of a challenge to do so when they are Losing.” I’ve been known to comment that every team has had its share of bad years. Remember we got Josh Fraser as Pick 1 a few years ago because we’d had a shocker the year before?

 

So? A poor performance with the inevitable outcome.

 

Loved the range and variety of comments following my last email, particularly those relating to Carlton’s Loss that weekend; something I studiously ignored. I wish those scarred individuals well. I hope yesterday’s Carlton result, and how it happened, eases their pain. We’ve been a bit quiet regarding the Pies following our R4 game. Cmon, get involved; please.

 

 

Game

 

Thursday, 2^nd April Collingwood 10.5.65 were defeated by Brisbane 17.17,119 at the Gabba.

• Scoring shots – 15 (us) / 34 (them). Pretty much, says it all, doesn’t it?

 

Goals scored:

• Q1       3 (us) / 6 (them). A positive start by them, responded to by McStay’s pair. The second half of the Quarter was really a waste of opportunities by them; yes, while they scored 3 goals to our single, they scored 4 Behinds to our single. The margin could have been much greater. Margin – 21 Points. Check the Timeline atwww.afl.com.au/afl/matches/8066#summary;
• Q2       2 / 3. More progress by them. Margin expanded to – 29 Points;
• Q3       3 / 2. Technically we Won this Quarter, but not by much. Margin reduced to – 27 Points;
• Q4       2 / 6. Solid performance by them in the second half of the Quarter – they scored 3.2 to our 0.1, resulting in the Final Deficit – 54 Points; and
• Total    10 / 17. Brisbane Won against an opponent that lacked intensity. Both sides were missing players of note.

 

Match Report. www.afl.com.au/afl/matches/8066#match-report.

 

Coach’s Comments. www.afl.com.au/video/1488573/full-post-match-r4-magpies?videoId=1488573&modal=true&type=video&publishFrom=1775133347001. Worth watching / listening to.

 

Statistics:

Statistic	Quantity	Remarks
Disposals (D)	310 (us) / 425 (them)	A substantial difference reflecting their game plan. See comments on CP, below.
Hit Outs (HO)	29 / 23	Nice but importantly this is NOT the HO to Advantage that team staff would record. By itself, this is really who touched the ball first. Where it goes, importantly, relates to the ‘advantage’ score.
Clearances (Clr)	24 / 42	Includes 12 / 19 Centre clearances and 12 / 23 Stoppage clearances. So, regardless of the HO dominance we have a significant deficiency in Clearances. I usually see this as a first-order measure of the Midfield effectiveness – our Midfield Lost in the Centre and at stoppages across the game. This also reflects a match losing deficiency for our performance.
Inside 50s (I50)	45 / 64	This should be, broadly, a flow-on of the Clearance difference. It differs from that, slightly.
Goals scored	10 / 17	You would expect with similar numbers of Clearances and similar numbers of entries into a goal-kicking position (under Inside 50s) reasonably similar scoring.
Disposal Efficiency (DE)	75.8% / 76.2%	Across the whole game.
DE I50	33.3% / 54.7%	The difference here is huge, based on their domination of entries to goal-kicking positions, the specific factor impacting on goals scored. This difference reflects a match-winning difference between the teams.
Team members with DE 80%	9 / 10	These numbers reflect the number of team members who are producing passes at an adequate level – 80% was arbitrarily chosen in the absence of anything else. No useful difference.
Contested Possessions (CP)	92 / 131	Combined with Tackle numbers and 1%’ers, below, these numbers can give an indication of application. Uncontested Possessions – 201 / 277. The huge domination of UCP and Marks is indicative of their style of play – kicking to unattended individuals, even across or backward highlighting our failure to ‘man up’.
Possession	31% / 54%	Across the whole game.
Marks	71 / 150	Includes 5 / 20 Marks inside 50 and 7 / 14 Contested Marks. Numbers of marks and tackles inside 50 should give an advantage to the goal scoring. The significant domination here regarding Marks is indicative of this as a contributor.
Tackles	46 / 33	Includes 5 / 6 Tackles inside 50; same as above, with some very minor reduction in their scoring advantage.
1%’ers	49 / 36	Spoils, punches, smothers, etc frequently exploited by the Backline.
Free Kicks	17 / 17	It is difficult to challenge this from a broad perspective. It appeared players doing something wrong were ‘pinged’, including for the 50m penalties. They are, now, frequently a guaranteed Goal. The reasons behind the award are rarely clear or understood. Need to sit down with the Umps and clarify where we are going wrong.

 

Best:

 

The AFL website lists the Best as:

 

• JoshD. Good, as usual;
• McStay. I’ve been critical about him in the recent past. He provided a useful target and goal-kicker, ending up with four majors;
• Maynard.
• Houston.

 

I don’t have a problem with any of those identified. Houston’s statistics under both Basic and Advanced Player Stats atwww.afl.com.au/afl/matches/8066#player-stats are worth a visit. Long, Crisp and Steene each contributed.

 

The Coaches frequently have a different view, based I presume, on the specific roles players are given. The results relating to our game: Not seen yet. Go to AFL website on Monday.

 

Interesting, differences? What do you think?

 

The Game?

 

A generally poor performance in which Brisbane pursued an approach passing the ball to unmarked players or, simply out-marked us. The result was the same – continued ownership of the ball and control of the game.

 

This was not a pleasure to watch. I suspect it wasn’t much fun to participate in.

 

Brisbane played the game based on keeping possession of the ball – ‘keep’ens off’, shown in their domination of uncontested possessions (UCP) – 201 (us) / 277 (them) and Marks – 71 / 150. We lost the Territory Battle – scored in Inside 50s – 45 / 64 and Disposals 310 / 425, and particularly, as a consequence of our Disposal Effectiveness inside the 50, even if we’d had closer numbers of I50, we Lost.

 

It was a pretty poor performance against an opponent seemingly committed to the task. We were left looking old, tired and largely absent. We need to get our motivation back?

 

Crowd at the Gabba – 34, 648. Were any of you there? Reports please?

 

Next:

 

 

Round 5 – Friday, 10^th April Collingwood versus Fremantle at Adelaide Oval; ‘ball-up’ at 7.40pm AEST. Note that Daylight Saving has ended.

 

This is between us currently placed 9^th on the Ladder (2 Wins, 2 Losses with a 93.1% percentage) and them, placed 3^rd(3 Wins, 1 Loss with a 133.4% percentage) – not too significant noting my comments below about their games this Season. Betting? Freo are the favourites, reasonably substantially, $1.60 (Freo Win) / $2.35 (Pies’ Win). Not sure who’s determining these odds.

 

Them

 

Freo are currently sitting third on the Ladder, but it is early days.  They’ve had an interesting start to this Season, including:

 

OR       Bye;

R1       Lost to Geelong by 10 Points at Kardinia Park;

R2       Won over Melbourne by 48 Points in Perth;

R3       Win by 60 points over Richmond also in Perth; and

R4       Win over Adelaide by 2 Points in Adelaide. Mid – Q3, Freo held a 32 Point advantage; Adelaide put on 7 unanswered goals to mid – Q4, reducing their deficit to 8 Points. Scoring by both sides in the latter half of Q4 resulted in the final outcome – a Win by 2 Points.

 

So, Freo are a highly capable team, particularly at home, but have not been seriously challenged this Season, yet. Their easy Wins over Melbourne and Richmond reflect on their opponents; not on Freo. The Loss to Geelong and the very tight Win over Adelaide do not reflect any substantial capability superiority of Freo amongst the competition. We have a long way to go to September.

 

Game Plan.

 

Their Best has been flexible. A number of players have been recorded in their Best in two of their games, so far. No-one has made all four listings. The list, below, is indicative of their general focus on the Midfield, with additions in the corridor Forward and Back (CHF / CHB). The important lesson for us here, in the absence of much useful information, is to seek to play the game the way we want; not in response to them. And, of course, AO is a neutral site to both teams.

 

Injuries. Freo went into their last game, against Adelaide, with a team unchanged from the week before. A number of players, recovering from injury, are, however, now available. Expect some changes – see www.afl.com.au/matches/injury-list for detail.

 

Players to watch: Based on the Season’s games plus our Preliminary Final last year:

 

• Serong – Rover;
• Treacy – FF;
• Brayshaw – Centre;
• Jackson – Ruck;
• Bolton – RR;
• Ryan – CHB; and
• Reid – CHF.

 

Us

 

Team. We are in the early days of the season and should always pick the team that best addresses our opposition – note the comments above regarding tagging / close defence and the comments following our Losses to Adelaide and Brisbane in recent weeks – much of this is repeated in those emails. We should seek to run the game we want to from the start.

 

Also worth a quick browse of the VFL side performance, noting individuals’ performances – go towww.collingwoodfc.com.au/news/1982142/vfl-match-report-youngsters-impress-as-giants-pip-the-pies and www.collingwoodfc.com.au/news/1987203/vfl-match-report-young-forwards-dominate-in-maiden-vfl-win. Good Win, Gentlemen. Well done. Changes:

 

• Outs: Lipinski, Frampton, Perryman; and.

• Ins: Buller, West, Swadling.

 

Game Plan. Same as always: No changes of substance from past. A couple of points:

 

• Application. Nothing is more important. Attitude is King. Pursuit needs to continue; not stopping when an opponent has passed.

• Taggers. Tagging roles might be useful, including an occasional hard lock-down role on their Forwards / Midfield? And protecting our players? That should also be key.

• Midfield Management. Who to do?

• Passing. Accuracy of passes by foot and hand is critical. Remember a misdirected pass resulting in a turnover of the ball gives possession to our opponent, immediately shifting control of the game to them. Pls fix!

• Drive. Drive out of the Backline is a key part of our game plan. Speed of changed possession is critical. Team members need to have a very clear idea where and to whom they are going to pass the ball. As an example, look at what Brisbane did to us last weekend. Pls fix!

• Kick-ins are a continuing issue – we need to have a plan that everyone knows and is able to implement. It is critical because it is the means of maintaining control of the ball, and the game. This appears to be a major obstacle – the delay in kick-ins is unacceptable, as is the absence of any logical plan. This should be the start of a changed ‘possession’; not a barrier. Pls fix!

• Kicking for Goal. This has been pretty good but players need to consider and apply the willingness to pass the ball inside the 50. The key players with the ability to kick the hard goal is laudable, but not always successful. Ball delivery needs to be to the best goal-kicking position. Importantly, scoring a Behind is a waste – for 1 Point you hand over ball-possession to the opposition. It’s not worth it – get the ball into a better position.

• Tackles. Still a failing with opponents spinning out of tackles or brushing off the tackler. This has been one of our strengths and we need to get it back. Love the multiple tacklers.

 

Our Aim? Be happy. Worth reinforcing – our team, yes, we are part of it, everyone, players and supporters, need to get the smile back.

 

Outcome? Collingwood will Win by 19 Points. BOG – De Goey – 31 Disposals at 84.00% DE, 6 Clearances, 2 Tackles and 390 mG. Lead goalkicker – Membrey, Schultz, Elliott and McStay each with two Goals.

 

Weather? Light rain is forecast the day before the game, but dry on game day. Expect a slippery ball and surface. Get the old boots with stops out.

 

TV? Not out yet. Go to www.afl.com.au/broadcast-guide-premiership to check.

 

Next:

 

• Round 6 – Thursday, 16^th April Carlton versus Collingwood at the MCG; ‘ball-up’ at 7.30pm AEST; and
• Round 7 –  Saturday, 25^th April Essendon versus Collingwood at the MCG; ‘ball-up’ at 3.15pm AEST;
• Round 8 – Thursday, 30^th April Collingwood versus Hawthorn at the MCG; ‘ball-up’ at 7.30pm AEST; and
• Round 9 – Saturday, 9^th May Geelong versus Collingwood at the MCG; ‘ball-up’ at 7.35pm AEST.

 

Reporting? Do we have anyone in Adelaide or going? Please report, even if you are watching from home? And let us know if you are going. Hope to see some of you at games in the future?

 

Other?

 

‘Bobby’ is back at training as advised last week. Nothing to add. Anyone attended training and can report? Please?

 

This is our year; still believe! Always believe; never, ever give up! Go Pies.

 

Cam

 

 

To return to the www.footyalmanac.com.au  home page click HERE

 

Our writers are independent contributors. The opinions expressed in their articles are their own. They are not the views, nor do they reflect the views, of Malarkey Publications.

 

Do you enjoy the Almanac concept?
And want to ensure it continues in its current form, and better? To help keep things ticking over please consider making your own contribution.

 

Become an Almanac (annual) member – CLICK HERE