Cam Hooke’s Collingwood Life: A better few days than last week

True Believers, greetings to all.

 

A better few days than last week – solid Wins by the girls and an interesting performance by both the AFL and VFL sides, but both results in practice matches – see more below.

 

AFLW

Ladies, well done. And I was not the least surprised – I have faith.  Maybe we need to start our run a trifle earlier next year, or could we lengthen the season?

 

Match Reports at http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-03-10/aflw-match-report-brisbane-v-collingwood and http://www.collingwoodfc.com.au/news/2018-03-10/aflw-pies-hurt-lions-gf-chances.

 

Best. Concur.

 

Statistics? From very close Hit-Out numbers, we lost the Clearance numbers substantially (15 (us) / 20 (them)), lost the Inside 50 numbers (21 / 31) but evened up on the Marks Inside 50s (6 / 7). Interestingly, we lost the Scoring Shots (13 / 14) but won the Goals scored (8 / 5). And the result reflected that. Once again we need to win the Midfield battle.

 

Next: Round 7 – Sunday, 18 March – Pies vs Adelaide at Olympic Park; bounce: 2.35pm. Last week’s result moved us off the bottom of the Ladder. This game is between us sitting 6th and Adelaide at 4th, but their percentage is 101.0% lower than our 102.7%. Once again, we are showing our capacity and, given home ground advantage (away from Adelaide) we should go in with confidence. Good luck, ladies. Remember we are with you Side by Side.

 

AFL

Match Reports at http://www.afl.com.au/match-centre/jlt-community-series/2018/2/coll-v-wb  and http://www.collingwoodfc.com.au/news/2018-03-10/report-jlt-success-in-moe.

 

Buck’s comments http://www.collingwoodfc.com.au/video/2018-03-10/buckley-speaks-after-jlt-win

This was the most extraordinary game; but a practice game still. Therefore? Well accuracy might be the first factor – at one point (pun intended) the Pies’ score on the board was 1 Goal 10 Behinds. At this point (pun intended, again) Matt records he was thinking of the last few years, like we all would have been. By Quarter, the Goals scored were:

 

· Q1 1 (Pies) / 5 (Dogs);

· Q2 4 / 1;

· Q3 3 / 2;

· Q4 8 / 3; and

· Total: 16 / 11.

 

Was there a Force 10 gale blowing for the 1st Half (plus maybe in the 4th Quarter)? Certainly, Matt gives a terrific description of the factors underlying the scoring. I’m very glad to read of his positive confidence at Half Time – “ascendancy”? Matt’s problem summation – ‘inconsistency’. Certainly, the numbers by Quarter strongly support this.

 

The usual statistics are difficult to gain much from in such a wildly moving game but a comment on two of our Mids:

 

· Treloar – 32 Disposals @ 59.4% Disposal Efficiency equates to 19 Effective Disposals. Critically, and he achieved 13 Clearances.

· Sidebottom – 28 Disposals @ 82.1% DE equating to 23.0 Effective Disposals. But he achieved only 3 Clearances.

 

Whose contribution was greatest?

 

What does this mean? I think that Treloar is right on the edge of being a true superstar. Should he be able to lift his DE by taking the time to check where he is passing the ball, he is likely to be a ‘match-winner’. Remember when we watch Pendles, and others like him, the most critical observation is that he seems to have time; time to decide what he is going to do and then to do it. Treloar should aspire to this.

 

Who did well? Murray impressed; so did Moore as a Back. Okay, yes, I’ll say it – so did Cox.

 

Other? For a while it looked like Varcoe might join Grundy in fronting the MRP. Doesn’t appear so. And Grundy has copped a fine, but no suspension. Which neatly leads to the question “What if Grundy is not available?”. Yes, Cox has been getting a run as an alternative ruck, but could he do that on his own for an entire match? See comments below regarding McLarty’s performance in the Twos. Your thoughts?

 

And Goldie is out for the season – ACL. He is a significant loss.

 

Next? The season starts soon. For us, Round 1 – Saturday, 24 March vs Hawthorn at the G; bounce: 7.25pm. More on this next week. Who do you think might get a run? Watch (eventually): http://www.afl.com.au/match-centre/2018/1/haw-v-coll.  And believe it or not, no teams, no nothing but the betting is there at the Match Centre.  Yep, Hawthorn are favourites $1.85 compared with our $1.95.  Hardly worth the stress.

 

VFL

A pretty good performance against Richmond, one of last year’s Grand Finalists. The way it finished, or rather could have finished, with McLarty’s missed shot on Goal to take the lead late in the game, is always amusing (for a practice match).

 

Match Report http://www.collingwoodfc.com.au/news/2018-03-08/young-pie-shines-in-vfl-practice-match.

 

Impressive: McLarty (in the ruck), Sier, Blair and Fas (both crumbing around the goal).

 

Netball

No change.

 

VFLW

No change.

 

Other

· Eddie Watch. Quiet.

· Staging – ‘Go get em’, Michael – https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/christian-declares-crackdown-on-staging-in-afl-20180312-p4z40t.html

· Mid-Season Draft? Keep a watch on this – https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/a-player-movement-revolution-looms-but-can-it-beat-thinking-outside-the-box-20180309-p4z3ko.html. Do I agree? No, is the simple answer. I suspect we are already on the edge of players looking at the next season / next club.

 

Your thoughts?

Go Pies.

Cam

 

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