Cam Hooke’s Collingwood Life: Finals Week 3 – Go Pies

 

Greetings, True Believers. Getting serious? No more second chances.

 

The Preliminary Finals are the best games. The Grand Final has too much commercial sponsorship. The Prelim is a better game to attend (and support). Nearly got there – waited on-line for 30 minutes to access Ticketek, encouraged to wait there. Finally in, under the Members’ category, any spots greater than one or not in the 4^th level had gone. Bummer. Need to look at my Membership or go and camp outside the Ticketek front door. I know one who is going. Others? Reporting please?

 

Go Pies.

 

Finals Week 3 – 1^st Preliminary Final

 

Friday, 22^nd September at the MCG – Collingwood Magpies play GWS Giants; bounce at 7.50pm.

 

Current betting – $1.57 (us to win) / $2.41 (them). Interesting numbers. If you ignored the entire season and focussed only on the last 10 games it could be reversed. See below.

 

Them:

 

Their coach, Kingsley, speaks about the last game and the next – www.gwsgiants.com.au/news/1433373/giants-primed-for-pies-showdown. Worth watching. He addresses the team’s “run and carry” game, acknowledges the significance of their “pressure” and the importance (in recent weeks) of scoring from clearances, not just stoppages.

 

Game plan. The Giants were sitting 15^th on the Ladder after R12. They finished the season in 7^th place after R24. In between they got to 6^th and out to 10^th at different times. From their R15 Bye they Won against higher placed teams, sometimes by narrow margins ( R16 – Melbourne by 2, R18 – Adelaide in Adelaide by 14 and R24 – Carlton by 32). They have also Won at various grounds – Alice Springs, Ballarat and Manuka in addition to Marvel and their home ground. As their coach indicated their pressure is highlighted (like us) and they have more frequently driven forward from the Midfield (whereas we tend to drive starting in the Backline). More recently they have implemented this. They are heavily reliant upon their Midfield (see below), so Win the Midfield battle and Win the game, individuals in the corridor (also see below). Additionally, GWS have demonstrated the ability to explode against teams that allow that. We need to ensure we do not lapse our pressure. The Giants are a very good side in comparison with any other team.

 

Injuries. They have a pretty clear List except for two key players, the current status of each is unclear:

 

• Briggs – Ruck. Has a shoulder injury that he appears to ‘work through’; and
• Coniglio – Rover. He had an eye injury that led to doubts about him playing last week. But play he did, so?

 

Players to watch:

 

• Coniglio – Rover;
• Ward – RR;
• Greene – FP (and Captain and All Australian Captain). A seriously gifted footballer, able to turn a game. Needs to be tagged – Bruz?
• Briggs – Ruck. Has had a huge influence since about mid-season. May be injured (shoulder).
• Whitfield – HB;
• Green – Centre. Critical player; and
• Himmelberg – CHB.

 

Also watch Idun and Taylor in their Backline. While not frequently recorded amongst their Best, they have been noticed as significant in the last few games.

 

And, of course, keep an eye on Keeffe and Callum Brown, both off the Interchange bench, if they are playing, for Collingwood family reasons.

 

Us:

 

Importance: This game can take us to the Grannie.

 

Structure? To play the opposition team. Importantly consider ‘team players’. So?

 

Out:     Adams – injury

            Markov

            Lipinski

            Ginnivan ( Sub)

 

In:        N.Daicos

             Noble

            Ginnivan

           Markov (Sub)

 

Application? No change – Application for four full Quarters – never reduce the pressure. Hold the tackles. Establish and maintain control of the game (Contested Possessions/Tackles/1%’ers).

 

Game Plan? No change to the current plan – Drive out of the Backline as well as the Midfield – it would be good to dominate the Centre Clearances. Use varied entry to the 50 and be willing to move the ball to a better-placed goal scorer than delivering to packs. Crumb around packs, particularly in our defence. Importantly, I’d like to see the kick-in progress routinely more smoothly out of the Backline – I think speed, planning and preparedness have a lot to do in achieving this.

 

In particular? Nick alternating with Crisp in the Midfield; Mitchell and Pendles alternating in the Centre role (and watching Coniglio). Maynard to tag Greene which leads to an extra in the Backline. Replace Howe in his Backline intercept role. Remember Cox had a blinder game against GWS last time – emphasis Cox in Ruck; Cameron as a Forward target. Maybe invite McCleery’s mum to do another pre-match warm-up?

 

Injuries? Nick is back. Moore’s hand issue is a non-issue.

 

My Picks:

 

Win by 27 Points. BOG – Bruz Maynard – 17 Disposals, 3 Clearances, 9 Tackles and 4 Goal Assists compared with Greene with 13 Disposals and no goals. Mihocek gets another 5.

 

Reporting? Reports please? From those who watch it on TV as well as those lucky enough to attend.

 

Weather.  Cloudy, temperature between 16 (4.00pm) and 11 (10.00pm) deg C, but light rain forecast today and Wednesday. Get the old boots out.

 

TV: Channel 7.

 

Then?

 

Finals: Grand Final – 30 September – Collingwood versus ?

 

Your thoughts?

 

Other: Who do you think we’ll face in the Grannie? I think Brisbane will heavily defeat Carlton before they head towards the G.

 

Believe always. Go Pies.

 

Cam

 

 

 

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