Cam Hooke’s Collingwood Life: Round 17 Review, Round 18 Preview

 

G’day True Believers.

 

Firstly, let me thank the CFC for the messages of support I’ve received – emails from Daicos, Quaynor, Crisp, Adams and Moore. And, significantly, from Mark Anderson, CEO of CFC. Much appreciated.

 

 

We now have a spot confirmed in the Finals. We need to head in that direction with the right attitude and approach. Our R18 game against Port is, accordingly, hugely important. I haven’t gone back to check but we have taken the scalp of Geelong, drew with Richmond and have beaten other teams that have beaten the Ladder finalists. We can win this Premiership. Go Pies. Believe!

 

 

Round 17: Collingwood versus Gold Coast

 

Collingwood 10.8.68 defeated the Gold Coast 6.10.46.

 

Goals scored by Quarter:

Q1 – 2 (us) / 3 (them);

Q2 – 2 / 0;

Q3 – 3 / 2;

Q4 – 3 / 1; and

Total – 10 / 6.

 

Match Report – https://www.afl.com.au/matches/2866#match-report.

 

Buck’s Comments – https://www.afl.com.au/video/501063/buckley-on-de-goey-you-understand-how-much-we-ve-missed?videoId=501063&modal=true&type=video&publishFrom=1600085104001.

 

This was not an easy Win over a bad side. The Suns dominated us in Q1 and then never gave up for the rest of the game. We won against a committed side – see comments below regarding the team and individual Disposal Efficiency numbers. Highlights were many but I loved David Metrikas’ recognition of the interplay between Cox and De Goey. Thanks, David.

 

Statistics – Team and Individual statistics are at https://www.afl.com.au/matches/2866#team-stats and https://www.afl.com.au/matches/2866#player-stats. Some interesting numbers:

 

Hit Outs – 31 (us) / 35 (them). That hasn’t happened too often, thankfully. Comparing Grundy and Witts’ numbers is interesting – Disposals – 12 / 13; Hit Outs – 27 / 31; but the killer difference – Disposal Efficiency – 100% / 53.8%;

Clearances – 27 / 30. Probably reflects the HO differential;

Inside 50s – 45 / 41. Good noting the HO and Clearance numbers; and

Disposal Efficiency – 74.5% / 63.1%. Player numbers with a DE equal to or over 80% were – 10 / 0. Where we won the game;

 

Other numbers, broadly similar between the teams, were:

Contested Possessions – 117 / 116;

Turnovers – 62 / 64;

Tackles – 55 / 47; and

1%’ers – 49 / 61; and

 

Free Kicks – 18 / 8. I didn’t notice them being “so bad”.

 

Best. A good team effort and the following were identified on the AFL website – De Goey, Treloar, Quaynor, Crisp, Daicos, Noble and Cox. Don’t have a problem with any of those.

 

A good effort without any key deficiencies evident. Not too happy with the ruck duel.

 

 

Round 18: Collingwood versus Port Adelaide

 

Monday, 21 September at the Gabba; bounce at 7.15pm.

 

Game Brief:  https://www.afl.com.au/matches/2874.

 

Them

 

Port are worthy Ladder leaders having Lost only three games, so far, this season. Leaving aside the earlier Losses to Brisbane (R5) and Melbourne (R9) and the after-the-siren Win over Carlton(R7) it is some more recent games that should be more concerning, and, of the four I’ve identified, three are Wins. Between R10 and R13 Port defeated the Bulldogs by 13 Points (R10), Richmond by 21 Points (R11) and Hawthorn by 10 (R13). And they Lost to Geelong by 60 Points in R12 (and no, that is not a typo; a 10 goal Loss). Since then they’ve produced Wins over Sydney, North and Essendon without great distinction. But the R12 Loss and R13 Win are worth a closer look-see. In the Loss to Geelong, Geelong’s Midfield led by Dangerfield dominated and fed a hungry and hugely successful Hawkins (dominance demonstrated by 7 contested marks). In Q4 Geelong scored 7 goals to 1. At the other end of the paddock, Taylor held Dixon to 3 Disposals and no kicks at goal for the game. Kicking? Of Port’s four goals, two were the result of 50m penalties. The week after this Port beat Hawthorn by 10 Points. Again, kicking was suspect with their final score 9.14. Butters (suspended for R17 and R18 and, accordingly, not our problem, this time) is credited with action at the death to win the game. More significant was the Port Midfield – Boak (Brownlow ‘fancy’) being the difference – 33 Disposals (including 11 in Q4), 9 Clearances and 5 Tackles is a pretty fair day at the office.

 

 

So? Port are beatable. And what a boost it would give us heading into the Finals. Geelong and Hawthorn showed us how to go about this – win the Midfield battle, deliver to a successful Forward Line and shut down the reverse; all in the context of a four-Quarter effort.

 

 

Injuries & Break. Port’s injury list has three players named, including Butter’s suspension. The others are Burton (2 – 3 weeks) and Georgiades (Test). Unbelievable, compared with ours. They will have had a couple of days longer than us to recover but since their Injury List is so insignificant it’s not important, unlike our potential.

 

 

Their strength lies in their Midfield, particularly using the Wings. Note that Charlie Dixon up front can be hugely significant.

 

 

Who to watch for:

• Midfield:

Boak – RR;

Rockliff – off the Interchange but fits into the Midfield;

Amon – Wing;

Wines – also RR;

Powell-Pepper – also off the Interchange; and

Lycett – Ruck;

• Backline:

Byrne-Jones – CHB; and

• Forwards:

Dixon – FF.

 

We need to address some of these. Pendles can, as usual, have his opposite number – Boak or Wines and Amon needs a close companion. Down back I’d suggest whoever is going to be Dixon’s escort watch Geelong’s R12 game replay – Harry Taylor’s game.

 

 

Us

 

As above, we should Win this.

• Game Plan?

Commitment and endeavour for four Quarters;

Use the corridor in preference to the Wings;

Use De Goey and Elliott alternating in the Midfield and rotating Forward;

Better delivery to concurrently leading Forwards; and

Greenwood tagging? Dixon? Boak?

• Team?

No change.

I felt for Lynch but don’t see a spot for him right now. Each of the three who returned to the side did very well.

 

 

My Picks? Collingwood to Win by 9 Points. BOG – De Goey – 30 Disposals @ 80.9% Disposal Efficiency plus 3 Goals. Cox and Elliott each kick two Goals. More importantly, Mihocek has four Goal Assists.  Your picks?

 

 

TV? Free to Air on Channel 7, plus on Foxtel.

 

 

Weather? Possible showers on game day but following three days of showers. ‘Stops’; not moulded soles boots.

 

 

Experts? For R18 go to http://whotippedwhat.com/round/afl-2020-round-18/.

 

 

Future:

• Finals.

Other

• Eddie Watch. Quiet’ísh. Anyone who listens to his radio show wish to comment?
• Injuries. Worth watching – https://www.afl.com.au/matches/injury-list?nav.
• Footy Almanac. Keep a watch on Footy Almanac at https://www.footyalmanac.com.au/.

 

 

This is our year, people. C’mon, be positive. Let’s hear your views?

 

Go Pies.

 

 

 

For more from Cam Hooke, click here.

 

 

 

 

 

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