Cam Hooke’s Collingwood Life – Round 18 Preview

 

True Believers, okay, even I would have to admit to some challenge to be optimistic.  However, it’s not over till it’s over. Believe, Pies fans.  Have faith.

 

The Season. From now to the end, every game is critical.  While we still need other results to get us into the Finals, I also suspect that we are at the stage where one more Loss will put us out of ‘the running’.  Anyone done the sums?

 

Belief. Bucks: “Pies’ season is not over yet“.  Remember our last game – late 2015 – we won by 17 after trailing by 39 points at Half Time.

 

The Game:.
North Melbourne Kangaroos. Friday, 22 July; at Etihad (not sure why we are at Etihad; I think it is a Pies home game); Bounce: 7.50pm.
8th versus 12th (we’re 12th, if you need reminding), percentages: 109.7% (them) vs 91.8% (us).  Logically from the Ladder (but see below), this should look like a win for North.  However, we are coming off last week’s loss to Adelaide and ‘four-Quarter’ effort wins against hard-running, hard-chasing sides in the weeks before that. We are now 7 and 9.  And North?  Since being 9 and 0, and two Wins clear at the top of the Ladder, they are now 10 and 6, and have lost their last five games.  Bucks view –  http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/afl-season-2016-collingwood-coach-nathan-buckley-piles-pressure-on-kangaroos-20160719-gq96nt.html.  We should win.

 

Weather.  7 – 16 deg; wet and windy – time for the long-sleeves and long-stops.

 

TV – Free to Air; 7mate, from 7.30pm in Canberra, Melbourne and (not particularly useful, now I’m home) the Gold Coast.

Them?

North. As above, North seem to have seriously ‘dropped their bundle”.  Not sure how or why.  The lessons for us are (as always) the need for a four-Quarter effort, the need to get and retain control of the Midfield and other stoppages and the need to have a slick, fast movement of the ball out of our Backline into our Forward line.  And the lesson from some of our less successful games – tighten up the Back 6 and avoid their ‘easy’ goals.

North players to watch for:

  • Most influential. Watch for Ziebell, Swallow and Gibson across the Centre line, Harvey and Brown on the HF line and Tarrant and Atley on the HB line;
  • Potential influencers – In addition to them, watch Goldstein in the ruck and Cunnington and Del Santo also amongst the Mids; and
  • ‘Family’ – Watch ýoung’ Tarrant at CHB or FB.  Takes after his big brother.

 

Us?

Thursday night (again).

Injury Outs? – Fas, to be tested, again.  Witts – unavailable due to a hand injury.

Legacy from last week (again): Michael Christian on ‘The Agenda’http://www.collingwoodfc.com.au/
.
In’s & Out’s: I would suggest Goldsack replace Brown, and Fas come back in.  Not sure who to drop for him.
Game Plan – what do we have to do to win?  Same as last week, the week before, and the weeks before that – work hard.

What do you think?

Game Previews?

 

My Picks this week? Pies by 33; BOG: Pendles: 37 touches @ 73.3% DE; Goals: Trav – 5, Fas – 4; Crowd –  57 000.  Your picks?

Other:

  • VFL. Sitting in 6th place on the Ladder on 12 and 6, following 8 Wins in a row.  This week – a Bye; and
  • Eddie Watch.  Nothing new (thankfully).

 

Reporting?  Anyone going to be there? Ground Reports pls?

Next. 30 July; Round 19 – WCE at the G. More on this next week.
 
Keep the faith. Go Pies.
 
Cam

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