G’day to everyone.
What an extraordinary game? I was in transit so couldn’t watch the game but was able to watch the scoring on the AFL website up to Half Time, then the internet access stopped. I had to asked an Australian, wearing Richmond shorts, for the final score while waiting at Phuket Airport. If you saw the De Goey / Howe interview with ‘the kids’ you’d have wondered about the stated expectation by two of them that the Pies would win by 100 points. Well, at Half Time that was looking a distinct possibility.
Regardless, what a fantastic quarter of football? Magnificent. More below.
Challenges: Now, c’mon people, not too many responses to my first Challenge. Many of you know far more about this than I do. Put on your thinking caps and hit the keys:
Second Challenge. Should we try and recruit Grundy back from Melbourne? How should his pay be divided up?
Round 18
Collingwood 18.5.113 defeated Fremantle 10.7.67.
Goals scored:
Q1: 4 (us) / 3 (them);
Q2: 10 / 2;
Q3: 2 / 2. Actually 2.2 to 2.1 so we Won the Quarter;
Q4: 2 / 3. So they Won this one;’ and
Total: 18 / 10. And ‘the experts’ identify that Freo Won the 2nd Half, but we Won the game.
Match Report: www.afl.com.au/afl/matches/4931#match-report
Coach’s Report: www.afl.com.au/video/979571/full-post-match-r18-magpies?videoId=979571&modal=true&type=video&publishFrom=1689404964001&references=AFL_MATCH:4931. Worth watching, particularly noting his assessment of, when challenged, the team’s ability to “put the foot down” when needed and his stated desire (again) to be an exciting team to watch.
Numbers. This actually a bit silly. Collingwood destroyed their opponent in Q2 and Freo showed no ability to recover, so the game was broadly equal apart from Q2 (and you’d need the Quarter by Quarter number to be useful):
Measure | Statistics | Remarks |
Hit Outs | 42 (us) / 51 (them) | |
Clearances | 40 / 46 | Reflects HO with equal Midfields |
from Centre | 16 / 13 | |
from Stoppages | 24 / 33 | |
Inside 50s | 53 / 35 | Critical. Look at the DE inside 50 comparison, below. |
Goals scored | 18 / 10 | Quite extraordinary. |
Scoring Shots | 23 / 17 | |
Disposal Efficiency | 72.1% / 74.6% | |
DE Inside 50 | 50.9% / 68.6% | Yes, not a typo and I did check. Also critical, but in reverse. |
Marks Inside 50 | 15 / 12 | An advantage to us. |
Tackles Inside 50 | 12 / 8 | As above. |
Players with DE > 80 % | 6 / 9 | A little surprising. |
Tackles | 80 / 79 | Combined, a reflection of the team’s commitment / application. It’s a close result who worked harder based on these numbers. They did dominate for much of the game. |
Contested Possessions | 135 / 134 | |
1 %’ers | 38 / 47 | |
Free Kicks | 20 / 15 |
Best: The AFL website identifies our Best as N.Daicos, Adams, J.Daicos, Elliott, Moore and Crisp. Like always I’d like to add a couple (few) – Quaynor – 22 Disposals, 2 Tackles and 440 mGained, Noble – 20 D, 2 T and 270 mG, Maynard – 20 D, 8 T and 446 mG, plus Tom Mitchell, as the Sub only on the ground for 44% of the game time but amassed 14 Disposals, 7 Tackles and 6 Clearances. All had a great day at the office.
Game / Deductions / Lessons. So, Freo won the second half. But the game was well and truly over by then. The Pies Won based on their ‘turnover statistics’: +62. And scores from Defensive 50 intercepts – 25 / 6. Watching the Q2 replay is a joy. It shows every bit of good in our game. One minor concern? Settling down with a big lead? Remember Carlton’s GF HT deficit a few years back. Your views?
Injuries. Maynard is looking a bit dodgy.
Your comments?
Round 19
Saturday, 22 July – Collingwood versus Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval; bounce at 1.45pm. Betting before their Loss to Carlton, even if at AO, – $2.39 / $1.58. Betting has shifted to $2.00 / $1.84. Yep, Port were and still are favourites.
This game is between 1st (us with 15 Wins and 2 Losses) on 139.0% and 2nd (them with 14 Wins and 3 Losses) on 114.7%.
Them
Port have had an interesting season. Apart from their Round 2 hammering by us (by 71 Points) and their defeat at the hands of Adelaide in Round 3 (by 31 Points) they’ve Won every game but notably sometimes by narrow margins and sometimes by substantial ones. They have progressed slowly up the Ladder to be currently placed second. Remember they overtook us and sat in 1st place on the Ladder for a week when they had a Win while we had a Bye. I’ve identified four games to have a look at:
R18 – Versus Carlton at Marvel. This was a surprise – Carlton won by 50 Points.
R16 – Won over Essendon by 4 Points at the MCG. With a final change margin under a kick, Port then scored 4-goals, Essendon scored 3 and Port finished scoring the winning goal after the siren.
R14 – Won over Geelong by 38 Points at AO. Starting with a 21 Point deficit (Geelong started well) they pulled off a 7-goal Q3 dominating Clearances and Inside 50s. Best – their Forward talls and Houston at HB.
R10 – Won over Melbourne by 4 Points also at AO. Another AO game. Another deficit (24 Points this time) and another 7-goal Q3. Influencers – Butters and Rozee. Much of their attack was wasted by set shots from the 50m line.
Deductions: They are heavily reliant on their Midfield. They use their talls as targets up Forward and their defence is solid. And they don’t give up. Their 2nd place on the Ladder is well deserved but they are not unbeatable (as Carlton showed.
Injuries. They have a short Injury List.
Players to Watch?
Butters – HF / Rover;
Rozee – RR / HF;
Horne-Francis – Rover;
Houston – HB; and
Finlayson – FP.
Also keep an eye out for Wines – Centre, Dixon – FF / FP and Aliir – BP, each veteran who can change the game.
Roles?
Note emphasis of their Best on Midfield, but including representation from the Forwards and Backs;
Need to maximise the use of the corridor;
Need to compete for game control through CP / tackles / 1%’ers;
Close attention to Dixon and Finlayson Forward and Houston and Aliir Back; and
Watch for attempts to tag our players / implement counter-tagging plan, accepting the logic that this, generally, removes an additional effective opponent from the opposition.
Us:
A few suggested changes:
Team? Suggest a continuing review including a few changes:
Rest Frampton and Johnson, others?
In from the VFL side – Kreuger, Begg and Kelly plus others;
McStay stay? Yes.
Mihocek back. Your choices / ideas?
Important. Heading towards the Finals (same comment as previous weeks). There will be a need to establish and maintain the selection pool for Finals’ games. Working towards this requires the players, potentially to be called upon, to be appropriately ‘blooded’. The next few Rounds provide a good opportunity to do so without endangering a Top 4 finish. Who am I talking about? Begg, Kreuger and Kelly, for example. Views?
Application? No change – Application for four full Quarters. Hold the tackles. Establish and maintain control of the game (Contested Possessions).
Game Plan? No change to the current plan – Drive out of the Backline as well as the Midfield. 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. I’d like to see the kick-in progress more smoothly forward – I think speed and preparedness by all have a lot to do in achieving this. The link between De Goey and Nick D, now almost permanently Midfield, is working well; as is the back stop by Pendlebury or Mitchell – a good sub solution.
My Picks:
Win by 17 Points. BOG – N.Daicos (Again. Got him right last week) – 34 Disposals, 12 Clearances, 8 Tackles and 457 mG. Mihocek, back, gets another 5.
Ground Reports. Loved the Reports from attendees. Let’s see some reporting, please, from those who couldn’t attend but watched the game on TV – all views are welcome. Do we have any people going? Could you report please? And always Reply to All please?
Weather. Isolated thunderstorms and light rain. Get out the boots with stops; no plastic soled boots.
TV: Kayo or FOXTEL – Best for every game.
No Free to Air TV coverage.
Future:
Round 20 – Friday, 28 July – Collingwood versus Carlton at the MCG; bounce 7.50pm. FTA coverage on 7mate. Who’s going?
Round 21 – Saturday, 5 August – Hawthorn versus Collingwood at the MCG; bounce at 4.35pm. No FTA coverage. Anyone attending?
The Ladder. Keep an eye on the Ladder as we approach the midpoint of the Season (yes, still a couple of weeks off) leading to some big moves on the Ladder. Have a look at recent results and moves – Watch this weekend 1 v 2, 3 v 5, 4 v 12 (Adelaide), 6 (St Kilda) v 17 (NM; anyone want to bet on that one), and 7 v 8? Your thoughts?
Other:
VFL – The VFL side had a Bye last weekend. Their next game – R18 – is against Sandringham at the AIA Centre on Sunday, 23 July; bounce 12.00pm. Anyone going?
Anything that you would like to inform our members of, just to all or send it to me.
Believe always. Go Pies.
Cam
Read more from Cam Hooke HERE
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