Cam Hooke’s Collingwood Life: Round 23 Review – Well, that’s it then!

G’day True Believers. Well, that’s it then.

 

Remember ‘Character isn’t made in a crisis; it is shown’. And what greater crisis is the failure to make the Finals. Okay; the pandemic and collapse of a nation to terrorists come close second, but in terms of ‘the crisis’, there can be only one.

 

But we’ve been there before. Just as the sun will rise tomorrow, we’ll be back next year competitive and enthusiastic as ever. True Believers, always.

 

Round 23

 

Essendon 16.6.102 thrashed Collingwood 9.10.64.

 

Goals scored by Quarter:

 

Q1: 4 (us) / 5 (them)

Q2: 1 / 6

Q3: 2 / 2

Q4: 2 / 3

 

Total: 9 / 16. A sorry progression.

 

Match Report. Go to https://www.afl.com.au/matches/3169#match-report

 

AFL – News, Fixtures, Scores & Results – AFL.com.au AFL Live Pass is required to view AFL.TV & Match Replays. From 2019, fans will no longer be able to subscribe to AFL Live Pass through the AFL website. However, you can still subscribe via the Apple App Store or the Google Play. www.afl.com.au

 

Harvey’s comments: Go to https://www.afl.com.au/video/669770/full-post-match-magpies?videoId=669770&modal=true&type=video&publishFrom=1629618879001

 

Full post-match: Magpies www.afl.com.au

 

No comment from me. Harves was more generous and more forgiving than I would have been.

 

A few simple observations:

• Pay? Were our players paid for their performance. Mostly, they shouldn’t have been.
• Interest? If you consider someone’s level of interest as low when they stop chasing when their opponent has gone past, clearly, they’ve lost interest. Happened way too often.
• Pies’ Brilliance. There were instances when we cut through Essendon from one end to the other resulting, on these occasions, in an inevitable goal. They demonstrated what they could achieve.

 

Some Numbers (for the last time this year, I promise):

 

Checking the control of the ball ‘new game’ first:

• Disposals – 350 (us) / 392 (them);
• Uncontested Possessions – 242 / 276; and
• Marks – 111 / 121.

 

What does that mean? Well, we lost each category. Essendon, statistically, therefore had control of the game.

 

Drive:

• Hit Outs – 27 / 24. Whatever. Quite simply, I’m not sure how they count Hit Outs, particularly HO to Advantage, which are not included in the AFL website, and, as I’ve argued before, it’s a pretty meaningless statistic;
• Clearances – 30 / 26. I don’t believe this. My recollection of the game saw them dominate the Midfield;
• Inside 50s – 45 / 54. This was absolutely critical and also as turning-around the Clearance numbers; and
• Disposal Efficiency – 73.4% / 81.9%. A significant difference – see Inside 50s, below. Not going to worry about the comparative numbers of players with individual DE equal to or over 80%.

 

Meaning? Supposedly, Essendon Lost the HO and Clearances, but Won the far more important Inside 50s number.

 

Effort: Bucks was a strong supporter of effort being indicated by Contested Possession and Tackle numbers. So:

• Contested Possessions – 116 / 112; and
• Tackles – 40 / 45.

 

This one doesn’t mean a lot.

 

Critically important, the use of the ball towards the Goal? Inside 50 numbers:

• Tackles – 4 / 14;
• Marks – 13 / 17; and
• DE – 46.7% / 51.9%.

 

So, Essendon had a huge advantage in entries to the 50. On top of that they had another significant advantage in DE over us when they got there. The end result was pretty predictable.

 

And the result:

• Scoring shots – 19 / 22;
• Goals scored – 9 / 16; and we Lose the game.
• Losing margin – 38 Points. And the greatest disappointment? Essendon are not that good a football team.

 

Best: Adams, Elliott, de Goey, Thomas and Hoskin-Elliott. I’d take serious exception to a couple of these – I expect performance over most of the game to be the selection criteria; not one three-minute spell at the death.

 

And the ‘Experts’? I’m surprised. Everyone except for Sam McClure picked an Essendon Win. Thanks, Sam. Go to http://whotippedwhat.com/round/afl-2021-round-23/:

 

AFL 2021 Round 23 – Who Tipped What – Who Tipped What   Round 23: AFL 19 20 21 22 23 Home Away Print Less Stats The Verdict View Round Summary 77% 71% 94% 97% 63% 97% 60% 94% 60% All… Blogger Commentator Computer …   whotippedwhat.com

 

Next?

My guess – Port Adelaide versus Brisbane GF. A great game of commitment. Where? Adelaide. Crowd – some. Port to Win.

Copeland Trophy? Crisp. He has performed well all season. Potential alternatives have each missed a few games injured.

Brownlow? Not a Pie.

 

2022?

 

The List:

• Back 6?

 

Outstanding with Moore and Howe back and healthy, Maynard and Crisp (sometimes moving into the Midfield) and Noble and Roughead.

 

Interchange from Quaynor and Kelly (?).

• Midfield?

 

I’m still not happy with Grundy in the Ruck position. As I’ve mentioned a few times, I’d like to see Lynch there pushing Grundy Forward.

 

Adams and De Goey, sometimes alternating with Elliott, provide an excellent start with Sier on interchange.

 

Wings – from Hoskin-Elliott, Daicos-the elder, Brown-1 and Sidebottom.

 

Also use Pendles to bolster Forward or Back as needed  (if he resigns with the Pies – I keep hearing little rumours relating to a move to the Gold Coast).

• Forwards?

 

Haven’t Henry and Ginnivan fitted in well? And where will Daicos-the younger fit in?

 

And Elliott – great chest mark? And Cameron continues to perform?

 

Mihocek works very hard, but is prone to take impossible shots rather than looking for a better placed kicker.

 

Grundy at FF would provide a sound target.

 

Add Brown-2.

• Flexibility?

 

Sidebottom – Wing, HB or HF or Midfield – the ultimate flexible player.

 

Crisp – Midfield or Back, very useful.

 

Hoskin-Elliott. Probably those two plays (one GA, one goal) save him after his last game performance. Movable.

• Others? The other kids. Looking pretty good.

 

Best 22 – 2022:

Backs	Maynard	Roughead	Howe
	Crisp	Moore	Noble
Midfield	Hoskin-Elliott	de Goey	Sidebottom
	Daicos	Cameron	Henry
Forwards	Elliott	Grundy	Ginnivan
Followers	Lynch	Adams	Sier
Interchange	Pendlebury	Quaynor	Brown (1)
	Kelly
Emergencies	Brown (2)	Madgen	Daicos (2)

 

Your comments? Who have I forgotten?

• Out:

 

Mayne – Retired

Greenwood – Retired

Thomas

Mihocek

Cox

 

• In:

Lynch

Daicos-younger

Henry

Ginnivan

 

Game Plan. The annoying thing is that we’ve performed, as we all know we can, out-performing every side we’ve played for limited periods. And that hasn’t changed since Bucks left. How do you turn around team behaviour?

 

See you next year.

 

Go Pies.

 

Cam

 

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