Preliminary Final – Collingwood v GWS: Enjoying the moment (Floreat Pica Society)

By Frank Taylor for the Floreat Pica Society

Preamble
Well, I put my hand up to write this year’s Prelim Final Match Report before the season began. (I have reported on all of our Prelim’s since 2018 – three in total – for one initial win and two subsequent losses (both under 6 points) and I was very keen to even this up.)
After last year’s return to Real Contender-ship after a couple of tough and ultimately fruitless COVID years, a new coach and a change of team attitude/focus and – dare I say it – Culture, we are In-The-Zone. We cracked onto a willing formula of team “buy-in” that had the rest of the competition scratching their collective heads and trying to work how we had come from nowhere to just miss out on a Granny appearance.

The downside of this is that “Imitation is the highest form of Compliment” and that the imitation scramble is on. Look at Carlton and GWS’s respective seasons and you are looking at just that.
Both firing on all cylinders and – like us last year – have bought all of their team, coaches and importantly, supporters along for the ride.
They are pumped.
They have both bought real form to September.
Just like us most of the season.

However, it’s hard to stay on top. As Brayden noted earlier this month: “ WE are the HUNTED.” And, importantly: “We are ready. Bring ‘em on!”
Well.

Bring ‘em on and on they came.
GWS.
As previously noted, they are an in-form side. Comprehensively smashed a depleted Port Adelaide in Adelaide 6 days ago to fine tune their game and generally put the wind up 99% of Pie supporters, myself included. They looked pretty bloody good and they have nothing to lose.
Been a nervous week. (Had to go and mow the grass for an hour just before heading off to the game to distract myself. Others told of similar stories….)
They beat us in 2019 by 4 points and almost certainly saved us from (another) Grand Final thrashing by top side and a super pumped Richmond. That night they didn’t have their best player, Toby Greene, through suspension, and this time he was in and he’s a better player this year, no probs.

My personal worry is that we will let them get a big start and we won’t be able to reel them in.
Goal – to win the game without reports and without injury.

The game
We take our seats, level 4, down the front, directly under the scoreboard, forward pocket, city end Ponsford Stand, the place completely chock-a-block.

First Quarter
After a messy start McStay nails the first in under the opening 2 mins. Good. Followed 5 mins later by a goal to our perennial steak-knives, Jack Crisp. Excellent. My fears of a poor start appear groundless so far….. However, the pressure is enormous with The Pies holding the Giant’s attacking moves (and the Giants holding ours).

19 min mark and only 3 points being scored since the Crisp goal. GWS get a free close to goal, it’s called play on and they hit the post. Lucky. 22 mins in 2.2 to 0.2.
JDG has come to play tonight, and so has Toby Greene. He gets a lovely pass to Daniels who duly kicks a point.
Noted around me that it was a very, very stop and start quarter, a strange quarter, and, aside from a couple of early patches, it lacked any sort of fluidity and cohesion. No run and carry. No team has really busted out. That’s Finals Footy I guess.
Short quarter – 28 mins – with only 2 goals kicked, and we lead 2.2 to 0.3.

Second Quarter
Well The Giants have worked us out a little and are slowly getting their act together. Saying that, after a great game last fortnight, Steele has picked up where he left off. Seems to be everywhere when and where required. Jordan De Goalie is really showing real presence as well. A bull.
Very hard and very willing…… Markov has been in the contest, impressive. Callum Brown kicks his second behind for GWS followed 3 mins later by a (good) goal from Toby Greene. 2.3 to 1.4.
They seem to be getting more of the play now, so watch out. Sure enough, Tom Green gets the next major for The Giants and they are in front! 2.3 to 2.4

The Punt Road end is getting all of the attention scoring wise, and this is The Giants’ end this quarter. 13 min mark and Cummings for GWS kicks another after a lovely Toby Greene pass.

2.3 to 3.4. Most of this term has been played in their forward half. Our backline is under immense pressure. Beau McCreery has a shot from 40 and misses, followed by a goal to Riccardi, 2.4 to 4.4
Beginning to get a bit more of the play late and we kick another couple of points although they seem to currently still have our measure.
After another short 28 min term, it’s half time, 2.6 to 4.4
We haven’t kicked a goal since the 7 min mark of the first quarter……!!! To quote Owen, seconded by Doug: “That was a horrible quarter.” They scored 4.1 (and one out on the full) and we scored 3 behinds.
JDG, Steele, Crispy, Markov, the backline in general, all firing. Gotta stir the pot up forward somehow. (Where’s Ginnivan?)

Third Quarter
Starts badly with a goal to T(oby) Green(e) sharking a tap in from Mason. (Whatever you may think of him in the past, on the field, he’s pretty bloody good.) They rush another and it’s a comedy of errors at times. 17 points down.
Pressure.
Despite errors everywhere we get it downfield where Bobby Hill has a shot and nails it. Thank God – the first for over two quarters!
After a great bit of defensive work by Markov, and a solid contested mark, McStay converts and it’s a 5 point game.
4.6 to 5.5
One and a half minutes later Callum Brown gets one back for the Giants. Two minutes later Jamie Elliot gets his first. We seem to be lifting noticeably.
Doug’s pin-up boy, McCreery nails a beauty to get back the lead. Can we keep this up and get on a roll? Momentum is everything in today’s footy. Two more points to GWS and Checkers kicks his first, followed by a point to Crisp after a big clearance from the centre.
Siren goes at the more usual 31-and-a-half min mark and its 7.7 to 6.9.
5.1 to 2.5 for the term and 4 points up.
Back on track.

Fourth Quarter
McStay is off with a knee injury and the crowd favourite (but not the umpires’ or selectors’) Ginivan is on. He gets the first minor score for the term inside 30 seconds. Will we carry the momentum??? A minute or so later, we rush another. Four minutes in and it feels like we have played for 20 there is so much happening.
Finals pressure.
The umpires are feeling it as well. Lloyd has just taken a mark outside 50, Sidebottom stands on
the mark and is penalised 50 metres for the perceived infringement of moving forward. The replay shows no such thing.
Scores are level.

Two minutes later big Mason stands tall and takes a strong contested mark and kicks truly from 50 meters. He’s been terrific again today. Can play on the Big Stage. As Andrew Fithall’s son noted a couple of months back – we just play better when he’s in the side. Soooo true. Cameron has played a bewdy as well.
6 points up.
Three minutes later, at the 10 minute mark Jamie hits the post – as noted by a few around me – a handy point.
7 points in it.
Well, we all know the rest – they get one back at the 19-and-a-half minute mark and holding the very slimmest of margins, it’s just an ugly, ugly, messy, tough, uncompromising wrestle to the finish that seemed like an eternity to all.
We won.
Same margin as last year, however this year the better side DID win.
You little bloody beauty!
Well done GWS ( I never thought I’d say that) you really took it right up to us and nearly pinched it. A very, very good side.

Best players
JDG played his best game for us, ever. Sidebottom was just sublime. His match-saving mark on the goal line after a brilliant Toby Greene snap deserved votes just by itself. The perennial parallel universe player of all time, DePendlebury had a fabulous second half.
We won this game on the back of our clearances.
Murphy, Markov, Mitchell, Mihocek, Moore, the Daicos boys, Crisp, IQ, Howe, etc…….

I’m finishing this report after the second Prelim and The Brions have (deservedly) won at the Gabbattoir and they look good.
I liked a snippet of a comment from Cameron Ling this morning on the ABC when he was reflecting on past Prelims – the 2007 against Collingwood in particular (probably equally the best game I’ve ever watched) – when he said that players tend to unconsciously think about the GF and seem to hold back a little and try not to make a mistake.
The play reflects that.
However come the Granny they give it all.
He expects The Pies to come out next Saturday and really turn it on.
I’m holding onto this for the rest of the week.

I’ll finish with a text that I sent to Sammy J on ABC a couple of weeks ago when he said that he would support Collingwood for the final series:
“Morning Sammy and crew,
Re Collingwood, an excellent choice to follow during the finals!
Can I remind you that, outside of being my football team, The Pies, look after the underdog and underprivileged.
It looks after the homeless and the hungry.
It looks after the poor.
It actively discourages gambling and destructive social behaviour.
It looks beyond the game and into the community.
I’m very, very proud of its off-field activities.
It is well lead by people whose core values are the best human values – those of inclusion.
I love them and are proud of them regardless of whatever the next three weeks bring.
Get on the wagon.
Side by Side.
GO PIES!!!
Frank from Panton Hill”

Floreat Pica

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COLLINGWOOD                        2.2     2.6     7.7     8.10     (58)
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY    0.3     4.1     6.9     8.9    (57) 

GOALS
Collingwood: McStay 2, Crisp, Hill, Elliott, McCreery, Mihocek, Cox
Greater Western Sydney: Greene 2, Green, Cumming, Riccardi, Brown, Lloyd, Hogan 

INJURIES
Collingwood: McStay (knee)
Greater Western Sydney: Nil 

SUBSTITUTES
Collingwood: Jack Ginnivan (replaced McStay at three-quarter time)
Greater Western Sydney: Xavier O’Halloran (replaced Ward in the fourth quarter) 

Crowd: 97,665 at the MCG

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