Round 13 – Collingwood v Melbourne: Floreat Pica Society Report

Round 13
Collingwood v Melbourne,
Sunday, 8 June 2026
MCG, Melbourne                                                                     

 

The on field day commenced at the centre circle with a wonderful gesture of all players, coaches and umpires standing together with locked arms to acknowledge the contribution of Neale Daniher to our game, our country and the fight against MND aka ‘The Monster’.  It was a modest and powerful tribute and I was very pleased to be able to be in attendance with my family. And with that, it was time to ‘Play On’.

 

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Q1

Contrary to the meticulously planned tribute mentioned above, the game started in a state of confusion. A Melbourne player had made contact with an umpire at the opening bounce and the entire field ran to the Melbourne forward line anticipating their free kick only to then have to reshape upon learning it was going to the Pies. Confusion reigned!! Ironically, as it would turn out, the offending player was Kozzy Pickett.

 

 Unfortunately for us, Kozzy was in the action again immediately with the first goal of the game after running straight through the centre of the ground unmanned and scoring a goal on the run from 40m out. Ominous signs with the Kozzy kicking Melbourne’s second goal a few minutes later and if that wasn’t bad enough Bruzzy was taken from the field with what looked like a dislocated shoulder.

 

A minute later Dan McStay took possession at a ball up deep in our forward line and got the ball out to Naicos, who shrugged a tackle and then snapped around the corner for a major right in front of the Pies faithful, who were further rewarded with a motivational fist pump to get the army going. Minutes later JDG kicked the ball around the corner from a set shot and we seemed to have gathered our poise and had some momentum. McStay followed up with another “around the corner” set shot from 5m out after a nice pass from Harvey Harrison.

 

Shortly after this goal came the ‘magic moment’ for our new recruit Mitch Podhajski, who got himself on the receiving end of another Harrison pass. The ‘Pod’ took the mark, assessed how clear he was and from 25m out in the Members’ pocket kicked a beautifully executed ‘around the corner’ shot for a goal. The crowd noise said it all.

 

Scores: Pies 4.2. 26  Demons 3.4.22

 

 

Q2

Melbourne scored the first goal of the quarter but a game highlight came courtesy of JDG, who gathered the ball on the flank and stormed his way through a tackle and kicked a banana goal from about 40m on the run. The entire piece of play had originated on the Members’ flank and finished diagonally opposite after a chain of slick running handballs and an average kick from Naicos into the forward line. It was good to see the Pod get an important and pressured handball in the piece of play.

 

Shortly after this we all witnessed a really nasty accident with our previous and much loved Premiership hero, Brodie Mihocek, suffering what looked like a terrible neck injury. Immediately, it was clear that it was a serious matter with Billy Frampton, the tackler, calling for assistance whilst he remained kneeling by Brodie’s side. I know every football fan hopes he is ok and recovers quickly and fully.

 

The Pies finished off the quarter with a set shot from Naicos from about 45m out and I could understand that both teams just wanted to get to half time to reorganise after the long 10 minute break due to Brodie’s injury. It was also interesting to see that Bruzzy had come back onto the field and was able to maintain his ferocious style of play despite having already injured his shoulder in the first quarter. Sadly he then stumbled across Kozzy’s raised leg, while he was lying on the ground and I have little doubt that the Match Review will take a look at what happened.

 

The first half saw a high standard of reasonably open football. Melbourne appeared to be getting cleaner clearances out of the centre and Max Gawn’s tap outs were reminiscent of Simon Madden at his best. To half time Gawn had had 7 kicks, 6 handballs and 23 hit outs. Darcy Cameron by comparison had had no kicks, 6 handballs and 9 hit outs.

 

Naicos had a brilliant first half with 22 and 2 goals and JDG was looking dangerous with 11 disposals and 2 goals.

 

Scores: Pies 6.3.39   Demons 5.7.37

 

Q3

The Pies opened the second half brightly with a nice running goal from Roan Steele, who looks more and more accomplished as his games tally grows. McStay then took a nice contested mark directly in front after a scrambled ruck kick from Cameron and the Pies had two on the board after the break, while Melbourne was yet to impact the scoreboard. It didn’t actually feel like it but we were suddenly up by 16 points.

 

Then that man Kozzy got involved again. The umpires stopped the game because he was being attended by two trainers due to what looked like some type of leg injury but nothing more than a knock. Admittedly, the Demons had the ball in their possession just outside their 50m forward arc, when the game was stopped and so to recommence play, Melbourne was given a free kick, which a) provided them with a free inside 50 and b) a beautiful marking opportunity directly in front of goal, which they took and converted. This was a blood boiling moment not helped when Fritsch followed up with another after we coughed up yet another pack ball, which happened often throughout the day.

 

Buller chipped in with a nice overhead mark and goal with about 5 minutes to 3/4 time but this undone with some really sloppy defensive work by our boys, which allowed Langford to score a classy goal from the boundary. A truly blood boiling sloppy defensive effort.

 

Scores Pies 9.6.60   Demons 8.7.55

 

 

Q4

And so now, I get to the quarter from hell!! It started well with a nice mark and goal from Buller. We’re up by 10pts. My ‘Buller Jury’ is still out but he has shown good signs on a few occasions in his first season with us but hasn’t yet been compelling. Who knows? We’ll wait and see then form a view at season’s end I tell myself.

 

Fritsch then kicked a running goal from the flank and minutes later Lipinksi has a bad moment right in front of the bench, when he should have gone for a mark. The ball is swept away and Fritsch takes a nice contested mark against IQ, who it must be said had a pretty average day and goals again. Melbourne  now leads by 3 pts.

 

With 8 minutes to go Angry Anderson executed a beautiful piece of play collecting the spoils from a marking contest and bangs through a classic forward goal from about 48m. The Pies are back in front until the Demon’s Cross kicks an amazing goal from the flank and we are again behind, now by 2pts.

 

JDG, who had failed to make the distance kicking around the corner earlier in the quarter had another set shot and I had hoped he would atone for his earlier miss and mystifying handball to no-one in the middle of the ground minutes earlier. And so, from 35m out and almost directly in front – he missed!!!

 

Things got desperate in the final moments and this was underlined by Jaicos kicking long mongrel torps out of the backline hoping to find a connection only to see the ball quickly returned to Kozzy, who put the final nail in our King’s Birthday coffin. Game over.

 

Scores Pies 11.9.75  Demons 12.11.83

Observations:

 

Whilst hugely disappointed that we lost, the Pies actually played alright. I think we really do lack genuine pace around the ground and our zone defence just looked terribly stagnant at times and allowed Melbourne’s skilled kicking to find gaps and create opportunities.

 

This season, we have lost games by 8, 4, 6 and 6 points as well as a draw against Hawthorn. The reality appears to be that we have lost the ability to win close games, something that was a trait of ours in recent seasons. We no longer seem to be able to slow the game down and play on our terms as we have done previously. I’m not sure if this is because of our playing list, rule changes, a combination of both or something else.

 

Despite his direct opponent winning the Neale Daniher medal, I reckon that Ed Allen played a pretty good game. He had a fair bit of the ball himself and Fly left him on Kozzy for most, if not all, the game. A tough assignment and one which should make him better.

 

We desperately need an agile, competitive marking key forward. I know they don’t grow on trees but we are just so lacking in this regard. Losing Steene has meant that we can’t  rest Cameron forward and our goals feel like they take twice the effort of the oppositions. It’s extremely frustrating watching us scramble the ball forward. Also, I love Schultz’s effort but occasionally his lack of class just kills us. Today he dropped a pretty easy uncontested mark, close to goal, in Q1 and then in Q4, he took a blind snap at goal, when he had time to balance and show some poise but missed badly. Symptomatic of a few things about the team at the moment.

 

In any event, we now have the bye, which should provide a chance to regroup, make some changes and attack the second half with strong resolve to get something out of the season. I look forward to the youngsters in the team continuing their progress.

 

VOTES:

3: Naicos

2: Jaicos

1: Allan

 

COLLINGWOOD     4.2     6.3     9.6     11.9 (75)
MELBOURNE           3.4     5.7     8.7     12.11 (83)

 

GOALS
Collingwood: De Goey 2, N.Daicos 2, McStay 2, Buller 2, Podhajski, Steele, Anderson
Melbourne: Fritsch 3, K.Pickett 3, Petty 2, van Rooyen, Kentfield, Langford, Cross

 

BEST
Collingwood: N.Daicos, J.Daicos, Allan, De Goey, Lipinski
Melbourne: K.Pickett, Gawn, Steele, Langford, Fritsch, Chandler

 

INJURIES
Collingwood: Maynard (shoulder)
Melbourne: Mihocek (neck/head knock)

 

Crowd: 88,019 at the MCG

 

More Round 13 Reports Here

 

 

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