Round 13 – Collingwood v Melbourne: Winter’s here

 

Winter’s here. There’s firewood to be cut. But also footy to play, Under 18s to coach, farm work bush work, being a dad. By the time the long weekend is done, I’m in the carport, after dark, as it rains, using a replay of Melbourne v Collingwood on my laptop to give me enough light to split and stack the load, every bit of it gnarly and twisted.

 

 

A good way to watch football.

 

 

Oliver’s engine is matched by his reflexes. In close he is simply fast enough to do what others can’t. He feeds Petracca, Viney, whoever, racking up 30 touches by half time, but can’t keep it up, it’s just impossible.

 

Melbourne are in front by his force of will, but it’s closer than anyone’s giving credit. The scoring shots are pretty much the same. Collingwood reel them back in as Oliver wanes towards being a mere mortal.

 

 

He, and Petracca are so slap on boot in traffic. A lot of the Dees are.

 

 

Whereas Melbourne bang it forward and rely on talent, and numbers at the fall of the ball, Collingwood’s defence as just so crisp, they run and link with on-ballers on the counter attack time and again, not stopping and turning with little lead up mark and kicks, it’s all one way, it flows.

 

Steve May is a huge factor. I really don’t care about the fluff and puff over the past week or two. Most of the players don’t either. At all. They are professionals. They train so much that so much become instinct. But every time the game is in the balance, where as he would be the one to CLUNK a mark in defence, and launch an attack, it’s the Pie forwards that do the contested marking. It only has to happen three or four times, but can shift a tide, or break a game’s back.

 

Cox took marks down forward he might not have with May there. A new kick was left of Mihocek. God, I love the way he plays footy. Work.

 

Just work.

 

If ever there was an honest forward. Mihocek was the difference. Melbourne, on the day, simply didn’t have anyone as strong in their forward half. Fritsch didn’t have the room he needs, McDonald wasn’t there to give them that spine, Brown’s out of form, taking a better backman with McDonald out, and the others are great crumbers, relying on the taller player’s structures.

 

Cox was kissed on the dick. Ha! Got his confidence up with a few strong grabs early, with May out, then took over in the ruck with Gawn off injured.

 

But…

 

Did everything you could ask of a big man. Was everywhere, defencing marking, pushing forward, even getting a lot of it at ground level. Confidence. Sometimes the ball bounces at angles to feed it. Good on him.

 

Good ruckmen mature late, and sometimes average ruckmen have a golden day out. He seems likeable, an independent thinker. I really hope for his sake he follows up this good game with another next week, rather than one year later.

 

As always, his problem has been when he doesn’t hold the marks, or have the ball. Nankervis becomes a battering ram, Gawn a marking ruck rover. Mason, too often, has become a witch’s hat. He was BOG on Monday. Fingers crossed from here, big fella.

 

Langdon smashed it on the wing while going head-to-head with Sidebottom, then they put a more physical tagger on him, and he dried up. Nice one, Pies. But so much of being a winger is cause and effect of the team’s fortunes. Collingwood were getting a lot of it with their beautifully structured backline, and running it through the middle.

 

Beyond that was bibs and bobs. I grunted and split mongrel wood here, there and everywhere, sending pieces all over the carport, until sweaty enough to earn a few cans of bourbon, while a very close game blew out in the last few minutes, as Melbourne dropped all defence and threw themselves at trying to win it.

 

So many of Collingwood’s goals came from players running away from the ball carrier, towards the big sticks. Counter-attacking does that. It leaves the forward line open.

 

Well played Collingwood backline.

 

It’s been a few days since the game. It’s now 1am before yet more work on the plantations. I’m sitting by the fire, in the dark. I was a bit worried that the wood would still be too wet, or green, but it’s burning beautifully.

 

 

COLLINGWOOD         0.5      3.8       8.5    12.10 (82)
MELBOURNE              3.1      5.4       7.6     8.8 (56)

 

GOALS  
Collingwood: Mihocek 4, Elliott 3, Cox, Crisp, Henry, Ginnivan, McCreery
Melbourne: Brown 2, Jackson, Jordon, Fritsch, Oliver, Pickett, Viney

 

BEST  
Collingwood: N.Daicos, Mihocek, Cox, Crisp, Maynard, De Goey, Pendlebury
Melbourne: Oliver, Viney, Petracca, Brayshaw, Salem, Jordon

 

INJURIES
Collingwood: Nil
Melbourne: Turner (concussion) Gawn (foot)

 

SUBSTITUTES
Collingwood: Tyler Brown (unused)
Melbourne: Kade Chandler (replaced Daniel Turner)

 

 

You can read more from Matt Zurbo Here.

 

 

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