Round 15 – Collingwood v Adelaide: Why wait til we’re behind? (Floreat Pica Society)

by Jim Kesselschmidt for the Floreat Pica Society

 

Round 15, 25 June 2023
Collingwood v Adelaide
Venue: MCG
Attendance: 65,930 at the MCG 

 

First some background:

 

The 1:10 start threw me out and despite parking near the Malthouse theatre, I managed to get to my seat with 5 minutes or so to spare. Traffic was pretty good getting there. I usually take the train but since almost no one is masking up on public transport these days I drive to the grounds and wear a mask as I enter the MCG precinct and get to my seat where I take it off. The reverse is true when exiting.

 

As usual I sat in the Ponsford stand level one, row B next to Dave. Peter was unable to join us this week as he has done a knee. Get well soon Peter.

 

According to the AFL tables, Collingwood has played Adelaide 48 times prior to today for 32 wins to Collingwood, 1 draw and 15 losses.

 

Collingwood played Adelaide on Sunday 30 April 2023 as the last match of round 7 where the Pies won in a thrilling last quarter display with Steele Sidebottom, Jordan De Goey, Jack Ginnivan & Billy Frampton playing instrumental roles “snatching victory from the jaws of defeat”.

 

Fast forward 56 days and 8 rounds later and in some ways a lot has changed and in other ways not much at all.

 

Collingwood sits first (second but one match to play as it as were) while Adelaide sits eighth prior to round 15 with each team having a bye last week.

 

I didn’t think we’d win before the match (I’m always hopeful and always barrack hard) and not so much as an ego protecting device (if you don’t expect to win then you can be spared disappointment if your team loses) but based on the fact Collingwood has not played well despite winning and then losing one in the last few matches, as well as changes to key personnel. Having said that when I got to the ground I was quietly confident we would win. Why? I have no idea. The feeling rather than being rational.

 

Questions, questions, questions?

 

Can ‘we’ cover the losses of key personnel such as De Goey and Sidebottom.

 

Given Adelaide have 3 big-bodied forwards such as Walker, Fogarty and Tilthorpe was it the right selection decision to omit Frampton?

 

Given ‘we’ need to kick goals was it the right selection decision to omit Ginnivan?

 

Will Jamie Elliott recover his footy presence and goal kicking ability which seemed to have been down this year?

 

Will Pendlebury’s lack of pace be exposed and forced errors result as occurred against Melbourne?

 

Will Collingwood be fast enough to match Adelaide’s pace and skill?

 

Will Darcy Cameron improve and regain his pre-injury form?

 

How will Howe go after his horrific arm injury?

 

Will I get a parking ticket as I managed to get a 3-hour parking spot on Grant Street, Southbank?

 

 

First quarter

 

A sloppy start with Adelaide missing chances to put Collingwood away. Within a minute Taylor Walker made his presence felt by outmanoeuvring Moore then, after missing a mark, he followed up with a tackle where Moore “dropped the ball”. Fortunately, Walker missed. Adelaide started the match in a blaze of glory and reminiscent of the round 7 match sprayed the ball early missing gettable shots. It took nearly 10 minutes to gain composure and take some measure of control.

 

Adelaide entered the forward fifty 8 times in the first 4-5 minutes, Collingwood couldn’t hold on to the ball. Adelaide’s captain Dawson was everywhere.

 

Adelaide sprayed the ball and their first goal was a mark on their goal line by a too big and strong Tilthorpe v Murphy (not Murphy’s fault at all). At this point I was wondering if it was a selection mistake to have omitted Frampton.

 

Nick Daicos started on the bench and didn’t get on till after the 6-minute mark (Dave Nadel asked if this was usual – starting on the bench is, but a whole 6 minutes is not). Whether it was related or not, Josh Daicos sitting off the stoppage snapped a beauty just after Nick got on the ground!

 

A fair bit of messing around with maximum pressure exerted by both teams but some misses as well. As the quarter progressed so too did Collingwood.

 

Collingwood’s second goal was a ripper. Moore managed to keep the ball from going over the boundary line and in a contest with Darcy Fogarty who ought to have “killed the ball” over the line at the defensive wing on the southern stand side of their ground allowed Moore to keep the ball alive.

 

Moore while almost prostrate managed to hit the ball back into play on the Southern stand wing. This led to a passage of forward movement through the centre “corridor” which included running and handballs to Mitchell, Pendlebury and Nick Daicos (twice) ending with Johnson running and kicking truly from about 45 metres out, a great goal.  Johnson had also contested the ball before running forward.

 

Collingwood: 2.4 16
Adelaide:        1.5.11

 

Second quarter

 

Elliott kicks Collingwood’s first after a period of sustained pressure. After nearly 4 minutes of the second quarter running into goal, marvellous.

 

Hospital handball by WHE earned the ire of the Collingwood faithful and mine too but fortunately didn’t do too much damage to the receiver or to the team.

 

Adelaide were not taking their chances and missed a few as they had as many if not more inside 50s.

 

A scintillating almost trademark run by Bobby Hill where he ended up handballing to Elliott who managed to get off his opponent. Elliott was covered which lead to some rapid ball movement  & quite fittingly Bobby finishing off his fine work by running into goal being “front and square” in front of a contest between Johnson and his opponent in the forward pocket.

 

The quarter was noticeable for a few reasons:

 

1. Kept Adelaide to one goal;
2. Adelaide fluffed their chances;
3. Elite pressure by Collingwood;
4. Two goals to Elliott;
5. Two fine pieces of work by Harvey Harrison (HH) both resulting in goals whether directly to Elliott or via a link; and,
6. Good contested work not perfect by any stretch but getting better by both Cameron and Cox.

 

Collingwood: 7.5.47
Adelaide:        2.8.20

 

Third quarter

 

The Crows came out on fire. They played shorter as was their instruction at half time; so rather than slamming the ball forward to Collingwood’s strengths (Moore, Murphy and Howe) Adelaide kept it low with fast furious handballs and kicks. Adelaide kicked 7.1 to 0.3 to turn a 27-point half-time deficit into a 13-point lead at three-quarter time. Taylor Walker kicked three goals.

 

Whoever thought giving Collingwood players ketamine at half time was a good idea needs to think again. Adelaide played a sensational quarter where Collingwood could only manage 5 inside 50’s.

 

Rankin who was well held by Collingwood in the first half got plenty of the ball as did their captain Dawson. Adelaide’s sub McHenry had nine disposals in the third quarter coming on at half time.

 

In the third quarter Collingwood seemed to have been stricken with a kind of creeping paralysis – crumbling apart in slow motion (I’d love to claim that line but need to acknowledge it came from the screenplay writers of Sunset Boulevard – as an aside it’s perhaps the only thing Donald Trump and I agree on; Sunset Boulevard is a truly great film – then again almost anything by Billy Wilder is). Life imitating art no less!

 

A run of 7 unanswered goals by Adelaide and Collingwood goalless for the quarter; the third time this year.

 

‘nough said.

 

Collingwood 7.8.50
Adelaide:       9.9 63

 

Final quarter

 

Wow what a last quarter. Better watching it than describing the last quarter in some ways.

 

Collingwood kicked 5 goals to Adelaide’s 2 goals.

 

Hats off to both teams as it was high pressure, fast paced and could’ve gone either way.

 

Johnson was subbed off and McCreery was substituted on.

 

2 goals to Cox, the first to HH.

 

A fitty metre penalty to Nick Daicos.

 

A melee initiated by Cox.

 

Two goals to Walker.

 

Outstanding defence and heroics by Johnny Noble (my hero).

 

Cameron really lifted and played a great quarter in my view. He has some really important moments.

 

The whole team lifted and took the game on which begs the question why wait till we’re behind.

 

Collingwood: 12.10.82
Adelaide:         11.14.80

 

Impression / Observations:

 

There will be lessons but not necessarily learnings.

 

Both Collingwood and Adelaide play a similar style of football, indeed chaos footy seems to be the new black in the AFL: Relentless attack on the ball to gain territory. Total football of Ajax Amsterdam (see the article sent by Frank Taylor a few weeks ago) translated to Richmond AC in Ted Lasso and as art imitates life, life imitates art (thank you Oscar Wilde) with respect to the MacRae method.

 

“Total Football is a tactical system in association football in which any player can take over the role of any other player in a team. In Total Football, a player who moves out of their position is replaced by another from their team, thus retaining the team’s intended organisational structure. In this fluid system, no outfield player is fixed in a predetermined role; anyone can successively play as a forward, a midfielder and a defender”. (Wiki)

 

While total football in the European leagues was associated with the truly remarkable Ajax Amsterdam of the 1970’s it owes its legacy to teams well before this. Indeed, River Plate of Argentina in the 1940’s were exponents of the relentless and multiple ways of attack who won multiple national and international games. This is a pic of these fine fellows (from wiki):

 

 

But I digress.

 

I’m still not sure what to make of the win. Confusion perhaps?
I’ll take the four points.
Take that against a fast-scoring dynamic team, Collingwood held Adelaide to two goals (a better team would’ve kicked 4 or 5) in the first half.
Simply ripped apart in the third and came back well in the last but lucky to get the points.

 

We were lucky, very lucky.
In my view, Izac Rankin did kick that goal on the line (not paid) with the score review but who am I to complain?

 

Nick Daicos played 75% of the game and played 100% as a midfielder. Did we rob Peter to pay Paul? That is did we miss his exquisite skills in the backline moving forward?

 

Cameron slowly getting better and was important to our win.

 

Great games by Murphy and the backline.

 

Each week I’m impressed by Markov.

 

In short, our lesser lights (say the bottom 10 players) are doing a terrific job. There are players in the VFL let alone those to come back from injury that make competition for spots really hot.

 

Wow these close finishes are doing by blood pressure no good at all!

 

For the Votes then:

 

3-Nick Daicos
2-Johnny Noble (without his heroics we would have lost the game)
1-Josh Daicos

 

Go Pies

 

Floreat Pica

 

==

 

COLLINGWOOD          2.4     7.5     7.8      12.10 (82)
ADELAIDE                   1.5     2.8     9.9     11.14 (80)

 

GOALS 
Collingwood: Elliott 2, Cox 2, Mitchell, Johnson, Hoskin-Elliott, Hill, Harrison, N.Daicos, J.Daicos, Adams
Adelaide: Walker 5, Thilthorpe, Soligo, Rankine, Pedlar, Murphy, Fogarty

 

INJURIES 
Collingwood: Nil
Adelaide: Murray (hamstring), Thilthorpe (ankle)

 

SUBSTITUTES 
Collingwood: Beau McCreery (replaced Ash Johnson at three-quarter time)
Adelaide: Ned McHenry (replaced Nick Murray at half-time)

 

Crowd: 65,930 at the MCG

 

==

 

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