Collingwood vs North Melbourne, MCG Round 17, 11/7/22

by Dave Nadel for the Floreat Pica Society

Preliminary thoughts (fortunately written post match)

 

I had intended to remind people of North Melbourne’s history prior to the transformation under Allen Aylett, Ron Joseph and Ron Barassi. It seemed to me that the Roos’ form this year was reminiscent of their play in the horrible years between 1925 and 1972 when they finished between 10^th and 12^th (in a 12 team competition) more often than not. I thought that this might give me something to write about when describing a one-sided landslide victory for the Pies. I thought that Saturday’s game would be an opportunity to build up our percentage which is lower than most of the teams that we may find ourselves competing with for a place in the Final Eight.

 

Well, so much for my arrogance and overconfidence. How could I have been so stupid. After all Collingwood was the only team to lose to the West Coast Eagles in the first fourteen rounds this season. We can beat some really good teams like Melbourne and Fremantle but for the first three quarters yesterday it looked as if we were going to be the only team to lose to both the two bottom teams this season.

 

The actual Report and commentary

North came straight out of the blocks and their veteran ruckman Todd Goldstein suddenly was taking a mark in front of goal, from which he scored. The ruckman’s mark was a taste of what was to come for the next three quarters, Collingwood’s short backline being out marked and outmanoeuvred by North’s tall players, mostly Larkey, who kicked five goals, and Goldstein. Darcy Moore’s absence left the whole defence looking undersized. This is not the first time in recent years where Moore was unavailable but, in the past, we had Jordan Roughead as a backup and this year we don’t. Our next tallest defender in the game was Nathan Murphy who is 192cm and after that Jeremy Howe, who, despite his great leap, is 190 cm.

 

Initially North’s first goal was not a source of concern because the ball went quickly to our forward line where Josh Daicos goaled. Not long after Jack Ginnivan goaled from a free kick, one of only two he received for the afternoon (free kicks although his goal tally was also two) As the game went on the umpires must have felt that Jack was doing a Selwood and stooging them for frees, because they stopped paying them even when Ginnivan was clearly the player being infringed.

 

North then proceeded to kick three more goals in the first ten minutes. They were not only beating us in front of goals, they were beating us in the mid-field as well. Mostly via Luke Davies-Uniacke who was clearly the best hyphen on the field. Fortunately their run of first quarter goals ended at the nine-minute mark and the Pies managed another two (Ginnivan and Cameron) before quarter time which left the scores level at 4.2 each.

 

The second quarter started the same way as the first, with a North player (this time Jack Ziebell) kicking a goal inside the first minute. This turned out to be the first of three unanswered goals. By the middle of the quarter the Roos midfield were again firmly in control. For the Pies, Josh Daicos was collecting a shedload of possessions, but he had little support. Adams, Pendlebury and Maynard in defence were about all. Finally Collingwood scored a goal through some fine work by Sidebottom but it was our only goal, indeed our only score, for the quarter. When North scored another goal, it meant that they went to half time leading 8.4 to 5.2

 

The third quarter started as the previous two had, with a North Melbourne goal. The Pies got back into the game partly via some nice work by their ruckmen. Cox took a strong mark and shortly after that Cameron spun out of a pack and goaled.  With the ball on the Kangaroos forward line two of our defenders clashed in mid-air and as they lay on the ground, North kicked a goal. Both Jeremy Howe and Nathan Murphy avoided being subbed off with concussion, which was good for Pies’ prospects in this match but may not be for the players’ long-term health and well-being (particularly in Murphy’s case)

 

Elliot and Mihocek scored goals and our new recruit, Josh Carmichael, was beginning to make a contribution but North was still in control. Our hyphen (WH-E) was laying some good tackles and generally playing better than he did last season. Their hyphen was best on the ground to this point. Their second best player, Nick Larkey, kicked another goal and the Roos went to the break 27 points ahead.

 

And then it was three quarter time. I have no idea what Fly said to the boys. Did he remind them that they had won six in a row while their opposition had won one match for the season? Did he appeal to their commitment to the team and to their teammates? Whatever it was, it led to a total momentum shift as the Magpies took the field with unstoppable energy and single minded determination.

 

Adams lifted his possession rate.  Cameron and Cox took over in the ruck and Collingwood lifted its clearance rate. Howe became impassable in defence. The tackle count rose, Beau McCreery’s work in particular was magnificent. He must surely be the best defensive forward we have had for many years. And suddenly we began kicking goals. Elliot, McCreery, Nick Daicos, Cameron and Sidebottom. By the time the quarter ended Collingwood had kicked five goals to North Melbourne’s two points. We had won by seven points and extended our winning run to seven matches.

 

 

The Horsbrough Medal vote.

3 votes (and the Mike Delanty Medal) Josh Daicos

Most of the attention this season has deservedly been on his younger brother Nick but this was Josh’s match. He had 28 possessions, almost all of them to advantage, and he was probably the only player in black and white who had four good quarters.

 

2 votes Braydon Maynard

In our undersized defence he had to play the role of third tall while still playing his normal roles of running defender and offensive bull. He succeeded in doing it all.

 

1 vote Darcy Cameron

Three goals, 21 hitouts and he held his own against Todd Goldstein who is a far more experienced (and probably more talented) ruckman.

 

I have to admit that I wasn’t a fan of Darcy’s in previous years. I would have traded him last year and retained Max Lynch. And I would have been wrong. The extra responsibility since Grundy’s injury has been the making of Cameron. His ruck work has improved and so has his work in front of goal.

Apologies to Howe, Adams, Pendlebury, McCreery, Nick Daicos, Sidebottom and Noble.

 

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