Round 19 – Collingwood v West Coast: Believe, Pies, Believe.

from Cam Hooke

 

True Believers,

Okay, even I would have to admit to some challenge to be optimistic.  However, it’s not over till it’s over. Believe, Pies fans.  But perhaps extend your view into 2017.

The Season. As a number of you have pretty clearly seen, our Finals are ‘dead in the water’.  To recover from here would require a number of miracles, applied to other teams; not just us.  What do we want from the rest of the season?  I would suggest we want to set ourselves up for next year but more importantly, demonstrate the team application and commitment that justifies our continued support.  For us, the 2017 season starts this Saturday; and we (the team and the supporters) should treat it that way.

Belief. Bucks: AFL 360 – http://www.collingwoodfc.com.au/video/2016-07-26/buckley-speaks-on-360.

The Game:

West Coast Eagles – Saturday, 30 July; at the MCG; Bounce: 4.35pm.

5th versus 12th (we’re 12th, if you need reminding), percentages: 132.7% (them) vs 89.9% (us).  Given that the Eagles are coming into the game with five Wins in a row, logically from the Ladder (but see below), this should look like an easy win for the Eagles in spite of the fact that it is at the MCG.  However, we are coming off pretty good performances against higher standing, hard-running, hard-chasing sides. They are 12 Wins and 5 Losses while we are 7 and 10.  We should win.

Weather.  7 – 14 deg; low chance of rain and light winds.

TV – no Free to Air. Find a friend with Fox.

Them?

Eagles. The Eagles have had a ‘funny’ season, but find themselves comfortably sitting in fifth on the Ladder in the middle of the other potential Finalists (see below).  Since their Losses to the Bulldogs and Adelaide in Rounds 11 and 12, they’ve put together five Wins in a row (plus their Bye) but of these, apart from their Round 16 Win over North, have been wins over Brisbane, Essendon, Carlton and Melbourne; the last two by 7 and 6 points, respectively unimpressive.  So they come into this game under a bit of a cloud. Their strength is their Midfield, particularly if Nick Nat plays.  They are less spectacular elsewhere and they have shown a drop-off late in the games against consistent effort.  And they do not like the G.  The lessons for us are (as always) the need for a four-Quarter effort, the need to get and retain control of the Midfield and other stoppages (particularly if Nick Nat is playing) and the need to have a slick, fast movement of the ball out of our Backline into our Forward line.  And from some of our recent Losses – tighten up the Back 6 and avoid their ‘easy’ goals.

WCE players to watch for:

  • Most influential. Watch for Mids – Priddis, Shuey and Gaff, Hurn and McGovern amongst the Backs and Kennedy up front.  Priddis warrants tagging;
  • Potential influencers – In addition to them, watch for Naitanui in the Ruck (under Test following injury) – he has the ability to ‘change a game’ and McGinnity, dropped last week but did well in the WAFL and may be a quick return, amongst the Backs; and
  • ‘Family’ – Watch for Wellingham (also under Test following injury).  I’d probably tag Wellingham early on just to appeal to the Pies’ supporters (just a bit of fun – maybe Greenwood).

 

Us?

Thursday night (again).

Injury Outs? – Sinclair – concussion.  While listed as ‘Test’, I would not expect him to be available (probably for the rest of the season) following his fourth concussion.

Legacy from last week: Michael Christian on ‘The Agenda’http://www.collingwoodfc.com.au/video/2016-07-25/you-cant-be-too-careful-with-this-stuff – focus on “spite, turnovers and the Eagles“.
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Ins & Outs:  Both Sinclair and Witts are identified as ‘Test’.  Comment re Sinclair above.  We should now take the opportunity to try some alternative approaches – maybe opening up the Half Forward line using Trav and Grundy as ‘power Forwards’; maybe Witts into the conventional Ruck role (though against Nick Nat, Grundy is actually the better option – almost a ‘run with’ situation for him) and maybe Goldsack to replace Brown and maybe Frost to come in as the extra defender (freed up by losing one from the HF line).  Who to drop, in addition to Brownie? Maybe Darcy and White?
Game Plan – what do we have to do to win?  What do you think?

Game Previews?

 

My Picks this week? Pies by 37; BOG: Treloar: 31 touches @ 82.3% DE; Goals: Trav – 5 and 5 Goal Assists, Fas – 4; Crowd –  37 000 (very, very disappointing).  Your picks?
Other:

Reporting?  Is anyone going?  Ground Reports pls?

Remember to keep an eye on the Footy Almanac – http://www.footyalmanac.com.au/.

Next. Round 20 – 5 August – Richmond at the G. More on this next week.

 

Go Pies.
 
Cam

Comments

  1. Tell him he’s dreaming.

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