Round 21 – Melbourne v Collingwood: Floreat Pica Society match report

 

 

 

 

Sharp-shooting Pies defeat Reigning Premier to Entrench Top-4 Place

 

by Michael Labiris

 

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Collingwood has announced itself as a genuine premiership contender, after a thrilling come-from-behind victory against the Demons on Friday night.

 

Playing in front of over 71,000 fans at the MCG, in what proved to be the best game of the season, the Pies took control of the game in the second half to win by 7-points and leapfrog Melbourne into second place on the AFL ladder.

 

Whilst Collingwood was supremely efficient in attack, kicking 15 goals from 41 inside 50s, Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin was left to lament his side’s inaccuracy.

 

‘Yeah look it is [frustrating]. […] For large parts we were able to get the game on our terms, […] but we left the door ajar. Against better teams you can’t do that,’ Goodwin said.

 

Meanwhile, in a week where opposition player Ed Landgon referred to Collingwood as a “one-trick pony”, Craig McCrae praised his group’s ability to adapt on the fly, after Melbourne strangled Collingwood’s ball movement in the early parts of the game.

 

‘We had to change a few things’, he said after the game. ‘We couldn’t keep kicking long down the line to Gawn and Jackson, that was doing us no favours. Our ability to change and adapt, then execute, that is what we will review well.’

 

Melbourne’s early momentum

 

The Magpies got off to a hot start. The first 30 seconds saw Maynard lay a crunching tackle on the week’s villain, Langdon. Less than a minute later, Jordan de Goey roved a deft Cameron tap, finding space in forward 50 to snap truly on his left.

 

But three successive centre clearances and some neat finishing saw the Demons jump to a two goal lead. Jack Viney and co were on top in the midfield, and Melbourne were fired up. Typically when they play with momentum they are very hard to stop, and there were fears the Pies could find themselves with a significant deficit quickly.

 

However, a Jamie Elliott set shot goal in his 150th game slowed Melbourne’s momentum. De Goey went into the guts as the Pies lifted their pressure around the ground. Max Gawn let the Pies off with some errant kicking, whilst at the other end Cox marked and kicked truly following a clever switch from Carmichael to cut the lead to one goal.

 

Melbourne got out the back again after Ben Brown was permitted an illegal one-handed handball, but Ash Johnson converted his first from another De Goey clearance and patented Pendle-baulk to keep the Pies in touch.

 

When Salem missed on the siren after a cheap 50m penalty, the Pies would have been happy with the first quarter, having had the ability to stop Melbourne’s momentum at key moments, despite not registering any intercept marks themselves.

 

Quarter time score: Coll 5.0.25 – Melb 6.2.38

 

Territory battle

 

The second quarter began with repeat F50 entries from Melbourne, Collingwood having difficulty finding a way out of defence. The Demons extended their lead to 2 goals when the ball fell into Langdon’s lap, and they should have had another when Max Gawn marked from a centre clearance but again let Collingwood off the hook.

 

The Pies’ defence was solid, but it was difficult to see how they would pass the centre line with Melbourne setting up the wall across the ground. It was a domination in the middle, and when Sparrow converted to stretch the lead to 23 points, there was again a sense that the Demons could run away with the game.

 

Enter Josh Daicos in the centre, a swift clearance getting the ball in the Pies’ forward half for the first time this quarter. Jamie Elliot pounced to lay another tackle inside forward 50 and claimed his second goal. As Daisy Pearce observed, “he’s tackling like a forward who hasn’t had many opportunities.” She could have been talking about the game or the almost 30-year old’s 150 game career.

 

Shortly after Howe intercepted a Melbourne thrust and switched the ball, something Collingwood has rarely done all year. When Collingwood kicked long Ash Johnson took an important contested mark on the wing leading to a Mihocek goal. The ball continued to bounce from one end to the other, Darcy Moore intercepting and executing a wonderfully risky kick that should have led to an equalising 8th goal.

 

Melbourne then got their 9th when May outbodied Mihocek to intercept, and Brown converted with a towering bender. The crowd went nuts when Alex Neal-Bullen (ANB) wasn’t penalised for holding the ball, and was so loud that Howe couldn’t hear the whistle, giving away an unfortunate 50 and goal to Fritsch, once again stretching the lead beyond 20 points.

 

Melbourne continued to dominate contested possession (+25 for the quarter) but Collingwood’s defenders held firm, Moore marking strongly to repel yet another attack. They were in need of a goal, and when Fritsch missed one he’d normally swallow, Moore bravely kicked up the middle again. This time it ended with a goal to Ash Johnson, his second, keeping the Pies in striking distance despite having only 18 inside 50s and 35% time in forward half.

 

Half time score: Coll 8.2.50 – Mel 10.7.67

 

The Premiership quarter as Pies bring the heat

 

The third quarter was where Collingwood took ascendancy in the match, but not immediately as the ball lived in Melbourne’s half for the first 5 minutes of game time.

 

It was only when Moore intercepted again and immediately flicked to Daicos, that the Pies slingshot the ball on the fat-side of the ground, hitting McCreery at the top of the square for his first disposal (and goal). It was great to see the smiles as his teammates got around him, knowing he struggled in the first half.

 

Another clearance followed and McCreery, the barometer, took down May with a strong tackle. One could sense the Pies lift and the crowd noise intensified. Craig McCrae said in an interview during the week that one of the Essendon players had remarked during the final quarter, “I guess this is where you guys come back.” The energy felt the same here as Collingwood started to get on top.

 

However, Melbourne is not Essendon. They moved the ball smartly to Brown who started his run up from centre-wing, but fortunately pulled the kick. Daicos again provided the drive out of D50, and minutes later layed a goal-saving tackle on Brown. Fast ball movement ensued from the Pies and Carmichael had a running shot but narrowly missed. They continued attacking and had Melbourne under immense pressure.

 

Yet, again, the reigning premiers responded, Petracca and Pickett combining to create a team goal to Spargo. Although the challengers had equalised contested ball this quarter, they remained 17 points down at this point.

 

But then a brilliant quick give from Ginnivan set up a Mihocek goal from point blank range (thanks, remarkably, to a score review!). Cox made a strong contest against Gawn and brought the ball to the front, and this time it spilt free to Lipinski who curled through a ripper and the margin was back to 6 points.

 

The momentum had swung back to Collingwood as the crowd rose again. Feeling Collingwood were right where they wanted to be, supporters who have witnessed the incredible belief in this team were confident they could run over the top in the last.

 

Three-quarter time score: Coll 11.4.70 – Melb 11.11.77

 

The streak continues: final term specialists

 

The next 30 minutes would decide outright second place on the ladder, with a likely top 4 spot up for grabs for the winner.

 

Nick Daicos bit off an astounding kick out of D50 but Maynard miscued on the foray forward. A minute later, Daicos marked the ball and was crunched in a tackle without moving off his mark, before the umpire called play on, and looked sore getting up. However, strong tackling from Murphy prevented the turnover goal.

 

Jamie Elliott and AJ both had difficult chances and put their shots out on the full, the latter having taken a great mark on the line only to rush the kick. Yet Collingwood seemed to be running on top of the ground with Melbourne on the ropes. Daicos came back on, and the look on his face clearly showed what a competitor he is. Jamie Elliot laid yet another F50 tackle, and from a slight angle kicked truly for his 4th to put his team within a point.

 

AJ was playing in front and when the quick kick came marked low to the ground, converting his third goal from 45m to give the Pies the lead. Melbourne hit back through Brown and moved it forward again, but Collingwood defended grimly. Then a customary moment of Daicos-to-Daicos magic gave the Pies the lead, yet once again Melbourne had an answer immediately through ANB.

 

The game felt like a preliminary final, with the stakes high for both sides. The pressure got to Harrison Petty who pushed AJ in the back with 2 hands. The 4th gamer from Halls Creek coolly walked back and slotted the goal, giving Collingwood the lead once more, by 5 points with 7 minutes to go.

 

By this stage, it was not so much a question of whether the Pies could hang on, but whether Melbourne could do anything to stop them. McCreery marked strongly, continuing his excellent second half. The clock ticked down. De Goey got the stoppage clearance but only as far as May, but Melbourne were unable to move the ball with any fluency.

 

Maynard marked at half back with 5 minutes to go and kicked short to the boundary. Calm. The whole team shifted into auto-pilot. Crisp marked, 4 minutes to go. Bianco marked, 3 minutes. Now it was Melbourne who could not get the ball past the centre.

 

Crisp snapped from long range and hit the post to make it 6 points. With 2 minutes to go, the Dee’s have a chance to go end to end and level the scores. But Pendleury brought down Petracca (as few have been able to do all night), winning a free kick at half forward. Johnson flies to prevent May marking and the Pies are swarming like flies. 1 minute to go. The crowd stands with applause. They’ve got this. Crips marked on 50 and the siren sounds. Elation!

 

MELBOURNE                       6.2       10.7       11.11      13.11 (89)
COLLINGWOOD                  5.0        8.2        11.4         15.6 (96)

 

GOALS  
Melbourne: Brown 2, Fritsch 2, Langdon, Melksham, Neal-Bullen, Petracca, Pickett, Salem, Spargo, Sparrow, Viney
Collingwood: Elliott 4, Johnson 4, Mihocek 2, Cox, J.Daicos, De Goey, Lipinski, McCreery

 

BEST  
Melbourne: Petracca, Oliver, Brayshaw, Gawn, Jordon, Viney
Collingwood: Elliott, De Goey, Johnson, N.Daicos, Crisp, Maynard 

 

INJURIES
Melbourne: Nil
Collingwood: Hoskin-Elliott (hip)

 

SUBSTITUTES
Melbourne: James Harmes (unused)
Collingwood: Trent Bianco (replaced Will Hoskin-Elliott in the third quarter)

 

Observations

 

Melbourne played as well as they could in this game. Their big 5 players all fired, and they dominated centre clearance 21-7. Yet Collingwood’s defence controlled the air, whilst the Dee’s key defenders were not able to take intercept marks and rebound as they usually do. So many players stood out in this game. To name a few (or half the team):

 

• Crisp – works so hard all game, 8 tackles to go with his 24 touches.
• N. Daicos – continued his rich vein of form, collecting 31 disposals at 81% (!!) efficiency, including a staggering 10 intercept possessions.
• De Goey – our only player to collect multiple centre clearances, he had 4 himself and got the ball moving our way at important stages.
• Elliot – 4 goals, 3 of which came from forward 50 tackles in game 150.
• Howe – playing undersized, had 9 intercepts and was solid all night.
• Johnson – his 4 goals were critical, but so was his aerial contest for the Pies, helping to negate Melbourne’s intercepting defenders in just his 4th game.
• Maynard – played his role perfectly and laid two team-lifting tackles.
• Moore – controlled the air, and got us going with two brilliant kicks down the middle.
• Pendlebury – easy to overlook this guy, but good things happen when he gets the ball, laid 6 tackles and also had a team high 36 pressure acts.
• Sidebottom – covered the most distance on the ground (a whopping 16.8 km), working tirelessly on the wing and collecting 20 disposals.

 

The Pies once again showed enormous self-belief, and proved to the doubters that they are a real flag threat. If key players (namely Moore) can stay fit, and with Grundy and Adams to return, the Pies are every chance to secure a double-chance and go deep in to September.

 

Next week

 

Collingwood will play Sydney at the SCG next week in a battle to secure a top 4 place.

 

Brodie Grundy will be racing to prove his fitness after suffering a minor ankle injury in his return through the VFL last week. The Pies will be hoping to get him back during the home and away season, so he can gain some match fitness before the finals.

 

Craig McCrae won’t look to make too many other changes, with the whole 23 playing well. Bianco will likely make his return to the starting side if WHE doesn’t get up. Possible subs include Madgen (25 disposals and 5 goals in the VFL on Saturday), Henry (3 goals) and Ruscoe.

 

Go Pies.

 

 

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