By Guy Fazzino for the Floreat Pica Society
Friday 18 August 2023, 7.50pm
Docklands
Prologue
With some hesitation, I draw your attention to the fact that Collingwood has been in 44 Grand Finals and lost 27 of them. Why bring this up you may ask? Because in my eyes, any club that denies Collingwood a flag, especially two in a row, automatically qualifies as a fierce rival (hence why the Pies have so many). Which brings me to the Brisbane Lions…
Ever since the Brions entered the AFL in 1997 after the so-called “merger” of the Brisbane Bears and the Fitzroy Lions, they have been a perennial thorn in Collingwood’s side. Of the 37 games played between them, the Pies had only won 15, with most of those occurring when Brisbane were in the doldrums between 2011 and 2018. Memorable victories for Pies’ fans have been scarce. One of these must surely be the Round 8 clash in 2002. This was a pulsating encounter at Docklands and was the game when Collingwood announced themselves as genuine contenders under Mick Malthouse. It also marked Collingwood’s first ever win against the Brions after 6 consecutive losses. The other which springs to mind is the 2003 Qualifying Final win, which propelled the Pies deep into September. It was here where they exacted some form of revenge after the devastating loss in the previous Grand Final, having been robbed of an Anthony Rocca goal which may have changed the outcome.
Recent form against Brisbane has not been flattering, as they’ve lost their last 5 encounters including that cruel 1 point defeat after the siren the last time these two teams met at Docklands in 2021. So even though the Pies were sitting on top 2 games clear, I did not go to this game with much confidence. Given their poor record against this opponent, the side missing Naicos, Moore, De Goey and Hill due to injury, and Brisbane’s incentive to win to maintain a top two spot, all omens pointed to a Brions win – and so it proved to be.
Match Summary
Apart from a brief period in the first quarter when the Pies hit the lead after kicking three straight goals and then another spell in the third quarter when they piled on 4 consecutive goals to get to within 4 points, one felt that the game was mainly played on Brisbane’s terms. Whenever Collingwood threatened, Brisbane would respond, no more emphatically than at the beginning of the last quarter. With the game on the line, it was the Brions who kicked the first 4 goals to get out to a 36 point lead and effectively end the contest, and this without McCarthy who went off injured at 3/4 time, having already lost Ah Chee to injury in the third quarter.
Pendlebury was clearly Collingwood’s best on the night, winning clearances and creating opportunities. Jaicos continued his good form from the previous week and Cameron was OK in the second half after Cox came on. But highlights were few and far between, with perhaps Mihocek’s bomb from outside 50 being the stand-out. Whilst the Pies’ tackling pressure was good and their intensity at the ball was commendable, it was evident that once they lost possession, Brisbane seemed to move the ball quite easily, especially from their D50. The Pies conceded territory far too easily in this game and with Brisbane’s forwards often only needing the slightest opportunity to convert, this cost Collingwood dearly. The Pies will have to tighten this aspect of their game if they are to be a serious threat in the Finals.
It wasn’t a memorable night on a number of fronts for the Maggies: not for debutant Jakob Ryan, another mulleted South Aussie who not only looked very nervous in the early exchanges, but was subbed out with concussion in the second quarter; not for Will Hoskin-Elliott either, even though it was his 200th game; and not for Nathan Murphy who looked very sore after being crunched on a number of occasions. The Brions’ Deven Robertson, on the other hand, became an instant star on social media when he opted to rip his shredded guernsey off and play topless for two to three minutes. He should thank ‘Bruzz’ Maynard for that one.
Epilogue
So with a round to go before the Finals, the Pies are a game clear on top but have been unconvincing in the past month and appear to be limping to the finish line. That said, they should take care of the Dons – who have little to play for – in the final round next week and lock in top position. Collingwood look very much like a team looking forward to the week off. They’ll need to put the recent form behind them, prepare physically and mentally for what lies ahead, and tackle the Finals with renewed vigour.
Will the Pies return to the imperious form they displayed earlier in the year? Have they just been waiting for the Finals to start? Should poor recent results be ignored? Other teams like Carlton and St Kilda have rediscovered their mojo so why not Collingwood? Hopefully. Only time will tell. With Moore, Hill, De Goey and hopefully Naicos to come, good things must surely lie ahead, especially as all their remaining games will be played at the ‘G if they win their QF.
But for me, I take the greatest solace from the fact that the Pies also lost to Brisbane and Hawthorn when they won the flag in 2010. Is history repeating itself?
COLLINGWOOD 4.2 6.5 12.7 15.10 (100)
BRISBANE 6.2 9.3 14.7 19.10 (124)
GOALS
Collingwood: Elliott 3, Mihocek 2, McStay 2, Howe 2, Pendlebury, Noble, Ginnivan, J. Daicos, Cameron, Cox
Brisbane: Cameron 4, Hipwood 3, Daniher 3, Rayner 2, Bailey 2, Ah Chee 2, McCarthy, Coleman, Fletcher
INJURIES
Collingwood: Ryan (concussion), Murphy (back)
Brisbane: Ah Chee (ribs/back), McCarthy (calf)
SUBSTITUTES
Collingwood: Mason Cox replaced Jakob Ryan in the second quarter
Brisbane: Jarryd Lyons replaced Callum Ah Chee in the third quarter
Crowd: 38,350 at Marvel Stadium.
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