Round 3 – Collingwood v GWS: Floreat Pica Society Match Report

 

 

Collingwood v GWS

 

As I ponder on our way to the footy, there seems to always be a couple of questions that come to mind.

 

Did we make the right choices at the selection table?

 

Will we learn from the mistakes of last week?

 

Well as I await my train to Southern Cross (the station formally known as Spencer Street) I feel that the right call was made at the selection table re the dropping of Parker and Allen, they don’t quite have the determination as yet to keep their place in the team. On the other hand, that I’m rather excited to see what Oscar ‘Grouchy’ or ‘Spring’ or ‘Full’ Steene will deliver in the ruck after waiting a good 1,000 days plus to get his chance. If not, his height will play to our advantage on the forward line if he’s able to tap to advantage.

 

Having the duopoly of Our Captain ‘Moore please’ and Howe ‘Did he Mark that’ back in the side, we should hopefully sure up the defensive structure and give a big marking option for the forward line if we continue in the fashion of the first two games.

 

The chatter on the train for the 7 mins it takes to get from ‘usually sunny’ Ascot Vale to the station formally known as Spencer St, is of the standard fare, and not a solitary supporter was asking the questions I asked earlier. Instead, someone was chin-wagging about the article in the Age this morning, about how will we stop GWS if they let the ‘handbrake off’ as Ryan Angwin noted in the article. (Though they did suggest he was a playmaker, which I thought was a bit of a stretch).

 

The less said about the Docklands stadium the better, I feel. On that note, I did enjoy Jim K’s comment today and had a little giggle … cheap pies and beer in an attempt to bring in the crowd (well it got me). Though it felt more like a university O’Week treasure hunt draw card than anything else. One outlet on lv3 on the city side had pies and they weren’t even hot, fancy that. Beginning to feel like Kiss Kam and Naughts and Crosses are being given a boost in the popularity ratings.

 

Checking out the umpire list for the game, thank the football gods, that Nathan Williamson (22) is not taking part in tonight’s game. He slaughtered us in the game against the Crows. Even my daughter is still talking about how biased he was in the second half of the game. Would not be surprised if Sir Nick doesn’t get a vote, regardless of his impact on the game.

 

With respect to the game, really hoping that the Maynard – Stringer matchup happens, as well as the Naicos-Oliver.  The Pendlebury-Green matchup could be fun, but don’t feel it will last that long

 

As for the Giants Banner … what a sook fest

 

Your emblem is a bird

Your coach’s name is Fly

When you have to travel interstate 

All you do is cry

 

Nonsense I say, and in retort …

 

Your Emblem is Big

Your coach is a King(sly)

When you get Beaten by us

We wont hear you Sing

 

Q1

The first gamer Steene has a chance as 1st ruck in his first game … get in there lad. And what an opening, we lose the first stoppage with Oliver getting the clearance, Bruzzy intercepting, pass to running Houston to Dependlebury, who delivers to Skunk (Membrey) in a strong marking contest … Goal!!!!  Back to the middle and we get to see the leap of Steene, take him to where no man has leaped before, perfect tap to Naicos, kicks it straight down the gun barrel to a contest and  Shoota (Schultz) gets a free for a high tackle, and converts. Two in less than 2 minutes, not the start I was expecting

 

A mis-cue from Dependlebury leads to an easy giant goal at the other end. A bit more pressure from the giants swings the ball back into their forward 50, and we get to welcome back “Moore of that Please” with a classy intercept mark. The ball makes its way back to our end after a Dependlebury tackle on Whitfield, turnover and Lipinski hits McStay who walks in an kicks a dribbling goal. This is the first time this year both McStay and Skunk are on the board.

 

Locked up in back line not able to make it past the midfield, and when we do Skunk gets a hold of the ball with an open goal square, and attempts to pass it to Billy Elliott, but kicks it over his head, and a turnover.

 

Jaicos from injured to hero in one fell swoop what a take from the middle of the pack .. delivery to the skunk for a major, after strong marking attempt by Elliott.

 

Skunk shooting for 3 in the first and up lifts the tail to leave a scent for the giants

 

The giants did not respect their elders and laid a hefty tackle on our Ye Oldie cpt … turnover leading to a goal to Riccardi.

 

Q2

McCreery does a kick it to me from his own boot, I love watching young Beau, but he should not have cut his hair. Interestingly GWS was not pinged for pulling it in right in front of the umpire, and this leads to a turnover.

 

Patient play in the forward 50 leads to a Jaicos pass and  a Ned Long mark and goal … took a bit of faffing about to get there. Not long after and for the for the 2nd time this game Pendlebury shoots it over the head of the target and is now on the bench.

 

Schults’ forward defensive pressure is just awesome to watch. Unlike the umpires 50m penalty for something or other was just silly, and a GWS goal follows.

 

Was sure that little dribbler from Naicos was through the middle from my angle, but a behind it was, and we have kept in in the forward 50 with some quality pressure

 

22 min mark and only 1 goal apiece. Stringer breaks the deadlock with a goal for GWS after a quite back and forth between the teams. Siren goes not long after.

 

Q3

GWS start the quarter with a clearance and a goal to Green in the first 60 sec. Thankfully we get a quick reply 60 sec later with a Naicos – Lipinski – Naicos one-two-goal after a deft tap from Sir Nick. Schultz delivers the ball to the goal square after a nice mark, and Steene takes a solid pack mark and converts for his first AFL goal. And don’t the lads get around him. So good to watch.

 

Riccardi shot for goal for GWS and misses the mark a bit like a F1 driver I know, either side of a couple of GWS behinds. One from the other C Brown, oh the memories.

 

Beau clears from half back had the boosters on, kicks to Schultz, who chips to a running Sidebottom, and we made a complete mess of it. We should have scored from that clearance.

 

A mercurial crumb and goal from naicos brings the crowd to their feet, is there anything this marvel can’t do?

 

The next 15 mins the game turns into a keeping’s off contest, with behinds from both sides before the ¾ time siren blows.

 

The first half of the 3rd quarter was looking very much like the 1st quarter with free flowing footy, and the second half like the 2nd quarter in keepings off.

 

Q4

Goal to McStay in the first 60 sec followed by a rushed behind and a miss from Sidey. Some classy back and forth between McStay, Elliot and Sidey leads to a miss from McStay. Followed up closely by some Collingwood forward pressure, leading to a turnover to Lipinski who kicks it Elliott who converts for a goal.

 

Ned Long has been playing a crucial role and is up to 9 tackles for the game, and has been instrumental in multiple turnovers.

 

Like a game of ping pong for the next 7 mins until Membrey passes to Houston on the 50 who duly converts from about 55m out.  Membrey gets another after a solid pass from McStay

 

Bruzzy showing no mercy as he punches the ball out of the hands of GWS and has defended well all night.

 

The games ends after 10 mins of back and forth and a Stringer goal in the dying minutes of the game. It felt like an average quarter of footy, even though we kicked 4.4 to 2.2

 

The Pies Win by 33pts and steady the ship after a very early bye. But did it make Toby cry?

 

Now to answer my initial questions …

 

Dropping Parker and Allen was the right call, Steene played a cracker of a game and having the height and marking ability of Moore in the backline was a game changer.

 

Did we learn from the mistakes of the Adelaide game?  I’d say yes and no. When the game was free flowing, we were a lot better, though when it came to the keeping’s off we were making clangers a plenty. And really struggled to penetrate the forward 50, like we were doing in the first.

 

Votes

Oscar ‘Spring’ Steene. If you were ever to play a first game in the black and white, that is the sort of game you’d want.

 

Tim ‘Skunk’ Membrey – showed us that the first two games were a bit of a misnomer and provided the marking and forward pressure he is known for.

 

Sir Nick ‘Naicos’ Daicos – need I say more

 

Apologies to Jaicos, Sidey, Long (10 tackles), and Schultz. All played their role really well.

 

Floreat Pica

 

Moods

 

 

COLLINGWOOD                           5.1    6.3    9.5     13.9 (87)
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY      2.5    4.6    5.10    7.12 (54)

 

GOALS
Collingwood: Membrey 4, McStay 2, N.Daicos 2, Steene, Schultz, Long, Houston, Elliott
Greater Western Sydney: Stringer 2, Thomas, Riccardi, Gruzewski, Greene, Gothard

 

BEST
Collingwood: N.Daicos, Membrey, Frampton, J.Daicos, Crisp, Steene
Greater Western Sydney: Callaghan, Oliver, Whitfield, Ash, Thomas

 

INJURIES
Collingwood: Pendlebury (Achilles tightness)
Greater Western Sydney: Angwin (eardrum), Callaghan (dislocated finger)

 

Crowd: 41,607 at Marvel Stadium

 

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