Round 3 – Collingwood v GWS: No surprises at Marvel

Round 3
Collingwood v GWS
7.40pm, 27 March
Marvel Stadium

 

When my nephew Jack issued an invitation to attend his wedding in Melbourne on Saturday 28^th March, I immediately searched for the AFL fixture (one of the most confusing, disjointed schedules in world sport) to see who was playing in Melbourne the night before the joyous occasion.

 

Low and behold the Giants were scheduled to play the Pies (who rarely venture outside of the MCG for their home games) under the roof at Marvel Stadium. Perfect! We will fly down Friday morning and get to the game for what should be an entertaining clash. Better still through some contacts in Melbourne I was able to secure a couple of seats in the Medallion Room for a couple of hundred bucks. Let’s make it a big weekend of footy and wedding celebrations I thought.

 

Last Thursday in Sydney (and Melbourne) it was a horrendous day. Thunderstorms, high winds and torrential rain put the Harbour City into chaos, including Sydney airport. Thinking the inclement weather would clear overnight we prepared for our trip with great anticipation for a memorable weekend.

 

When I awoke early Friday morning, I was greeted by a text message from Virgin advising that our 11am flight had been cancelled and rescheduled to 7.30pm that evening. What!!? Flights in and out of Sydney and Melbourne had been thrown into complete disarray due to the weather conditions and I had no alternative. No footy. No Medallion Club. I won’t even be able to watch the game as I will be in the air. How will I write my Almanac match report if I don’t even watch the game?

 

It only got worse. The scheduled 7.30pm Sydney to Melbourne flight was delayed by 90minutes. As I sat in the departure lounge, I opened my device (once called a mobile phone) logged onto the airport wi-fi and opened my Kayo App. Happy days. At least I could watch the first half albeit from my Samsung Galaxy S23.

 

I did not like what I saw from the first bounce. Poor old Kieran Briggs was falling victim yet again to a high leaping ruckman. This time a debutant called Oscar Steene. Where have they been hiding this kid?! From the first bounce he was leaping tall buildings like George Reeves (the only Superman I can relate to) and giving supply to a handy midfield including a bloke called Daicos.

 

With all due respect to Dan McStay and Tim Membrey who are good, ordinary players at best, the depleted Giant backline without key defenders Taylor and Buckley were going to be in for a torrid time. Membrey booted four and McStay two. Jayden Laverde has been a handy pick up and battled hard. I was surprised James Leake got the nod ahead of Leek Aleer at the selection table. Leek’s athletic ability in the air I thought would see him make his season debut after a torrid off-season courtesy of Gubby Allan and SOS.

 

As I watched Briggs flounder (but toiling manfully) I kept asking myself when are the Giants brains trust going to ‘take a punt’ and throw youngster Nick Madden into the fray. Standing at 204cm and with a handful of games behind him (and his form has been solid in the VFL) and with five now on the interchange bench is it time to roll the dice? The lad can jump a bit too.

 

As I boarded VA Flight 866 the half time siren sounded. The Giants had one more scoring shot in the first half 10 shots to nine but trailed by nine points. In the game! When I disembarked, I immediately flicked to the AFL app only to find the Giants could only manage a meagre three goals in the second half to the Pies seven. Pies by 33 points.

 

I was interested in the comments made by Giants coach Adam Kingsley post-match, explaining the teams’ challenges had nothing to do with personnel but rather was more about systems, structures, centre clearances and making the most of opportunities that come their way. That may all be true and correct. I admired the fact Kinglsey ‘stuck fat’ with the current group of players at his disposal. No throwing anyone under the bus for Adam. Its about process, decision  making, ball movement, defensive pressure, conversion et al.

 

However, in this competition when you have eight first-choice players out of the side due to injuries in Tom Green, Josh Kelly, Sam Taylor, Jack Buckley, Brent Daniels, Toby Bedford, Darcy Jones and Aaron Cadman it was and is going to be tough for the Giants.

 

 The bye has not come soon enough. After the Easter break they take on Richmond at Gather Round, the Swans at the SCG and the improving Kangaroos in Canberra. If they drop two of those three games, it will be very difficult to see them make finals action.

 

Hang on a minute – wait. I have a slight case of amnesia. Maybe they could still sneak into tenth spot and be a chance! Ah the wild card games. Yes, wild card games.  It gives us all hope! Maybe even Carlton.

 

Speaking of the Easter break why aren’t all 18 teams playing across the four days of Easter. Every footy fan should have the opportunity of watching their team over the last prolonged holiday period before winter sets in. Is it related to broadcast rights, ground availability, the looming Gather Round in SA, or some other hidden quirk in the fixture mere mortals like me cannot fathom?

 

Meanwhile the Pies are travelling very nicely indeed despite some injury concerns to the aging Pendlebury (achilles) and Moore (hamstring). Nick Daicos continued his stellar form with 36 disposals, 11 inside 50’s, 770 metres gained and two goals in another eye-catching Brownlow performance. His odds keep shortening week by week.

 

The Pies travel to the Gabba on Thursday night for a sell-out clash against the Lions minus Pendlebury and Moore and possibly Ned Long via suspension. The Lions will go in favorites after recapturing some form against the “multi-million dollar” Saints on the weekend. Then it’s off to Adelaide Oval for an enthralling encounter against the Dockers and in Round 6 travel back to the MCG to take on the disheveled Blues.

 

 Carlton will probably lead by half time, have a snooze during the main break and capitulate in the second half.

 

So after finally landing in Melbourne at 11pm and missing the footy we prepared for an all-day wedding blitz starting in the Old Treasury Building on Spring Street for the nuptials, a pre-reception cocktail on a swank inner city bar roof top followed by a lavish reception on the thirty-fifth floor of the Rialto Building with fine food, fine wine and fine music. The Beatles was on high rotation during the festivities much to the delight of the author.

 

Life is not all about the footy – or is it?

 

 

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

 

 

 

Read more from Richard Griffiths HERE.

 

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