Round 5 – Collingwood v Fremantle: Floreat Pica Society Match Report

 

Collingwood v Fremantle
Round 5 – Friday 10 April 2026
Adelaide Oval 

 

Match Report – Peter Butler

 

Games between these two have been close recently, with only four-point difference over the past four games, with one drawn and a one-point win to Freo last year at the MCG. Traditionally Collingwood has had the ‘wood’ over Freo since their first encounter in 1995. This game follows Collingwood being thrashed by Brisbane last time out and Freo winning a close one (2 points) against the Crows in Adelaide.

 

Freo come into this game with 3 wins from 4 games, two of those big wins against Melbourne and Richmond at home in WA and a two pointer against Adelaide last week here in SA; while Collingwood have two wins and two losses with wins against St Kilda and GWS against two losses to Adelaide and Brisbane.

 

The pundits and form indicate Freo are tracking better than the Pies. However, Collingwood have a great record in this Gather Round winning all three games since its advent: beating Hawthorn, Sydney and St Kilda.

 

First Quarter

The Pies started off the better team dominating possession and spent most of the first 10-15 minutes camped in the attacking 50, but with little reward. One goal and a point was all they had to show for their possessions and attacking dominance since although attacking territory saw the ball there it was not in the hands of Collingwood players either close enough to goal nor with clear access to a score. Delivery of possession into the hands of Collingwood forwards has been a failure of the side all games this season except for the one game against GWS. The crucial question that this begs is whose fault is it, the deliverers or those to whom the ball is being delivered? From the example of this game alone it’s something of both. Our tall forwards are being monstered by equally tall or taller opponents as well as more of them. Along with more opponents our key goal kicking forwards do not appear to be looking to give themselves space to take marks or attack the ball clear of their immediate opposition.

 

Pressure in the forward half of the ground was the same for both forward lines from both defences, but it seemed that Freo players in forward of the ground were better able to find space to take marks more than Collingwood.

 

Despite being able to find space better than Collingwood, Freo were a point behind at the end of the first quarter. Collingwood took the lead with a goal from a Membrey mark after 5 minutes followed a short time later by a point, which should have been a goal again from Membrey. Freo came more into the game later in the quarter and Switkowski found himself alone 20 metres from goal almost directly in front at the 20 minute mark to notch their first goal.

 

Collingwood 1.2 – 8 to Freo 1.1 – 7

 

Second Quarter

 

The second quarter saw the game being played as much in one 50 as the other with Freo notching their second goal after 5 minutes to take the lead. 4 minutes later Ned Long restored the lead for Collingwood with a neat shot from 40 metres out on a slight angle.

 

The game by now was being played in both forward 50s with lots of pressure from both sides leading to mistakes from attackers and defenders. 5 minutes later after 24 minutes of play Collingwood extended their lead with a nice mark by McStay to the right of the goal. His round the corner right foot shot bisected the posts nicely. It was a pity McStay also missed a very gettable shot to make the lead even greater at half time.

 

Collingwood’s De Goey had been forced to pullout of the contest with concussion, a loss that had been equalled by Freo’s first ruck Darcy also pulling out.

 

Collingwood 3.5 – 23 to Freo 2.2.-14

 

 

Third Quarter

 

Well-known as the premiership quarter, Freo came out of the blocks firing kicking three goals from nice play to lead by 8 points within the first five minutes of the third period. A period of 13 minutes of to and fro football emerged with little change in the score before one of those really tearjerking moments in footy when a debutant scored his first goal in his first match ever. A nice bit of play saw McStay take a mark on the flank then neatly centre where Anderson, in his first game took a mark about 35 metres out in front. His kick went straight through the high-diddle-diddle to bring the Pies to within 2 points. His family in the stands rejoiced with the rest of the Pie faithful. With just over a minute go in the third quarter a brave mark by Jack Crisp gave him the chance to goal and take the lead back, which he did with aplomb. If only some other players could have kick straight like Crispy?

 

Collingwood 5.6-36 to Freo 5.2-32

 

Fourth Quarter

 

During the first 14 minutes of the final quarter the teams swapped behinds to extend the Pies lead to 7 points; 39-32. This score was Collingwood’s final tally, and all the 3 behinds were kickable majors from McStay and Shultz from marks and Nick Daicos from a running shot. All these misses were close enough as well as being either directly in front or on a slight angle. With just over 5 minutes left on the clock Freo scored a goal to leave them only a point behind which they increased to  5 points ahead from a mark dead in front only 40 metres out, a chance the Pies had three times earlier in the quarter and did not take. Less than a minute later a terrible attempted pass of about 20 metres from Billy Frampton to Jamie Elliott hit the ground before reaching him and his Freo opponent prevented him taking possession and from the loose ball they scored to give them the lead back by 5 points for the first time since early in the third quarter a lead they increased to 6 points within a minute. With only 4 minutes left the Pies still had the chance get back to level pegging but they could not penetrate a desperate defence and Freo finished the game a goal in front.

 

Collingwood 5.9-39 to Freo 7.3.45

 

 

The final score hid the Pies desperation, run and domination for large parts of the game, but also the lack of linkage between the midfield and forward line, a weakness that has been evident in just about all the games this season so far. No single forward has a notched a bagful of goals either in a game nor in total so far. The tall forwards are not taking marks often enough and the small ones not getting the crumbs they normally feed on. It is hard to know whether the ball is not coming in quickly enough to give the forwards the time and space to take marks or get crumbs from contests or do the forwards not know how and where the ball will be delivered to so are always at the mercy of good defenders.

 

Collingwood now has to face a wounded and under pressure Carlton followed by an Essendon who beat Melbourne today by 45 points, then come Hawthorn and Geelong. None of these will be easy for a team that appears to lack the consistent pressure and system to challenge the top teams this year. Maybe it really is time to develop the youngsters.

 

Votes for this week

 

3 – Nick Daicos – despite his crucial miss in the last quarter showed he is the star we can build the next great team on.

2 – Jack Crisp – never stops running and making himself available to link with the rest of the team.

1 – Angus Anderson – Showed why we drafted him and has real promise. A goal in his debut match an extra.

 

COLLINGWOOD        1.2    3.5    5.6    5.9 (39)
FREMANTLE              1.1    2.2    5.2    7.3 (45)

 

GOALS
Collingwood: Membrey, McStay, Long, Anderson, Crisp
Fremantle: Dudley 2, Amiss 2, Switkowski, Johnson, Bolton

 

BEST
Collingwood: N.Daicos, Frampton, Crisp, Maynard, Quaynor, Schultz
Fremantle: Ryan, Jackson, Pearce, O’Meara, Reid, Serong, Brayshaw

 

INJURIES
Collingwood: De Goey (concussion)
Fremantle: Darcy (concussion)

 

 

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