Brisbane v Collingwood
Round 6
Thursday, 17 April 2025, 7.30pm
The Gabba
A MARKER IS LAID
by Guy Fazzino
Prologue
Since the summer time loss in Opening Round to GWS, Collingwood has had an encouraging start to the season, winning its next four matches, the most impressive being last week’s authoritative victory over Sydney in Gather Round, where Ned Long emerged as a potential midfield weapon. Brisbane meanwhile, have begun their Premiership defence undefeated and sit atop the AFL ladder with a 5-0 record. In fact they’re on a ten-game winning streak, their previous loss coming in R24 last year to yes, the Pies. Yet the Lions haven’t been overly convincing this year, having to overcome half time deficits in four of those wins. Are they just building themselves up for bigger and better things later in the season or are there chinks in their armour?
Leaving Adelaide on a high, Collingwood immediately travelled north for the second leg of their two-week road trip. This was the seventh edition of the now traditional Thursday night clash before Easter with the Lions holding a 4-2 win-loss record. The Pies however, have won their last three encounters overall, beginning with that game in 2023, mmmmm …oh yes – the Premiership.
The Pies, missing Houston, Schultz and Mitchell from their best 22, welcomed back De Goey after a week out with ankle and achilles soreness and brought in Cox for ruck support, at the expense of Membrey and Sullivan who were being “managed”. Meanwhile the Lions, without Lohmann, McCarthy, Coleman and Starcevich, made two changes and brought in a debutant – Marshall. In what is a brutal start to their season, the Pies are playing their sixth consecutive game against a 2024 finalist.
Having flown in late that afternoon, I then caught the Airtrain to the city before walking to the ground. En route, I stopped in at the Morrison Hotel for a refreshing ale and some fish and chips, swapping stories with punters festooned in all their black and white regalia. Now primed and ready to go, I surfed down Stanley Street in a sea of supporters swarming to the Gabba on this gloriously balmy Queensland evening. Eventually I found my seat behind the western end goals and waited in nervous anticipation for the game to unfold in front of 34,802 fans.
Q1 – Hungry Like The Wolf
Pies on from the get go. McStay imposes himself early and soon has two goals from set shots, the second after a brilliant piece of play from the centre bounce – Cox to Naicos, who flicks it to Pendles who returns the favour before Nick bursts clear and bombs it up to the forward line for McStay to take a fine two-grabber. The Maggies are everywhere, hunting like wolves. Moore sets the tone by smashing the ball away in a marking contest. The Pies are denying the Lions the corridor, forcing them to go wide from the backline. They look hesitant, kicking sideways, taking endless, meaningless marks while the Pies wait, like sharks in a pool, ready to feast. Once they wrest possession, the Maggies run in waves. Eventually, Pendles boots it to a pack where Mihocek snaps truly to the delight of the thousands of Collingwood fans in the crowd. But it gets better! After Bailey gets done for running too far on the outer wing, Lipinski passes it to Jaicos who is then awarded a monster 50m penalty after Bailey oversteps the mark. Josh then waltzes through the 50m arc and bombs a sensational goal! No way!
At the end of a pulsating quarter, the Pies deserve their lead, even though Brisbane have missed a number of set shots. They look sharper and have more players making an impact. Brisbane look their most dangerous when they surge from a counter attack, their two goals coming from set shots to the Big O and Hipwood.
Darcy Cameron is having another very good game, taking important marks and being in the right place at the right time. The Daicos boys have been in everything and Lipinski has been busy while the old guard of Pendlebury and Sidebottom just keep on keeping on. De Goey looks rusty, shanking a couple of kicks, while Perryman looks fumbly and Hill, McCreery and WHE are relatively quiet. Cox, while winning his centre bounce clearances, is ineffective up forward. For Brisbane, Dunkley and the Ashcroft boys are leading the way, but Neale and McCluggage are finding it hard to get into the game and Cameron has hardly been sighted.
Lions 2.4.16 Pies 4.2.26
Q2 – Stronger for Longer
Elliott and C Cameron miss set shots before Rayner kicks truly after a chain of slow possession. With “Sweet Caroline” ringing around the stadium, the crowd is starting to lift. After Hipwood misses a very gettable set shot, the Lions are only 3 points down and it’s “game on”.
Josh sharks the ball off a pack in D50 and shoots the ball downfield. Hill swoops onto it and sprints down the wing in a blistering burst of speed. What follows is a frantic chain of Collingwood possession until McStay is crunched into the goalpost by Andrews. He’s awarded a free and nonchalantly slots his third while a melee forms between Hill and Answerth and then a number of others join the fray. The crowd erupts, clearly and vociferously expressing their disapproval. I look around me and just smirk quietly in delight. When Lipinski gets Bailey in a coat hanger, tensions boil over and the crowd is at fever pitch, wanting blood. Alas for them, all they get is a free kick and a missed shot at goal. Undeterred, the Pies get to work. From the ensuing point, Howe kicks out to Sidebottom, who kicks long to McStay who flicks it to Nick who then spots WHE with a superbly weighted kick! Will coolly converts from a 60 degree angle, 45m out. What a magnificent way to silence the crowd! It was then that I rose from my seat and roared my guts out, to the filthy looks of those around me. Who cares?
After the Lions get one back from a Day mark and goal, a relatively quieter passage of play ensues until Nick takes possession off hands in the backline. Weaving and sprinting out of trouble, he opens up play and feeds by hand to JDG, who in turn flicks it to Long who dishes it to Dependlebury who finds McCreery 55m out on a 45 degree angle. He then goes back and with everything he’s got, Beau sinks the slipper and goes BANG!
Minutes later, from a throw in 70m out from goal, Long barges his way through the pack and boots it forward creating another frenetic chain of Magpie possessions which finally lands in the hands of Crisp who shrewdly finds Long in space, having crept up like a stealth bomber. Showing increased maturity, he walks back and as the siren sounds, slots it through.
And so ends the second quarter. The Pies have met the inevitable challenge head on and then some. Nick’s first half was simply brilliant, with Josh not far behind. With only one or two exceptions, everyone was making a contribution. Andrews has been close to Brisbane’s best, along with Dunkley.
As everyone took their collective breath, we were all wondering the same thing – would Brisbane mount their familiar second-half comeback?
Lions 4.8.32 Pies 8.3.51
Q3 – The Premiership Quarter
Brisbane finally decide to put a hard tag on Nick – Jarrod Berry – only for it to backfire as the Pies go after him and he soon gives away a free kick to JDG in the pocket. Unfortunately, he fails to convert his around-the-corner kick. His kicking has so far let him down tonight.
After taking his second strong intercept mark this quarter, Moore chooses the wrong option and kicks to a contest. The ball’s turned over and it eventually ends up with the big O who kicks his second set shot goal for the game. Collingwood withstands the heat for the next few minutes and then, like a boa constrictor, slowly but surely suck the life out of the Lions as they take complete control of the game. That goal turns out to be Brisbane’s one and only scoring shot for the entire quarter.
Elliott takes a hanger on the wing. A few moments later, Hill runs down Zorko on the outer wing sufficiently to force a grubber kick which lands with Mihocek who pumps it forward. Payne drops a sitter, Elliott swoops onto the spillage, flicks it to McStay who in turns handballs it to Nick who puts on the jets and rams it home! Wow! Simply. Breathtaking! I jump 2 metres out of my seat in pure ecstasy.
The big Texan misses another sitter not long afterwards. He seems to have lost his radar the last 12 months. Perryman pumps a ball into the forward 50, it spills to ground, Elliott swoops onto it but unfortunately sprays it left.
But things turn for the better when IQ burns down the broadcast wing and pinpoints Elliott. This time he makes no mistake and all the boys get around the 200 gamer! Then Mihocek takes a mark and bangs one through post high from 50m!
Pies go coast to coast from Crisp to McStay but he can’t cap it off with an around-the-corner set shot. They make up for it however, when Elliott snaps his second just before the stroke of 3/4 time. Delirium breaks out in the stands! It’s party time!
A fantastic quarter by the Pies. Apart from De Goey, Perryman and Cox who are all quiet, everyone else is getting a lick of the ice-cream. Long seems to be getting better as the game wears on.
Lions 5.8.38 Pies 12.8.80
Q4 – The Denouement
Moore goes off after a few minutes after copping a knee to the ear from Howe. He’s eventually replaced by Allan. Luckily, it later transpires that he’s passed the concussion protocol and is therefore OK to play on Anzac Day. Brisbane take Ah Chee off for the debutant.
JDG is the recipient of a dubious free kick from Zorko and makes no mistake to put the game beyond any shadow of doubt. Hipwood takes a one-hander and converts.
Crisp takes possession in the backline and boots it to McCreery who dishes it off to Josh. He passes to Elliott who handballs to JDG who pumps it forward where it spills straight into Hill’s hands who snaps truly on his right. EEAASSYY!! Zorko kicks poorly into a nest of Magpies and Pendlebury easily spots up JDG who coolly goes back and bangs his second, this time from 50. He’s looking better now. Rayner gets a consolation free kick and kicks their 7th and last goal – all from set shots. In dead time, Hill puts the icing on the cake by dancing into an open goal for the Pies’ 16th. They then ice the game for a very, very impressive victory.
Lions 7.11.53 Pies 16.9.105
Post Mortem
Pies completely dominated the game, reducing the Lions to just 37 inside 50s. Collingwood win every quarter, kicking four goals in each of them. They honour Elliot’s 200th game in a Royal Command Performance and have firmly put a stake in the ground, stamping themselves as one of the Premiership contenders. For the Lions supporters, they had to console themselves with a couple of renditions of “Sweet Caroline”.
On a personal note, this would have to be one of the most gratifying of my 20 interstate trips that I’ve had the fortune to make. I didn’t get much sleep that night but it was a very enjoyable Good Friday flight home!
3 votes – The Younger One (was at his blistering best)
2 votes – The Older One (used the ball much better than he has this year. Was involved in lots of key passages of play)
1 vote – Steele (like a good bottle of red)
BRISBANE 2.4 4.8 5.8 7.11 (53)
COLLINGWOOD 4.2 8.3 12.8 16.9 (105)
GOALS
Brisbane: Rayner 2, McInerney 2, Hipwood 2, Day
Collingwood: McStay 3, Mihocek 2, Hill 2, Elliott 2, De Goey 2, McCreery, Long, Hoskin-Elliott, N.Daicos, J.Daicos
BEST
Brisbane: Neale, L.Ashcroft, Answerth, McInerney, Hipwood
Collingwood: N.Daicos, J.Daicos, McStay, Pendlebury, Sidebottom, Elliott
INJURIES
Brisbane: Nil
Collingwood: Nil
LATE CHANGES
Brisbane: Nil
Collingwood: Lachie Sullivan (managed) replaced by Mason Cox
SUBSTITUTES
Brisbane: Sam Marshall (replaced Callum Ah Chee in the fourth quarter)
Collingwood: Ed Allan (replaced Darcy Moore in the fourth quarter)
Crowd: 34,802 at the Gabba
Read more Floreat Pica Match Reports HERE.
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