Round 7 – Richmond v Collingwood: Floreat Pica Society

A week of contrasts in the game of life had me searching through the  Book of Ecclesiastes 3 for inspiration.  I’m not a religious man, apart from my devout following of the Collingwood Football Club, but this week saw the off-field highs of celebrating my youngest daughter’s 21st birthday and the lows of paying respects at a funeral for the passing of a Tiges friend’s father.

 

There is a time for everything,  and a season for every activity under the heavens:

    a time to be born and a time to die,

    a time to plant and a time to uproot,

    a time to kill and a time to heal,

    a time to tear down and a time to build,

    a time to weep and a time to laugh,

    a time to mourn and a time to dance,

    a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

    a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,

    a time to search and a time to give up,

    a time to keep and a time to throw away,

    a time to tear and a time to mend,

    a time to be silent and a time to speak,

    a time to love and a time to hate,

    a time for war and a time for peace.

 

 

It was a battle of two middle range teams and like the Book of Ecclesiastes, was a game full of contrasts and extremes. A sparkling first quarter from the Pies with slingshot transitions into an open forward line saw us leading by 4 goals and seemingly on the way to a strong victory. Clokey was huge with strong leading and marking. A classy Seedy pass saw Cloke mark and line up from his bogey 25 metre distance. Would we weep or would we cheer? After a week of media scrutiny on his goal kicking he kicked truly to get off to a confident start. Young De Goey was also prominent early up forward making space and converting. Smart long kicking into the open forward line sees Clokey set up Broomy who sweeps in for a goal, and then a long Goldie pass to Elliott and he marks and goals. Jesse White marks strongly 10 metres out directly in front and misses a sitter – it was time to weep. What should have been a 5 goal lead was turned on its head to be only a 20 point lead as Vickery got a cheap goal just before quarter time.

 

The second quarter was a complete opposite to the first. We got smashed in the centre clearances, the ball bounced their way and the Tiges searched for their running game and found it. Their midfield got right on top, they had space in their forward line and we couldn’t stick a tackle. Six goals in a row for the Tiges and we were in more trouble than Johnny Depp’s dogs. Add to that Tooves being subbed off with a knee injury and we looked in disarray. But we finally stopped the rampant Tiges and 3 goals in a row to White, Cloke and Elliott see us back in front. But time for the pendulum to swing again – with the Tiges finishing the quarter with the last 3 goals to hold a 2 goal lead at half time. Some strange match ups in our defence where Varcoe was twice standing Riewoldt.

 

The Tiges start the 3rd quarter like they started the 2nd with two early goals and out to a 4 goal lead. Things are looking crook if Grigg is getting easy possessions kicking goals and even Batchelor is finding himself alone with time and space. We scrap our way back into the match with some ugly but effective footy. Swanny stands up with two long goals, Krispy kremes it with two goals and Clokey’s on target with another long goal from 55 out. In between, Cotchin gets one for them too easily from a boundary throw in. The quarter finishes with a great Grundy mark and unselfish pass to Seedy 20m out almost directly in front. But another example of our NQRness raises its head, he shanks a dinky drop punt and misses everything and instead of a 7 point lead and momentum we lead by solitary point at the final change.

 

The early part of the last quarter looked like neither side knew how to win, and the straight kicking Cloke puts a blemish on his day with a vital miss. Pendles limps off and I’m worried – who’s gunna stand up and win this game. And then enter Deledio who takes two strong marks on the lead and kicks two clutch goals to give the Tiges a sniff of their season being re-born. White marks in front and goals and then marks again and misses an opportunity to put us in front – every week he gives us a time to cheer and a time to weep. Grundy storms through the centre and drills a Barry-Price-like pass onto the chest of Blair who kicks truly and puts us in front. We’ve had the momentum but we’re not putting it on the scoreboard. If we get the next goal it’ll be time to dance, but 5 minutes of unproductive footy sees momentum swing and goals to Vickery and Riewoldt put a nail in our coffin. A goal to Witts gives us at the ground without access to the countdown clock some hope, but the siren sounds as the ball lands in the cheersquad and it’s a frustrating 5 point loss.

 

Like the Ecclesiastes there’s contrasting thoughts. I wished that it was a time to be silent, but having put my hand up to do the FPS report I have to speak. I don’t know what to say or how to say it. I’m confused. I look through the players and can only find room for Swan and Cloke in our best, yet we were oh so close to a win. The Tiges midfield dominated possession yet we still hung in there and probably should have won the game had we kicked straight for goal at vital times. We have too much variation in our individual performances – too many guys can look the goods, then will make vital errors that cost us dearly. I still think we are on the rise, but we need to be better at taking our chances or we’ll continue to have our falls like today.

 

So, a week of celebration for me ends with a footy game of despair. And for my Tiges buddy, a week of mourning ends with a game where he can dance. Happy birthday Em and Arrivederci Tony.

 

The Wally Lovett Medal

3-Swanny

2-Clokey

1-Grundy

 

COLLINGWOOD        4.4     7.5     12.7    15.10 (100)
RICHMOND                1.2     9.5     12.6    16.9 (105)


GOALS
Collingwood: Cloke 3, Elliott 2, Crisp 2, Swan 2, White 2, De Goey, Broomhead, Blair, Witts
Richmond:
Riewoldt 4, Vickery 3, Grigg 2, Cotchin 2, Deledio 2, McIntosh, Morris, Maric

BEST
Collingwood: Swan, Cloke, Adams, Crisp, Williams, Pendlebury
Richmond:
Cotchin, Deledio, Riewoldt, Grigg, Rance, Ellis

INJURIES
Collingwood: Toovey (knee)
Richmond
: Houli (shoulder)

SUBSTITUTES
Collingwood: Patrick Karnezis replaced Alan Toovey (knee) in the second quarter
Richmond:
Connor Menadue replaced Liam McBean at three-quarter time

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Farmer, Stephens, Schmitt

Official crowd: 59,034 at the MCG

About Ramon Dobb

A footy and cricket fanatic. A lifelong passionate one eyed Mighty Magpie fanatic. My writing is unashamedly written with one black & white eye open only - so please don't take offence, it's nothing personal, it's just the black & white way! Also a lifelong player and member of Washington Park Cricket Club, the Mighty Sharks. My 15 minutes of fame includes regular contributions to Hot Pies, the 1999-2004 Fanzine, and regular contributor to the Coodabeen Champions weekly competition from their heady 3RRR days. Go Pies and Floreat Pica.

Comments

  1. Good summary RD. I listened to the last quarter in the car driving home. Every time you hit the front I thought ‘this is when the Tigers choke’, but they kept coming. Unusual for them not to beat themselves in a tight game.
    Was Pendles playing hurt the difference in a tight game?

  2. ramondobb says

    Thanks PB. The Pendles question is a Yes and No answer. For the Affimative – A fit Pendles probably would have gotten us over the line because that’s what he does, he’s a Rolls Royce. For the Negative – the others needed to lift and do their bit, but apart from Swanny the others weren’t up to it on the day. The difference was ultimately that the Tiges midfield shared the load better and Lids kicked 2 clutch goals when needed. Winners are grinners and we dust ourselves off for next week.

  3. Peter Fuller says

    I spent most of the afternoon watching the soccer, just turning over from time to time. I got a totally false impression, as each time I looked it seemed Collingwood had one of their runs of goals, yet the scoreboard continued to tell a different story. Did the Tigers have any equivalent shooting for goal bloopers as the Magpies? Is there any basis for the Wrap’s insinuation that the umpiring might have influenced the result, given that it was such a close one?
    RD, I think that you’re on the money with your assessment of the standing of the two teams, middle-ranking scrappers – a whole lot better than my Blues, mark you.

  4. The Wrap says

    I can answer that PF. No, the Tiges kicked truly for once. Brendan Ellis hit the post running in to an open goal in the shadow of full time at a time when a major would have really put the cap on it. As it turned out Richmond were able to defend away the time that goal would have given them. A great contest, and I reckon the judgement of two middle ranking sides is a bit tough. How about two up & coming sides?

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