A Tale of Two Contests.

Round 8 Collingwood v Geelong Saturday May 3 2025

 

It was a pity that Cyclone Alfred caused Prime Minister Albo to call the Federal Elections on May 3 rather than April 12 which was apparently his original intention. Had the Elections been on April 12 then I would have been able to watch Collingwood beating the Sydney Swans (on TV since the game was in Adelaide) on the Friday and still have watched the Election count on TV, which I find an interesting (if a little overlong) spectator sport, on the Saturday night.

 

However, since both the Pies and Antony Green were playing on Saturday night, I was off to the ‘G’ and would have been even if I hadn’t committed to report the game for the Floreat Pica Society. Apart from anything else I wanted to be there when Jack Crisp broke Jim Stynes’ record. My objective for the evening was to see a win for Collingwood and a defeat for Peter Dutton. (I realise that FPS is apolitical, and our members may have all sorts of political views so I won’t outline why I opposed Dutton but this report will not make sense if I do not explain who I was barracking for and against) On the whole I was more confident about Pies victory than a Coalition defeat.

 

First quarter

 

As the players run through the banner celebrating Jack Crisp’s passing Jim Stynes’ record number of consecutive games, Crisp enters the field with his children.  Shortly after the bounce of the ball it becomes clear that Oisin Mullen will be attempting to tag Nick Daicos.

 

Geelong is in attack for much of the early part of the quarter with goals to Neale, Blicavs and Bailey Smith.  Darcy Cameron, Naicos and Sidebottom are playing well but the Pies are kicking points.  Things start to change halfway through the quarter with Bobby Hill kicking a beautiful goal after Membrey taps the ball to him.  While the Cats add to their score with a goal to Dempsey the momentum is now with the Pies as Bobby kicks to a lead from Mason Cox who goals. Collingwood is now dominating the corridor and goals follow to Darcy Cameron and Brodie Mihocek. At Quarter time it is 4.5 to the Pies and 4.2 to the Cats.

 

Shortly before the end of the quarter Jim K (who is sitting next to me) receives a text from his daughter saying that Labor is doing well in the early counting. I spend the quarter time break listening to the ABC election coverage. No clear-cut results yet but things looking better for Albo than Mr Dutton.

 

Second Quarter

 

Geelong’s principal ruckman, Rhys Stanley, is subbed off with a hamstring injury.  This should help Darcy Cameron, who is already the dominant ruckman on the field. Stanley’s replacement, Oliver Wiltshire, was recruited from Barwon Heads in the Bellarine League. Geelong has three players named Oliver and I have nothing against two of them.

 

Dan Houston, our boom recruit this year, kicks a goal within the first two minutes of the quarter. A little later a chain of accurate foot passes ends with ‘Billy’ Elliot who scores. Ollie Henry marks to a chorus of Magpie crowd boos. Henry goals. He is the Geelong Ollie that I don’t like. It is not so much that he demanded to be cleared to Geelong after only two years at Collingwood. It is that he played so much better for the Cats than he ever did for the Pies.

 

Maynard is powerful in defence stopping several Geelong runs, Perryman and Quaynor are also playing well down back. Jaicos passes to Naicos  for a successful shot on goal. Shaun Mannagh goals on the run for Geelong. And then it is Half Time. The half time score is Collingwood 7.7. to Geelong 6.6. The Pies seemed to be on top right through the second quarter but in fact the difference is only seven points at half time.

 

A few minutes before half time some of the people sitting near us report that the ABC has called the election for Labor. Most people around us seemed to be pleased at the outcome.

 

Third Quarter

 

Collingwood attacks in the opening five minutes through Pendlebury, De Goey and the Daicos brothers but with no reward until Mihocek marks in front of goal and kicks his second. Shortly after this I receive a text from my son telling me that Dutton has lost his seat. The football is close, the poll appears not to be.

 

Schultz, playing as a defensive forward tackles a Geelong player and the ball comes to Pendlebury who goals and then salutes in celebration. The Pies appear to be winning the quarter and then the ball is in the Cats’ forward zone and the wrong Cameron (i.e. Jeremy rather than Darcy) kicks a goal. Shortly after Wiltshire scores for Geelong.

 

Collingwood is still applying forward pressure. Schultz to Pendlebury to Membrey – goal. At the other end of the ground Dangerfield tackles Moore and the ball jars free and results in a Mannagh goal. Dangerfield is Geelong’s oldest player, a year older than Sidebottom and two years younger than Pendles and at this point is easily the biggest threat to a Collingwood victory.

 

The three quarter time score is Pies 10.10 and Cats 9.9. A seven point margin, the same as it was at half time.

 

Last Quarter

 

Naicos and his tagger clash for the ball and Nick remonstrates with Mullin in a manner that the Umpire doesn’t like and is penalised 50 metres. Geelong has been attacking for most of the early part of the quarter but have only produced two points. Then in a scramble on Geelong’s forward line Moore pushes the ball away only to end up tapping it to Henry who goals. Geelong is now a point in front. Sidebottom levels the score with a point from a shot from which he would normally score six points.

 

Cox is subbed out and replaced by Hoskin-Elliott apparently for team balance. Shortly after Mihocek misses one he would normally have kicked. Perryman is proving very strong in defence.

 

Then the momentum changes again. Ollie Dempsey kicks a goal to put the Cats in front. Followed shortly after by one to Dangerfield. Bailey Smith kicks a running goal which fortunately isn’t. It is touched on the way through. Next Geelong’s Bowes kicks a goal and Geelong are looking good.

 

Lachie Schultz kicks a goal for us. Blicavs claims he touched it. The goal umpire rules that he did. Watching from above in the second tier of the Ponsford it doesn’t look like it was touched. Watching the Kayo replay two nights later it still doesn’t look like it was touched. However the television review at the time was ruled inconclusive so the umpire’s call stands. At this point there are three and a half minutes to go and Geelong lead by17 points.

 

Brodie Mihocek takes a pack mark and kicks his third goal. Ten points the difference, two and a half minutes to go. Bobby Hill runs down Mannagh in a tackle and the Magpie Army goes wild because we all assumed that Bobby would be paid holding the ball. The umpire rules that Mannagh was ‘legged’ because Bobby’s hands slipped past Mannagh’s knees. Bobby can’t believe it. Neither can the Magpie Army.

 

Collingwood goes into attack only to have the attack thwarted by a free kick to Geelong’s Bowes. No-one knows why. Inside the last minute Mihocek kicks his fourth goal and the Pies are only four points behind. Jack Crisp marks just before the siren. Here is the dream scenario. Jack kicking the winning goal, after the siren, on his record breaking match. Unfortunately, dreams do not always come true. Crisp kicks a point and the Cats win by three points.

 

So I got one of my desired results, but I went home disappointed. We came so close to winning. It was great football (by both sides) but it only feels like a great game when we win.

 

Horsbrough Medal Votes.

 

3 Votes Nick Daicos. He gets a shed load of possessions every week. They are all used creatively and he is so much fun to watch.

2 Votes  Darcy Cameron. All that attacking running, all those magnificent clearances, none of them would be possible without Cameron’s first class ruck work.

1 Vote. Harry Perryman. Best game since he came to Collingwood. Fine mark, fine defender.

 

I would have liked to also given votes to Sidebottom, Pendlebury and Mihocek.

 

COLLINGWOOD     4.5     7.7     10.10     12.15 (87)
GEELONG                  4.2     6.6     9.9     13.12 (90)

 

GOALS
Collingwood: Mihocek 4, Hill, Cox, Cameron, Houston, Elliott, N.Daicos, Pendlebury, Membrey
Geelong: Mannagh 2, Dempsey 2, O.Henry 2, Neale, Blicavs, Smith, Cameron, Wiltshire, Dangerfield, Bowes 

 

BEST
Collingwood: N.Daicos, Pendlebury, Cameron, J. Daicos, Sidebottom, Mihocek
Geelong: Dangerfield, Smith, Blicavs, Holmes, Atkins, Dempsey

 

INJURIES
Collingwood: Nil
Geelong: Stanley (hamstring)

 

SUBSTITUTES
Collingwood: Will Hoskin Elliott (replaced Mason Cox in the fourth quarter)
Geelong: Oliver Wiltshire (replaced Rhys Stanley at quarter-time)

 

Crowd: 82,514 at the MCG

 

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