Round 8 – Collingwood v Hawthorn: Floreat Pica Society Match Report

 

Round 8
Collingwood v Hawthorn
Thursday 30 April 2026
MCG

 

All week I’m wondering why I put my hand up for this report. Why do I want to write a
report for a game where we’re going to be slaughtered? Especially when directly
contrasted with a great win over the Bombers and Gayle’s beautiful ANZAC match
report! The teams don’t do anything to ease my sense of doom. It’s not looking
promising! And yet, I make my way to the G.

 

I wanted to get the report out quickly, so I haven’t rewatched the game except for the
last 5 minutes – so please forgive any inaccuracies!

 

1st Quarter
Perryman lines up against the Nick Watson to start the match, which should be a good
contest. The Hawks get on the board first with a behind, and then D’Ambrosio makes a
nice little move and scores. A pleasing chain of handballs results in the first Pies goal –
Crisp, Bruz, Josh, Schultz, De Goey. Not long after, Long takes an advantage off a free
that wasn’t an advantage and gets done holding the ball. Then Sidebottom makes an
error in judgement, casually bouncing the ball into 50 but is chased down and kicks it to
a Hawks player in the goal square. A series of Hawthorn behinds keeps us in the quarter,
and we get another goal from Hayes who kicks a beautiful goal off hands from a
Perryman kick inside 50. Perryman then smothers a Hawthorn kick in front of goal and
earns a free. Unfortunately, he turns it over not long after, and the Hawks take another
mark inside 50. Luckily, it’s another behind to Lewis. We notice that Anderson is on
Newcombe, and he seems to be doing an effective job at dulling his influence.

 

Hawthorn almost take a defensive mark inside 50, but we spoil it, and Shultz collects it
and kicks true. At this point, inside 50s are 11 to 4 in favour of Hawthorn, but we have
been taking our opportunities. As if on cue, Hawthorn have another shot for another
behind, this time from Newcombe. Houston delivers a great kick inside 50, which is
marked by Anderson who scores. He’s been a real positive. In a mirror of an earlier
passage of play, DC almost takes a mark inside defensive 50 but he’s spoiled, but unlike
us, Hawthorn don’t capitalise and it’s another behind. Hawthorn send the ball inside 50
again, to a 2 on 2, and Hawthorn come out the better of the contest and Gunstan goals.
Bruz is on the ground and gestures to say he touched it, but the goal umpire
enthusiastically calls a goal. BUT WAIT! He did! The ball is brought back to the goal
square, and we end the quarter with a goal from De Goey. We end the quarter with 7
inside 50s for 5 straight goals, compared to Hawthorn’s 15 inside 50s for 1 goal 7.

 

Collingwood 5.0.30
Hawthorn 1.7.13

 

2nd Quarter
The pies kick inside 50 off the opening ….toss (it just doesn’t sound right!!!!) and Elliot
gets his arms chopped as he attempts the mark and gets a free. He passes it off to Bruz
who kicks it! We’re off to a great start to the quarter. Ginny takes a mark and some loud
boos go up around the ground, which we know only fires him up. Weddle marks for the
Hawks and they miss again.

 

DC gives away a free at half forward, but we get possession again in the centre. Gus
holds strong and the ball moves forward, and after a quick review to see if it was out of
bounds, McStay is given a mark on the boundary on a tight angle. He misses short for
our first behind of the game. After we make a series of possessions for the Hawks very
tough, Ginni scores. The Hawks give up what I’ve written in my notes is “a very dumb 50”
in the centre and Buller marks next to the goal square and makes it 7 for the Pies. Nice
to see some of his VFL confidence come through at AFL level.

 

Some good pressure from the Pies slows the Hawks down, but Sicily kicks a great kick
inside 50 and Reeves’ kick is straight. The Hawks have now doubled their goal tally from
the 1st quarter just a little over half way through the 2nd. A mark to McStay isn’t paid,
and leads to 2 (weak) frees paid to Hawthorn, including to Reeves inside 50 after he
tumbles to the ground after being brushed by Steene. Thankfully, karma is out and about
tonight and he misses for yet another behind.

 

Buller takes another mark, this time around 45 out, and he passes it off to a running
Houston who misses for a behind. Bummer. The Hawks kick it up the members side and
the ball gets to Ginni, who is absolutely mowed down by Schulz for the holding the ball
free. Sometime around here, the screens show images of Perryman heading down to the
rooms – potentially terrible news as he has been excellent tonight (and all season, at
that!). There’s an exciting goal to Watson for the Hawks, and then Long takes a mark just
inside 50, passes it off to a running Houston (déjà vu), who misses, again (déjà vu). With
less than a minute to go, Long gives away a holding free kick on Newcombe straight in
front of goal and he scores. The margin is back to 5.

 

Collingwood 7.3.45
Hawthorn 5.10.40

 

3rd Quarter
Before the second half starts, we see that Perryman is out for the game. No! I feel more
anxious about that margin now. We start the quarter well with a goal to Elliot, even
though I wasn’t home to light my candle Young Hayes kicks a goal off a great team
effort, you love to see it. He’s got some great speed, and just seems to have good
instincts. Watson shows some of the same speed down the other end – Frampton spoils
in a 1:1 with Lewis but Wiz collects the ball and runs into the goal and scores. The
Hawks kick another in quick succession off MacDonald. The ensuing centre toss gets
Steene a free. He kicks inside 50 and McStay takes a strong mark and gets the goal!
Unfortunately, not long after, Josh makes a not-so-great decision under pressure,
handballing to a 1 on 3 instead of, you know, kicking the ball forward. Hawthorn score
off the play with a goal to Lewis, and they get another quickly after. The Hawks are
coming, their pressure feels high, and it feels like we’re losing our structure. Luckily, we
win a free inside our 50 to Steene, who kicks it through to a chorus of boos from the
Hawthorn supporters, who do not agree with the free kick call. And then Nick performs
contrary to his recent form and actually kicks a goal on the run, and quite a good one at
that. Schultz has had a good game so far, but a poor kick sideways into the middle gets
turned over, and Lewis gets another goal for Hawthorn. And once again, Hawthorn kick
a goal from Dear with seconds left in the quarter to pull ahead by 2 points. The inside
50s are now 45 to 23 in favour of the Hawks.

 

Collingwood 12.3.75
Hawthorn 11.11.77

 

It’s going to be a nail biter!!

 

4th Quarter
Weddle looks sure to open the quarter with a Hawthorn goal, but he hits the post. Sidey
takes a strong mark just inside 50 and passes off to Elliot who kicks it straight! We’re
back in front! Pressure is high, and there are lots of tussles back and forth, and
Hawthorn get another behind. And then another one. It’s 1 point the difference. Billy
kicks another goal from almost the same spot again and we’re up by 7. Inside 50s are
now 52 to 26.

 

We’re playing with intensity; our pressure is high and it’s good to see. And yet I can’t help
but feel like I’m going to regret typing that (I’m a big believer in a jinx). Nick has two bad
possessions in a row, the latter kicking it to a hawthorn player in the middle. We defend
strongly, but there’s another turnover from Nick going into our forward 50 and Hawthorn
score off the ensuing chain of possessions. Back to a lead of 1.

 

The scoreboard shows the attendance for the game – 76,632. Some Hawks supporters
seated around us murmur in an impressed fashion; just another typical crowd at a Pies
match!

 

Our pressure stays high. Hawthorn get a holding the ball free kick but we immediately
tackle and gain back possession, and Sidey takes a mark 55ish out. The Hawks give
away a 50m penalty for a violation of the stand rule, and Sidey scores! The margin is
back to 7 with under 5 minutes to go. The play is frantic and high pressure and neither
team is executing skills the best. With 3 minutes to go, Collingwood work to eat some
time off the clock with some kicks back and forth in the defensive 50. Hayes kicks into
an empty forward 50, and Hawthorn regain possession. Houston takes a mark deep
inside defensive 50 against an injured Sicily who has moved to forward. Less than 2
minutes to go. The ball moves down the ground but the Hawks get possession back at
half back, bring it back inside their 50, and D’Ambrosio snaps a behind. It’s now 6 points
the difference with 41 seconds to go. Josh takes the kick out, and it’s marked by Barrass,
who handballs to Ward, who kicks a centring kick inside 50. Darcy Moore fumbles the
mark and then takes Dylan Moore high in the tackle. The siren goes as their Moore lines
up for goal, and he kicks it through for the draw. What a let down.

 

I sing the “It’s a Draw” song to myself as we walk back to Flinders Street. If you had told
me we’d end the night with points this morning, I would have been pretty pleased with
that, but I can’t help but feel a bit disappointed too given the win was right there for us. It
wasn’t until the game ended that I realised DC had come off injured in the 4th. Getting
points while being undermanned in that way (no Perryman, no DC, no Pendles, no
Howe, no Beau, no Membrey) is something too, I guess. Statistically, we were smashed
pretty much across the board, except for tackles and one percenters, in which we came
out on top. Our inside 50 efficiency (44%!) was also incredibly impressive, especially
given our challenges in that domain. I’m looking forward to a rewatch, and digesting this
one further!

 

I’m not confident in this 3-2-1 without a rewatch, but I’m just going to do it and say:

 

3: Bruz – has just been so consistent and played a really solid game, high disposal
efficiency (96% apparently!) plus a goal.
2: Houston – Played a great game. I’d have given him the 3 if he’d kicked one of those 2
shots at goal
1: McStay – part of me wants to give it to Jamie (my favourite), but I was impressed with
McStay watching in person – he took strong marks all night, and looking at the stats can
see 6 contested possessions, 73% disposal efficiency, and a goal. He was solid, and I
can’t help but want him to do well for us with all the challenges he’s had.

 

 

COLLINGWOOD     5.0     7.3     12.3     15.3     (93)
HAWTHORN             1.7     5.10     11.11     13.15     (93)

 

GOALS
Collingwood: Elliott 3, De Goey 2, Hayes 2, Schultz, Anderson, Maynard, Buller, McStay, Steene, N.Daicos
Hawthorn: Macdonald 3, Watson 2, Lewis 2, D’Ambrosio, Ginnivan, Reeves, Newcombe, Dear

 

BEST
Collingwood: Houston, N.Daicos, Maynard, Crisp, De Goey, J.Daicos
Hawthorn: Newcombe, Macdonald, Mackenzie, Amon, Ginnivan, Watson

 

INJURIES
Collingwood: Perryman (hamstring), Cameron (ankle), Sidebottom (hand)
Hawthorn: Sicily (ankle)

 

Crowd: 76,632 at the MCG

 

To read other Round 8 match reports click HERE

 

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