Collingwood News
The trip to Perth to face the West Coast Eagles is never easy, but Collingwood has good reason to enter Sunday's NAB Cup fixture with confidence.One of only four sides to go through the first round of the competition undefeated, the Magpies are fresh after a week's rest and will enjoy the challenge of playing interstate for the first time since last September.
Pre-Season Head to Head
Collingwood: 3
West Coast: 4
1992 Foster's Cup
Collingwood 8.15 (63)
West Coast 14.13 (97)
Crowd: 11,000 at Marrara Oval
The match is memorable because…it was played during the Darwin summer during the hottest part of the day. Football Year 1992 described the match as "resembling a three-ring circus, with seemingly more trainers supplying water bottles than players on the ground".
The publication also noted that several players were taken from the field aftershowing signs of heat exhaustion and dehydration.
"Maybe next year they will send us to Papua New Guinea," Collingwood Leigh Matthews said after the loss.
The match was also notable for the fact that it was Collingwood's first since the death of legendary premiership wingman Darren Millane. The players woreblack armbands in Darwin as a mark of respect.
1998 Ansett Australia Cup
Collingwood 5.6 (36)
West Coast 13.12 (90)
Crowd: 17,535 at Subiaco Oval
The match is memorable because…Collingwood's preparation was a debacle. The Magpies decided to travel to Perth on the same day as the match, but the first flight from Tullamarine was delayed and then abandoned. After transferring to another flight, the team landed in Perth less than three hours before the bounce with the threat of a $20,000 fine hanging over the club's head.
2001 Ansett Australia Cup
Collingwood 12.8 (80)
West Coast 12.6 (78)
Crowd: 16,090 at Subiaco Oval
The match is memorable because…it was Collingwood's first win of any kind against the Eagles in Perth since 1992. Josh Fraser and Heath Scotland led the young Magpies to a gutsy two-point victory. The match heralded the arrival of the club's top draft pick Alan Didak.
2004 Wizard Cup
Collingwood 0.2.14 (26)
West Coast 1.18.14 (131)
Crowd: 24,101 at Subiaco Oval
The match is memorable because…well, hopefully it's not! In an ideal world, Collingwood supporters would have wiped this one from their memories for good, as the dismal scoreline suggests. The Pies were goalless at half time and managed only two majors for the night courtesy of Steve McKee and Dane Swan. Former Magpie Damien Adkins ran riot for the Eagles on a fast Subiaco track. It was Collingwood's first official match since the disaster that was the 2003 Grand Final, and it didn't bode well for the season to come.
2005 Wizard Cup
Collingwood 1.7.4 (55)
West Coast 1.14.13 (106)
Crowd: 10,780 at TIO Stadium
The match is memorable because…it was again played in hot and sticky conditions in Darwin. New recruit Chad Morrison came up against his old side for the first time. Young ruckman David Fanning, who was yet to appear at senior level, held his own against Dean Cox around the ground.
2009 NAB Cup
Collingwood 1.15.17 (116)
West Coast 3.3.9 (54)
Crowd: 22,819 at Subiaco Oval
The match is memorable because…it was originally supposed to be played in South Africa before the plans were scuppered due to the global economic meltdown.
It was staged on 7 February, making it one of the earliest starts to a season on record.
The match was also played in the backdrop of Victoria's Black Saturday Bushfires, meaning that, for once, the Perth temperatures weren't quite as hazardous as those in Victoria.
Nick Maxwell, leading Collingwood for the first time, was cited for a bump on West Coast's Patrick McGinnity and copped a four-week suspension that sparked an outcry in football circles. The ban was later overturned on appeal.
2011 NAB Cup
Collingwood 1.9.17 (80)
West Coast 0.8.8 (56)
Crowd: 15,360 at Patersons Stadium
The match is memorable because…it marked the premature end of Tom Hunter's football career. The 20-year-old Collingwood rookie copped the second serious bump to his head within six months and wasforced to retire lest he risk further damage.
Most Pre-Season games (current players)
24 – Ben Johnson
19 – Luke Ball (StK; Coll), Alan Didak
20 – Quinten Lynch (WCE)
19 – Dane Swan
18 – Travis Cloke, Heath Shaw
17 – Darren Jolly (Melb; Syd; Coll), Andrew Krakouer (Rich; Coll), Heath Shaw, Dale Thomas
16 – Nick Maxwell
15 – Scott Pendlebury
Most Pre-Season goals (current players)
26 – Travis Cloke
17 – Alan Didak
16 – Andrew Krakouer (Rich; Coll)
15 – Quinten Lynch (WCE)
12 – Dane Swan
*The record for the most goals kicked by a Collingwood player in a pre-season/night series competition is held by Peter McKenna (10 goals v Fitzroy in round 1, 1968.
Most Nine-Point Super Goals
3 – Alan Didak
2 – Dayne Beams
1 – Luke Ball, Marty Clarke, Travis Cloke, Darren Jolly, Paul Seedsman, Heath Shaw, Ben Sinclair, Dane Swan
*The record for the most nine-point super goals kicked by a Collingwood player is held by Ryan Lonie (5).
First round form
After gradually finding its touch against the Western Bulldogs in the first round-robin match, Collingwood looked destined to stumble against Essendon in the third game of the night when it trailed by 10 points with only minutes remaining.
The quick thinking of Andrew Krakouer and cool head of Travis Cloke earned two crucial late goals and catapulted the Pies into the lead with only 10 seconds left on the clock.
Essendon had one last chance at snatching victory when youngster Luke Davis had a shot at goal after the siren. His kick fell short, resulting in a two-point win to the black and white.
Twenty-four hours later, West Coast suffered the same fate as Essendon when it went down to Geelong by two points in the west. Key forward Jack Darling looked the part in attack with three goals while Andrew Gaff and Luke Shuey took control of the midfield.
In the final match of the night, the Eagles had cross-town rivals Fremantle on toast throughout theirshortened match, running out 24-point winners.
Midfielder Matthew Priddis was as prolific as ever and Sharrod Wellingham began his time in the blue and gold with eight possessions.
Players to watch
Jordan Russell – the one-time No. 9 draft pick has been mighty impressive during the pre-season and began his Collingwood career on the right note with a bright performance at half back in the opening round where he helped himself 13 possessions.
Jarrod Witts – there will be no Nic Naitanui to contend with, but the chance to take on and learn from Dean Cox is sure to be an eye-opener for the 20-year-old.
Quinten Lynch – the Q-Stick will face his old club for the first time in only his second night in a Collingwood jumper. As the Magpies are not scheduled to play the Eagles in Perth during the home and away season, it will be the one and only chance for his former fans to watch him live this year.
sportal.com.au
FORM:
Collingwood were just one of four teams to win both their games during the NAB Cup opening round and Magpies coach Nathan Buckley will have been thrilled with how his team ran out their two matches.
The Magpies took the lead midway through the second half in their opening match against the Western Bulldogs when Dane Swan slotted a super goal on the run, before kicking the final two goals of the game to win 1.6.2 (47) to 4.5 (29). In Collingwood's second hit-out, they kicked a pair of goals in the last two minutes to defeat Essendon 1.2.10 (31) to 4.5 (29).
West Coast Eagles suffered the same fate as the Bombers in their opening match with Joel Selwood kicking a super goal for Geelong to knock off the Western Australian side. But the Eagles dominated their second NAB Cup fixture, leading from almost start to finish against Fremantle to win 1.4.7 (40) to 2.4 (16).
WALKING WOUNDED:
Neither team are likely to have any players return from injury for Sunday's match. Tyson Goldsack (ankle) represents Collingwood's best opportunity for an inclusion but is first expected to be fit for Round 3 of the NAB Cup. Former Magpie Brad Dick and teenager Brant Colledge are West Coast's most-likely returnees from injury but, like Goldsack, they are set to return next week.
WHO'S HOT:
Travis Cloke's protracted contract talks were one of the biggest stories of the 2012 AFL season, the forward eventually deciding to extend his stay with the Magpies. Cloke has already shown he is braced for a big 2013 with three goals over the Magpies' two opening-round games.
For the Eagles, Chris Masten was the biggest possession-getter in the opening-round hit-outs against Geelong and Fremantle with nine disposals per game. The 23-year-old midfielder averaged 21.7 disposals over his 24 games last season and will be one to watch against Collingwood.
WE THINK:
As one of four teams to still be undefeated in the NAB Cup, Collingwood have to be the favourites against West Coast. Patersons Stadium does not hold any fears for the Magpies either, as Collingwood have won four of their past six AFL games in Perth.
The positive for John Worsfold's Eagles, however, is that West Coast knocked off Collingwood in the Magpies' most recent trip to Patersons Stadium. West Coast triumphed 15.17 (107) to 8.10 (58) in Round 22 last season but with Nic Naitanui, Daniel Kerr and Sharrod Wellingham all out injured, the Eagles may be undermanned on Sunday. Collingwood to win by 23 points.
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