WEST COAST 2.6.18 4.10.34 7.16.58 11.21.87
SCORERS - Collingwood: Fasolo (2.0), Swan (1.2), Sidebottom (1.1), Witts (1.1), Blair (1.0), Grundy (1.0), Seedsman (0.2), De Goey (0.1), Kennedy (0.1)
BEST - Collingwood: Sidebottom, Crisp, Williams, Varcoe, Pendlebury, Oxley
INJURIES - Collingwood: Cloke (calf)
SUBSTITUTES - Collingwood: Jarryd Blair replaced Travis Cloke in the first quarter
REPORTS: Jarrod Witts was reported for tripping Matt Priddis in the last quarter
OFFICIAL CROWD: 36,527 at Etihad Stadium
| 1. Cloke's calf and Witts' report Collingwood will be sweating on a favourable prognosis for their chief forward target Travis Cloke who, according to the club, has tweaked a calf, placing him in doubt for at least next week's crucial clash with the Western Bulldogs. Remarkably, Cloke has missed just nine games since 2007. The Pies' hopes of knocking off the second-placed Eagles looked slim when a visibly annoyed Cloke left the field just 15 minutes into proceedings and was substituted out of the contest, leaving the Pies without their top two goalkickers (given Jamie Elliott is already sidelined with a back problem). Ironically, and probably coincidentally given the Eagles' early dominance, the Collingwood attack started to function better without its spearhead as its midfielders worked into the game. Cloke's replacement, substitute Jarryd Blair, snared the Pies first goal after 26 minutes. Witts was reported in the opening seconds of the last quarter for tripping Matt Priddis with his leg. 2. McGovern's hammy The early loss of Cloke was buffered somewhat by a hamstring injury to Eagles star Jeremy McGovern, who hobbled off midway through the third term. If he is sidelined as expected, McGovern will be sorely missed given the Eagles' tough month ahead. The 23-year-old has been a revelation this season after the Eagles lost key defenders Eric Mackenzie and Mitch Brown early in the season. West Coast forward Josh Hill also battled a shoulder problem in the second half. ... it was the end of a month that produced some terrific football for Collingwood against quality opposition, but ultimately has resulted in four consecutive losses for the first time since 2006. |
3. Eagles soar, while Pies lose four in a row For the Eagles, this was the first leg of a season-defining stretch in which they face five top-eight teams in six weeks, including season-defining clashes with Sydney, Fremantle and Hawthorn – and they would have sewn this one up midway through the third quarter if they'd kicked straight. They have taken top spot, at least for a time. On the flipside, it was the end of a month that produced some terrific football for Collingwood against quality opposition, but ultimately has resulted in four consecutive losses for the first time since 2006. 4. Greenwood's fairly good 'Woods debut Ex-Kangaroo Levi Greenwood finally played his first game for the Pies after being sidelined with a fractured right ankle. A direct replacement for suspended inside midfielder Taylor Adams, Greenwood steadily worked into the contest, at times seeming to struggle with the step up in pace and intensity, but he won some hard balls and did some nice things with them. He finished with 18 possessions (17 of them in the first three quarters) in a solid first-up effort. A couple of other Collingwood inclusions also had their moments. Marley Williams, who was unavailable last week after a family bereavement, had the ball on a string with an equal career-best 33 touches, while Ben Kennedy ruined a reasonable game with several missed shots at goal. 5. Gaff's cool century In his 100th AFL game West Coast playmaker Andrew Gaff continued in the same, prolific manner that has made him one of the most influential figures in the Eagles' unexpected rise this year. The 24-year-old left-footer, who had averaged 30 touches in his previous two outings against the Pies, gathered 34 possessions (28 uncontested), four inside 50s and two score assists. He was part of a dominant midfield that also included Chris Masten (29 and a goal), Matt Priddis (29). The Pies best runner was Steele Sidebottom, who amassed a game-high 37 disposals and a goal. |
| THE MEDIA | |
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Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley says the Magpies face personnel challenges after power forward Travis Cloke suffered a suspected torn calf in a 31-point loss to West Coast at Etihad Stadium on Saturday night. Cloke left the field midway through the first term, and his absence proved a significant factor in the Pies losing their fourth successive game for the first time in nine years. "Just talking to Trav a moment ago, he felt a bit of a pop, so it's likely to be a calf tear," Buckley said in his post-match media conference. "But we'll scan it tomorrow (Sunday) or Monday and see where we go from there." After defeats to Fremantle, Hawthorn and Port Adelaide, and having their chances to win all three games, the Pies were soundly beaten in general play and were eventually put away by the inaccurate Eagles. "We're just not good enough, are we. We're just a little bit off at the moment," Buckley said. "We've had periods through that month where our footy's looked more than likely, and we've earned the right to win games when they've come to the end. Not tonight … "We're a little bit off the best sides at the moment. Are we surprised by that? Are you surprised by that? I don't think so. "We've got a lot of growth in us but there's no guarantee we're going to find it. We've got to make it happen." Buckley knows the critics will be coming, and that some will suggest the Pies have slumped into a downward spiral. "It'll be speculated on and it'll be written, but that doesn't make it so," he said. "We haven't had a win for five or six weeks, given the bye was in the middle of it. GWS, round 11, sitting at 8-3, looking all right, (but) we're 8-7 now. "As far as our football goes, some of it in the last month has been better than anything that we displayed in the first half of the year. So we're not going to get carried away with a run of losses …" The Pies face the Western Bulldogs next week, followed by Melbourne and Carlton in a run that will give them a chance to get back into winning form, although the loss of Cloke will make it a challenge. After the Blues it's another tough month leading into the finals with Sydney (away), Richmond and the Cats before a round 23 clash with Essendon. "There's going to be personnel challenges in some shape or form," Buckley predicted ahead of the Dogs. "We've had a pretty good run with injury until this week. We had quite a few outs after the Port Adelaide game. "We've got a squad mentality. We were actually really happy with our ins tonight. Levi (Greenwood) will be better for the run, 'Kenno' (Ben Kennedy) showed a little bit, Marley (Williams) has been one of our better players all year, and 'Seeds' (Paul Seeedsman) is still finding his way and working out whether he's going to make it at the level. "We've also got a couple of boys that are playing some really good footy at VFL level that are continuing to put their hand up." Asked about the performance of Cloke's forward partner Jesse White, who had 10 possessions (two contested), four uncontested marks and failed to register a score, Buckley said: "Jesse competed all right. Too much focus on one bloke." WEST Coast has overcome a case of the goalkicking yips to defeat Collingwood by 31 points at Etihad Stadium on Saturday. The Eagles' wayward 11.21 (87) to 7.14 (56) win under the roof on Saturday was their first against the Magpies in Melbourne since round eight, 2003. Collingwood suffered a major blow midway through the first term when key forward Travis Cloke was forced out of the game with a calf muscle injury. But the win was also costly for the Eagles, who consolidated second spot, with in-form key defender Jeremy McGovern suffering a hamstring injury in the third term that looks serious. It was Collingwood's fourth straight loss and if Adelaide win Sunday's Showdown, the Pies will drop out of the top eight. Typical of the horrendous goalkicking, a score review was needed to confirm the key moment of the last quarter. Collingwood was pressing and only 12 points down when Eagles forward Mark LeCras had a set shot at close range. The goal umpire thought it had shaved the point post but it was ruled a goal after the review. That was the first of the Eagles' three goals to close out the match. Last year's Brownlow medallist Matt Priddis and LeCras, who kicked three goals, starred for the Eagles. While the Eagles' bad kicking kept Collingwood in the game, the Magpies fluffed several chances in the second half that cruelled their chances of stealing the win. Collingwood kicked five behinds in the last term. Midway through the third term the Eagles had 10 more scoring shots, yet only led by 15 points. Inevitably, the Magpies rallied a late goal and only trailed by seven points at the last change. But Eagles ruckman Nic Naitanui, who took control of the ruck in the second half, marked and goaled in the first minute of the last quarter to give his team a crucial break. Collingwood ruckman Jarrod Witts was reported at the start of the last quarter for tripping Priddis. Midfielder Steele Sidebottom led Collingwood's stat count with 38 disposals against West Coast at Etihad Stadium. Sidebottom's 38 disposals equalled his career-high, as recorded against Geelong in round eight, 2012. Next highest with disposals were Marley Williams (33), Jack Crisp (31), Scott Pendlebury (29), and Paul Seedsman (23). "We're just not good enough, are we. We're just a little bit off at the moment. We've had periods through that month where our footy's looked more than likely, and we've earned the right to win games when they've come to the end. Not tonight … We're a little bit off the best sides at the moment. Are we surprised by that? Are you surprised by that? I don't think so. We've got a lot of growth in us but there's no guarantee we're going to find it. We've got to make it happen." Nathan Buckley |
WHEN Travis Cloke tweaked his calf and disappeared into the rooms midway through the first quarter, the big question was who was going to stand up in the Magpies forward line. In all fairness, to that point Collingwood had struggled to move the ball into its forward half with any purpose or precision and Cloke did not have a stat to his name when he was subbed out. The Magpies only score by then — a behind — had come when Jack Crisp drilled a laser short pass that hit a Jordan De Goey running back towards goal. But the Sherrin was camped inside the Eagles’ forward 50 throughout the opening term — 16 entries to 5 — and the great wonder was that West Coast only led by eight points at the first break. Collingwood recast its attack in the second term. Coach Nathan Buckley continued to give his resting ruckman stints in the goalsquare, but at times the Pies forward 50 resembled that Disney classic Jesse White and the seven dwarfs. The former Swans forward was positioned as the main man, surrounded by various combinations of De Goey, Jarryd Blair, Ben Kennedy, Alex Fasolo, Dane Swan, Travis Varcoe and Sreele Sidebottom. Curiously, for a while it seemed to create a more effective attack. Where the Pies’ ball movement had been hesitant and static it was now characterised by players taking a chance and getting it on quickly to running targets. White took a couple marks on the lead, Varcoe’s superb tackling and forward pressure created scoring opportunities and the smaller forwards led by Fasolo added some spark. And yet it always felt as though every Magpie goal was the product of a scrap and a fumble and a wing and a prayer. They came from snaps around the corner and a pinch of luck. At the other end of the ground West Coast kept finding ways to answer through players streaming out of the centre or hitting a teammate on the lead. The Eagles had a focal point in Josh Kennedy and a few big fellas, notably Callum Sinclair, who could take a contested mark. Collingwood had neither. White frequently flew and got his hands to the ball when it was kicked long to him, but he simply failed to hang on for a single contested mark. Neither did any of the other Pies forwards. In a way Cloke’s absence made Collingwood’s forward line less predictable. But it also clearly made it far less potent. Particularly when the Pies couldn’t find anyone to stand up in his absence. Already missing their second-highest goalkicker Jamie Elliott, Collingwood were going to need everything going right to have a chance against West Coast on Saturday night. It didn't. In fact, very early in the piece, quite the reverse. It was less than 15 minutes into the first term that the Magpies' leading goalkicker Travis Cloke limped off the ground with a calf injury. The Eagles were already a goal to the good by then, dominating possession and scoring opportunities, and indeed should have been further in front. They soon were, in a moment which seemed to accurately sum up how things would pan out. About 10 minutes after Cloke had disconsolately walked from the ground, the Magpie bench conceded defeat and substitute Jarryd Blair shed the green vest. At precisely the same time, Jamie Cripps was dribbling through a clever snap to give his team a 14-point lead. That should have been the signal for something of a demolition job by the visitors. But while West Coast were very effective at creating scoring opportunities, the Eagles weren't very efficient at converting them. So much so that by midway through the third quarter, despite having had 20 scoring shots to Collingwood's 11, despite dominating the inside 50s 40 to a measly 17, the Eagles still led by just eight points. In fact, you could almost feel a nightmare script being written, another string of West Coast behinds taking them to an ugly-looking scoreline of 5.15. Moments later, Steele Sidebottom snapped one out of his proverbial. And then to add injury to insult, potential All-Australian key defender Jeremy McGovern limped off with a dodgy hamstring. Collingwood had no viable key targets, with Jesse White well-held and resting ruckmen Brodie Grundy and Jarrod Witts well held. But the Pies did have willing midfield Trojans of their own in skipper Scott Pendlebury, Jack Crisp, Sidebottom and tackling machine Travis Varcoe. They had an effective rebounder in Marley Williams. And the sort of spirit which had keep Collingwood afloat much of this season. Blair's late goal in the first term got the ball rolling. Grundy and Witts were at least able to dob one each. By the time a superb defensive effort from Varcoe started and then at the other end of the ground set up a scoring chance converted by Dane Swan, Eagles coach Adam Simpson would have been shifting very uncomfortably in his seat up in the coaches box. But this wasn't one of those nights, fortunately for him. This wasn't a plot like the horror show at this same venue last season, when West Coast dominated Carlton similarly, booted 1.8 in the final term and blew it. This time class did win out. Only bit by bit, Josh Kennedy breaking the shackles with a couple of quick goals in the third term, then Nic Naitanui booting a steadier in the first minute of the final quarter. Even then, the Eagles couldn't quite hammer the final nails home. Not until Mark LeCras added a couple more with under 10 minutes left. And Chris Masten made it a far more comfortable 31 points with a handful of seconds left. To be honest, even 31 points might not have been reflective of West Coast's advantage in general play. But if nothing else, the fact the Eagles survived their own blunders and still came out comfortably on top gives some indication of the growth of Simpson's outfit in only 12 months. Despite the largesse given the opponent on the scoreboard, West Coast's forwards at least won the ball well. LeCras was the cool hand at the death, set up opportunities for others and still finished equal leading goalkicker. Cripps continues to grow in stature as a medium-sized forward, and like LeCras, gave away as many as he kicked. Matt Priddis did as Priddis does and Andrew Gaff likewise. And in the end it was mission accomplished. Not efficiently. Not with a great deal to spare. And with McGovern injured, not without some headaches about how the next few weeks are going to unfold given the Eagles play Sydney, Hawthorn and Fremantle over the next month. But good teams need to win ugly as well as breathtakingly. No one will remember this game in the latter category, certainly. Yet the bigger story remains a side few rated in March sitting in second spot on the ladder come late July. And surely, now, certainly to play at least some sort of role in September. |
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