Pre Season Game 1
Simonds Stadium Geelong Fox Footy 7.00pm Weather: Min 13 Max 23 Chance of rain 20%: < 1mm Wind: WSW 24kph Betting: Collingwood $2.55 Geelong $1.48 |
While the game at Simonds Stadium is still only practice, for the Collingwood community it signals that the real stuff is just around the corner.
As you patiently wait for Friday's first bounce, here are five things to look forward to from the Magpies in the NAB Challenge.
New faces in new places
While Derek Hine and his recruiting team did all the hard work months ago, the NAB Challenge is the first time many Magpie fans will get the opportunity to see the new players at the club.
10 new faces arrived at the Holden Centre in October and November last year. Adam Treloar, James Aish and Jeremy Howe came via trades, while the Magpies added seven others in the National and Pre-season drafts.
Out of the recruits, five donned the Black and White in Collingwood's intra-club match on Thursday night.
Rookies Josh Smith and Tom Phillips staked their claims for NAB Challenge selection with impressive performances, while James Aish was among the best players for Ben Hart's White team.
While teams won't be announced until Wednesday afternoon, keep an eye out for these three fresh faces when the players take the field on Friday night.
Second years settle
While the new players may have drawn the most interest during intra-club on Thursday night, a pair of second-year Magpies arguably stole the limelight.
Best friends and former top ten draft picks Jordan De Goey and Darcy Moore starred as both looked to consolidate on impressive rookie years.
The AFL world caught a glimpse of Moore in 2015 as the versatile tall played nine games in the back half of the season.
While he was tested in the backline, Thursday's form leads to the belief that the 19-year-old will settle in the forward line in 2016. He kicked four goals for Collingwood Black, while also marking strongly in attack.
De Goey on the other hand was dynamic in the midfield.
Surrounded by the likes of Scott Pendlebury, Dane Swan and Steele Sidebottom, De Goey looked to have added a level of explosiveness to his game as he roved for the Black team.
It may have only been an intra-club match, but all indications suggest that there will be no case of second-year blues for Moore and De Goey in 2016.
 |
| Brent Macaffer appears in line to make his AFL return when Collingwood travels to Geelong on Friday night. |
Macaffer's imminent return
He hasn't been selected yet, but Premiership Magpie Brent Macaffer appears set to continue a strong pre-season with his return to senior football on Friday night.
The 26-year-old hasn't seen AFL action since rupturing his ACL against Greater Western Sydney in Round 22, 2014.
Macaffer spent the majority of 2015 in recovery, before returning via the VFL in round 18 against North Ballarat.
After being the star of the VFL finals, the forward-turned-tagger continued to impress throughout the pre-season and was consistently one of the Magpies' best trainers.
Macaffer's standing amongst the playing group was given further recognition in
He failed to miss a beat in Thursday's intra-club match, playing predominantly in the midfield for Collingwood White.
Recent NAB Challenge form
Collingwood enter this year's NAB Challenge after winning one of its three practice games in 2015.
Launceston, Bendigo and Etihad Stadium were the locations for the pre-season series as the Magpies faced Hawthorn, Carlton and the Western Bulldogs.
Nathan Buckley's side beat the reigning premiers by 44 points in Travis Varcoe's first game as a Magpie before losing to Carlton by seven points on a Sunday afternoon at Queen Elizabeth Oval.
Despite the loss, it was the final practice match against the Bulldogs that was the most concerning.
After an impressive pre-season, Levi Greenwood suffered a fractured leg in the third quarter as the Magpies succumbed to a 61-point defeat.
While no form replicates winning form, Collingwood responded to the disappointing pre-season results with eight wins in its first 11 games in the 2015 home and away season.
Revenge at the Cattery
While it's still only a practice match, the Magpies will have a point to prove when they head down the highway to play at Simonds Stadium on Friday night.
Nathan Buckley's team last played in Geelong in 2014, on a night which resulted in a two-point loss in front of 12,140 fans.
Jesse White led the Magpies in his first game in the Black and White with five goals, while Dayne Beams was Collingwood's best player.
While few teams boast successful records in Geelong, it is a ground where Collingwood has traditionally struggled.
The Magpies last won at Kardinia Park in 1988, with the last home and away game played between the two teams at the ground taking place in 1999.
Collingwood lost by three points in a high-scoring clash, with the Rocca brothers combining for 10 of the Magpies' 19 goals.
No comments :
Post a Comment