WEST COAST 4.2.26 5.2.32 9.3.57 11.6.72
GOALS - Collingwood: Moore 3, Aish 2, Sidebottom 2, Cloke, White, Greenwood, Crisp, Treloar, Maynard
BEST - Collingwood: Adams, Sidebottom, Pendlebury, Moore, Smith, Aish
INJURIES - Collingwood: Moore (hip/glute)
REPORTS - Collingwood: Nil
OFFICIAL CROWD - 34,929 at the MCG
| 1. Moore, please! The Pies took six contested marks inside their forward 50 in the first half (an AFL-high this season), and it was largely due to the efforts of young gun Darcy Moore. Before his game was over midway through the second term when he left the field with a hip/glute issue, the second-year key forward had contributed three of his team's six goals, from eight kicks and six marks, five of them contested (a game-high, with Eagle Josh Kennedy next best with two). The best of them was a soaring grab followed by his second goal, which kickstarted a five-goal-to-one second term. It was an exciting glimpse of the future that added further credence to AFL great Wayne Carey's belief that Moore has the potential to become a superstar. 2. Eagles' hoodoo continues This was meant to be the Eagles' best chance in some time of breaking a curse against Collingwood at the MCG that stretches back to 1995, but they have now lost their past 10 clashes against the Pies on the hallowed turf. In the process, the Eagles also did their top-four hopes considerable harm, given they are vying for that honour with a logjam of rivals. Of concern for the visitors was that after they led by nine points at quarter-time and threatened to race away with their cleaner ball use, they were generally outplayed for the remainder of an error-riddled contest. 3. Greenwood enjoys some hang time Collingwood lured Levi Greenwood from North Melbourne to do unfashionable grunt work, relieve pressure from Pies midfield stars Scott Pendlebury and Steele Sidebottom and tag opposition playmakers. But late in the first quarter, Greenwood took to the skies, assisted by a ride on the back of direct opponent Andrew Gaff to claim a rare screamer. More importantly, he went back and nailed a 45-metre set shot. He couldn't repeat that effort, though, muffing three more scoring chances, including two in the space of a minute in the second term. He sent a dribbling banana kick out of bounds, while a one-step shot from just inside 50 slewed at right angles to the goal and sailed out on the full. |
4. Debutants show some promise Both teams blooded first-gamers, with the Magpies giving an opportunity to mature-age draftee Rupert Wills, 23, and the Eagles elevating third-year player Malcolm Karpany, 21, after Elliot Yeo was a late withdrawal due to illness. Wills was the Pies' sixth debutant this season, and they have now used an equal season-high 39 players, while Karpany was West Coast's first debutant for 2016. Big-bodied midfielder Wills, a former Old Scotch player, was particularly impressive with 17 possessions (eight contested), winning several hard balls and laying 11 tackles (equal second on the field). He was a key factor in the Pies' laying an amazing 47 tackles in the third quarter (a club-high), more than doubling their half-time tally of 44. Meanwhile, the diminutive Karpany, a South Australian, also got involved and showed he might have a future at AFL level. 5. Guv's half-century It's something of a surprise that Jeremy McGovern has only just reached his 50th game, given his importance to the Eagles' defence over the past two seasons and the fact he plays like a veteran. The 23-year-old didn't exactly celebrate the milestone in style, given he was quieter than usual with just 12 touches and six marks (one contested), and copped a heavy knock in a head-on collision with Travis Varcoe in a marking contest just after half-time. McGovern left the field but soon returned and resumed his drop-off, intercept role. The Pies took six contested marks inside their forward 50 in the first half (an AFL-high this season), and it was largely due to the efforts of young gun Darcy Moore. Before his game was over midway through the second term when he left the field with a hip/glute issue, the second-year key forward had contributed three of his team's six goals, from eight kicks and six marks, five of them contested ... |
| THE MEDIA | |
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WEST Coast's top-four hopes have received a major hit after a persistent Collingwood outfit overcame more injury misfortune to cause a 19-point upset at the MCG on Saturday. The Eagles would have sat equal on wins with second and third-placed Geelong and Greater Western Sydney had they beaten the Pies away from home. But their disappointing run of interstate performance continued in what could be a costly loss in their bid for a finals double chance. After holding a three-goal lead at half-time, the Pies looked set to be overrun by the Eagles, who took the lead for the first time three minutes into the final term. But that sparked the Pies into action, and they booted the next four goals to shoot clear of Adam Simpson's side to win 13.13 (91) to 11.6 (72) and claim their eighth win of the year. It extended West Coast's losing streak to the Pies at the MCG, where they haven't beaten Collingwood since 1995, and ended a run of five wins for the Eagles who had been eking out wins despite not playing their best. The performance was one of Collingwood's bravest of the season, particularly given the Pies lost damaging tall forward Darcy Moore midway through the second term after a brilliant start for the marking option. The Pies' midfield was far too strong, with Taylor Adams (36 disposals, 11 tackles), Scott Pendlebury (34 disposals, 13 tackles) and Adam Treloar (27, nine tackles) setting the tone. Steele Sidebottom kicked two goals from 26 disposals, as did James Aish, who enjoyed his best game in the white and black since crossing from the Brisbane Lions last year. Mature-age recruit Rupert Wills also impressed on debut, gathering 17 touches and 11 tackles in a dogged display. Collingwood's intent was on display with their ruthless tackling approach. They registered 46 alone in the third quarter, which is the most in the club's history for a single term. The Eagles will leave Melbourne again without the four points after a listless showing, with Andrew Gaff (35 touches) and Luke Shuey (28 disposals) among their best. Early on it looked like being a better day for the travelling West Coast line-up, as key pair Josh Kennedy and Jack Darling shared three opening-term goals to help the Eagles to a nine-point advantage at the first break. The Pies generated enough chances early but were wasteful, with Moore one of the culprits. He took four marks in the first quarter, including a high grab in a pack, to be Collingwood's focal point, but his only goal came from a free kick won at the top of the goalsquare. The role as Collingwood's 'go-to' man didn't seem to faze the 20-year-old, however, with Moore taking another huge mark in the second term over former Magpie Sharrod Wellingham. This time Moore was able to kick the goal from the tight angle in the pocket, rewarding Collingwood for its hard work. Moore was involved in Collingwood's next goal as Travis Cloke duly converted a straightforward set shot, before the Magpies took the lead midway through the second term when Aish's floating snap sailed through. Another goal to Aish in the final minute of the half saw Collingwood extend its lead to 17 points at the main break. It was a reflection of the Magpies' dominance around the ground against a largely lackadaisical West Coast unit. The Pies' position at the main break was even more impressive against the top-four contenders given Moore, who was piecing together the best game of his emerging career, left the field midway through the second term with a hip injury and headed straight into the rooms. He attempted to return at the start of the third term but couldn't be cleared by the Pies' medical staff. The Eagles lifted in Moore's absence, as West Coast's midfield begun to play with more fluency and direction. Where the Pies were all of a sudden missing Moore's presence in attack (he took five marks inside 50 before the injury), the Eagles' pair of forward dynamos started to prove difficult to contain. Kennedy and Darling kicked three of the Eagles' four goals for the third term as they closed to within two points of the Pies at the final change. It was West Coast's layer of class that kept it in the game against the Magpies throughout the contest, and that polish was on display early in the final quarter when Jamie Cripps slotted a clever shot from the boundary line to put the Eagles in front. Many at the ground – perhaps even the Eagles themselves – would have thought then that last year's grand finalists would run on with the game. But Collingwood's four-goal-in-eight-minutes patch saw them jump ahead and hold onto a morale-boosting victory and inflict a dispiriting (and likely damaging) loss onto the Eagles. It was what both sides deserved. COLLINGWOOD coach Nathan Buckley says the performance of his youth brigade in the win over West Coast should give success-hungry Magpie supporters confidence for the future. The Magpies' midfield — led by skipper Scott Pendlebury, Taylor Adams, Adam Treloar and Steele Sidebottom — ran rampant in the 19-point win over the Eagles at the MCG. Most pleasing though was the fact the younger players such as Darcy Moore, ruckman Brodie Grundy, Josh Smith, James Aish and debutant Rupert Wills all played pivotal roles in the hard-fought victory. "We've got a great belief of what we're capable of," Buckley said. "I think our supporters would leave the game tonight pretty happy with seeing the 22 that represented the club go out and do what we were able to do. "They've been tested at times over recent years and probably earlier this season, and for various reasons we haven't been able to reward the faith as quickly as they or we would have liked to. "But we've got some young guys coming up and they're well led, so we want to finish the season off strongly." Moore did not play out the game after succumbing to hamstring tightness and Buckley said he would be assessed during the week. "We didn't want to take any risks," he said. "He came out for another five minutes after (half-time) and we were touch and go on whether we were going to continue with him. "Whether it is a strain or a tear, I think there will be something there but we'll see." Buckley said Moore's display before he went off was up there with the best he had seen from the 20-year-old to date. "We've always thought with Darcy that when they start sticking, and when he starts understanding his teammates a bit better and where the spaces are on the field, that he can get utilised," he said. "He'll just get better and better, so we're pretty bullish about where he could go." The Magpies won the tackle count 118-89 and Buckley paid tribute to his players for their work rate. "It was four quarters of really solid footy," he said. "We didn't use the ball well at all, but we were able to play how we wanted to play long enough to get the job done." NOTES MEDICAL ROOM Collingwood: Darcy Moore was on track for a career-best game before hurting his hip in the second term. He tried to get back there with some run-throughs on the boundary line in the third quarter but was ruled out. Key defender Ben Reid also suffered a knock to his ribs in the second term but played out the game. NEXT UP Collingwood will front up again at the MCG next Friday night against old rival Richmond. NEXT FOUR Richmond, Western Bulldogs, Gold Coast, Hawthorn |
A HAMSTRING issue appears likely to sideline Collingwood prodigy Darcy Moore, but first let's savour a brilliant cameo performance that he rated as his best at AFL level. On a bittersweet night for the second-year key forward, Moore played just a quarter-and-a-half, but his influence was so profound in a 19-point victory over last year's runner-up West Coast that most media outlets – AFL.com.au included - still named him among the Magpies' best handful of players. In that time, the 20-year-old contributed 3.2 of the Pies' 6.6, and would remain his team's highest goalscorer for the match. With his rare speed for his 200cms, his superb pure leap, fearless attack on aerial contests and seemingly sticky hands, Moore was marking everything at the MCG. He hauled in what would remain a game-high five contested marks. His nearest rival was West Coast champion Josh Kennedy with two. The Pies are licking their lips at the prospect of a fully filled-out 25-year-old Moore, but the current model is already a formidable package. Post-match, Moore was disappointed by his injury concern on his dominant right leg, describing it as "just a bit of hamstring tightness, nothing too serious". The 24-gamer was also naturally excited by his form, revealing he'd never felt better at the highest level. "It's a very, very tough competition and it's equally hard as a young forward, so to have patches like that is nice," he told AFL.com.au. "To have everyone working together, as we were in the first half, feels awesome. "It's always a challenge for a young, developing player to put it all together, so to do it even for a short period is pretty gratifying. "Now I've got a new challenge to get over this injury." The impressive, articulate youngster said that inexperienced players such as himself need to find a balance between conscious and subconscious thinking to build confidence but also remain grounded. "You need to have a subconscious understanding of where you're going and, yes, for other people that might be exciting, and for me that might be exciting, but I'm a professional athlete and the reality is that I've got to make a contribution to this team as a 20-year-old every day, every week," he explained. "Little wins along the way are always good but I think you've got to have, on some level, a sense of direction, a sense of where you're going. "But it often gets back to just worrying about the 24 hours in front of me." Whenever the ball was kicked high in Moore's direction, he moved towards it with such purpose and confidence that it was almost as though he was saying to himself: "This is mine." Asked to explain his actual mindset, Moore said he benefits from clarity of thought. "In those moments, your mind is characteristically very clear as an athlete," he said. "And that's how we try to structure our whole program, to go out there for two hours on game day and feel clear. It comes from preparation. "It's not so much what's going on in my mind, it's more about what isn't. "For every one (marking contest) that goes right, there's usually six, eight or 10 that go wrong. It's the ability to forget about those that's the biggest challenge." Not this day. Pies coach Nathan Buckley continues to be impressed by Moore's progress. "Darcy's one of those young blokes who wants to take ownership of our future," Buckley told reporters post-match. "The first 45 minutes tonight was an indication of what he wants to bring to the table." Buckley enthused that Moore still has a lot of scope for growth. "His contest has always been really strong," he said. "We've always thought that when they start sticking, and when he starts understanding his teammates a little bit better and where the spaces are on the field that he can get utilised, especially inside 50, he'll just get better and better. "We're pretty bullish about where he can go." Collingwood may not be a top-eight side this year, but they took the measure of a second top-eight side in the past four rounds with a 19-point victory over West Coast at the MCG on Saturday. Headed at the beginning of the final term when Jamie Cripps coolly slotted a goal from 45 metres out on the boundary line, the Magpies refused to go back into their shell. Instead, Collingwood answered with five of the last six goals of the game. Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley had reached deep into the motivational hand-book this week, warning his side after heavy losses to Adelaide and North Melbourne that they were playing for their football futures. The Pies responded with one of their best performances of the season. Trailing only at quarter-time due to some wayward kicking and West Coast's greater efficiency going forward, Collingwood kicked five goals to one in the second term to wrest back the initiative, then withstood a West Coast comeback to run out the game much more strongly with a five-goals-to-two final term. Brodie Grundy gave his side a big advantage with a dominant 45 ruck hitouts while Taylor Adams and Adam Treloar capitalised by dominating the clearances. The Pies lost Darcy Moore in the second term after he had kicked three of his side's six goals to that point. For a long time they struggled to score goals, but when they came, they came with a rush. West Coast continued their indifferent form away from their Subiaco fortress. But while losses to Hawthorn, Sydney and Geelong on the road can be forgiven, this one will hurt last year's beaten grand finalists. Jack Darling was an effective forward with four goals and Josh Kennedy could have had as many with better conversion. But the Eagles did not have many other reliable scoring options. Matt Priddis and Andrew Gaff worked hard, but their efficiency was diminished by the hard-tackling Pies. Just two points separated the sides at the final change after a West Coast third-quarter fightback brought a 17-point half-time deficit back to just two. Collingwood had had 19 scoring shots to 12, though five of their 11 behinds were rushed through by the Eagles' defence. That, plus a couple of misses from gettable shots, contrasted with West Coast's ability to get the ball to their key forwards and convert. Darling added two of his team's four goals for the term to take his tally to four. Kennedy and Chris Masten got the other two from free kicks, Kennedy after Ben Reid dragged the ball in and was penalised for holding and Masten from a high tackle by Ben Crocker. A five-goals-to-one second quarter sent the Pies into the long break 17 points ahead. Moore, who had taken six marks and kicked three goals, went off and into the rooms mid-way through the term. But even the loss of their most productive forward could not stop the irrepressible Pies, with a James Aish goal after a 50-metre penalty against Jeremy McGovern, taking them further ahead. The 26-point turnaround for the term was demonstrated by the statistics. Collingwood had had 64 more disposals than the Eagles in the first half and dominated the second-term clearances with 14 to four. Taylor Adams had seven for the first half. The Pies easily won the inside 50 count for the quarter, too, taking the ball into their forward arc 17times to seven, turning around an 11-14 deficit in the first term. They were keeping the pressure on the normally productive West Coast mid-field, limiting the effectiveness of prime movers Priddis and Gaff, and had solved the problem of the Eagles' key forwards Darling and Kennedy by the simple process of not letting the ball inside West Coast's attacking 50. At that stage there was no sign of the impending Collingwood blitz. But Cloke marked and goalled after finding space out wide, Aish got his first for the quarter with a snap off one step and Moore took his sixth mark inside 50 for his third goal. |
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