| 2017 AFL Round 16 COLLINGWOOD v ESSENDON Time & Place: Saturday July 8, 2:10pm EST MCG TV: Fox Sports 2:00pm EST Weather: Min 7 Max 14 Chance of rain 70%: 1-5mm Wind: N 19kph Betting: Collingwood $1.98 Essendon $1.83 |
COLLINGWOOD 3.2.20 8.3.51 12.8.80 14.10.94
GOALS - Collingwood: Cox 3, Fasolo 3, Elliott, Moore, Greenwood, Thomas, Sidebottom, Phillips, Broomhead, Treloar
BEST - Collingwood: De Goey, Treloar, Phillips, Grundy, Sidebottom, Cox
INJURIES - Collingwood: Moore (hamstring), Goldsack (concussion, nose)
REPORTS - Collingwood: Nil
OFFICIAL CROWD - 56,593 at the MCG
| 1. Howe did you Duryea that? Spring-heeled Magpie defender Jeremy Howe has been in fantastic form and the Hawks rated him so highly that they assigned him a defensive forward in the form of usual backman Taylor Duryea. It worked a treat in the first half, with Duryea snapping two goals and limiting Howe's renowned marking and kicking skills. Though Howe improved as the game wore on, Duryea's second major summed up Howe's afternoon, with Howe flying for a big mark and Duryea staying down and collecting the crumbs. The left-footer could have snapped another in the third term. 2. Mitchell loves playing the Pies When the teams met in round nine, Tom Mitchell amassed a club-record 50 possessions and when he'd racked up 13 touches by quarter-time – conspicuously without a negating opponent – he was on track to surpass his own benchmark. Although he didn't keep up with record pace, the prolific left-footer remained a constant thorn in the Pies' side with a game-high 35 possessions, seven clearances and two last quarter goals, one of which was from the 50-metre line. He was one of the reasons the Hawks got 10 goals from stoppages to the Pies' two. 3. Milestone men – Pendlebury and Burgoyne Two of the game's smoothest movers achieved significant games milestones, and neither performed up to their usual high standards. Pies skipper Scott Pendlebury reached his 250th game and was tagged by young Hawk Daniel Howe who largely nullified the five-time Copeland Trophy winner, restricting him to 21 possessions, two clearances and three goal assists. Meanwhile, Hawks veteran Burgoyne, in his 333rd game, entered the all-time top 20 for games played, and the 34-year-old champ they call 'Silk' was relatively quiet for three quarters before doing as he does by producing a big last quarter to help Hawthorn home. |
4. Cox upstages Elliott The return of Collingwood's best forward, the lively Jamie Elliott, instantly made the Pies' attack infinitely more potent but few expected big man Mason Cox to be the go-to Pie. Elliott, sporting a distinctive bottle-blond hairstyle, enjoyed a dream start with an easy goal in the opening minute but had just eight more touches and no more goals. Cox, in his first AFL game since round seven, kicked three goals by the early stages of the third term, each major coming from a contested mark. At one point the American Pie was opposed to Kiwi Kurt Heatherley – an AFL dream. Another Pie to perform well after a longer layoff was Josh Thomas (21 possessions and a goal), playing his first AFL game since 2014 after serving a two-year doping ban. When Thomas slotted an early goal, he was mobbed by his teammates. 5. McEvoy's mark that wasn't results in Pies goal The Hawks had every right to feel aggrieved midway through the second quarter when their ruckman Ben McEvoy wasn't paid a pack mark deep in defence. McEvoy went back to contest an aerial dual and seemingly juggled the ball several times before bringing it to ground. However, there was no whistle and the ball squirted out to Collingwood star Steele Sidebottom, who caressed home a snap from 25 metres, to booing from Hawks fans. It slashed the margin to just five points after Hawthorn had earlier opened up a 24-point lead. The return of Collingwood's best forward, the lively Jamie Elliott, instantly made the Pies' attack infinitely more potent but few expected big man Mason Cox to be the go-to Pie. |
| THE MEDIA | |
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NOT THIS time, Pies. Hawthorn's finals hopes are still flickering – but Collingwood's are in tatters – at the end of a seesawing MCG clash that ended 18.10 (118) to 14.10 (94) in the Hawks' favour on Sunday. The result, in front of a crowd of 56,593, will undoubtedly renew discussion about Magpies coach Nathan Buckley's future as his team slumps to 15th on the ladder. Buckley's counterpart, Alastair Clarkson, on the other hand, rejoiced in back-to-back triumphs for just the second time this year. "We've got quite a young group at the present time and to go across to Adelaide and knock them off last week (was a major positive)," Clarkson told reporters. "The challenge for us this year is we've been unable to really follow up with another good performance the following week … that was important for the group to consolidate what was a really good victory last week. "We scored 18 goals, we had 12 goal-scorers … and we just thought we probably gave Collingwood three or four more goals than we would have liked, but we can't be too fussy." Both sides still had lucid memories of Collingwood chasing down Hawthorn's 43-point, second-quarter advantage last month, and there were similarities in the return bout. The Hawks conceded the opening two goals, but kicked seven of the next eight – racking up uncontested marks across the ground as they love to do – to bound away by 24 points early in the second term. Collingwood erased that lead by midway through the third quarter and went to the last break with a two-point edge, when Hawthorn captain Jarryd Roughead missed a straight-forward shot after the siren. But Roughead redeemed himself and sealed the win with a high snap as time ticked past 26 minutes to help the Hawks score their sixth victory of the season. The Pies were two players down for most of the last quarter, with Tyson Goldsack (suspected broken nose) and Darcy Moore (hamstring) ruled out. NAB AFL Rising Star nominee Ryan Burton (career-high 29 disposals) was outstanding again for Hawthorn, a week after playing a pivotal role in the upset win over Adelaide. Burton's composure and clean skills – he went at 93 per cent efficiency by foot – continue to impress, as does his ability to match-up on tall and small opponents down back. Tom Mitchell (35) also shone, after winning 50 notorious possessions in the last meeting between the clubs, and landed two telling late blows. Mitchell went into the game with only four goals in 13 matches this season, but added two more in the last quarter – the first of them from 50m after stealing a Brayden Maynard kick-out. The lead changed hands three times in the third term and no more than 11 points separated them in that period. But one difference to round nine was the Hawks' ability to never let Collingwood off the leash for too long. Jordan De Goey was tremendous in a career-best display, with his 32 possessions leading the way for the Magpies. Other players had to step up, with 250-gamer Scott Pendlebury and intercept king Jeremy Howe unable to impose themselves on the contest. "I reckon we had colour-blindness in the second half – we kicked more to them than we did to us, unfortunately," Buckley said. "It made it really hard to hold field position and defend some of the turnovers that we gave and ultimately it was too much for us to counter." Hawthorn's impressive start owed plenty to unheralded trio Taylor Duryea, Ryan Schoenmakers and Daniel Howe. Duryea went to Jeremy Howe and his approach was obvious when he rushed to the high-flying defender's side to rub in an early goal. The niggle continued through the opening half, with Duryea – normally stationed in the backline – delivering another dose after Howe spilled a mark that gifted the Hawk a second. Schoenmakers, like premiership teammate Duryea, spent a vast chunk of the season in the VFL, but racked up nine possessions and two goals by quarter-time. Daniel Howe, in just his second match as a full-time midfielder, had eight possessions of his own by then and 26 by day's end, spending some time alongside Pendlebury (21). MEDICAL ROOM Collingwood: The Pies' injury troubles began late in the third quarter, when Tyson Goldsack (concussion) went off with blood streaming from his suspected broken nose. Darcy Moore joined him on the bench in the following term, after some boundary line run-throughs failing to convince medical staff his left hamstring was okay. NEXT UP The Magpies are back in action on Saturday afternoon set to renew acquaintances with traditional rival Essendon at the MCG. Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley insists the Pies aren't "putting the cue in the rack" despite the Magpies' 24-point loss to Hawthorn all but ending the club's finals hopes. Buckley - out-of-contract at season's end - insists the future is bright for the Pies even though they have fallen to 5-9. When asked about whether he expected to be at the helm next year, he responded with 'that will come out in the wash.' Hawthorn remain in the hunt to play in the AFL finals yet again after finishing over the top of a gritty Collingwood side at the MCG. Buckley lamented a poor stretch early in Sunday's game against the Hawks in which Hawthorn kicked seven out of eight goals. While the Pies hit back, taking a slender lead into the final quarter, their cause wasn't helped by injuries to Tyson Goldsack (concussion/nose) and Darcy Moore (hamstring tightness), both of whom will be assessed, which limited Collingwood to just two players on the interchange bench late in the game. Buckley said his team had been let down by missing marginal opportunities, but said the Pies weren't throwing in the towel. "It's such a tight comp. We feel like we've played some really good footy in recent times, the last seven or eight rounds, but we haven't got the wins to show for it. "I'm not saying we're sitting here anything but disappointed in what we did today. "It's another missed opportunity, but if we take the lessons from it we'll be alright, if we don't we'll stagnate. "The win-loss doesn't look great for us. But we're not giving the year up. "The results will keep telling you that don't actually know what's going to happen. "If you can put four or five wins together you could finish anywhere. "We're not putting the cue in the rack just yet." Buckley said he hadn't seen enough of how Ben Reid played in the VFL to assess the veteran's performance following his demotion. |
COLLINGWOOD coach Nathan Buckley says the club's youngsters are learning some harsh lessons this season that will lead to future success after another loss to Hawthorn. Buckley said the Magpies were punished from stoppages and were made to pay for a poor patch either side of the quarter-time break. The 24-point defeat leaves Collingwood at 5-9 and needing a significant turnaround to realise its finals ambitions this season. Buckley acknowledged the Pies had some list management holes to fill but was adamant they had played some "really good footy" over the last two months. However he said the team had a core group of young players who were learning what was required to become a top side this season. "The reality is we are a side coming from a fair way back, with youth, to try and grow and develop," Buckley said. "We haven't met expectations in regards to our progress and our growth. Do we just pack up, do we just give up on it? "We are playing a lot of young players and they are getting a lot of exposure and they're performing pretty well. "To get that last couple of per cent, maybe this is part of the journey they need to go through to realise how tough the comp is. "And how quickly 5-9 can come about when they don't take their chances." Buckley said Darcy Moore would have scans on some hamstring tightness to determine his availability for next weekend's game against Essendon. Tyson Goldsack is also in doubt after being concussed and cracking his nose. Buckley refused to comment on his own future today after saying last year he was "on the hook" if the team missed finals for a fourth consecutive year. He said the team had a bright future and pointed to the break out game of Jordan De Goey yesterday as one of the exciting talents. "I think Collingwood supporters should be excited about what they see on field because we have got some players who are going to take this club forward and they're learning some hard lessons right now but they will be better for it. "Talk to any person who has been in the game for a long time, late 20s is when you play your prime footy. "We have got so many players that are still finding their best footy and all of this is part of that pain and process you go through to realise the game is and it's all part of developing the hardness you need." Buckley said the Pies were unable to defend Hawthorn out of the stoppage. "We were hot and cold today. We had some good moments and some bad moments, and maybe Hawthorn say the same thing," he said. "Hawthorn was able to stay the course longer. Ultimately we came in as the second best stoppage and they were the 17th best stoppage side and we got outscored by eight goals at stoppage and five goals from centre bounce. "So it was fairly isolated from a scoreboard perspective where the game was won and lost. It was largely due to stoppage." Collingwood's finals hopes are all but over, and in the end it was death by a thousand cuts. Even before the season kicked off, circumstances began to conspire against Nathan Buckley. First there was Jordan De Goey's stray dog and Daniel Wells' misbehaving body. Then there was bad kicking for goal, and multiplying injury concerns. So it was fitting that with their campaign hanging by a thread at the MCG on Sunday, luck again went against the Pies. A see-sawing game had been there for the taking at three-quarter time, with Collingwood leading Hawthorn by two points. But Tyson Goldsack did not return to the field after a third-term head knock, and Darcy Moore's hamstring kept him confined to the bench. That meant Mason Cox had to swing into the ruck, and with Ben Reid surprisingly omitted, Collingwood were caught short up forward, kicking just two final-quarter goals. That's not to say they didn't have chances, but Jamie Elliott and Brayden Maynard both hit the post in the final term, typical of Collingwood's year - so close, yet so far away. The resurgent Hawks made them pay. The quality of Tom Mitchell's half-century of disposals against the Pies six weeks ago had been questioned, but surely there could be no such qualms on Sunday. He finished with 35 disposals including two drilled set shots - not usually his forte - in the final quarter to secure the Hawks' sixth win in 10 games. The regeneration process is moving quickly, with youngsters Daniel Howe and Ryan Burton playing important roles in the win. But for the Pies, and especially Buckley, the future looks ever so uncertain. It was hard to get a read on the first half. When Hawthorn were up and running, their ball use was irresistible, a reminder of the style that had taken them to three straight premierships. Grant Birchall - missing for so long this year - provided a sure head in defence, while Luke Hodge was generating play as the loose man, and Burton and Blake Hardwick were on the charge. Fresh from blanketing Rory Sloane in the upset win over Adelaide, Howe locked in on another of the competition's stars, making life so hard for 250-gamer Scott Pendlebury that the Magpies skipper was sent forward to find some space. Taylor Duryea was stationed forward to keep Pie flyer Jeremy Howe honest, and proved highly effective, limiting Howe's influence and bobbing up to add two goals to the Hawks' tally. Intermittently, the Pies had their moments. Cox went stat-less to quarter time and was the subject of Bronx cheers when he finally found the ball early in the second term, but he worked his way into the game. Collingwood's seven-foot ruckman is almost impossible to stop if the delivery is sound, and so it proved when he added a pair of set shot goals, the second of which came after the half-time siren. With Pendlebury and Adam Treloar down on their best form, the Pies' second-tier midfielders, especially Steele Sidebottom and Jordan de Goey, made sure Mitchell didn't have things all his own way, and the game was up for grabs at the long change. After the free-wheeling first half, the start of the third term was considerably more sedate. Cox outgunned Hawk late inclusion Kurt Heatherley to add his third goal of the game, but the scoring generally slowed, with neither side doing themselves favours in front of goal. There were offenders both big and small, Moore and Alex Fasolo at one end, Will Langford and Jarryd Roughead at the other. Both teams had moments at which it looked like they might break the game open, but at every such juncture the momentum turned, and a third cliffhanger between these two clubs in just 10 months loomed. But for the Pies' injuries, it might have eventuated. |
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