2018 First Preliminary Final Collingwood 97 Richmond 58

THE FACTS

2018 AFL Grand Final COLLINGWOOD v WEST COAST or MELBOURNE Time & Place: Saturday September 29, 2:30pm EST MCG TV: 7mate / Fox Footy Weather: Min 8 Max 17 Chance of rain 50%: 1mm Wind: SW 22kph

COLLINGWOOD   5.2.32   10.4.64   12.7.79   15.7.97
RICHMOND             1.3.9     2.8.20   6.10.46   8.10.58

GOALS - Collingwood: De Goey 4, Cox 3, Crisp 2, Mihocek 2, Varcoe, Treloar, Grundy, Stephenson

BEST - Collingwood: Sidebottom, Cox, Grundy, Adams, Crisp, De Goey, Greenwood

INJURIES - Collingwood: Howe (ankle)

REPORTS - Collingwood: Nil

OFFICIAL CROWD -  94,959 at the MCG

TALKING POINTS

1. Did the Tigers tell a little porkie about Dusty's corkie? Dustin Martin was never fully fit. It started last Friday when Damien Hardwick was trotted out to the cameras to insist his superstar was fine and continued during the week with head of football Neil Balme laughing off concerns. The reigning Brownlow Medallist never extended beyond second gear, lacked his explosive power and looked proppy. It turned into an easy night at the office for tagger Levi Greenwood, Martin offering little as he spent much of the night deep in attack. Martin's metres gained average for the season was 454 pre-game, on Friday night he managed 175. Clearance? 2. Fly, fly Mr. American Pie For stages of the opening half, a 211 centimetre man from Texas owned the MCG. Three goals and three contested marks to the main break, Mason Cox even had the crowd chanting “U.S.A” as he brought the Richmond defence to its knees. He exposed an underdone David Astbury who had battled illness in the build-up, while All Australian Alex Rance had no answers for his reach in attack. Having only allowed nine marks inside defensive 50 on average this season, the Tigers conceded 10 in the first half alone. With Cox playing a career-best match, spare a thought for Jeremy McGovern, Tom Barrass, Oscar McDonald and Sam Frost watching ahead of a potential decider next week. 3. Six-day breaks don't matter, Richmond are beatable at the MCG What was Eddie going on about? With a six-day break compared to Richmond's 15, the Pies started hot, riding the momentum of last Saturday's semi-final win over Greater Western Sydney. The Tigers appeared flat footed in the opening stages, Collingwood attacking down the wings and running rings around the Tigers' defence. After 22 in a row, the Tigers' record of consecutive matches won at the MCG came crashing down in flames, the Pies knocking off their old rivals for the first time in a final since 1937. 4. The MCC needs all seats ticketed They were lining up for hours pre-game, but still the MCC couldn't fill to the brim for the game everyone was talking about all week. Sales were through the roof, general public not afforded the opportunity to purchase tickets as members snapped them up inside 30 minutes on Monday. AFL Reserve seats were also gone in less than half an hour on Tuesday, however judging by the final crowd of 94,959, more than 5000 fans missed the opportunity to see the Pies book a berth in the Grand Final. 5. 'Jeremy Howe watch' will go into overdrive Lucky he enjoys media. Howe will be forced to do plenty this week after being nursed through the final term with a right ankle injury. Coming from the ground late in the third quarter, Howe returned early in the last term to play on the last line of defence as Richmond mounted a charge for an upset. With the game in the bag in the final 10 minutes, Howe was put on ice. In the build-up in seven days' time, his injury will be a big talking point, having also missed the final four matches of the season with a corked leg.

THE MEDIA

SUPERFOOTY (Mark Robinson) IT was the perfect storm. It might even be the most perfect half of football delivered under Nathan Buckley. But there’s no might about this — Collingwood is in the Grand Final. The Magpies led by 44 points at halftime, a bogey margin if you fancy 1970 history, but this time they didn’t yield. It was a withering, stunning and ferocious first 60 minutes. The Magpies kicked 10 goals to Richmond’s two and made the reigning premier look sloppy and jumpy — something no team has been able to do to the Tigers for ­almost a season and a half. It’s an extraordinary result after an extraordinary season. What odds of this happening 12 months ago — Buckley to coach Collingwood, into Collingwood throttling Richmond in a preliminary final, into a Texan and a drink driver making a mess of the best ­defence in the competition? You could’ve written your own ticket. Much will be said and written about Buckley this week and the depth of those accolades are well deserved. So, too, for president Eddie McGuire for punting on the coach when others suggested they shouldn’t. A premiership under Buckley, arguably the club’s greatest player, may well be Collingwood’s greatest story. Of course, that will all play out next weekend. Friday night was about Richmond — and Collingwood’s players giving it to Richmond. It was about Mason Cox kicking three consecutive goals in the second quarter, in front of mum and dad, who arrived on Thursday, and in front of an adoring crowd. Cox played the best game of his short career. No more iron hands, no more being pushed under the ball, no more a liability. He took Collingwood from 23 points to 41 in 10 minutes. If Buckley is the best story at Collingwood, this bloke isn’t far behind. His opponent, David Astbury, would be desperately disappointed … crook before the game, he would be sicker now. It was about Jordan De Goey, who had Rance — may­be the best defender in the AFL — for three quarters and was too quick offoot and too slick of mind in kicking four goals. He’s a genuine match winner and a much-loved figure among his club’s fans. It was about Jack Crisp, who near best afield at halftime. He had 16 touches and two goals from a back flank and surely had his opponents wondering why no one would be accountable for him. It was about Steele Sidebottom — the Tigers don’t tag and they have to live with that. Sidebottom had the most disposals in a preliminary final and more importantly won them when Collingwood needed him with the ball. He mesmerised the Tigers in the first half and was the steadier in the second. It was about Brodie Grundy, who schooled Toby Nankervis in the air and on the ground, so much so, that the big Magpie had 56 hitouts. In the second quarter, when the game exploded, Grundy had six hitouts to advantage to Richmond’s zero. It was about Tom Langdon once again dominating down back; it was about Travis Varcoe being clean and creative; it was about Chris Mayne quelling Kane Lambert; it was about Taylor Adams cracking in for 36 touches and nine inside 50s; it was about Brayden Sier setting the tone in the first term. Richmond was dysfunctional all over the ground, outside of Jack Riewoldt forward, Trent Cotchin in the middle and Dylan Grimes,who wasn’t beaten again down back. Dustin Martin was a liability, and the faith in the champ was too strong for the fears over his corkie. He visited the hyperbaric chamber in the days leading up to the match and was at Brighton Sea Baths on Friday still endeavouring to get enough movement back into his leg. He told teammates he was fine, but clearly he wasn’t, and it’s why he played plenty of time as the deepest forward. The Tigers had problems everywhere — Jason Castagna, Josh Caddy, Jack Graham, Shane Edwards, Kamdyn McIntosh, Shaun Griggand Nankervis were non factors. Not so the Magpies. They played, well, like Richmond — they pressured the ball carrier, outnumbered at contest, intercepted marks and stuck tackles,incessantly so in the first half. If football was so easy, you’d demand them to do it all again and if they did, the premiership would be a cakewalk. The heart says Melbourne and the head says West Coast, but whoever it is, they’d want to bring a better game than Richmond did. AFL COLLINGWOOD has ended Richmond's premiership defence, stunning the Tigers at their MCG stronghold with a powerhouse first half before withstanding a brave comeback to book a Grand Final spot with a 39-point win. Richmond entered Friday night's game a clear favourite, having won its previous 22 games at the MCG, its past four finals and its past four games against the Magpies. But from the opening bounce the Pies hit the Tigers with a brilliant mix of precision ball use, blistering run and carry, and stifling pressure that had Damien Hardwick's normally unflappable unit rattled from midway through the first quarter. The Magpies had no shortage of stars, but none stood taller than midfield star Steele Sidebottom and forwards Mason Cox and Jordan De Goey. The Pies rammed on five goals in the opening term and held the Tigers to their lowest score for a first quarter this year, 1.3 (9), then extended their lead to 53 points late in the second term. But just as Richmond appeared to go quietly, its pride kicked in. A four-goal-to-two third quarter reduced the Tigers' deficit to 33 points at the final break, and when Jack Riewoldt and Jack Higgins kicked consecutive goals early in the last term they finally had a genuine sniff, just 21 points down at the seven-minute mark. However, this was the Pies' night and they did not let Richmond get any closer, settling to kick the final three goals to record a stirring 15.7 (97) to 8.10 (58) win and book their first Grand Final spot since 2011. It was a brilliant performance that will give Nathan Buckley's men confidence they can win the club's first premiership since 2010, but next week the club will likely be sweating on the fitness of star defender Jeremy Howe, who suffered an ankle injury in the third quarter and played little further part in the game. As outstanding as Sidebottom (41 possessions, five clearances and three goal assists) was in the crucial onball battle, the game will probably be best remembered for the performance of the American Pie, Cox. When Cox kicked the opening three goals of the second term – producing an exhibition of spectacular pack marks and nerveless set shots that Wayne Carey would have been proud of – it put the Pies 42 points up and produced a chant that might not have been heard at the MCG since the 1956 Olympics – "USA, USA, USA". It was a surreal moment and a reminder of just how far the former soccer player has come in his short time in the game. Cox had struggled in the Magpies' opening two finals, but he produced a truly great finals performance on Friday night, finishing with three goals and 11 marks, eight of them contested. De Goey shone just as brightly. Six days after starring in Collingwood's semi-final win over Greater Western Sydney, De Goey (four goals) made short work of Richmond's best two defenders, Alex Rance and Dylan Grimes, with his explosiveness on the lead and smarts at ground level. On a glorious night for the black and white army, Brodie Grundy (21 possessions and 56 hit-outs) dominated his ruck contest against Toby Nankervis, while Jack Crisp (30 possessions, rebound 50s and two goals) starred in defence and Taylor Adams (36 possessions, nine inside 50s, eight clearances) was a handy sidekick to Sidebottom through the midfield. Howe was also impassable in defence before his injury, keeping a short rein on Dustin Martin when the Richmond superstar played forward. Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley lauded the startling development of his team in 2018 after the match. "It was a result that everyone thought was possible, but no one were really prepared to go with. The reality is that you need new information to understand that there has been a shift and for us it's our capacity to stand up in those big games against the best teams," Buckley said. "We played the way we wanted to play for the most part, we handled when Richmond came at us. There's no doubt that when we had that gap on the scoreboard we probably played a little bit careful for a little while. "When Richmond did what Richmond do and came at us the game started looking like the game style they want, we were able to compose ourselves and get it back on our terms." Martin went into the game carrying a badly corked thigh that had bled into his knee and the Tigers' gamble on his fitness did not pay off. The reigning Brownlow medallist had no impact in attack and was little more effective through the midfield where he was closely marked by Levi Greenwood and finished with just six kicks. Richmond's pre-game banner had read: "All aboard the Tiger train running express through September". But the train that has run over so many opponents in the past two years ran out of steam at the worst possible time. Richmond coach Damien Hardwick said it had been a disappointing finish to an otherwise "wonderful season". "To win 18 games and your first final and probably to bow out the way we played was really disappointing. It was an un-Richmond-like performance," Hardwick said. "Credit where credit's due, I thought Collingwood were outstanding. I said this a couple of times when we played them I think they've been the best side we've played, the way they set up structurally was very good. "We just couldn't get our game up and going at any stage, (we did for) a brief period during the third, briefly in the fourth. But they were just far too good and unfortunately to deliver that performance when we needed a better one was uncharacteristic of our side. "We'll learn from it, we'll grow from it, but it's really hard at this stage to see that light unfortunately." Jack Riewoldt stood head and shoulders above his Richmond teammates with a brilliant performance in attack that netted five goals and nine marks (three contested). Captain Trent Cotchin (25 possessions and 10 clearances) never stopped trying, while Bachar Houli (22 possessions and four inside 50s) and Dion Prestia (24 possessions and four tackles) were among the Tigers' better performers. MEDICAL ROOM Collingwood: Jordan De Goey came from the ground midway through the third quarter, but returned soon after. Jeremy Howe came from the ground with an apparent ankle injury late in the third term after being tackled by Daniel Rioli and played little further part in the game. After the match, Pies coach Nathan Buckley said he expected both players to be fit for the Grand Final. NEXT UP The Magpies will play in the Grand Final next Saturday at the MCG, taking on the winner of the second preliminary final between West Coast and Melbourne. REAL FOOTY Collingwood have conjured one the great AFL finals upsets and stormed into their first grand final in seven years with a 39-point win over Richmond in Friday night’s preliminary final at the MCG. The top-of-the-table Tigers had been a firm favourite to advance into their second straight grand final and claim back-to-back flags but the Magpies’ fairytale run proved overwhelming. Continuing what arguably has been the greatest turnaround from one season to the next in club history, the Magpies produced a stunning first half to hold the Tigers to only two goals and enjoy a game-breaking 44-point lead. The Tigers threatened in the final term, closing to within 21 points inside eight minutes but Adam Treloar’s around-the-body, left-foot floater from 35 metres, followed by Brodie Grundy’s superb follow-up to his own tap, rubber-stamped victory, and had club president Eddie McGuire leaping to his feet in a roar of affirmation. The Magpies now await the winner of Saturday’s preliminary final between the West Coast Eagles and Melbourne in Perth. Chants of USA reverberated around the MCG as American Mason Cox took three big marks and converted each into goals to start the second term. While this was battle between steeped in suburban VFL roots, the two clubs meeting in a final for the first time since 1980, Cox reinforced how far the game has come in the modern era. In only his 43rd game, the former college basketballer finished with three goals and a career-high 11 marks, and proved to be an unstoppable one-two punch with Jordan De Goey, who had four goals. In front of a sell-out crowd of 94,959, this was a night to remember for the Magpies, in particular coach Nathan Buckley, who was on the cusp of being sacked during a miserable 2017 campaign which sparked a club-wide review. Ruckman Brodie Grundy was arguably best afield with 21 touches, a goal and 56 hit outs. This included 10 hit-outs to advantage in the first half and 15-11 overall advantage for the Pies at centre clearances, highlighting why he was an All Australian. Counterpart Toby Nankervis had been instrumental in the Tigers’ fortunes but he had a night he would rather forget. Steele Sidebottom, the player of the finals to date, led the midfield with 41 disposals, Taylor Adams was robust and flourished under duress, skipper Scott Pendlebury was solid, while the unheralded Jack Crisp and Tom Phillips were also pivotal. The Tigers could not get the impact they craved from their key rollers, in particular Dustin Martin, Trent Cotchin and Alex Rance. Jack Riewoldt booted five goals and was a lone hand hand inside attacking 50, booting three in the third term as the Tigers pressed but could not make significant inroads. Martin had barely trained since suffering a corked thigh which bled into his knee against Hawthorn in the qualifying final and he lacked his typical explosiveness. He lined up at centre bounces, where he was manned by tagger Levi Greenwood, and then went forward, where Jeremy Howe had the job of containing the Brownlow Medallist. He finished goalless in arguably his worst game in two years. Cotchin worked hard but there were no moments of magic, while Rance could not handle De Goey, the Magpies often denying him his typical run from half back. Rance did regain his mojo in the final term when the Tigers’ tackle pressure lifted but it was too late. With Cox and De Goey a threat, the Pies maintained the pressure with long, deep, high balls into their forward line. All of this added up to the Tigers having their 22-game winning streak at the home of football snapped. There had been debate over whether the Tigers had not had enough football over the past month, this being their second game in four weeks, and whether the Magpies would be tired after a six-day break. That they weren’t. Their work-rate was superb, while their game plan of looking to kick and switch play as often as possible – they had relied more on handballing against the Tigers through the home-and-away campaign – was pivotal. Their intentions were clear in the first term when they dominated the inside-50 count 20-11. They ran in numbers, attacked the man and capitalised on the jittery Tigers with 73 per cent kicking efficiency. The signs for the Tigers were not good, with Martin taking 15 minutes to have his first touch.