2019 Grand Final: Richmond 17.12.114 GWS 3.7.25

2019 Preliminary Final: GWS 7.9.56 Collingwood 7.10.52

THE FACTS

GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY   1.3.9   2.5.17   7.7.49    8.8.56
COLLINGWOOD                         2.0.12   3.2.20   3.4.22   7.10.52

GOALS - Collingwood: Stephenson 2, Thomas 2, Reid, Elliott, Mayne

BEST - Collingwood: Crisp, Grundy, Pendlebury, Maynard, Wills, Howe, Treloar

INJURIES - Collingwood: Nil

REPORTS - Collingwood: Nil

OFFICIAL CROWD - 77,828 at the MCG

What The Pies Coach Said "It is quite difficult after a result like that to stand in front of the players and really wrap them up, because we've just lost a game. Looking at the last 30 minutes, if we could have found a little extra through the early parts of the game, we could've won it – but we didn't. The side that won it deserved to win it, because they were the better team on the night. I still have real belief in our playing group and how we go about it, and our coaching group and how we set up players, and the administration of our club and how we carry ourselves. All of that is there, and you can't finish at the pointy end of a season without getting a lot of those things right, but there's still a lot of areas we can be better." – Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley

Media Clippings Collingwood News Greater Western Sydney has withstood a furious Collingwood fightback – and a score review controversy – to win by four points and qualify for a historic maiden AFL Grand Final. The underdog Giants led by a match-high 33 points almost six minutes into the final term, were dominating proceedings and would have thought the game was well in their keeping. At that stage, the Magpies had kicked three goals in more than three quarters of football, yet somehow they almost conjured one of the most remarkable comebacks in finals history. A Jaidyn Stephenson goal kick-started the drama, but it was Josh Thomas' major at the nine-minute mark – the second of four straight from Collingwood – that provided the talking point. Thomas' shot appeared to be clearly touched, but play resumed in the middle after a short delay, meaning the Pies were awarded maximum points. The AFL's new ARC set-up, which was supposed to avoid these situations, will come under intense pressure in the wake of this error, which could have cost GWS a Grand Final spot. Fortunately for the AFL, the Giants narrowly hung on by an 8.8 (56) to 7.10 (52) scoreline in a classic encounter in front of a black and white-dominated MCG crowd of 77,828. AFL An all-time classic in one of the best Preliminary Finals ever played. The Magpies faced a 33 point deficit at the sixth-minute mark of the final quarter, but were unable to gain the lead back in a frantic final few minutes. The Giants will now play in their first-ever Grand Final and play Richmond next week. Herald Sun A clutch of Magpies will feel like putting their fists through brick walls when they look back on their preliminary final stats. That’s because their hands simply couldn’t get anywhere near the Sherrin. The angriest will be Brody Mihocek, who’s only two handballs came in the last quarter. Ben Reid (four disposals) sprayed an easy shot in the final quarter while James Aish, Will Hoskin-Elliott (both eight disposals) and Chris Mayne (nine disposals) were all beaten. Mayne’s contested grab in the last quarter had him within touching distance of glory, but the accurate set-shot was touched by Sam Taylor on the goal line. This will sting. Fox Footy GWS are through to their first-ever AFL grand final after they stunned hot favourite Collingwood in a four-point preliminary final thriller at the MCG. The Giants led by a game-high 33 points early in the final term on Saturday, but had to withstand a stirring late challenge by the Pies, who kicked the last four goals of the match only to fall agonisingly short - 8.8 (56) to 7.10 (52). If the Magpies had managed to fall over the line, it would have been a controversial win after Josh Thomas was awarded a goal in the last quarter that appeared to be touched off the boot. ... The vast majority of the 77,828 fans in attendance wore black and white and they left the MCG with broken hearts for the second time in two years, following on from last year’s grand final defeat to West Coast. The Age Collingwood skipper Scott Pendlebury said he felt worse in the immediate aftermath of the four-point preliminary final loss to GWS than he did after losing last year's grand final by less than a kick. The Magpies stormed home in the last quarter to kick the final four goals of the game after trailing by 33 points early in the fourth term, but fell agonisingly short when they hit the post and had a shot for goal touched on the line in a frantic final 20 minutes. "This is worse because you don't get the opportunity to even get there," Pendlebury said. "I would rather have my heart broken again next week if I was in it then not even give yourself a chance to win it." Pendlebury described the loss as a wasted opportunity after they failed to kick a goal between the two-minute mark of the second quarter and the seven-minute mark of the final quarter.

2019 Preliminary Final: The Team & Preview

2019 Preliminary Final COLLINGWOOD v GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY Time & Place: Saturday Sept. 21, 4:35pm AEST MCG TV: 7 / Fox Footy 4:30pm AEST Weather: Min 11 Max 17 Chance of rain: 60% 1-5mm Wind: WNW 17kph Betting: Collingwood $1.31 Geelong $3.50

B: John Noble, Jordan Roughead, Jeremy Howe

HB: Jack Crisp, Darcy Moore, Brayden Maynard

C: Tom Phillips, Scott Pendlebury, Steele Sidebottom

HF: Josh Thomas, Brody Mihocek, Will Hoskin-Elliott

F: Jamie Elliott, Ben Reid, Jaidyn Stephenson

Foll: Brodie Grundy, Adam Treloar, Taylor Adams

I/C: James Aish, Callum L. Brown, Chris Mayne, Rupert Wills

Emg: Josh Daicos, Jack Madgen, Matthew Scharenberg, Travis Varcoe

In: Ben Reid, James Aish
Out: Jordan De Goey (Injured), Levi Greenwood (Injured)

Milestones:: Ben Reid  - Playing 150th game

Collingwood News Ben Reid will play his 150th AFL game against the Giants Collingwood has made two changes to its side ahead of the blockbuster preliminary final against the Greater Western Sydney Giants at the MCG on Saturday. Ben Reid makes his way back into the side in place of Jordan De Goey (hamstring). It will be Reid's first senior game since round 15. The 30-year-old has trained strongly over the last four weeks since injuring his hamstring at training. Coach Nathan Buckley has been pleased with his preparation heading into Saturday afternoon's game. “He’s been in full training for about a month now.” Buckley told reporters on Thursday. It will be Reid's 150th AFL game for the Magpies. Defender James Aish returns in place of Levi Greenwood (knee) after overcoming a shoulder injury that has seen him sidelined since round 18. In what is set to be a fiery encounter, Buckley has backed in his side to stand up to the Giants' aggressive nature. "Our hardness inside stacks up for itself," Buckley said. "The way that the Giants have gone about it, I think you've got to be impressed with the steel that they have brought into their game. They were clearly challenged around that four or five weeks ago. "The niggle stuff is part of the game. You can buy into it if you want, or you can just go and play footy really hard, and that's the way we prefer to go about it." It will be a do-or-die clash at the colosseum of football that will have 80,000 fans on the edge of their seats. The Magpie Army will be out in force, cheering loud and proud to decorate the 'G black and white.

AFL 2019 Preliminary Final Collingwood v GWS What it means for Collingwood: The chance to progress to a second successive Grand Final – which would be a remarkable achievement after the tumult of 2017 – and another chance to be the finals party pooper for the Giants. What it means for GWS: An opportunity to make their first Grand Final after losing their previous preliminary finals in 2016 and 2017. It would also show great steel to win their third final in a row while missing stars Stephen Coniglio, Lachie Whitfield, Callan Ward and possibly Toby Greene. The stat: The Giants have lost both of their finals at the MCG, where they have won just two of their past 11 games. The victories were against a depleted Collingwood in round two last year and against Melbourne in round 10 this year. The match-up: Jeremy Cameron v Darcy Moore Coleman medallist Cameron (No.64 in the Official AFL Player Ratings) and intercept specialist Moore (down at No.352, affected by injury absences) are set to stage a hard-running, high-flying duel that might well be worth the admission price alone. It's a big week for: Josh Kelly With Whitfield ruled out and Greene another potential absentee, the Giants' best remaining playmaker could be required to produce a career-defining performance against a Magpie midfield that is humming. The silky left-footer's finals form has been strong, averaging 24 touches and two goals. He might need to lift that to 30 and three. Big call: Giants little man Brent Daniels and Pies opponent John Noble to stage a sprint that will remind many of ex-Swan Lewis Jetta burning off Hawk Cyril Rioli in the 2012 Grand Final. Prediction: Magpies by 16 points

2019 Finals Draw: Week Three Preliminary Finals

2019 Finals Draw: Week Two Semi-Finals

2019 Qualifying Final: Collingwood 9.7.61 Geelong 7.9.51

THE FACTS

COLLINGWOOD   4.2.26   7.5.47   9.7.61   9.7.61
GEELONG              1.2.8   4.4.28   5.6.36    7.9.51

GOALS - Collingwood: Elliott 2, Adams 2, Stephenson, Pendlebury, Howe, Hoskin-Elliott, Sidebottom

BEST - Collingwood: Pendlebury, Sidebottom, Adams, Phillips, Grundy, Howe, Treloar

INJURIES - Collingwood: De Goey (hamstring), Greenwood (knee)

REPORTS - Collingwood: Nil

OFFICIAL CROWD - 93,436 at the MCG

What The Pies Coach Said "Hamstring (for De Goey), don't know if it's a grade or if it's just tightness, but he couldn't finish the game, and Levi (Greenwood) is a suspected ACL. It's terrible for him. They're both remarkably stoic characters, and Levi in particular in the circumstance he's in. ... Levi is a much-loved member of the group. There's not many we don't like, but Levi's right up there in regards to heart and soul. His teammates just love him. We're really flat for him, we expect the diagnosis to be confirmed. We can't be positive (it's a torn ACL), there's always hope. He was around his teammates on the bench still really positive, engaging and contributing in any manner he could. Physically he was done, but still, his demeanour and his energy was still really positive. .... I can't be sure of it (recurrence of De Goey's same hamstring injury). I suspect it is, because it was tightness initially, but we don't have any more information for you. ... I thought we were still able to do most things, Geelong were one down as well (Mitch Duncan, knee), so that was probably marginal. They definitely wanted to speed the game up when they needed to score after probably halfway through the third quarter and into the last, but we were able to handle for the most part whatever they threw at us. It was a really strong, consolidated effort across the four quarters."  – Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley

Media Clippings Collingwood News THERE are few players who can provide the spark Scott Pendlebury gives Collingwood. When Friday night's qualifying final against Geelong needed a composed figure amid the frenetic pace and pressure of September football, Pendlebury was there. And when the Pies needed someone to provide a defining moment when things became scrappy after half-time, who else but Pendlebury could provide a cool finish on the run. As he has throughout his 300-game career, the Collingwood skipper was the calm in the storm. He was also the driving force behind his side booking its spot in a preliminary final. Moments of Pendlebury brilliance were littered throughout Collingwood's 10-point victory over Geelong. He won 24 disposals, took eight marks and laid nine tackles, with his goal late in the third term proving the decisive moment in taking the game away from the Cats. It laid the foundations for a 9.7 (61) to 7.9 (51) win, which ensures the Pies are just one win away from returning to a second successive Grand Final in a fortnight's time.  AFL COLLINGWOOD will be left counting the significant cost of its 10-point preliminary final win over Geelong, with Levi Greenwood suffering a suspected torn ACL and superstar forward Jordan De Goey sidelined yet again with a hamstring complaint. Greenwood suffered the injury in the second term, but it is unclear how the incident happened. ... The talented De Goey's soft tissue troubles continue, having been picked for the match against Geelong after missing Collingwood's final four games of the home and away season with a hamstring injury. Herald Sun If you want to pick a crowning moment of Collingwood’s march into the preliminary final it has to be owned by Scott Pendlebury. The heroic Magpies captain was celebrating his 300th game last night and given his love of the big occasion throughout his career, he was odds-on to feature prominently in the highlights. At the 21-minute mark of the third quarter the qualifying final was on a knife’s edge. Collingwood had dominated the first quarter-and-a-half against a Geelong team who once again suffered finals stage fright. But the Cats kicked the final three goals of the second term and had just got the margin down to 19 points midway through the third. Enter the Iceman. At a ball-up where Brodie Grundy once again monstered his Geelong opponent, his tap went to Jaidyn Stephenson whose quick handball found Pendlebury floating across the back of the pack. It was his moment. From 48 metres out on his trusty left-foot Pendlebury nailed the shot and effectively killed off the Cats. His teammates knew as much and they came from everywhere to celebrate with their leader. Fox Footy Steele Sidebottom didn’t wear a box. He tried two pairs of jocks during the week and didn’t like the extra padding. A jock strap did nothing for him either. But then he tried a pair of speedos and found all the support he needed to tear another final to shreds on Friday night. The dual Copeland Trophy winner missed the final game of the home and away season after requiring surgery to repair a ruptured testicle, following a stray boot from Irishman Anton Tohill at training 16 days ago. In his first final since master tagger Mark Hutchings held him to 14 disposals in last year’s heartbreaking Grand Final loss, Sidebottom reclaimed his status as a September specialist by producing another masterclass in the Magpies’ qualifying final win over Geelong at the MCG. The 28-year-old amassed 33 disposals – the most on the ground – 15 marks, seven inside 50s and 572 metres gained to help Nathan Buckley’s men book a spot on the penultimate weekend of the season. The Age Collingwood are one win away from back-to-back grand finals and have added to Geelong’s post-bye misery, but their premiership hopes have taken a hit with a hamstring injury to Jordan De Goey. Led by midfielder Taylor Adams and ruckman Brodie Grundy, the Magpies’ relentless pressure and a season-high tackle count were the backbone of a 10-point win over the sluggish Cats in a qualifying final at the MCG last night, giving them direct entry into a preliminary final in a fortnight. But the victory came at a cost, for star forward De Goey suffered a recurrence of a hamstring injury. De Goey’s return from a seven-week absence because of a hamstring problem ended early in the second term, when he left the field and spent the rest of the quarter in the dressing room. He returned to the bench after half-time but did not take to the field. Sports medico Dr Rohan White told Triple M ‘‘it’s not looking good for Jordan’’ and feared De Goey’s season was over. The explosive de Goey is a match-winner and his absence threatens the Magpies’ bid to seek redemption for last year’s grand-final loss to West Coast. Teammate Levi Greenwood, who had also battled a hamstring issue six weeks ago, was hurt and spent most of the second half on the bench with what the Magpies suspect is a torn anterior cruciate ligament.

2019 Qualifying Final: The Team & Preview

2019 Qualifying Final COLLINGWOOD v GEELONG Time & Place: Friday Sept. 6, 7:50pm AEST MCG TV: 7mate / Fox Footy 7:30pm AEST Weather: Min 10 Max 14 Chance of rain: 80% 5-10mm Wind: W 13kph Betting: Collingwood $2.10 Geelong $1.72

B: Levi Greenwood, Jordan Roughead, Jeremy Howe

HB: Jack Crisp, Darcy Moore, Brayden Maynard

C: Tom Phillips, Scott Pendlebury, Chris Mayne

HF: Steele Sidebottom, Brody Mihocek, Will Hoskin-Elliott

F: Jamie Elliott, Jordan De Goey, Jaidyn Stephenson

Foll: Brodie Grundy, Adam Treloar, Taylor Adams 

I/C: John Noble, Callum L. Brown, Josh Thomas, Rupert Wills

Emg: Matthew Scharenberg, Travis Varcoe, Jack Madgen, Josh Daicos

In: Steele Sidebottom, Jordan De Goey, Jaidyn Stephenson
Out: Matthew Scharenberg (Omitted), Jack Madgen (Omitted), Travis Varcoe (Omitted)

Milestones: Scott Pendlebury  - Playing 300th game

Collingwood News Captain Scott Pendlebury to play his 300th AFL game Collingwood has made three changes to its side ahead of the blockbuster qualifying final against Geelong at the MCG on Friday night. The Magpies' forward line will be bolstered by Jordan De Goey and Jaidyn Stephenson, while vice-captain Steele Sidebottom returns to the line-up after a week on the sidelines with a groin injury. De Goey returns from a hamstring injury that saw him miss the final four rounds of the home and away season. The 23-year-old has a proven record first-up after a spell and is raring to go. “I feel really good. I think I’m probably fitter than I was in the middle of the year. Hammy feels good. I feel good. I’m ready to go,” De Goey told reporters on Monday. “It was probably more mentally for me and taking the time it [my hamstring] needs. Being locked into finals helps, so I didn’t need to push too hard earlier on.” Stephenson is set to play his first AFL game since round 12 after which he received a 22-game suspension (12 suspended) for gambling on AFL matches. The 20-year-old hasn’t put a foot wrong during a strenuous training block and was lively for Collingwood’s VFL side two weeks ago. Captain Scott Pendlebury will achieve a historic milestone of 300 AFL games, the third to do so in the club’s history. “I’ve been extremely lucky so far across my career, you know, getting that many seasons in and no sort of injuries that have threatened my career. I’m looking forward to playing game 300, but more importantly the final,” Pendlebury told media on Wednesday. Collingwood have named Matthew Scharenberg, Travis Varcoe, Jack Madgen and Josh Daicos as the emergencies. The first bounce is set for 7.50pm, with the MCG expected to attract 95,000 fans.

AFL 2019 Qualifying Final Collingwood v Geelong Jaidyn Stephenson Suspension for betting is over. What it means for Geelong: The opportunity to bury the post-bye and finals record in one fell swoop and book a home preliminary final. Since winning the 2011 flag, the Cats are 2-11 following in-season weeks off and 3-9 in September overall. Veterans Joel Selwood, Harry Taylor and Gary Ablett would enjoy the extra week's rest, too. What it means for Collingwood: A home preliminary final is a tasty proposition for a team aiming to build continuity. Welcoming back Jaidyn Stephenson (gambling ban) and Jordan De Goey (injury) to play with Darcy Moore for just his second game in eight weeks would place the Pies in a strong position if they were to progress straight to the penultimate weekend. The stat: Dating back to round 22, 2017, Geelong has held Collingwood to an average of 56.6 points in their past three meetings. In the 47 matches against all other opponents in that period, the Pies have scored an average of 90 points. The match-up: Rhys Stanley v Brodie Grundy They shared the honours back in round one but this could be Stanley's biggest test as a No.1 ruckman. Ranked No.2 overall in the Official AFL Player Ratings, Grundy is in career-best form as he prepares for Stanley (No.11 ranked ruckman). It's a big week for: Jaidyn Stephenson Friday night marks 88 days since Stephenson was last on an AFL field prior to his 10-week suspension for betting on Collingwood matches. In the first half of the season he was the focal point in attack for the Pies but just how much impact can he have on return? Big call: Chris Scott to flip the narrative and proclaim, "We're an anywhere, anytime team," as the Cats hold on in a thriller. Prediction: Cats by eight points