COLLINGWOOD 3.2.20 3.4.22 4.5.29 8.7.55
SYDNEY 4.5.29 7.9.51 11.11.77 15.12.102
SCORERS
Collingwood: Cloke (3.2), Elliott (2.0), Seedsman (1.1), Dwyer (1.0), Witts (1.0), Clarke (0.1)
BEST
Collingwood: O'Brien, Pendlebury, Reid, Clarke, Ball, Elliott
INJURIES
Collingwood: Russell (ankle)
SUBSTITUTES
Collingwood: Ben Kennedy replaced Jarrod Witts at three quarter time
REPORTS
Collingwood: Nil
OFFICIAL CROWD: 65,306 at the MCG
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The Sydney Swans have run Collingwood off its feet with a ballistic 47-point win in front of 65,306 fans at the MCG on Friday night. The Swans completely smothered the Magpies' forwards and charged forward when in possession, skipping away with a 15.12 (102) to 8.7 (55) victory. Such was the visitors' dominance, Collingwood could manage only one goal between the 25-minute mark of the first quarter and the four-minute mark of the last. The Swans booted 10 goals in the same period, getting out to a game-high 54-point lead. Only a strong last quarter from Nathan Buckley's men prevented the result from becoming a complete blowout. Champion Swan Adam Goodes was superb for the victors, collecting 30 disposals up and down the wing, as the reigning premiers repeatedly hurt Collingwood on the counter-attack. He also booted a team-high three goals in a fitting display for Indigenous Round. The veteran gained great support from his midfield, with Daniel Hannebery, Kieren Jack and Ryan O'Keefe all enjoying big games. Down back, Nick Malceski continually found space as a loose man, and also provided important help for teammate Ted Richards on dangerous spearhead Travis Cloke (three goals) in an otherwise dysfunctional Magpies forward line. Scott Pendlebury played a typically determined game for the losers, gathering 28 disposals and hitting teammates lace-out on several occasions. Steele Sidebottom and Luke Ball also worked hard, while Brent Macaffer turned in a disciplined tagging effort on Josh Kennedy, holding the Swans' clearance specialist to 18 disposals. The dampener on a memorable evening for John Longmire's team was the loss of key forward Sam Reid with a left quad injury. The win for the Swans appeared to be marred by an incident late in the game, with a female Collingwood supporter ejected from the ground after being pointed out to security by Goodes. Goodes left the field immediately after the final siren, and appeared visibly upset in the changerooms. It was the Swans' first win over Collingwood at the MCG since 2000, and came despite a pre-game drama, with the team bus turning up late after breaking down on the way to the hotel, forcing some players onto public transport. They have now won two straight over the Magpies after losing the previous 11. The loss leaves Collingwood at 5-4 for the season, and almost certain to drop out of the top eight by the end of the weekend. Already severely depleted by injury, they may be sweating on the fitness of Jordan Russell, who spent time on the bench with an ankle problem. He was, however, able to finish the game on the field. The Swans have moved to six wins, two losses and a draw, and are safe inside the top four for another week. The healthy turnout was the second-largest home and away attendance for matches between the two clubs in history. Collingwood President Eddie McGuire has vowed to seek out the fan who allegedly racially abused Sydney Swans champion Adam Goodes on Friday night and ban her from the club. McGuire immediately sought out Goodes in the changerooms following the match, apologising for the last quarter incident. Afterwards, the fuming Magpies president said the fan's behaviour was "despicable". "I went in to ask Adam what happened, and he told me someone said something; you can ask him what was said," McGuire told AFL Media. "I just apologised to him. "I wanted to look him in the eye and let him know that we don't stand for this. "This club doesn't stand for it, the football world doesn't stand for it. "I didn't want him to go away from being a fantastic leader in what is a wonderful week for our code, or to feel that this is in any way endorsed or condoned, or anything other than that we are just absolutely devastated that someone would say something like that. "We will be taking every step. "Everyone knows the rules at Collingwood: if you racially vilify anybody, it's zero tolerance; you're out. "Hopefully the police have got the person, and we'll find out and get to the bottom of it. "They should be absolutely ashamed of themselves." Magpies coach Nathan Buckley echoed his president's sentiments, saying the incident was a reminder that work still needed to be done to rid society of racism, despite gains made in the past two decades. "My opinion, and it will be the club's opinion, is that any person of any race, colour or creed is welcome to play this game and to observe this game, and should be able to do so with the freedom that any person should be able to," Buckley said. "That freedom is taken away when you choose not to respect people of other race, colour or creed. "We're disappointed that this has happened. "I believe it was a young girl; it speaks probably more to how much more work we need to do in this regard. "We'll support Adam in this situation, and we'll do anything we need to do to further improve the attitudes in society. "Football reflects society, and this is a situation that highlights that." Sydney Swans coach John Longmire welcomed McGuire's visit to the Swans' rooms post-match to apologise, saying that was an indication of how seriously the AFL industry takes racial vilification. "Adam was clearly disappointed and upset, and he's confident the AFL will work through it," Longmire said. "He's happy for the AFL to take the lead and let them deal with it." The incident happened in the Punt Road end forward pocket of the MCG, deep in the final quarter of the Swans' 47-point win. Goodes reacted angrily when he heard a comment from a female in the front row, pointing her out to security, who removed her from the ground. After the final siren, the clearly upset dual Brownlow Medallist immediately went down the players' race while his teammates celebrated the win on the field. Neither the Swans nor Magpies have publicly stated what was said. The incident has come on a weekend of celebration of the contribution of Indigenous footballers, with Indigenous Round marking the 20th anniversary of Nicky Winmar's defiant stance against racism at Collingwood's former home ground, Victoria Park. "I went in to ask Adam what happened, and he told me someone said something; you can ask him what was said," McGuire told AFL Media. "I just apologised to him. "I wanted to look him in the eye and let him know that we don't stand for this. "This club doesn't stand for it, the football world doesn't stand for it." AFL |
Sydney arrived by tram, thanks to a team bus malfunction, and went home by limousine. Having broken the Magpies' six-year, 11-game hold over them in last year's preliminary final, the Swans now seem intent on imposing a spell of their own. This was the reigning premiers' most complete performance of a year of slow gathering, and in many ways Collingwood's most abject defeat in a year of often stuttering performances. Decimation by injury is no explanation; the Swans also had cornerstone players out. It might yet go down as an even more infamous night. Late in the last quarter, Adam Goodes, who had put in yet another irresistible performance, gesticulated his disgust to a knot of Magpie supporters. After the game, Goodes' anger was still palpable. More will emerge. It made for a distasteful start to indigenous round. Collingwood brings out Sydney's miserly best; that much is clear. The defining phenomenon of this encounter was the total breakdown of the Magpies' forward line. It was ill-balanced from the start, and the Swans knew that if they contained Travis Cloke, who was double-teamed most of the night, it would leave a black hole. It took the Magpies three quarters to score what the Swans did in the first. Their four last-quarter goals were consolations. The paucity of opportunity merely reflected the burden of play in midfield, where the Swans run, spread and intensity reduced the Magpies at times to a rabble. At the other end, the Swans did themselves an injustice with their profligacy. Again, the scoreboard deceives; at least three times, the Swans kicked out on the full. They could and should have turned this into a rout. The night had begun more nobly than it ended, with a hug by proxy captains Lewis Jetta and Andrew Krakouer. Varying tactics of other weeks, neither team began with a dedicated tagger; this one would be sorted out on its merits. Sydney swarmed all over Collingwood from the start, but was oddly extravagant around goal. Goodes, of all people, missed two sitters. At the other end, Collingwood, from limited chances, kicked three goals from leads and marks. It was a strength that became a weakness when it became clear that the Magpies had no plan B. The stoppages were ferociously contested, but Sydney's run and spread made it always the more threatening team. In the second quarter, the Swans made good that threat, shredding Collingwood with piercing football on the rebound. Sydney made the lumbering and ponderous Magpies look outnumbered at both ends of the ground, no mean feat on the MCG. At half-time, the Swans led in uncontested possession by 130-92. Collingwood led the tackle count 58-43, but that an indication only of the remedial work it was forced to perform. Fittingly in indigenous round, Goodes bobbed up in every play. Collingwood tried to tighten up, detailing Macaffer to Kennedy, but in the meantime, unsung Craig Bird had blotted Dane Swan out of the game. Again, only Sydney's profligacy near goal spared the Magpies; Morton, twice, was culpably lax. Three goal to none was right as a ratio, but meagre as a return for the Swans. Collingwood went goal-less for a quarter and a half. The last quarter was footnotes. The match finished on an apt note when Swans' veteran Jude Bolton threaded a goal after the final siren. What was beyond the Magpies all night long, the Swans could do even as an encore. NO GOODES ANSWER Adam Goodes had a range of opponents - Nick Maxwell, Jordan Russell and Harry O'Brien among them - all of them rotating on and off the dual Brownlow medallist when he went forward or back. But none of them had any significant effect. Goodes copped a knee in the quad in the first term but it did little to slow him up as he was the dominant player on the field. Goodes was either too strong in the pack or too mobile getting up and down the ground, particularly exploiting the open field the Swans like to run in to towards goal. BATTLE OF THE BIRD In a game of Swans and Magpies a Bird beat a Swan, but the Swans beat the Magpies. Craig Bird was tasked Dane Swan early on and Bird did an excellent job shutting him down. Swan had eight touches to half-time, of his five kicks four were rated clangers or ineffective. After half-time Swan had a range of others, like Luke Parker and Kieren Jack. EXPERIENCE COUNTS It was Sydney's elder statesmen that led the way, with Goodes, Ryan O'Keefe, Jarred McVeigh and Nick Malceski all racking up 30 or more disposals. O'Keefe's tackling was a highlight, applying a game-high 14. 1. Goodes the big story In a sad end to the opening match of Indigenous Round, Adam Goodes was allegedly racially vilified by a young female Collingwood supporter late in the fourth quarter. Goodes was best afield, winning 30 possessions and booting three goals in a masterful performance, but he was left disappointed and upset following the match. Collingwood president Eddie McGuire was immediately in the Swans' rooms to shake Goodes' hand and apologise, and he said his club was "just absolutely devastated that someone would say something like that". Swans coach John Longmire stressed Goodes' significant performance should be acknowledged, saying: "He's a leader in his community and he's a powerful figure … the way he drove himself tonight was pretty special". 2. Late arrival, fast start The bus driver who was late to pick up the Swans on Friday night may be getting a call-up if the club returns to the home of football in September, with his tardy service prompting some of the best football the Swans have played this season. The Swans bus broke down on its way to pick up the players on Friday evening, with some travelling to the MCG by tram and taxi. The team was assembled for its pre-game routine no more than 10 minutes later than planned, and the start they produced was exhilarating. The Swans played 'slingshot' football, launching fast breaks off half-back to build a 29-point lead at half time. 3. Lukewarm Pies When the shine eventually rubbed off the Magpies’ win over Geelong last Saturday night, the team was left to ponder a lapse in the third quarter that saw them concede eight goals to the Cats. On Friday night it was the second quarter that started the rot, the Swans kicking 3.4 to the Magpies' 0.2. Both sides went inside 50 11 times for the term, but Collingwood's forward line was non-existent, with Travis Cloke and Quinten Lynch touching the ball once each. It was Collingwood’s first goalless quarter of the season. 4. Dane's dirty night Not only did Dane Swan have just eight disposals in a first half he would rather forget, all were ineffective. It was a rare poor game for the Brownlow medallist, who finished with 23 possessions and did little damage from the midfield, pushing into defence at times through the match. With Dayne Beams and Dale Thomas sidelined, the Magpies’ midfield depth was exposed. Luke Ball and Scott Pendlebury recorded an equal team-high 28 possessions. 5. Reid concerns Early speculation suggests Swans key forward Sam Reid could be sidelined for the next three to four weeks with a left quad injury. The athletic big man was substituted in the third quarter and had lengthy discussions with club medical staff after having his injured leg worked on. It was another quiet night for Reid, who has kicked seven goals from nine games this season. Opposed to brother Ben, he kicked one goal, from a mark and set shot, early in the third quarter before injury struck. |
COLLINGWOOD must address a work-rate problem that threatens to trap Nathan Buckley'’s men in the mid-part of the AFL ladder. The Pies' inconsistent season continued last night when they fell to Sydney by 47 points in a match marred by a racist slur directed at Swans champion Adam Goodes. The effort was a disappointment for Buckley only a week after the Pies notched their best win of the season defeating heavyweight Geelong. The Collingwood coach said the Swans were prepared to run much harder to each end of the ground than his team did last night. "We definitely got outworked by a side with a bit to prove," Buckley said. "We wanted to back up our performance from last week, we were just unable to do that. "They ran harder back to protect their defence and they ran harder forward. "We just didn't work hard enough, we were caught in the middle." The loss leaves the Pies in danger of falling outside the top eight this round, with the club boasting one of the longest injury lists in the AFL. Buckley said the work-rate problem for the Pies was part mental, part physical. "No doubt we looked like we lacked some pep tonight," he said. "We just looked that half a step off where we needed to be. "Part of that is psychological. We set ourselves to came out to reinforce the performance of last week, but we have been a little bit up and down. "Round 3 versus Hawthorn (was a loss), then OK against Richmond, then poor against Essendon, then OK against St Kilda, then poor against Freo, then OK against Geelong, now poor again. "We've gone win-loss, win-loss since Round 3 basically. We need to be better than that.". ADAM Goodes has urged support for the young Collingwood fan who racially abused him at last night's match, saying the girl had contacted him to apologise. Goodes booted three goals and had 30 disposals in Sydney's 15.12 (102) to 8.7 (55) victory at the MCG as the Swans claimed their sixth win and consolidated their spot in the top four. Collingwood were held goal-less in the second term and scored only one major in the third term to trail by 48 points at three-quarter time before both sides kicked four goals each in the final term. But Goodes left the field visibly distressed late in the game after a verbal clash with the Collingwood fan, who was evicted by security staff after the player stood just metres from her to point her out in the stands. At an AFL press conference earlier today, the Swans veteran said that he was "gutted" to have heard the 13-year-old girl call him an ape. "It cut me deep. I'm still shattered,'' Goodes said. "Personally I don't think I've ever been more hurt. It felt like I was in high school again being bullied. I don't think I've ever been more hurt by someone calling me a name. Not just by what was said, by who it came from." But he cautioned against a backlash, saying that he did not want a "witchhunt". "The person who needs the most support right now is the little girl. She's 13. She's uneducated," he said, adding that he thought it unlikely that she understood the real meaning of the insult. Shortly after the press conference, Goodes tweeted to say that he had received a phone call from the young girl in which she apologised for her actions. "Lets support her please," he added. Speaking this morning, Sydney AFL coach John Longmire said he hoped the incident did not overshadow the dual Brownlow Medallist's best-afield display in his side's 47-point win over Collingwood. Longmire said Goodes, 33, had set himself up for a big game as part of the AFL's Indigenous Round. "His performance was magnificent and we should also acknowledge that. He played so well,'' Longmire said. "He's a leader in his community and he's a powerful figure. The way he drove himself (last night) was pretty special.'' Midfielder Dan Hannebery, with 31 disposals and two goals, was another star for the Swans along with defender Nick Malceski and co-captain Jarrad McVeigh. Longmire said key forward Sam Reid, who was subbed off in the third quarter with a thigh injury, hoped to be fit for Saturday's SCG clash with Essendon. The inconsistent Magpies travel to Brisbane to play the Lions at the Gabba next Friday night. "We will be out of the eight at the end of this round,'' Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley said of his side's 5-4 win-loss record. "We have gone win-loss win-loss since round three and we need to be better than that.'' The Magpies were slaughtered on the counter-attack by the hard-running Swans. "If you turn the ball over when you have it in your hands, if you do not use it well you give them that opportunity and if you don't pressure them well enough then they are going to get out,'' Buckley said. Buckley said Sydney's pressure contributed to his side's poor ball use. Brownlow Medallist midfielder Dane Swan was one player in particular to struggle with his kicking efficiency. While Scott Pendlebury, Steele Sidebottom and Travis Cloke (three goals) were among Collingwood's better players, Buckley said overall the Magpies had been outworked. "We were well beaten in all areas especially early,'' Buckley said. At an AFL press conference earlier today, the Swans veteran said that he was "gutted" to have heard the 13-year-old girl call him an ape. "It cut me deep. I'm still shattered,'' Goodes said. "Personally I don't think I've ever been more hurt. It felt like I was in high school again being bullied. "I don't think I've ever been more hurt by someone calling me a name. "Not just by what was said, by who it came from." AAP |
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