Round 7: Collingwood 73 Fremantle 100

THE FACTS

COLLINGWOOD   1.2.8    3.6.24    9.8.62    10.13.73
FREMANTLE         6.4.40  9.6.60    10.7.67  15.10.100

SCORERS
Collingwood: Dwyer (2.1), Krakouer (2.1), Swan (2.0), Blair (1.1), Kennedy (1.0), Mooney (1.0), Sidebottom (1.0), Cloke (0.4), Seedsman (0.1), Thomas (0.1)

BEST
Collingwood: Swan, Reid, D Thomas, Sidebottom, Dwyer, J Thomas, Shaw

INJURIES
Collingwood: Clarke (hamstring), Mooney (knee)

SUBSTITUTES
Collingwood: Caolan Mooney replaced Marty Clarke (hamstring) in the second term

REPORTS
Collingwood: TBA

OFFICIAL CROWD: 37,214 at Patersons Stadium

THE MEDIA
COLLINGWOOD NEWS Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley has issued a call to arms to his enigmatic team, saying Saturday night's clash against ladder leaders Geelong is a fork in the road for the club. The Magpies hit the front early in the final term at Patersons Stadium but folded meekly against an undermanned Fremantle side missing a host of stars, including ruckman Jonathon Griffin who was subbed off with a knee injury in the first quarter. "Every game is a fork in the road, every contest is a fork in the road, every training session is a fork in the road. You can either choose to do it the right way or you buckle," Buckley said. "At the moment we are not making the right choices often enough, consistently enough across enough people. "That's a challenge any football club goes through and right now we've got a bit of work to do." Their 27-point loss included a terrible start where they fell 32 points behind at the first change and Buckley was clearly furious at the Pies' inconsistency. "Good teams play consistent football and play their football for four quarters and we are not doing that," Buckley said. 'Therefore we have got to ask ourselves, 'Are we a good team?' "We got in front, kicked the first goal of the last quarter then the last 25 minutes was like the first 15." The Magpies had their own injury issues with small defender Marty Clarke subbed off with a corked thigh in the second term. It left them vulnerable and allowed Dockers goalsneak Michael Walters to chip in with four vital goals for the home side. Buckley admitted his side had issues with covering elite small forwards and said it was imperative they found someone within their ranks who could shore up the defence. But the fighter in Buckley suggested he was relishing the challenge of taking on Geelong next Saturday night at the MCG. "We are black and white at the moment aren't we? That's where it is, we are four and three. We've played some pretty good sides, played some good football, played some poor football," he said. "So we are asking ourselves a question at the moment where we want to go, what we want to do about our footy and where we see ourselves. "We've got a good chance to come up against a side that is undefeated next week, that is our next test." Buckley said Luke Ball and Alan Didak were "thereabouts" for inclusion next week but said the whole club needed to lift. "One or two players aren't going to save this," Buckley said. "It has got to be the collective who are going to work our way out of it game by game, quarter by quarter, contest by contest, training session by training session. "We look to have a good week on the track, we review, we work out what we are doing well and what we need to fix and we move on. That's the game, that's the opportunity we've got in front of us." Notable - Collingwood has now conceded 100 or more points in four of its seven games so far this season. The Magpies have won only one of these four matches (against Carlton in round two when it scored 117 to 100). In comparison, the Pies leaked triple figures only five times in 25 games last year and twice in each of the two Grand Final years prior. - The first quarter threatened to become Collingwood's first goalless opening term since round 15, 2010 until Steele Sidebottom threaded its first goal of the night from the boundary line with three minutes remaining. Saturday's match appeared to have an eerie parallel to the aforementioned match in 2010 which saw the Magpies knock off Port Adelaide in enemy territory courtesy of a seven goal second quarter. Nearly three years on, Collingwood cobbled together a seven goal third term and hit the lead early in the final quarter but was unable to go on with it. - Saturday night's loss to Fremantle was Collingwood's first since round 22, 2008. To give some perspective, 10 of the 22 players that took to the field on Saturday night entered the match without a loss to the Dockers to their name. - In kicking 7.1 during the third quarter, the Magpies replicated their feat from the corresponding quarter against Fremantle back in round eight, 2010. Unfortunately they weren't able to seal the deal as the Magpies of 2010 did when they ran out 36-point victors at Subiaco Oval. - One bright spot for Collingwood was the form of fourth-year Magpie Josh Thomas. In winning 28 possessions, Thomas was his team's second most prolific player and recorded an even distribution of kicks and handballs (14 of each). He also managed to lay four tackles and easily outstripped his previous career-high of 18 possessions (recorded on debut against North Melbourne in round one). Coach Nathan Buckley sang Thomas' praises during an interview with Fox Footy's David King pre-game and it's clear that the 21-year-old Queenslander is ready to become a regular in Collingwood's starting midfield. - Darren Jolly managed to dominate the ruck contests after Fremantle's most experience ruckman Jonathon Griffin left the ground with a knee injury shortly before quarter time. The Magpie veteran ended the night with 33 hitouts opposed mostly to third-gamer Jack Hannath (14 hitouts). Young Hannath still managed to have his say with nine marks and a crucial final quarter goal. - Sam Dwyer continues to make up for lost time. The 26-year-old only broke into AFL ranks this year but he has made the most of every second so far, gathering a career-high 25 possessions and two goals in Saturday night's loss. He continues to look more settled with each passing week and is likely to remain a key player as the Magpies look to regain their old form in the coming weeks. - After being tagged out of the game and restricted to only 10 possessions last week, Steele Sidebottom bounced back to his best with a season-high 33 possessions. He clearly enjoyed the wide expanses of Patersons Stadium where he was often able to find space and set up teammates forward of the centre. His 33 disposals is his greatest return since last year's Queen's Birthday win over Melbourne when he collected 36. - With another eight tackles to his name, Jarryd Blair now has 40 for the season. It was only the sixth time he has had eight or more tackles in the one game. It's no surprise that he leads the club in this department.	REAL FOOTY AFTER losing to Fremantle by 27 points on Saturday night, Nathan Buckley has questioned whether Collingwood is currently a good football team. The Pies coach was scathing of his side's performance and had concerns over the side's direction this season. "Good teams play consistent football. They play their football for four quarters, and we're not doing that at the moment," he said. "Therefore, we've got to ask ourselves if we're a good team. The win-loss (ratio) at the moment for us is where it is - we're 4-3, played some pretty good football sides, played some good football and played some poor football. "We've got to ask ourselves the question at the moment - where do we want to go? "What do we want to do about our footy and where we see ourselves?'' Buckley also conceded that the Pies were short of defenders after Fremantle's small forwards, Michael Walters and Hayden Ballantyne, were critical to the Dockers win. Walters booted four goals against the Pies - including two in the final term - to take the game away from Collingwood and leave them with a 4-3 win/loss record. And they need to find some answers quickly, with an unbeaten Geelong and the reigning premier Sydney awaiting them in the next two weeks. "Clearly we need to find, either within our ranks, within the 22 that played tonight, or in the depths of our list, players who can defend well," a clearly disappointed Buckley said after the loss. Premiership pair Alan Didak and Luke Ball should be available next week, but neither has played in the first seven rounds of 2013, so there will be questions over their ability to have an immediate impact. "One or two players aren't going to save this," Buckley said. "It's the collective that are gonna work our way out it - game by game, quarter by quarter, contest by contest, training session by training session. "We'll go through the normal review; have a look at what we did well, why we played so well and dominated the game through the second and third quarters and we'll ask each other where the effort was in the first and last. "You can't win games of footy playing a half." Fremantle smashed Collingwood in the first term, opening up a 32-point lead with 17 inside 50s to the Pies' eight. But the Pies dominated the second and third terms. But after gaining the lead for the first time, three minutes into the final term, Ballantyne gave the Dockers the lead back just three minutes later - and they held on to it. It didn't help Collingwood's cause that Marty Clarke went down with a thigh injury, leaving the Magpies a defender short. As a result, Collingwood went forward just nine times in the final term to the Dockers 15. But Buckley would not pin the result totally on the defence. "The weight of possessions through the middle was far too easy to allow Freo to move the ball through from their back half," he said. "Walts (Walters) and (Hayden) Ballanytyne got over the back of us a couple of times, mainly because we weren't able to plug holes across our half forward line and not so much the positioning of our defenders." AAP Frustrated Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley has questioned whether his AFL team is any good at the moment, but hopes a week of soul-searching will point them back in the right direction. Buckley was left disappointed after watching his side produce a diabolical start and an equally poor finish in their 27-point defeat to Fremantle in Perth on Saturday night. The Dockers booted eight of the first nine goals of the match to open up a 44-point lead, and then kicked the last five goals of the match to secure the 15.10 (100) to 10.13 (73) victory after Collingwood had hit the front early in the final quarter. The result left the Magpies with a 4-3 record ahead of tough matches against Geelong and Sydney at the MCG. Collingwood have leaked an average of 15 goals per game this season, but it's their inconsistency that is causing Buckley the biggest headache. "Good teams play consistent football. They play their football for four quarters, and we're not doing that at the moment," Buckley said. "Therefore, we've got to ask ourselves if we're a good team. "We've got to ask ourselves the question at the moment - where do we want to go? "What do we want to do about our footy and where do we see ourselves? "We get a chance to come up against a side that is undefeated next week, and that's our next test." Buckley said veteran duo Alan Didak and Luke Ball were a chance to return for Saturday night's clash with Geelong, while Quinten Lynch (knee) and Marty Clarke (corked hamstring) will be assessed during the week after picking up injuries against Fremantle. Spearhead Travis Cloke might need some extra goalkicking practise after returning 0.4 and kicking one out on the full against the Dockers. Collingwood's inability to nullify Fremantle's small forwards proved costly. Michael Walters was scintillating with four goals, three score assists and five tackles, while Hayden Ballantyne was also a handful at times. With speedy defender Alan Toovey out for the season, Buckley said it was an area of concern that needed addressing. But it's not the only thing that's worrying Buckley. "At the moment, we're not making the right choices often enough, consistently enough, across enough people and that's a challenge that any football club goes through," he said. "Right now we have a bit of work to do." "There is no other way to put this: Collingwood have become SOFT. This side resembles a collection of fops and dandies. Bouffants, body art, dinky little kicks and deft flicks are the trademarks of the Pies so far in 2013. This is FIGJAM footy." THE FOOTY ALMANAC	SUPERFOOTY COLLINGWOOD coach Nathan Buckley has lamented his side's inability to string four quarters together after a streaky performance in last night's loss to Fremantle. The Magpies trailled by as much as 44 points in the second quarter before storming back to briefly hit the front in the final term. But the visitors were unable to sustain the effort, conceding the final five goals of the contest to go down by 27 points. Buckley said the inconsistent showing was synonymous with his sides season so far, with Collingwood conceding hefty scoring runs in previous losses to Hawthorn and Essendon. Of particular concern will be the Magpies struggles to close games out, with the side winning just two of seven final quarters this season. "Good teams play consistent football," Buckley said. "They play their football for four quarters, and were not doing that at the moment. "Therefore, weve got to ask ourselves if were a good team. "The win-loss (ratio) at the moment for us is where it is. "We're 4-3, played some pretty good football sides, played some good football and played some poor football. We've got to ask ourselves the question at the moment where do we want to go? "What do we want to do about our footy and where we see ourselves?" Collingwood now must regroup ahead of a blockbuster clash with unbeaten Geelong at the MCG next weekend. Buckley said fit-again veterans Luke Ball and Alan Didak would be in the selection mix, but warned that a greater effort was more important than returning stars. "We get a chance to come up against a side that is undefeated next week, and that's our next test," he said. "One or two players arent going to save this it's the collective that are going to work our way out it. "Game by game, quarter by quarter, contest by contest, and training session by training session." Marty Clarke (corked hamstring) and Quinten Lynch (knee) will be assessed this week after suffering game-ending injuries against the Dockers. THE FOOTY ALMANAC Collingwood is now officially overrated. The team is playing as a group of individuals. They look slow, discombobulated, maladroit, unaware and for long periods, disinterested. They will be fortunate to play finals in 2013. I love Bucks, but love can blind one from too many realities. I was expecting long kicking through the corridor, pinpoint disposal by hand and foot and fast open footy on the way to glory and domination. I forgot that we had opponents and it seems that Bucks, the brains trust and most of the team might have overlooked this pesky detail too. Along comes Ross Lyon and his Dockers. In the first half they teach the Pies a lesson in team play, gang tackling, relentless pressure and the punishment of mistakes. Michael Walters and Hayden Ballantine exposed our slow and cumbersome defence while the triple MMM's, Mundy, Mayne and Mzungu seem to be at every contest. At one stage I was channelling the spirit of Harry Collier, who said of Ted Hopkins' four goals in the 1970 GF: "He shouldn't have been allowed to kick four goals. Someone should have…well…run into him." I couldn't help but mirror these feeling as young Walters ran amok in our defence. There is no other way to put this: Collingwood have become SOFT. This side resembles a collection of fops and dandies. Bouffants, body art, dinky little kicks and deft flicks are the trademarks of the Pies so far in 2013. This is FIGJAM footy. Yes, we've had our share of injuries and bad luck. Fremantle were missing Pavlich, Hill and Sandilands, while Griffin went off early with a season-ending knee injury. I shudder to think how badly we would have been beaten had Pavlich been playing. The question of why we have been getting so many injuries has to be asked. I thought these expensive sojourns to Arizona and Utah were supposed to help make the players stronger and more resilient. There is a place in Abbotsford called Victoria Park that might offer a cheaper and more meaningful alternative in the coming summer. These Pies are too pampered and this is reflected in their play and their general demeanor on and off the field. The boys always seem to be having a gay old time laughing and pranking on Collingwood TV. Fun and frivolity seem to be the prevailing modes of expression down at the Westpac Centre . Perhaps, too many are still basking in the glory of 2010. The backslapping supporters don't help the situation by proclaiming players 'CHAMPEENS' before their time. FIGJAM fans. Scott Pendlebury is a voice in the wilderness. While Dale Thomas and Darren Jolly trade perceptions on Media Street, Pendles seems to be genuinely concerned about the direction his football club is taking. Accusing himself and his teammates of 'cheating' is as honest an assessment as you'll get from a footballer. For three quarters, an undermanned Freo showed the Pies what honest footy is all about. The Pies showed glimpses in the third quarter. The pressure was better and there was more purpose in the play. How they managed to hit the front early in the last was unfathomable. I think it was more about Freo taking a breather and saving themselves for the last stanza. And so it proved. Freo ran out the game with plenty in the tank, while the Magpies continued to back track, switch, dink, chip, pop and caress the ball to avoid any more bruises. Luke McFarlin did a grand job on Cloke, but Cloke could have made more of his opportunities and the service from the midfield was dismal to say the least. Lynch had a shocker. No impact on the game and too many attacks were coming out of our forward line as the better sides exploit the Q's lack of leg speed. The Danni Eid kiss of death has now also claimed Jarryd Blair. Jack Anthony and Paul Medhurst were going alright until Danni fell in love with them. Look what happened to them. Blair now looks and plays like an oompa loompa with a bad bouffant. Please Danni, can't you fall in love with Jordan Russell this year? Jolly has the pace of a pregnant camel. He struggles to get to contests as the game wears on. He is finished as an AFL footballer. It will be refreshing to read his confrontational views in the media and I'll always be grateful to him for 2010, but now he should focus his attention on teaching Witts and Grundy how to take over the mantle in the ruck. The Pies face Geelong and Sydney in the next fortnight. The natives are feeling the first rustle of restlessness. The eyes of the legion are turning to that bloke who now coaches Carlton and wondering why he was let go. Eddie will have to do something to appease the torch lit masses who will march down Olympic Boulevard and demand explanations, should we lose our next two games. Inevitably, they will ask: "What happened to our DYNASTY?!"