Collingwood's 79-point demolition of Essendon is a sign the Magpies are closing in on their best form, and coach Nathan Buckley wants to use the dominant win as starting point to better things.
The Pies started strongly against the Bombers, rushing to a 31-point lead by quarter-time and never looking back.
The win gives them four from their past five starts and showed an example of their capabilities with finals only five weeks away.
"Right now, we draw a line on the rest of our season. We can look at what we have or haven't done or what we may or may not have achieved," Buckley said afterwards.
"We're 12 and six, we deserve to be where we are on the ladder right now, but it's time for us to stop talking about what we're capable of and just start displaying it.
"We see tonight as the beginning of that; our expectations are high internally but we need to back up the talk with performances and tonight was a good start."
The Pies won the tackle count 81 to 51 and put in what Buckley described as "a really strong, disciplined, four-quarter performance".
He said his team did a lot of things well against an opponent that has been strong this year, with his players hitting benchmarks that have eluded them at times throughout the season.
The challenges don't stop though, with the Pies to play the Sydney Swans at ANZ Stadium next Saturday night after losing to them by 47 points in round nine.
"We're starting to put together a squad that's capable of filling voids when required and playing the type of footy we want to play," Buckley said.
"We've given (ourselves) and our supporters a taste of what we're capable of and now the test is for us to come up against a really strong Sydney side who are the benchmark of the competition and test it against them."
Second-gamer Brodie Grundy's 19 hit-outs and 11 disposals has given the coaching staff something to think about when it comes to big man combinations.
Darren Jolly and Ben Hudson played in the VFL on Sunday, and Jarrod Witts and Quinten Lynch – who had 21 touches against the Bombers – mean the Pies have the luxury of maintaining a "horses for courses" attitude with their talls.
"If we feel a certain ruck set-up is going to benefit us against an opposition, we'll go for it," Buckley said.
"When you've got a young bloke (Grundy), even though it's his second game, when he keeps standing up like that, possession is nine tenths and he's demanding it.
"As we get to the pointy end of the year, the competition for spots heats up even more."
Buckley also praised the game of Harry O'Brien, who had 27 touches, and didn't believe there was anything sinister in his heated exchanges with Brendon Goddard.
Midfielder Dale Thomas wants to play in the VFL next weekend but Buckley said he still had a few boxes to tick before being confirmed as a starter.
1. The ASADA investigation is hard to forget
As easy as it is to say just bounce the ball and focus on the game, the ASADA investigation into Essendon continues to lurk in the background. Before the game, Collingwood president Eddie McGuire thanked interim Essendon CEO Ray Gunston for his personal apology this week for the way the Magpies were dragged into his club's supplement saga by former high performance manager Dean Robinson in his Wednesday night television interview. Then, the Bombers released a statement that landed minutes before the first bounce, announcing the club had received the ASADA report from the AFL and would "review the report and respond in due course". Coach James Hird said on Saturday his players weren't distracted by the off-field issues, their performance on Sunday suggested the controversy just might be starting to take a toll with the Magpies easily the cleaner, more focused and determined outfit.
2. It's not just a West Coast thing
When Jobe Watson was booed and jeered by West Coast supporters in round 14 – his first game after his admission he believed he was administered the banned substance AOD-9604 – it led to the Eagles' fans defending themselves from being tarred as the most feral in the competition. On Sunday, Watson copped just as much heat from the Collingwood fans every time he collected the ball. In his first game back from a broken collarbone sustained in round 15, the Bombers skipper largely didn't let the noise affect him as he racked up 31 possessions in the 79-point loss. Although, when he took a strong chest mark in the third quarter and lined up for a shot a goal, the jeers reached a crescendo – and Watson's set shot fell horribly short and off-line.
3. When Harry met BJ
Tensions between Harry O'Brien and Brendon Goddard escalated in the second quarter after the Essendon midfielder took exception to the premiership Pie shepherding him when he was manning the mark. Plenty of words were exchanged between the pair throughout the rest of the quarter, with the emergency umpire very interested in their interaction and their teammates needing to separate them. It reached fever pitch at half-time when an infuriated O'Brien went at Goddard again before the Magpies dragged him away. The long break gave both players the chance to cool off, and while there wasn't any further pushing and shoving, there was a sizeable gap between them when they lined up against each other on the wing for the second-half restart.
4. Courtenay's curse
Frustration was written all over the face of Courtenay Dempsey when the Essendon defender injured his left hamstring in the first quarter. The 25-year-old has a history of hamstring issues and knew exactly what he'd done when he slipped over while chasing the ball unopposed through the centre square. He grabbed at his left hamstring as he lay face down on the turf, and then as he walked towards the bench with a trainer, his expression told the story. It took less than five minutes for the Bombers to rule him out and take the green vest off Leroy Jetta, who came on for his first run in the second quarter.
5. Popular Pies
The Magpies are closing in on their target of 80,000 club members. President Eddie McGuire, fresh from a US study trip with AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou and other club presidents, said before the game that the Pies were "very close" to announcing their 80,000th member. The Pies' popularity has also been reflected in their attendances with an average of 70,000 across their 10 MCG games this season. McGuire said it wasn't just this year they've been heartily supported at the gate; the Magpies have attracted 3.7 million at an average of 74,000 people at match over their past 50 at the MCG. It's a statistic the club president believes puts the Pies in the "top three or four clubs in the world". McGuire also said the Magpies had averaged 60,000 fans across the 515 games they had played at the MCG since aggregate records began in 1909.
COLLINGWOOD has tackled its way back into form, giving Essendon a lesson in pressure football in a dominant 79-point win at the MCG on Sunday afternoon.
The Magpies revived their hopes for 2013 and bundled the Bombers out of the top four, winning 20.13 (133) to 7.12 (54) in the first Sunday twilight clash between the powerhouse clubs.
It was a brutal on-field blow to the Bombers as they prepare for another week in the spotlight after receiving ASADA's interim report into the club's 2011-12 supplements program.
Collingwood rediscovered its manic defensive pressure, out-tackling the Bombers 81-51 and using that as a springboard for its third win in four games.
The Bombers were stunned by the Magpies' approach right from the opening bounce, conceding five unanswered goals in the first quarter and never recovering.
While Essendon is confident it will be allowed to play finals this season, the crucial double chance could now be out of reach after Fremantle moved into fourth spot. Collingwood midfielder Luke Ball was superb in his return, setting the defensive tone early and finishing with 22 possessions and seven tackles.
Harry O'Brien (27 and eight marks) and Heath Shaw (18 and eight tackles) were also pivotal in the slippery conditions, while Travis Cloke booted five goals.
"What we've done is exposed our best," coach Nathan Buckley said.
"That performance for us was as strong as we've been and we need to build on that.
"We've given ourselves and our supporters a taste of what we're capable of and now the test for us is to come up against a really strong Sydney side who are the benchmark of the competition."
Sunday's match became spiteful at times, with O'Brien and Brendon Goddard coming to blows twice in the second quarter.
Essendon captain Jobe Watson, who was clearly his team's best player, was also booed by the Magpies' faithful in his return from a broken collarbone.
The Brownlow medallist fought a lone hand in the midfield, racking up 31 possessions (15 contested).
Coach James Hird praised his captain, but said his team had failed to match their more committed opponents.
"We just didn't compete enough around the contest and get dirty enough I think in the way we played the game," he said.
"We allowed 62 inside 50s to 45, and quality forwards if they get a lot of ball they'll hurt you.
"You don't throw everything out after one or two games.
"We've played some really good football, but our last two weeks haven't been great.
"We'll back up next week, we'll play the West Coast Eagles and we'll play well."
The Bombers were handicapped by a hamstring injury to Courtenay Demspey, who was substituted in the first quarter.
With key position player Michael Hurley also missing, the Bombers struggled to find a forward target, with Scott Gumbleton and Tom Bellchambers well held.
Jake Carlisle was forced to play in defence, with Magpies forwards Ben Reid and Cloke combining superbly all day.
Reid booted three goals, while Jamie Elliot (three) and Jarryd Blair (two) were also threatening in a performance that could launch a revival for the Magpies just in time. |
Collingwood believes it can beat anyone if it continues the form it showed in its win over Essendon at the MCG on Sunday night.
The 79-point thrashing of the hapless Bombers has the Magpies army once again believing it can overcome its inconsistent form and challenge the leading sides for the premiership.
Consistency and personal issues remain the keys for the Magpies, as they do in other clubs.
Star midfielder Dane Swan and coach Nathan Buckley both said the club continued to hold high expectations for season 2013 despite being outside the top four.
Swan called the win the team's best performance of the season.
"If we can put four quarters together like that for the rest of the season then we can go as far as we want to," he said.
"We have been striving to put together four quarters all year and today we put actions into words."
Buckley added that having his best players back in the side also made a major difference as the final rounds of the season approach.
"We are starting to put together a squad which is capable of filling voids when required and playing the type of footy we want to play," he said.
"We have given our supporters a taste of what we are capable of and now the test is to face a really strong Sydney side in six days time and test ourselves against them."
Both Swan and Buckley also praised the return of young key defender Lachlan Keeffe whose presence allowed Ben Reid to move into the forward line, reducing the burden on Travis Cloke.
Cloke kicked five goals and Reid three while Quinten Lynch and Jamie Elliott (three goals) also found more room to work around the twin towers.
"Keefey being in the side gives us that flexibility for Reid to go forward," said Swan.
"Everyone knows we are "Trav conscious", so with Reidy being such a great one on one mark, he puts doubt into the opposition defenders."
Keefe performed well although the dominance of the Magpies midfield meant he was tested less than he otherwise would have been.
"That is Keefeys third game back off an ACL injury and his 14th game of AFL football," Buckley said.
"He has been seen internally and, to some extent, externally as a part of the puzzle, we saw a glimpse of it today, not everything evolves and comes to fruition but it was pleasing to see him play a role this evening, he is clearly an important part of our flexibility against any opposition for the rest of the season."
Buckley said Lynch also shaped as an important component of the Magpies best forward line.
"It was Lynch's first time playing in a 3-3 forward structure, Reidy being up forward allows us to do that," Buckley said.
"He clearly makes it harder to drop off and get to Clokey, we have worked hard on that but we need the personal to do damage enough to draw attention away from Cloke.
"Once you achieve that then you can spread, you see that with Hawthorn and Sydney, more often than not they spread the opposition's defence and force you to look at more than one target but we need to get better at that."
Buckley also praised the all-round performance of returned star Harry O'Brien and said he believed O'Brien's clash with Bombers star Brendan Goddard was nothing more than "football at it's most intense".
Buckley said the Magpies would continue to take a "horses for courses" approach to selecting their ruckmen with Brodie Grundy, Darren Jolly, Jarrod Witts, and Ben Hudson all contending for places while Buckley said midfielder Dale Thomas may return from injury in the VFL this weekend, if he can "tick some more boxes" with the club's fitness staff.
Swan also revealed the Magpies took some motivation from Bombers coach James Hird leading up to the match.
"It was great, Hirdy [James Hird] said during the week that all he wanted to do was beat Collingwood, well all we want to do is beat Essendon," Swan said.
"It's a great feeling to beat them on Anzac Day or whichever round it is right now."
COLLINGWOOD is eager to test what coach Nathan Buckley describes as its best form of 2013 against defending champ Sydney in six days.
Buckley lauded his Magpies for their consistency in the thumping win against Essendon and now the task is to replicate it in hostile territory at ANZ stadium on Saturday night.
"That was a really strong, disciplined four-quarter performance. So, what we've done is expose our best, I suppose. What you do then is actually highlight when you don't get there,'' Buckley said.
"We feel we did a lot of things well tonight. Clearly, all you need to do is beat the opposition, but Essendon have been a good opposition throughout the year and that performance was as strong as we've been. So, we need to build on that.
"We're starting to put together a squad that's filling voids when required and playing the type of footy we want to play.
"But, as I said, we've given ourselves and our supporters a taste of what we're capable of and now the test for us is to come up against a really strong Sydney side, who are the benchmark of the competition and test it against them.
"It's time for us to stop talking about what we're capable of and just start displaying it. We see tonight as the beginning of that, but we need to back up talk with performances.
"They (the Swans) smashed us in all areas (by 47 points in Round 9) last time we played them. We've got a lot of catching up to do.
"Coaching staff and leaders have to make sure we've got a good solid plan that we'll develop over the next six days. Sydney has got some great strengths and weapons that you need to blunt and that will be our challenge.''
The committed Magpies built on a brilliant opening quarter to run up an impressive 81 tackles that unnerved and unhinged the tentative Bombers in the slippery conditions at the MCG.
"It's where our four-quarter rhetoric has come from because we just haven't been able to hit our internal markers. Tonight was important evidence for our players of what we're capable of, the fact that we are capable of doing it for that period of time, the fact that we produce pretty good footy when we do,'' Buckley said.
"Tackling is definitely a part of any side's best performance. For us, 51 at halftime and 30 in the second half. It was a different game in the second half and we were able to adapt it and do what we had to do as well.''
A fired up Harry O'Brien set the tone in a fiery off-the-ball clash with Bomber Brendon Goddard late in the second quarter. And the Magpie came off the interchange bench after the halftime siren for another go.
"Harry is going excellent. He set himself through the pre-season, had a super pre-season and his running power on the wings has been a really important part of our best footy.
"And his drive over the full four quarters was very strong for us. He defends very well and attacks very well, wins contested ball and puts his head over the ball. So, he's a strong example the way we'd like our players to go about it,'' the coach said.
On O'Brien's two-round bout with Goddard, Buckley said: "Footy's a combative game and those things are going to happen. It was just football at its (most) intense.''
Collingwood's 79-point demolition of Essendon is a sign the Magpies are closing in on their best form, and coach Nathan Buckley wants to use the dominant win as starting point to better things.
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