NORTH MELBOURNE 8.1.49 10.5.65 15.9.99 19.11.125
SCORERS - Collingwood: Cloke (5.3), Reid (5.0), Thomas (2.1), Pendlebury (2.0), Didak (1.1), Dwyer (1.1), Seedsman (1.0), Macaffer (0.1), Sidebottom (0.1), Williams (0.1)
BEST - Collingwood: Pendlebury, J Thomas, Reid, Seedsman, Cloke, Dwyer
INJURIES - Collingwood: Harry O'Brien (flu) replaced in selected side by Jordan Russell, Nathan Brown (knee), Quinten Lynch (ankle), Ben Reid (quad)
SUBSTITUTES - Collingwood: Jarryd Blair replaced Nathan Brown (knee) in the second quarter
REPORTS: Nil
OFFICIAL CROWD: 50,958 at MCG
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North Melbourne has drawn some consolation after missing out on the finals overrunning Collingwood to win by 11 points in a flat contest at the MCG on Sunday. The Magpies led by 15 points at the 20-minute mark of the third term but the Roos' 19.11 (125) to 17.12 (113) win confirmed what appeared likely before the opening bounce - Collingwood will play Port Adelaide in the second elimination final at the MCG next Saturday night. The Pies needed to beat North by a big enough margin to make up six percentage points to overtake fifth-placed Richmond and book an elimination final against Carlton next Sunday, while the Roos' finals hopes had been put to rest on Saturday night when Carlton defeated Port by one point. Collingwood will be far more concerned by the injuries suffered by key defender Nathan Brown (left knee) and forward/ruckman Quinten Lynch (left ankle) against the Roos. Brown was substituted from the match midway through the second quarter, while Lynch was injured late in the third term in a marking contest with North spearhead Drew Petrie but returned to play out the final term. The Magpies' structure will be thrown out if either is ruled out of their elimination final against Port. Swingman Ben Reid, who was outstanding against North with five goals, is likely to have to start in defence if Brown is unfit, while Darren Jolly will likely come in to support young ruckman Brodie Grundy if Lynch does not come up. Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley said after the game the club would "let the dust settle" before assessing the extent of Brown and Lynch's injuries. "Yeah, look, precautionary, (he got a) knock to the knee. Don't want to take any chances," Buckley said of Brown's substitution from the game. Buckley said in the second half he had been more concerned with getting through the match unscathed than winning. "The second half for us was all about management, it was a really weird feeling," Buckley said. "We weren't thinking about how we were going to win the game, we were thinking about how we got our boys through." Roos vice-captain Jack Ziebell was outstanding on Sunday, finishing with 27 possessions and four goals, including two late in the third term that helped the Roos seize the lead and momentum going into the final term. Ziebell had plenty of support from Ryan Bastinac (a game-high 34 possessions) and Brent Harvey (31) through the midfield, while Aaron Black was lively up forward with eight marks and 2.2. North coach Brad Scott praised his team's ability to preserve its lead in the latter stages of the final quarter when the Pies were pressing. "When we were out to what looked like a winning lead – 18 points up with 10 minutes to go – the opposition still has a chance to come back at you and we just controlled the game," Scott said. "We still made a couple of mistakes but that area of the game was significantly better than earlier in the year." On a warm Spring afternoon much of the interest at the MCG centred on Travis Cloke's quest to bridge the seven-goal lead Hawthorn's Jarryd Roughead held over him at the start of Sunday's game. The star Magpie was on track to overhaul Roughead when he kicked 4.3 in the first half in a dominant display on North defender Michael Firrito. But Cloke did not kick another goal until the 23-minute mark of the final term to ensure Roughead won his first Coleman with 68 goals, two clear of the Magpie. Scott Pendlebury was outstanding for the Pies with 33 possessions and two goals, while Dane Swan (26) was typically prolific and veteran Alan Didak put his hand up for a finals berth with 24 possessions and a goal. North made a characteristically fast to the game, winning its 18th first quarter for the season with an eight-goal term that put it 15 points up at the first break. In recent times, only the Geelong has bettered that record, the Cats winning 19 first terms in 2007. Brown, who was substituted out of Sunday's game against North Melbourne in the second quarter with a left knee problem, heads the injury list. "Yeah, look, precautionary. Knock to the knee. Don't want to take any chances," Buckley said of Brown's injury. "It was a situation that you don't often find yourself in, where you're just projecting forward and you just want to get in to next week." The injury status of Lynch, who landed awkwardly on his left ankle in a third-quarter marking contest, will also be closely monitored during the week. Ben Reid (quad) and Travis Cloke (groin) are others the Magpies coaching staff will be keeping an eye on. "The second half for us was all about management," Buckley said. "It was a really weird feeling. We weren't thinking about how we were going to win the game, we were thinking about how we get our boys through." Harry O'Brien was a late withdrawal through illness, although he trained on Saturday leading in to the game and looks likely to make his way back in to the side. Luke Ball (calf), Ben Sinclair (shoulder) and Jamie Elliott (hamstring) are also chances to return in Saturday night's elimination final against Port Adelaide. "We had some guys that potentially would be seen as on the fringe, or on the cusp, and they all performed pretty well today," Buckley said. "Selection's going to be tough for us next week." The Magpies finished in sixth position to earn their home final against the Power. "We've ridden the highs and the lows. We've performed at times above expectations, we've dropped a few (games) that we'd rather not have dropped," Buckley said. "But in the end, it all goes in to the mix and you end up where you end up. We're very clear about what our best football looks like. We're very clear on the focuses we need to do to get that and we're very confident in our ability to do so. "We look forward to what the next month can bring." COLLINGWOOD coach Nathan Buckley urged Eddie McGuire not to get ahead of himself, clearly irritated by his president's comments on the finals fixture. McGuire declared the scheduling of a Perth rugby union Test that could force Collingwood into consecutive six-day breaks an "act of treachery". McGuire is furious the AFL could not prevent a scheduling conflict in which the Wallabies play Argentina on Saturday week at Patersons Stadium. It means the Pies have to play on Saturday night against Port Adelaide, before a potential Friday night semi-final against Fremantle in Perth. "That is a perversion of the finals fixture," McGuire said before the Magpies' loss to North Melbourne. "I have a very, very, very (strong) burning anger - I've got to be careful what I say here - of an act of treachery by the West Australian Football Commission and the West Australian state government." But Buckley shot back after the Magpies loss to North Melbourne. Informed of McGuire's comments, he said: "He said that?" "He probably should project another week forward and we'll probably get an extra day (off) before the prelim," Buckley said. "There's plenty of things that we can control in this game and there's plenty we can't. We'll just focus on the things we can." Collingwood needs to defeat Port Adelaide - and the Dockers lose to the Cats - to create a semi-final at Patersons Stadium. McGuire said, without the rugby Test, the Pies would have played Port on Sunday. McGuire says not only should the AFL have prevented it, but the West Australian Government and football commission had effectively gagged Fremantle and West Coast. It is another controversy in finals fixturing, with Fremantle outraged to be playing Geelong at Simonds Stadium next weekend. "(Clubs) should not have their chances of winning the premiership compromised because of this nonsense," McGuire said. "I ask for the AFL to plan 12 months ahead, for the AFL to work out that in September we might need some grounds. We won't cop this going forward." Buckley was speaking after a bizarre end-to-end shoot-out against North Melbourne ended in an 11-point Collingwood loss. In a game that featured just 81 tackles, Buckley admitted winning the game wasn't top priority. "The second half for us was all about management, it was a really weird feeling," he said. "We weren't thinking about how we were going to win the game, we were thinking about how we were going to make sure we were going to get our boys through. "The second half of the game we were just (thinking) 'Blow the siren'. Defender Nathan Brown was subbed off in the second term after a knock to the knee, while Quinten Lynch (ankle) and Ben Reid (thigh) had issues, but played on. Buckley was non-committal on the trio and wouldn't speculate on whether Jamie Elliott, Ben Sinclair, Harry O'Brien (late withdrawal), Luke Ball and Darren Jolly would return. |
After the sickening initial fear it had lost two key players in a meaningless match on the cusp of the finals, Collingwood ended the game bullish it had dodged a bullet and was instead left with a selection headache. The Magpies substituted full back Nathan Brown out of the match against North Melbourne on Sunday after he suffered a knock to the knee in the second quarter, but coach Nathan Buckley said it was precautionary and he was confident Brown had suffered no lasting injury ahead of next Saturday's elimination final with Port Adelaide. Key forward and relief ruck Quinten Lynch also appeared to have seriously hurt an ankle when he rolled it as he landed awkwardly in a marking contest and hobbled from the ground unable to put any weight on the foot. But he later returned and played out the match with Buckley adding he was expected to be fit for the game. Buckley admitted to ''a few injury concerns'' but said with so many players due to return the match committee would have difficult decisions at selection. The Magpies withdrew Harry O'Brien from the match due to illness but he will be fit for next week, while Luke Ball, Jamie Elliott, Ben Sinclair are all also expected to be available to play. Premiership ruckman Darren Jolly has played in the VFL in recent matches after injury and is back to fitness while Ben Hudson was an emergency for this match. Alan Didak had his best game for the club in more than 12 months against the Roos and Paul Seedsman impressed after coming back into the side last week when an opportunity presented through injury. ''Selection is going to be tough,'' Buckley said. The Collingwood coach admitted the match had been an extraordinary one - only 38 tackles were laid by his side in the game - and that after half time he was only worried about preparing for next week and was less concerned about the result of the match. ''You won't see a game that we play in like that too often,'' Buckley said. ''We do not subscribe to shootout football … there were a few concerns injury-wise but the second half of the game was just [a feeling of] 'blow the siren'.'' Ben Reid and Travis Cloke both kicked five goals. Cloke had needed seven goals to draw level with Jarryd Roughead for the Coleman Medal but he fell short of the medal target. Collingwood president Eddie McGuire earlier described the scheduling of a rugby Test in Perth during the finals as an act of treachery that would potentially impact on the Magpies. The Wallabies meet Argentina at Patersons Stadium on September 14, which means that should Fremantle lose to Geelong next week they would potentially be scheduled to host Collingwood (or Port) in the second week of the finals series and that game would have to be on Friday, September 13, only six days after the Magpies-Port elimination final at the MCG. ''That is a perversion of the finals fixture,'' McGuire said in his president's address. Buckley dismissed the concern, saying it was pointless to project too far ahead and in any event a short break would presumably be offset by an extra day's break before a preliminary final. North Melbourne coach Brad Scott said after the game that having resisted the temptation to contemplate 'what if?'' all year due to the large number of close results that counted against his side on Sunday was the first time he had allowed himself to contemplate what might have been had they won some of those close encounters. Second Elimination Final Collingwood v Port Adelaide Saturday, 7.45pm, MCG Selection Table The Pies should welcome back Luke Ball and Harry O’Brien, but there were more injury issues on Sunday with Nathan Brown (knee) and Quinten Lynch (ankle) both going down. The other big decisions surround Darren Jolly and whether Alan Didak holds his spot. Could Clinton Young come back in? Hamish Hartlett returns from suspension, but will another Power player - Domenic Cassisi - run foul of the match review panel? 2013 Meetings Round 14: Port Adelaide 13.8 (86) def Collingwood 7.9 (51) The Power notched their first win over Collingwood since 2007 with intense tackling pressure in a game where the Pies’ reliance on Travis Cloke was a major talking point. Why Collingwood will win: Because they are a far more unpredictable and potent team since Ben Reid went forward and helped split the defence and encourage the midfield to use him as a target more often - rather than going to Cloke most of the time. However that all depends on the Pies being able to aff ord the luxury of keeping Reid forward. Why Port Adelaide will win: Because they not only beat the Pies earlier in the year, they beat them convincingly with hard tackling and clean ball use. Repeat that formula, regardless of the venue, and the wave of momentum that has carried Port’s surge from basket case to finals contender this year might keep the fairytale alive. SUPERFOOTY
HEAVEN only knows what Mitch Robinson would have called this. Because bruise-free footy certainly doesn't do it justice.
Collingwood - a team waiting for next week - and North Melbourne - a side with nothing to play for - combined for a feather-duster contest at the MCG. The Roos won it 19.11 (125) to 17.12 (114), but the first day of September didn't coax a finals-like intensity from either side. In fact, the only thing that broke the fun in the sun spell was Travis Cloke's race for the Coleman Medal. Cloke needed seven goals to draw level with leader Jarryd Roughead. It seemed like a step too far, but with an undersized Michael Firrito at Cloke's mercy and acres of space in a no-pressure game, Roughead would have started to squirm on the couch. Cloke had 1.2 at quarter-time, 4.3 and five contested marks at half-time, but he would only kick one major after the main break to finish two short. While Cloke's individual charge in a 36-goal shootout entertained those at a sun-drenched MCG, we're tipping Ken Hinkley wasn't on the edge of his seat. The Port Adelaide coach was in the stands with his brainstrust getting one last look at the Pies before Saturday night's elimination final. He watched two sides combine for a paltry 81 tackles, rack up a whopping 491 uncontested possessions, 167 uncontested marks and play four quarters of circle work. Hinkley wouldn't have flown back to Adelaide with a new dossier, but he would have taken note of a few things concerning the black and white. Surely the scribbling would have contained an urgency to assign a hard tag to Scott Pendlebury. Left to roam freely yesterday, Pendlebury had 33 touches and two goals - the former a magnificent 55m job on the run. Hinkley would be sure Alan Didak will feature after a glittering performance from the veteran. Didak, playing just his fourth game of the year, finished with 24 touches, countless score involvements and several moments of class. In the third term he sharked the ball off a pack outside attacking 50m, weaved one way, then the other, and just when it looked like he'd run too far, he turned onto the right and smacked one through from beyond the arc. Supporters love nothing more than a favourite son returning to the fold and Didak is certainly that. Hinkley would know that Nathan Buckley has the likes of Harry O'Brien, Luke Ball, Ben Sinclair and Jamie Elliott to return, but surely Didak is safe. So too is Ben Reid, but just where the swingman will line up come the weekend is up in the air. Earmarked to play forward against the Power, that may need to be reassessed after key defender Nathan Brown was subbed off with a leg injury in the second quarter. Reid was excellent again in his new life yesterday, helping himself to a five-goal, seven mark haul opposed to Luke Delaney. Hinkley would be aware that the centre clearances have been a problem for Collingwood all year and were so again. A Pies midfield boasting a wealth of talent was smashed at the bounce downs by North Melbourne 25-12. The Power mastermind would fancy orchestrating a similar level of damage this weekend. In a game of such little accountability the only tag came from Brent Macaffer who went to Daniel Wells, while Ryan Bastinac spent time on Dane Swan and Dayne Beams. But nothing about this game was about defending. For the Roos Bastinac had 33 touches, Brent Harvey 31 and Jack Ziebell had 27 and four goals in a best on ground performance. They are done for the year. If the Pies can't flick the switch on Saturday night, they will join them.
SUPERFOOTY |
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