Preview Round 3: Collingwood v Geelong

Collingwood News

Collingwood v Geelong Saturday April 5, 7.40pm MCG Fox Footy / 7mate 7.30pm Weather: Min 14 Max 20 Chance of rain 70%: 1-5mm Wind: SSE 22kph Betting: Collingwood $2.30 Geelong $1.63

What a difference a week makes! Seven days ago, Collingwood flew to Sydney under intense media scrutiny following its lacklustre performance against Fremantle in the season opener. A gritty 20-point win, as unfashionable as it may have been, has quickly righted the Good Ship Collingwood as it sets sail for success in 2014. But no one in Black and White can afford to get ahead of themselves. A date with Geelong awaits at the MCG on Saturday night. If history is any guide, it should be an eventful match.

Head-to-Head (since 1897)
Collingwood: 225
Geelong: 129
Drawn: 1

Past Five
Round 8 2013
Collingwood 15.12 (102)
Geelong 14.12 (96)
Goals – Collingwood: Dwyer 3, Elliott 3, Krakouer 3, Pendlebury 2, Cloke, Seedsman, Lynch, Sidebottom
Geelong: Hawkins 4, Bartel 2, Christensen 2, Motlop 2, Podsiadly 2, Mackie, West
Disposals – Collingwood: Pendlebury 31, Lumumba 31, Swan 29, Dwyer 27, Sidebottom 23, Blair 23
Geelong: Stokes 31, Corey 30, Mackie 28, Enright 24, Bartel 23
Brownlow: 3. H.Lumumba (Coll), 2. S.Pendlebury (Coll), 1. M.Stokes (Geel)
At the MCG

Round 16 2012
Collingwood 17.8 (110)
Geelong 10.19 (79)
Goals – Collingwood: D.Thomas 3, Dawes 2, Beams 2, Goldsack 2, Tarrant 2, Fasolo 2, Elliott, Jolly, Cloke, Maxwell
Geelong: Selwood 2, Motlop 2, West 2, Stokes, Chapman, Hawkins, Sheringham
Disposals – Collingwood: Swan 40, Beams 36, Pendlebury 36, Shaw 29, Sidebottom
Geelong: Kelly 38, Johnson 36, Enright 25, Selwood 21, Corey
Brownlow: 3. D.Beams (Coll), 2. S.Pendlebury (Coll), 1. H.Shaw (Coll)
At the MCG

Round 8 2012
Collingwood 14.12 (96)
Geelong 11.18 (84)
Goals – Collingwood: Pendlebury 4, Fasolo 3, Cloke 2, Goldsack 2, Dawes, Blair, Swan
Geelong: Stokes 3, Duncan 2, Podsiadly 2, Hawkins 2, Chapman, Motlop
Disposals – Collingwood: Sidebottom 38, Pendlebury 30, Shaw 30, Beams 28, Swan 27
Geelong: Selwood 36, Kelly 26, Enright 25, Chapman 24, Corey 24
At the MCG

Grand Final 2011
Collingwood 12.9 (81)
Geelong 18.11 (119)
Goals – Collingwood: Cloke 3, Krakouer 3, Sidebottom 2, Johnson, Ball, Wellingham, L.Brown
Geelong: Johnson 4, Bartel 3, Hawkins 3, Varcoe 3, Selwood 2, Duncan, Stokes, Ling
Disposals – Collingwood: Pendlebury 33, D.Thomas 31, Johnson 26, Sidebottom 23, Shaw 22
Geelong: Selwood 28, Bartel 26, Corey 25, Chapman 24, Varcoe 21
At the MCG

Round 24 2011
Collingwood 8.5 (53)
Geelong 22.17 (149)
Goals – Collingwood: Dawes 2, Blair, Fasolo, Beams, Krakouer, Wood, Pendlebury
Geelong: Menzel 5, Chapman 3, Christensen 3, Podsiadly 2, Hawkins 2, Johnson 2, Varcoe 2, Mackie, Wojcinski, Duncan
Disposals – Collingwood: Pendlebury 30, Beams 29, Didak 27, Swan 25, Sidebottom 24
Geelong: Kelly 29, Chapman 28, Duncan 26, Johnson 25, Bartel 24
Brownlow: 3. D.Menzel (Geel), 2. J.Kelly (Geel), 1. P.Chapman (Geel)
At the MCG

Stats and memories

• Few clubs can lay claim to have had any sort of wood over Geelong since the Cats began their era of dominance in 2007. But Collingwood does come close. The Pies have won their last three games against the men from Kardinia Park and strung together two in a row in 2010, including the famous Preliminary Final. The Cats had the last laugh in 2011, winning all three meetings between the two clubs including the Grand Final on 1 October. Geelong was the only club to beat Collingwood that season.
• Geelong recorded one of its best wins of the early part of the 21st century when it overcame a five-goal half time deficit to beat Collingwood by four points in round 12, 2000. The match was played in freezing mid-winter conditions at the MCG in front of a hardy crowd of 34,367. Rangy Cat Adam Houlihan was the key instigator in the comeback, booting a game-high five goals as an undersized key forward while donning the long sleeves. Geelong legend Gary Hocking was the man who sealed the deal on a remarkable Cats comeback, giving his side the lead in the dying minutes. Mick Malthouse’s Magpies unearthed two debutants that afternoon – Brad Smith and Dale Baynes – who never managed to play another game.
• Collingwood and Geelong first met during the month of September in 1897 – the first year of the VFL. They faced off at the old East Melbourne Cricket Ground in the Semi-Final before an estimated crowd of 3000. The Cats led all afternoon and held sway by 27-points at three quarter time. But the Magpies came roaring back late in the day to trim the margin to a mere four points when the siren blew. Dick Condon, one of the most mercurial players of the earliest eras, was Collingwood’s only multiple goal scorer.
• The two sides have fought many famous battles in recent finals series, but it’s hardly uncommon where VFL/AFL history is concerned. Their predecessors squared off in back-to-back Grand Finals in 1952 and 1953. The ledger was even at one flag apiece. The Cats took out the ’52 decider by 46 points with George Goninon kicking five. Twelve months later, it was Collingwood’s turn to snare some silverware. Keith Batchelor snagged four and the legendary Bob Rose three as the Magpies claimed their 12th premiership.
• It has been a long time since Collingwood made the trip down the highway to take on Geelong with premiership points up for grabs. You have to flip through the history books back to round 15, 1999, to find their last meeting at the ground in a home and away match. For the record, the Cats were triumphant by a mere three points.

A foot in both camps
Those with links to both Victoria Park and Kardinia Park include, but aren’t limited to…

• Current Adelaide coach Brenton Sanderson has mates who wear the stripes and the hoops. While his career kicked off as a Crow, Sanderson spent one season in Collingwood’s No. 17 in 1994 before crossing to Geelong where he played another 199 senior games between 1995 and 2005.
• An underrated member of Collingwood’s 2002 Grand Final side was Carl Steinfort. The wiry midfielder developed a reputation for putting the clamps on the opposition guns, most notably Nathan Buckley when he restricted the Collingwood captain to only 19 disposals in round 12, 2000. Mick Malthouse was obviously paying attention, for he acquired the services of the then-Cat during the trade period just a few short months later. Steinfort went on to play 27 games for the Magpies in 2001-2002 and was one of the club’s best players in the 2002 finals series.
• Geelong’s coaching staff has two ex-Magpies barking orders from the box. Shane O’Bree (227 games between 2000 and 2010) and Blake Caracella (27 games between 2005 and 2006) are currently line coaches down at the Cattery.
• The Magpies have acquired several players from the Geelong Falcons in recent times. The TAC Cup club has produced the likes of the injury prone Tom Davidson, current Sun Danny Stanley, son-of-a-gun Jaxson Barham and flanker Luke Rounds in recent years, all of whom ended up in the Black and White stripes.
  

Next Five Weeks
Collingwood
Round 4 – Richmond at the MCG
Round 5 – North Melbourne at the MCG
Round 6 – Essendon at the MCG
Round 7 – Carlton at the MCG
Round 8 – Bye