COLLINGWOOD 7.2.44 10.5.65 14.8.92 21.14.140
ST KILDA 3.2.20 6.2.38 8.5.53 8.6.54
SCORERS - Collingwood: Cloke (5.2), Elliott (4.2), Fasolo (4.1), Thomas (3.2), White (2.0), Beams (1.0), Blair (1.0), Witts (1.0), Adams (0.2), Langdon (0.1), Seedsman (0.1), Young (0.1)
BEST - Collingwood: Beams, Pendlebury, Cloke, Young, Thomas, Elliott, Fasolo
INJURIES - Collingwood: Swan (heel) and Grundy (back) replaced in selected side by Thomas and Seedsman, Maxwell (calf)
SUBSTITUTES - Collingwood: Nick Maxwell (right calf) replaced by Paul Seedsman in the first quarter
REPORTS - Collingwood: Steele Sidebottom (Collingwood) for engaging in rough conduct against Maverick Weller (St Kilda) in the first quarter
OFFICIAL CROWD: 34,855 at Etihad Stadium
| - The Magpies’ 86-point winning margin represented their biggest triumph over the Saints since round two, 1984, when they belted St Kilda by 93-points at Victoria Park. On that occasion, Mark Beers played the role of Alex Fasolo (four goals) while Ricky Barham, Peter Daicos and Tony Shaw each had 29 disposals – just as Josh Thomas did on Friday night. - Speaking of Thomas, his 29 touches represented the second highest tally of his 24 game career. He’s every chance to receive a Brownlow vote on that showing, too, for he received at least one vote in two of the three games in which he recorded 27 or more disposals. Thomas’ 29 disposals marked his first haul of more than 17 disposals in five senior games this year, while his seven inside 50s were an equal game-high. - It’s now two weeks in a row that Collingwood has run out the match better than its opponent. In their past two final quarters, the Magpies have kicked 13 goals and nine behinds to four goals and two behinds. | - In the past fortnight, Collingwood has lifted its goal kicking accuracy considerably. The Pies have kicked at 67.99 per cent efficiency, the best of any club in the competition. It is a marked turnaround from the first nine rounds, when they converted at just 51.1 per cent – the lowest of any club in the league. - When you’re hot, you’re hot. Just ask Travis Cloke, who bounced back from a quiet patch to win 23 disposals and kick five goals from seven scoring shots. His 23 disposals was his highest return since he won 26 against Carlton in round 17, 2009. "In the past fortnight, Collingwood has lifted its goal kicking accuracy considerably. The Pies have kicked at 67.99 per cent efficiency, the best of any club in the competition." |
| 1. Sidebottom in strife? The game got off to a fiery start when Magpie midfielder Steele Sidebottom ran in after the opening bounce, left his feet and hit Maverick Weller with a right elbow to the jaw. Sidebottom was reported for engaging in rough conduct, while Weller was eventually substituted out of the game with concussion. Weller did not leave the ground immediately after the incident, recovering after an initial bout of the staggers to follow his opponent Scott Pendlebury down into Collingwood's forward 50. But Weller went off the ground at the two-minute mark to be assessed for concussion and was officially substituted out of the game 25 minutes later. 2. Cloke's high five Travis Cloke might not be all the way back to his best, but the key forward took advantage of Collingwood's midfield dominance against the Saints to snare his first five-goal haul of 2014. Cloke entered Friday night's game in his worst goalkicking drought for years, having kicked 10.16 in Collingwood's opening nine games. Saints full-back Luke Delaney did a serviceable job to half-time, keeping Cloke to a solitary goal, but Cloke eventually got off the leash. His relief was evident when he kicked his third goal at the 10-minute mark of the third term. Marking strongly in front of Delaney and another Saint, he kicked truly from outside 50m and celebrated with a fist pump that suggested the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders. 3. Opportunity knocks twice for Seedsman Paul Seedsman had two good breaks in his first senior game since hip surgery in late January. First, he came into Collingwood's 22 as the substitute after the late withdrawals of Dane Swan (heel) and Brodie Grundy (back). He was then subbed into the game after just 18 minutes of play when Nick Maxwell donned the red vest with a right calf injury. While Seedsman would not have revelled in his teammates' misfortune, he seized the opportunities their injuries created for him, reminding Collingwood fans of the run he can generate across half-back. He finished the game with 18 possessions and five inside 50s in what was a highly encouraging comeback. |
4. School's in for Saints Alan Richardson is renowned as a teaching coach, and he set tough assignments for young midfielders Tom Curren and Luke Dunstan against the Magpies. No doubt figuring the pair's football education could be fast-tracked by learning from the game's best players, Richardson sent Curren to Collingwood captain Scott Pendlebury for large chunks of the game and played Dunstan on Dayne Beams at times. The Saints duo could not stop Beams (33 possessions) and Pendlebury (32) from dominating, but had their moments too, with Dunstan finishing with 20 possessions and one goal, while Curren had 18 possessions. More importantly, Richardson will be hoping they learnt lessons that will stand them in good stead for the rest of their careers. 5. Eight straight is enough for Pies The Saints made a promising start to the game, kicking three of the first four goals to lead by 11 points after the opening 18 minutes. But it took the Magpies about 15 minutes to effectively snuff out the Saints' challenge, with a run of eight straight goals that carried them to a 36-point lead that was never seriously challenged. The Pies' run was bookended with two Jesse White goals: the first at the 20-minute mark of the first quarter, the second at the three-minute mark of the second term. The streak also included: two goals from Alex Fasolo, back in attack after moonlighting in defence recently; Travis Cloke's first of the night; and a goal after the first-quarter siren from Josh Thomas, who converted from 35m after receiving a free kick for high contact. "The game got off to a fiery start when Magpie midfielder Steele Sidebottom ran in after the opening bounce, left his feet and hit Maverick Weller with a right elbow to the jaw. Sidebottom was reported for engaging in rough conduct, while Weller was eventually substituted out of the game with concussion." |
| THE MEDIA | |
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Collingwood has continued its recent domination of St Kilda, using a withering first-half burst to set up an 86-point victory over the Saints at Etihad Stadium on Friday night. Stung into action after the Saints kicked three of the opening four goals of the game, Collingwood booted eight goals without reply either side of quarter-time to lay the foundation for the 21.14 (140) to 8.6 (54) result, which saw the Pies jump to third on the ladder. Collingwood spearhead Travis Cloke found form, throwing his weight around, clutching 12 marks and kicking five goals in his best showing of the season. Collingwood's lead hovered around six goals of the majority of the third quarter, but ballooned in the final term as it kicked the final eight goals of the game. The win was soured by an early report for rough conduct against Steele Sidebottom, who caught St Kilda's Maverick Weller with an elbow to the head as he charged into the centre square from the opening bounce of the match. Sidebottom jumped and collected Weller high with the errant elbow, with Weller substituted out of the game soon after with concussion. The victory was Collingwood's sixth consecutive win over the Saints, and the Pies have now won five of their past six games to improve their record to 7-3. Dayne Beams had 33 possessions and seven tackles in a strong display for the winners, who won for the 12th time in their past 14 matches at Etihad Stadium. The Saints fell to 3-7 with a fifth straight loss, and haven't beaten Collingwood since round three, 2010. Collingwood's eight-goal frenzy started after St Kilda took a surprise 11-point lead late in the first term, with Jesse White kicking the first and final goals of the run as the Pies raced to a 36-point advantage. The Saints were able to stop the bleeding in the second quarter and went into half time with a spring in their step after Jack Steven soccered a brilliant left-foot goal just before the siren, but Collingwood always appeared to have its opposition at arm's length. The blowout that looked on the cards for much of the night did eventuate, the Magpies kicking 7.6 in the final quarter to St Kilda's 0.1, Jamie Elliott kicking three of his four goals in the last term. Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley was pleased with his forward line, which combined for the club's highest score of the season. "We've had some really strong three-quarter performances this year, but that's the first four-quarter performance we've put in," he said. "Our forwards were up and about, including 'Clokey'." Alex Fasolo was another livewire for the Pies, kicking four first-half goals. Saints coach Alan Richardson said the late fadeout was disappointing. "We were pretty solid in the second and third terms, and that's probably been our story over the last month. We've been good in halves," Richardson said. "The last quarter was poor." Despite the emphatic win, Collingwood's night was soured by Sidebottom's report and a right calf injury to Nick Maxwell, who was subbed out late in the first quarter. The Pies will be keen to climb further up the ladder over the next fortnight when they face Melbourne and Western Bulldogs, but the club's depth will be tested. Maxwell was substituted out of the game and had his leg iced up, with leading sports medico Peter Larkins suggesting on Triple M the 30-year-old would be out for at least a month. The Pies made two late changes before the bounce, with star midfielder Dane Swan (heel) and ruckman Brodie Grundy (back) replaced by Josh Thomas and Paul Seedsman, the latter starting as the Pies' substitute and showing plenty of trademark dash after replacing Maxwell. Nathan Brown (shoulder) and Luke Ball (calf) were both enforced omissions for the clash, while White hurt a finger in the second quarter but continued to play. On a night when Steele Sidebottom put himself firmly in the crosshairs of the Match Review Panel, Collingwood has also been hit hard by injury, with Nick Maxwell (calf) and Patrick Karnezis (hamstring) facing several weeks on the sidelines. Maxwell was substituted in the first quarter of Collingwood's 86-point win over St Kilda at Etihad Stadium on Friday night with a calf strain, while Karnezis strained a hamstring at training earlier the same day. Sidebottom was reported for engaging in rough conduct against St Kilda's Maverick Weller in the opening seconds of the match, with Weller later substituted in the first quarter with concussion. Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley said after Friday night's game that Maxwell and Karnezis were facing about three to four weeks on the sidelines. "Maxy's done his calf, Patty Karnezis did his hammy today at training, we've lost a few with soft tissue (injuries) and the report," Buckley said. "But that's footy. That's life in an elite environment at the top level, you're looking for that improvement constantly and that's why we have 45 players on a list and we work to develop the depth of it. "We're going to need it (depth) next week." Buckley said it was particularly disappointing that former Brisbane Lion Karnezis had been injured when his recent form in the VFL suggested he was close to making his Collingwood debut. "He's had a really good month of footy and probably what it shows is that he still had a few more (games) to go in regards to getting back to full football fitness," Buckley said. "It's disappointing for him because he's put a power of work in through the pre-season, (he) really didn't get out onto the track or train with the boys until quite late, February really. "He's settled into the club really well. He's played his role particularly well at VFL level, so the challenge for him is going to be to keep going back, strengthening his body, getting back to football fitness and getting himself in a position where he can contend for AFL and be able to run four quarters out at AFL level." In better news for the Magpies, Buckley said their two late withdrawals from Friday night's game, Dane Swan (sore heel) and Brodie Grundy (tight back), along with Luke Ball (calf), should return for Collingwood's Queen's Birthday clash with Melbourne on Monday week. Buckley said Friday night's win was the Magpies' first four-quarter performance of 2014. "Most of our players in a quick review there thought they were able to tick off the areas that they needed to, the areas we focused on," Buckley said. "We thought most of our individuals contributed over the four quarters. "We've had some really strong three-quarter performances this year, but that's the first four-quarter performance we've put in." |
COLLINGWOOD midfielder Steele Sidebottom found an unexpected ally as he endures a nervous weekend wait for his opening bounce hit on St Kilda’s Maverick Weller on Friday night. Saints coach Alan Richardson described the bump that flattened Weller as “both guys going for the footy’’ in the contest that left his team one man short midway through the first quarter. “He (Weller) seems OK. It was frustrating to have someone off so early in the game, given that he had a fairly significant role, he was going to do (Scott) Pendlebury,’’ Richardson said. “He looks OK, he was in my meeting in the end. He must’ve been touch and go (to come back on) as we enacted the sub and the plan was to take the sub back out. I think he would be a slight chance for next week. “I certainly haven’t seen the replay. He was going for the footy and Sidebottom was coming off the square and they collided at a ball that was up around head high. That’s what it looked like to me.’’ Asked if he thought Sidebottom had tried to “pick off’’ Weller to prevent his run-with role on Pendlebury, Richardson said: “It just looked like the ball was coming towards where Sidebottom was coming from the wing and both guys were going for the footy. That’s what it looked like to me. Obviously, he collected him in the head, but it looked like it was about the ball to me.’’ While Richardson was disappointed with the last quarter fade out where the Saints managed just one behind and conceded seven goals, he found positives from several of his younger players. “The last quarter was disappointing. We had a real focus on the start to the game and the first 10 minutes could’ve been better. We certainly had our opportunities, but the back end of that first quarter it got away from us,’’ he said. “To the guys credit, they were really strong on what we wanted to do, contested footy and our tackle pressure. “While we never quite reached the levels they did in the front half with tackle pressure, we were pretty solid in the second and third terms. And that has probably been our story for the last month. We’ve been good for halves, but yeah, the last quarter was poor. “It won’t be a challenge, it will be a fantastic opportunity for young players. Young guys to start and build careers, guys that aren’t in the team at the moment, like Tommy Lee who kicked five goals in a trial game today. “That’s the space we’re in, we need to get games into our young players. “We thought Sebi Ross’ first half was pretty good, Brodie Murdoch’s first half was also pretty strong. He got taught a couple of lessons, that’s footy, he’ll learn from that. “We thought (Cam) Shenton was a real positive off half-back, (Luke) Dunstan’s game was strong. “So, individually, there’s some real positives and there’s going to be opportunities presented to young players for the rest of the season.’’ Richardson described Collingwood as “really impressive’’ as the Magpies ground out the 86 points win. “For big parts of this season, when they (the Magpies) get their game going on the back of their pressure and their run from the back, they’re a pretty impressive unit. There’s no doubt they were running really strong late and we weren’t,’’ he said. The game was only four seconds old when Steele Sidebottom ended Maverick Weller's night . . and effectively his own next matches. Sidebottom collected Weller with a forearm or elbow to the head as he came in at the first bounce. Sidebottom's elbow was down but his body was not - he was off the ground when he hit him which is a place he will remain after the match review panel look at the case. The fact Weller needed to be subbed out with concussion will not help Sidebottom's case. It was one of the blots on Collingwood's night from a game it comfortably won and was never seriously threatened in. The 86-point margin elevated the Magpies to third on the ladder. Another blot for Collingwood was that its former captain Nick Maxwell hurt a calf early and was subbed out. That brought Paul Seedsman onto the field after he and Josh Thomas were late inclusions for the Brodie Grundy, who was rested, and Dane Swan (sore heel). The introduction of Thomas only reinforced the question of why he is so often squeezed out of the side. He has wonderful poise and a step in traffic. The Magpies' troubles with their clunky-Clokey forward line took a step towards being ironed out with Cloke kicking five goals. Most notably, though, Cloke led and marked in a manner that has not been seen this year. His third goal came from a regulation mark on 50 and set shot goal, but, for Cloke, that has been anything but regulation this year. You could see the burden lift on his shoulder as the game wore on. He knew his form was better but he was not ''back''. At game's end he declined an interview request from Channel seven - five goals against St Kilda in an 86-point win is a start, not an end. Collingwood used the ball atrociously to begin the game, dominating possession and clearances but with 12 inside 50s to St Kilda's two it had failed to kick clear of the Saints. It would come but it took time. St Kilda worked the ball more cleverly inside 50 for periods, with Luke Dunstan around the ball and Shenton loose behind it, moving the ball well and finding options other than Nick Riewoldt. The Saints kicked three in a row in the first term to take a lead for a period but when the Magpies kicked seven unanswered goals the Saints put two players loose behind the ball. It held Collingwood up and the Saints even kicked a couple of goals despite having fewer forwards, but it was never likely to be an avenue to success. Shenton was often loose and did well but Collingwood's loose players, such as Clinton Young, did more with the ball. Collingwood found a multiplicity of options up forward. Alex Fasolo, sampled as a defender, played like a man who does not want to go back to the back line. He booted three in the first quarter and finished with four. Jamie Elliott worked his way into the goals, kicking off a step, turning inside, leading at the ball. With Fasolo he makes for a difficult mid-sized forward line capable of crumbing. Taylor Adams in the side for Luke Ball was tough as teak but loose. "Saints coach Alan Richardson described the bump that flattened Weller as “both guys going for the footy’’ in the contest that left his team one man short midway through the first quarter." |
