Round 15: Collingwood 91 Carlton 76

THE FACTS

COLLINGWOOD   6.3.39    8.8.56    10.12.72    13.13.91
CARLTON              2.2.14    6.3.39    7.7.49       11.10.76

SCORERS - Collingwood: Ball (2.1), Pendlebury (2.0), Sidebottom (2.0), Young (2.0), Beams (1.3), Cloke (1.2), Goldsack (1.0), Keeffe (1.0), Witts (1.0), Adams (0.1), Dwyer (0.1), Elliott (0.1), Lumumba (0.1), Macaffer (0.1), Seedsman (0.1)

BEST - Collingwood: Sidebottom, Macaffer, Swan, Pendlebury, Dwyer, Beams

INJURIES - Collingwood: Elliott (hamstring), Langdon (concussion) replaced in selected side by Kennedy

SUBSTITUTES - Collingwood: Jamie Elliot (hamstring) subbed out for Ben Kennedy in the third quarter

REPORTS - Collingwood: Dayne Beams for striking Ed Curnow

OFFICIAL CROWD: 40,936 at the MCG

STATS CENTRAL

- You can tell a lot about a player from the way he responds to a suspension. Steele Sidebottom’s professionalism and maturity shone through against Carlton when he put in his best performance of the season to date after three weeks in the sheds. The 23-year-old collected 33 disposals, laid nine tackles, cleared a stoppage seven times and kicked two goals – including the sealer – for good measure. What’s more, he used the ball at 90.9 per cent efficiency. Outstanding. - Granted he twinged a hamstring in the warm up last week, but credit must still go to Brent Macaffer for his job on Marc Murphy. In round seven, the tagger restricted Murphy to 20 disposals. On Sunday night, it was just 15. Another job well done for Collingwood’s giant killer. - Ben Kennedy has started as Collingwood’s substitute more than he’d care to remember during his first 18 months as a Magpie. Included at the eleventh hour in place of Tom Langdon, Kennedy left his mark on the game when summoned from the bench midway through the third quarter. His speed and run and carry helped break open the congestion and won plaudits from his coach in the press conference after the match. With several weeks’ worth of consistent VFL form behind him, Kennedy will be aiming to cement his place in the senior side as the run to September begins.

- Never underestimate Sam Dwyer’s importance to the Collingwood machine. Few players are blessed with his clean hands and level headed approach to the madness that unfolds around him. He had a hand in three of his side’s 13 goals, taking his season tally of goal assists to seven. Of his 21 disposals, five took the ball inside 50, ranking him behind only Clinton Young, Dayne Beams and Heritier Lumumba who had six each. - Much of the pre-match focus was directed towards the likely crowd figure for the obscure Sunday night fixture. When a total of 40,936 fans turned up to the MCG to watch Collingwood and Carlton, you know it’s going to create headlines. It was the smallest crowd to a match between the two traditional rivals since 30,096 turned up in round 18, 2000, though that match was played at Princes Park as the ‘last suburban’ showdown’. You have to go all the way out to Waverley Park back in round 12, 1991, to find a Collingwood-Carlton fixture at one of the league’s neutral venues that pulled less than 40,000 (39,832 turned up at Waverley that afternoon). To dig even deeper, the crowd was the smallest between the two clubs at the home of football since 37,813 rolled through the gates on 1 October 1921 for the Semi-Final.

TALKING POINTS

1. Staying away on Sunday night The AFL has conceded the Sunday night timeslot is being reviewed with this game a test case for whether it works in future. The cold, wet weather didn't help crowd figures, nor did the reduced capacity in the MCG car park because of recent rain, but it was still a surprise that only 40,936 people braved the elements to see the Magpies win on the first weekend of Victorian school holidays. It was the lowest crowd between the traditional rivals at the MCG since the semi-final in 1921, when 37,813 attended, and the lowest home-and-away attendance between the two sides at the MCG. Collingwood president Eddie McGuire told radio station 3AW after the game that the Pies would ask the AFL for compensation on Monday morning given they expected to lose "a couple of hundred thousand" dollars due to the low attendance. 2. Moments of madness Mitch Robinson, Dayne Beams and possibly Dale Thomas may have cases to answer for after being involved in separate incidents set to be reviewed. Robinson has frustrated Mick Malthouse a few times and an incident in the first quarter would have had the veteran coach seeing red. Robinson was engaged in some push and shove with young Pie Taylor Adams when he swung his left arm and connected with the former Giant's chin. Robinson was reported by umpire Scott Jeffery and a free kick was paid in the centre as the players reset after a goal by Scott Pendlebury. The colourful Blue was quickly dragged where he no doubt copped an earful from Malthouse on the phone. If he is suspended, it will be the second time this year he's missed a game through ill-discipline after being rubbed out for a week for striking St Kilda's Jack Newnes in round eight. Later, Beams was reported for a blow to Ed Curnow's midriff in the third quarter, shortly after Thomas bumped Swan and caused the Brownlow medallist to seek medical attention on his jaw. 3. Laser-gate no distraction for Judd A green laser beam apparently shone from the stands was the talking point of the first quarter after it landed on the chest of Chris Judd when he was taking a set shot. Channel Seven's coverage picked up the beam, which didn't affect Judd as he calmly slotted the game's first goal at the MCG's city end, but it did prompt an influx of security guards and police behind the goals in the Ponsford Stand. It is expected the incident will be reviewed by stadium management and the AFL in the post-match debrief. At least the beam didn't cause the controversy it did in the World Cup in Brazil, when Russia insisted its goalkeeper was blinded by a green light and consequently missed Algeria's equalising goal that forced the Russians out of the tournament.

4. Macaffer magic, Murphy misery Collingwood's Brent Macaffer told the AFL Record this week he often looked at how Fremantle tagger Ryan Crowley played on specific players, and that when preparing for any given opponent, he took confidence from having beaten them previously. While the Blues haven't played the Dockers this year, Crowley kept Murphy to just 13 touches in round 19 last season – and Macaffer restricted him to 20 in round seven this year. Perhaps it was reviewing Crowley's game or the self-belief he gathered from the Pies' first win over the Blues this season that saw Macaffer again reduce Murphy's effectiveness on Sunday night. The Carlton captain had just 15 possessions – six in the first half – in another win for the close-checking Pie. 5. Steele's stunning return It wasn't an incredible game to watch but the ending delivered in spades. It appeared the Pies would win when successive goals to Beams and Clinton Young put the Pies 26 points clear midway through the final term. But Henderson made up for an earlier miss with a goal at the 13-minute mark before Troy Menzel made both sets of fans nervous when he cut the margin to nine points with six minutes left. Then, Steele Sidebottom - fresh from the three-week suspension he received in round 11 for knocking out St Kilda's Maverick Weller – goaled with two-and-a-half minutes left on the clock. It was a tidy return for Sidebottom, who was extremely remorseful for the Weller incident after it happened, with the strong midfielder racking up 33 possessions. The cold, wet weather didn't help crowd figures, nor did the reduced capacity in the MCG car park because of recent rain, but it was still a surprise that only 40,936 people braved the elements to see the Magpies win on the first weekend of Victorian school holidays. It was the lowest crowd between the traditional rivals at the MCG since the semi-final in 1921, when 37,813 attended, and the lowest home-and-away attendance between the two sides at the MCG. Collingwood president Eddie McGuire told radio station 3AW after the game that the Pies would ask the AFL for compensation on Monday morning given they expected to lose "a couple of hundred thousand" dollars due to the low attendance.

THE MEDIA

COLLINGWOOD NEWS Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley says the Magpies had to arrest a second-quarter mentality of "filling our boots" in order to beat Carlton on Sunday night. The Pies prevailed by 15 points but let the momentum slip in the second term after leading by 31 points early on. Buckley said he didn't think the players had been deliberately selfish in front of goal but rued their "fancy" decision-making in the spell that let the Blues within three goals. "We've got a very team-orientated group and it's not a suggestion they would do it maliciously," Buckley said. "But I think we were keen to pull the trigger when one more disposal and we would find a player 10 or 15 metres closer to goal with half as much pressure on him and give us twice as much of a chance to kick it. "I think we're still building that best shot mentality into our footy and it can happen across half-back by using the right option there. "Our offence can improve and we'll continue to work on it but I don't think it was malicious." Midfielder Steele Sidebottom returned after serving a three-match suspension for a crunching hit on St Kilda's Maverick Weller in round 11. Buckley said the fact he was able to come straight in and collect 33 disposals was a testament to his professionalism. "He's a very strong young leader, he's very developed in that regard this year," he said. "He was clearly disappointed with the split-second decision and the repercussions from it four weeks ago. "He's put a power of work in and he showed tonight that professionalism to be ready to go was evident and he performed as a result." Brent Macaffer claimed another high-profile scalp by keeping Carlton captain Marc Murphy to just 15 disposals – six in the first half. Buckley considered sending him to Bryce Gibbs or Chris Judd after assessing Murphy as not being at 100 per cent but was glad they stuck with their initial plan. "When you've got foot on throat you want to maintain that and I think 'Caff' has shown an ability to do that and finish a job off, which he did," he said. Tom Langdon was a late withdrawal after being concussed last week against Hawthorn, while Jamie Elliot was subbed out in the third quarter after becoming tight in his hamstring. Buckley said it was a precautionary move to take Elliot off and the doctors believed he hadn't sustained a tear. "It wasn't loosening up...generally where there's smoke there's fire but we'll have a look and scan it tomorrow," he said. "Whilst (Langdon) passed the test on Thursday, it just felt like he was not all together clean or clear, he was still a little dusty and that won't hurt him." He also said Taylor Adams wasn't injured in an incident that left Mitch Robinson on report for striking in the first quarter.                                  REAL FOOTY You might need to read this because plainly you were not at the game. This was a Carlton-Collingwood game, but not as you know it. Not in the sense of those interested to turn up for entertaining rivals. Just 40,936 people came out on a damp, cold Sunday night to the MCG. Not since 1991 at Waverley had Collingwood-Carlton played before a crowd of this size away from suburban grounds. Not since a semi-final in 1921 had Collingwood and Carlton played at the MCG before such a small crowd, and not since the Magpies left Victoria Park have they played Carlton in front of a crowd as tiny for a home game. On the field the game was distractingly good after a one-sided beginning. It started sharply enough with Chris Judd making good a free kick in front of goal, but the Blues undid their own work afterwards. Their kicking out of defence was loose, poorly chosen and consequently punished. Collingwood had four unanswered goals, one of them from a relayed free kick for a Mitch Robinson left hook that clipped Taylor Adams’ jaw and saw not only a goal result but a report, too. The Magpies almost doubled Carlton’s possessions in the first term, their comprehensive ownership of the ball illustrated by the 19-5 inside-50 count but not the scoreboard. A 25-point first quarter margin was significant but unreflective.  The second term began with Travis Cloke stretching the lead to five goals. With Collingwood playing one loose behind the ball, Carlton coach Mick Malthouse then went man on man. So Nathan Buckley put another behind the ball. And Malthouse manned him up. Consequently the Blues had eight forwards to match Collingwood’s eight defenders. It worked: the Blues kicked three unanswered goals and got back in the contest. There was a sense the Magpies still had the run of the play and the expectation they would score, but when they kicked five straight behinds as Carlton kicked three goals the idea took hold at Carlton that it was back in the contest. A goal in a minute to start the third quarter with, importantly, Judd being influential had the Blues back to 11 points, but rounding out the quarter with three behinds and two more set shots not making the distance or skewing off line left them afflicted like Collingwood. After quarter time the Magpies kicked 2.8 until they broke the run through Luke Ball and later Steele Sidebottom stepping through traffic to snap a goal and restore the lead to 23 points at the last break. Collingwood, however, was playing without a well-functioning forward line after Jamie Elliott had to be subbed out. Jesse White was having no influence, the small forwards offered nothing and Cloke was being double teamed and leading deep. Dayne Beams and Dane Swan were used as marking forward. Beams kicked the Magpies steadier in the last after Lachie Henderson had booted one from a free and 50 metres, and then hit the post with another set shot (the fourth Carlton miss from a set shot). When Clinton Young snapped another a minute later and the lead was 26 points,  Carlton’s chances of working into the game again looked forlorn. But  Marc Murphy, on the end of a Robinson handball, goaled and Henderson snuck out the back to goal. It was back to 15 points.  When Troy Menzel marked a short high kick directly in front it was nine points at the 22-minute mark and the game began having a Collingwood-Carlton tension about it. The tension broke when Ed Curnow cut a ball into the corridor from half-back to Kade Simpson but it hung in the air for Ben Kennedy to intercept with a punch and  Sidebottom dribbled  a goal.                                 "I think we were keen to pull the trigger when one more disposal and we would find a player 10 or 15 metres closer to goal with half as much pressure on him and give us twice as much of a chance to kick it. I think we're still building that best shot mentality into our footy and it can happen across half-back by using the right option there. Our offence can improve and we'll continue to work on it but I don't think it was malicious." Nathan Buckley

SUPERFOOTY FOR Carlton, the reality was as cold as the winter winds that lashed the MCG. The Blues just aren’t good enough. There’s tryers, battlers and even a sprinkling of stars, but on this wet and freezing Sunday night, here was another sobering reminder of the obvious shortcomings in navy blue. This time Collingwood offered the cold, hard truth to a side that’s last win now came more than a month ago. The final score was 13.13 (91) to 11.10 (76). Statistically the Pies were dominant - winning disposals 394-337, tackles 86-56 and inside 50s 56-45. But after storming to a 31-point lead early in the second term and threatening to blow the Blues off the map, Collingwood’s profligacy opened the door. The Pies kicked 4.9 across the second and third quarters and despite being put under serious heat by Carlton for the next three quarters, they were able to keep the Blues at arms length when it counted most. Carlton was brave again and close again, but its challenge was again self-sabotaged at pivotal second-half moments. Marc Murphy didn’t make the distance with a 35m set shot and watched the ball go up the other end where Luke Ball converted. Lachie Henderson hit the post from 35m right before Dayne Beams nailed a set shot from 50m. Levi Casboult put a set shot out on the full from 25m. And on it went until Ed Curnow’s looping centering kick with three minutes left was intercepted for Steele Sidebottom to give Collingwood a 15-point lead and put the final nail in the coffin. They didn’t want for effort, the Blues, but their reality is that they lack class. Indeed, it was the sort of congested, dour game that Mick Malthouse tells us he would hate if he wasn’t coaching. Murphy, returning from a hamstring strain, was held to 15 disposals by Brent Macaffer, while Scott Pendlebury (24 touches, two goals) started brightly before being kept in check by Andrew Carrazzo. “The boys played well. It was tough conditions tonight and they ground it out really well,” Pendlebury said. “It was great to have Steele (Sidebottom) back, he just covers the ground. I thought ‘Swanny’ was fantastic, but the guys just played their roles.” Sidebottom was excellent and finished with 33 disposals. The returning midfielder’s run was crucial to keeping Carlton at bay; ditto Dane Swan and Taylor Adams, who had 30 and 27 respectively. Chris Yarran was a clear standout for the Blues on a largely scrappy night, repeatedly splitting the Pies open with his dash from defence. Carlton kicked nine goals to seven after quarter-time, but it was that first 30 minutes that sunk them. Chris Judd kicked the game’s first goal after two minutes before Collingwood domination consumed the rest of that opening term. Goals to Luke Ball, Pendlebury - twice - Lachie Keefe and Clinton Young had the Pies up 27-7 after 20 minutes. When Tyson Goldsack added one in the shadows of quarter-time the fat lady was warming up. Collingwood was winning the inside 50s a staggering 19-5 and disposals 104-68. Carlton’s dire situation was found in the form of Murphy, who was forced to twice go back with the flight deep in defence and was crunched. It was an opening half-hour in which the Pies simply worked harder and got more numbers to the contest. The Blues would come hard, but unlike Collingwood, they didn’t have the weapons to inflict the damage.                                  COLLINGWOOD NEWS Collingwood president Eddie McGuire will demand compensation from the AFL for the low attendance at Sunday night's clash with Carlton and wants supporters to receive an apology for the unpopular scheduling. Just 40,936 turned up to watch the Magpies' 15-point win on a bitingly cold Sunday night that followed a day of rain. It was the lowest crowd between the traditional rivals at the MCG since the semi-final in 1921, when 37,813 attended, and the lowest home-and-away attendance between the two sides at the MCG. While the AFL has admitted the attendance was around 10,000 short of what it hoped for, a furious McGuire has slammed the decision to use what is usually a blockbuster event to trial a timeslot. "This is one of the greatest (examples of) vandalising of a key event that I've seen in years," McGuire said afterwards. "I'm sure I won't get a letter of an apology or anything else and I don't care – all I want is the cheque. "I'm worried it's probably cost a couple of hundred of thousand – there's equalisation money gone out of the door. "It's exactly the way we told them 12 months ago it would be. "What we'll do is take the money out of the AFL executives bonuses, those who did it, and send it to the Westpac Centre because at 9 o'clock and one second tomorrow, I'm going to be on the phone saying compensation. "You want to be entrepreneurs, you carry the downside." AFL spokesman Patrick Keane emphasised the trial nature of the timeslot and addressed the fact numbers were below what was expected. "Our figures from tonight show that between the two clubs, there's about 13,000 reserves seat holders who didn't turn up," Keane said. "Obviously the clubs get the money for those people but from our point of view, we want the people to attend. "We've said quite consistently this year we're trialling a number of slots, Thursdays worked really well, Monday only had the one game and the crowds have trended down in the last couple of years. "Sunday night obviously hasn't had the response in the same way Thursday has." McGuire thanked the supporters that did brave the elements for their support. But he was disappointed for the "35-40,000" fans put off by the wintery conditions, which were expected on a night in late June. "I'm the president of the joint and I was lucky to come tonight," he said. "Don't punish people. This is not a test to see what their endurance is. Make it easy for people. Life's hard out there at the moment, factories are shutting down, people are cold. "Make it easy, make the football the one thing in your life that's great, not an ordeal. "Don't say it's school holidays because most people who are working class people aren't flying to Noosa tomorrow, they get up and go to work tomorrow. It's a working family game and we've got to get back to it." McGuire said fans buying seats and not attending was "not good for football". "Even if it was one versus two, it would have been hard going," he said. "We've been screaming about it since the fixture came out and it won't happen ever again - we will never play a Sunday night in the middle of winter ever again." Carlton coach Mick Malthouse said he had no issues with being scheduled to play against Collingwood on a Sunday night. "It's a national football game. You've got nine games that have got to be played over Thursday to Sunday," Malthouse said. "If you have to play it Saturday or Sunday or Monday or Tuesday, as long as you get a minimum six days' rest, I'm quite comfortable with it."