Collingwood v GWS
Saturday August 23, 4.40pm GWS Stadium 7mate / Fox Footy 4.30pm Weather: Min 9 Max 18 Chance of rain 90%: 5-10mm Wind: E 12kph Betting: Collingwood $1.52 GWS $2.55 |
With fresh injuries to Jamie Elliott, Scott Pendlebury, Dayne Beams, Travis Cloke, Ben Reid and Alan Toovey, the Magpies are only an outside chance to scrape into the top eight, even if they win the next two matches.
Despite this, a win this weekend against Greater Western Sydney on Saturday will keep the door ajar.
The Magpies will travel up to Spotless Stadium this weekend to face the Giants, who are also reeling from a horror round of injuries in round 21.
Whilst Collingwood suffered a 67-point loss to Brisbane, the Giants were able to have a resounding 64-point victory despite sustaining injuries to Jonathon Patton, Callan Ward and Phil Davis during the match.
It was the Giants’ first ever win on the MCG, and it was a remarkable one considering the carnage that occurred during the match.
A fortnight ago, this game seemed a mere formality for the Magpies. But now both sides will be forced to name very undermanned sides due to their respective injuries and the Giants would be feeling very confident given Collingwood’s recent poor form.
Greater Western Sydney has impressive depth and is filled to the brim with high draft picks. This is going to be a real challenge for a Collingwood team that is slowly coming to grips with a season that has gone off the rails in recent weeks.
As well as having an injury hurdle to overcome, the young Magpies will face a real mental hurdle to click back into gear knowing that finals may be out of reach and their form has been so flat over the past fortnight.
This will also be the first opportunity that we’ll see Heath Shaw play against his former club, and it will be interesting to see how he responds to the challenge of playing against his former premiership mates (although there will barely be any left on Saturday to face!).
Despite the doom and gloom, coach Nathan Buckley will be looking at this week as a real opportunity to take a closer look at some of the youngsters on the list and give them exposure at AFL level.
The VFL Magpies have been in terrific form over the past fortnight, so at least Buckley has a host of players who are deserving of a call up.
It may also present a chance to experiment with players in different positions and play with more freedom now that the public pressure to make the finals is off the radar.
Recent History
These two sides have only met twice before, with Collingwood winning by 120 and 40 points respectively. When these sides last met in round 18 last season, the Giants put up a really gallant effort in the first half, only to be blown away in the second half.
Dane Swan was judged best afield with 39 disposals and three goals, while Jeremy Cameron polled two votes after booting a stunning seven goals. Dayne Beams polled one vote with 37 disposals and a goal. Steele Sidebottom was also impressive with 31 disposals and three goals, and Travis Cloke also booted three goals.
At the Selection table
We are going to see massive changes this week from both sides.
Starting with Collingwood, and I’m tipping six or seven changes, many of which are forced due to injury.
Travis Cloke, Dayne Beams, Alan Toovey and Ben Reid have all been ruled out after sustaining injuries last week, while Jamie Elliott (who was a late withdrawal against the Lions) has also been ruled out.
Scott Pendlebury was also a late withdrawal last week and will be touch and go for selection, and Heritier Lumumba also faces a fitness test.
The spate of injuries will give opportunities to fresh faces. I’m tipping at least two debutants this week, but I feel we could see as many as four.
Patrick Karnezis may get his first chance at AFL level as a Magpieafter a solid season in the VFL. He has moved freely in the past fortnight and has played on a wing. Also in line for a potential call up is Corey Gault who has really impressed up forward and in the ruck. He is a 199cm forward/ruck with a good set of hands and an ability to hit the scoreboard.
Jackson Ramsay has also been solid all season in defence and may be a chance to replace Toovey. Who knows? Maybe first round draft pick Matthew Scharenberg could even be in line for a shock debut after three weeks at VFL level.
Others who will push for selection are Tom Langdon, Kyle Martin and Jesse White, who have all been impressive at VFL level after their omissions from the senior team.
Turning the attention to Greater Western Sydney, and the injury list is just as extensive with names such as Jeremy Cameron, Callan Ward, Jonathon Patton, Tom Scully, Stephen Coniglio and Lachie Whitfield all ruled out for the season.
Skipper Phil Davis suffered a concussion and will be tested this week and may also miss Saturday’s match. The responsibility up forward will therefore be left to Tom Boyd and Adam Tomlinson.
With so many key players going down, I expect the Giants to recall some veterans to help fill the leadership void. That might see Dylan Addison, Josh Hunt and Stephen Gilham selected to assist down back.
Also in line for selection are Zac Williams and Tim Golds who have been impressive in the reserves side.
Focus On Collingwood
It’s hard to put too much analysis into last week’s clash against Brisbane despite the heavy loss. The late withdrawals of Pendlebury and Elliott would have really unsettled the side. The injuries to Cloke, Beams and Reid left the Magpies reeling and the floodgates eventually opened.
But there have been consistent issues arise over the past month which I feel Buckley and his coaching staff need to address.
The main concern is contested footy and clearances. The injury of Dayne Beams made an impact last week, but the truth is that Collingwood was already getting smacked in this area before the injuries struck. If Pendlebury returns, he will play alongside Dane Swan and Luke Ball, forming a pretty solid midfield unit.
The other clear issue for Collingwood is the forward line. Cloke and Elliott have been Collingwood’s leading scorers this year, but are both missing, as is Reid. Therefore, Buckley will need to rejig his forward line set up. Despite being undermanned, it will be an unpredictable setup and sometimes this can pose an advantage.
Marley Williams – Marley is one player I would like Buckley to experiment with. He has had an decent season so far, and when the injuries struck last week, Marley was thrown on the ball in the second half and looked good. He had 22 disposals and won some 50/50 contests. I’d like to see him played again through the midfield, perhaps in a run with role.
Dane Swan – The Magpie champion returned to the side last weekend and was probably Collingwood’s best player on the night. He had 28 disposals and kicked a goal. Importantly, he got better as the game wore on, and seemed to be running freely after a month away to get his body right. He will be vital this weekend and needs to show real leadership through the midfield. He will also need to assist up forward at times.
Jack Frost – It has been a remarkable season for the youngster and he looks to be a real 10-year full back prospect. I feel he needs to keep improving with ball in hand going forward. He’ll likely get the job on Tom Boyd, who is an absolute monster but is also very raw. It will be an interesting match-up between two young key position players on the rise.
Focus on Greater Western Sydney
It has been another difficult year for the Giants, but they have shown many promising signs despite a big injury toll. As poor as Melbourne was last weekend, the Giants kept running and looked a very good football side. The young players are fit, talented and daring. They will see this as an opportunity to knock off a more fancied opponent and will sniff a chance to cause an upset.
It will be a real ask however for this Giants side to compete given the extent of their injuries. They may be without their two co-captains, as well as three former number one draft picks. Nonetheless, the Giants have such strong top end talent on the list that they can seemingly just replace injured stars with equivalent players who are just as capable. There is still experience in the list as well with the likes of Shaw and Shane Mumford to take the lead.
Heath Shaw – After a sickening jaw injury earlier in the year, Heath has returned to the side and has been vital in defence. It will be a big occasion for Shaw who was controversially traded by the Magpies last year. No doubt he was disappointed to leave and still holds a soft spot for Collingwood, but he has taken his opportunity at Greater Western Sydney in the right manner and he has become a real leader amongst the young group. He’ll be looking for a big game this weekend. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Buckley throw a forward tag on him, potentially even using Tyson Goldsack or Brent Macaffer to curtail his influence.
Toby Greene – After a mid-year suspension for off-field behaviour, Greene has returned to the side and played like a man possessed. In the last five rounds, he has averaged 31.6 disposals and over five tackles. Greene knows his game well and prefers to handball if possible. Against North Melbourne two weeks ago, he had 10 kicks and 25 handballs. He is the sort of player that can really get under the guard of his opposition and is a terrific contested ball player.
Dylan Shiel – There are a lot of teams very interested in bringing Dylan Shiel back to Victoria at the end of his contract and he is one of the most highly rated youngsters on the Giants list. He becomes one of their most important players this weekend as well, given the injury to Callan Ward, meaning he will be expected to lead the midfield. He has had a consistent year without really taking his game to the next level. His foot skills are good, but he has made a few clangers over the past few weeks and is beginning to look a little tired. I think Buckley will look to tag him out of the game, as he is a running machine and a big disposal winner.
The Wrap Up
It’s almost a case of last man standing between these two sides considering the extensive injury lists. The game has been really evened up and should be a tight encounter. The Giants will fancy their chances, but the Magpies will also be keen to atone for a horror match last weekend. Finals are not out of the question, too, if the Magpies can win.
But Collingwood is going to have to call on the absolute limits of its depth and totally re-shape the forward line to get up. It has also not travelled well in the second half of the year and it will be a test to go to a foreign ground against a youthful and energetic Greater Western Sydney outfit.
Although the Giants will be heavily backed this weekend, I still think the Magpies will bounce back. I expect a few new faces to have an influence this weekend.
Pies by 20 points.
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