Draw: 2015 Home and Away

Collingwood News
 
Collingwood will enjoy a string of matches at the home of football against some of its oldest rivals when season 2015 rolls around.
Ten of its 14 games at the MCG will be against Carlton, Essendon, Geelong, Melbourne and Richmond.
What’s more, the Magpies will only leave Melbourne once after 9 July, and four of their five matches outside Victoria will be shown in prime time.

Collingwood's 2015 Home and Away Fixture
Round	Date	Match	Venue	Time
1	Sat 4 Apr	Brisbane v Collingwood	Gabba	6:20 PM
2	Sat 11 Apr	Collingwood v Adelaide	Etihad	4:35 PM
3	Fri 17 Apr	Collingwood v St Kilda	MCG	7:50 PM
4	Sat 25 Apr	Essendon v Collingwood	MCG	2:40 PM
5	Fri 1 May	Carlton v Collingwood	MCG	7:50 PM
6	Fri 8 May	Collingwood v Geelong	MCG	7:50 PM
7	Sun 17 May	Richmond v Collingwood	MCG	3:20 PM
8	Sat 23 May	Gold Coast v Collingwood	Metricon	4:35 PM
9	Sat 31 May	Collingwood v North Melbourne	MCG	3:20 PM
10	Mon 8 Jun	Melbourne v Collingwood	MCG	3:20 PM
11	Sun 14 Jun	Collingwood v GWS	MCG	1:10 PM
12		BYE
13	Thurs 25 Jun	Fremantle v Collingwood	Patersons	6:10 PM
14	Fri 3 Jul	Collingwood v Hawthorn	MCG	7:50 PM
15	Thurs 9 Jul	Port Adelaide v Collingwood	Adelaide	7:20 PM
16	Sat 18 Jul	Collingwood v West Coast Eagles	Etihad	4:35 PM
17	Sun 26 Jul	Western Bulldogs v Collingwood	Etihad	1:10 PM
18	Sat 1 Aug	Collingwood v Melbourne	MCG	2:10 PM
19	Sat 8 Aug	Collingwood v Carlton	MCG	1:45 PM
20	Fri 14 Aug	Sydney v Collingwood	SCG	7:50 PM
21	Sat 22 Aug	Collingwood v Richmond	MCG	1:45 PM
22	Fri 28 Aug	Geelong v Collingwood	MCG	7:50 PM
23	TBC	Collingwood v Essendon	MCG	TBC

Note: All times are local to the city in which the game will be played.

2015 fixture breakdown

Who do we play twice?
Collingwood will meet Carlton, Essendon, Geelong, Melbourne and Richmond twice in season 2015. Combined, the Pies have played the five clubs a total of 1,135 times since 1897. It means you can expect some huge MCG crowds and plenty of high intensity football.

Did you know?
The Magpies will meet the Blues for the 250th time when the game’s most traditional rivals gather at the MCG on Friday 1 May.

When was the last time we started a season outside Victoria?
Many of today’s Collingwood players weren’t even born when their club last kicked off a campaign on interstate soil.
The year was 1990, and the match was played on 1 April – 9,134 days prior to Collingwood’s 2015 season opener against Brisbane at the Gabba.
It was the Magpies who were made to look like fools, going down to West Coast by 46 points at Subiaco Oval.
Worse was to come for debutant Tony Francis who copped a six week suspension for kicking Eagle Murray Rance.
Few would have guessed that Francis and his Magpies would be saluting on the MCG on Grand Final day later that year.

Who do we play outside Victoria?
Collingwood will leave Victoria five times during the 2015 home and away season, with two games in Queensland and one in South Australia, Western Australia and New South Wales. The Pies will also be travelling to Tasmania for the first time since 2001 to kick off the NAB Challenge against Hawthorn on 26 February.

When did we last play Sydney at the SCG?
More than 15 years will have elapsed when the Magpies run out onto the Sydney Cricket Ground in round 20. You have to wind the clock back to round four of season 2000 to track down the last meeting between the two clubs at the famous venue.
It was a match worth remembering, too.
With just a minute remaining, both teams were level on 100 points apiece. Sydney’s Wayne Schwass lined up a set shot from just outside the 50m arc. The wingman’s kick made it right to the goal line where it was touched by Simon Prestigiacomo. The behind meant the Swans led by a point.
But those who know the SCG will remember that the ground isn’t quite the size of the MCG. It’s 12.6 metres shorter in length than it’s Melbourne cousin, meaning it’s a little easier to transfer the ball from one end to the other.
Nathan Buckley, who was a thumping kick no matter what ground he was playing on, made good use of the smaller ground, posting the ball just short of the centre circle from the kick in.
Paul Licuria swooped on the crumbs, breaking away from Ben Mathews and finding Anthony Rocca loose inside 50. Ironically, both had played on the ground together during their early years in red and white.
Rocca, who to that stage of his career had kicked 94 goals and 84 behinds, coolly soaked up the pressure before slotting his third goal of the night to put Collingwood in front with a mere 16 seconds left on the clock.
The young Magpies hit the boundary line and took the remaining time off the time clock to hang on to a five-point win. It was the fourth win from as many starts under new coach Mick Malthouse. Unfortunately, just three more would follow in the remaining 18 weeks.
The venue, established in 1848, also played host to Collingwood’s 2000th VFL/AFL game as well as Tony Lockett’s record-breaking 1300th goal against the Black and White.
What does next year’s trip have in store?

How many times will we play the Preliminary Finalists of 2014?
There will be just one meeting with each of the Swans, Hawks, Power and Roos.

How many night games will we play? How often will we feature on Friday night footy?
Nine of Collingwood’s 21 confirmed home and away games will be played at night, while a further three will be twilight matches. Six of the nine night games will be played on a Friday night and two will be on Thursday nights outside Victoria.

We’re playing Melbourne and Richmond twice? When did that last happen?
It’s been a while since these stars aligned. Collingwood has not met Melbourne twice in a home and away season since 2010, while it last played Richmond twice in 2007.
In fact, the Pies have squared off twice in the one year against the Dees just three times (2007, 2009 and 2010) since 1997, while they have met the Tigers twice just once in the past 10 years.
It’ll be a rare opportunity for the Magpies to wear the black shorts into battle. As Melbourne is generally the home team on the Queen’s Birthday, the match will be just Collingwood’s fourth home game against the Demons this century.

I can’t put my finger on it, but it looks like something’s missing…
If you thought the fixture lacked a familiar venue, you were right. Stadium Australia, currently known as ANZ Stadium, has hosted at least one game (13 in total) between Collingwood and Sydney since 2003. Of these 13, the Magpies have won 10, and all bar one since 2006.

Where will Etihad Stadium come into play?
Collingwood has been drawn to play three home and away matches at the Docklands Stadium in 2015. It has not played more than three games at the venue in the one year since 2011.

Which networks will be broadcasting our matches?
Of the 21 confirmed matches, 15 will be shown on Channel Seven and six on Fox Footy.

Why is our match against Essendon in round 23 listed as TBC?
The time and date of the match against Essendon at the MCG in round 23 will be determined in the final quarter of the season. Since 2009, the AFL has only confirmed the schedule for the final round with a handful of weeks remaining, rewarding the sides that are best placed to launch a tilt at the premiership each season.

2015 Pre-Season Draw

Collingwood News

Collingwood will return to Tasmania for the first time in over a decade when the club faces reigning premiers Hawthorn in its opening match-up of the 2015 NAB Challenge.
The match, scheduled for February 26, represents Collingwood’s first trip to the Southern isle since March 2001, when the side suffered an 18-point defeat at the hands of Melbourne during a rain-drenched pre-season clash at North Hobart Oval.
Hawthorn stands as a stern test for the youthful Magpies, presenting an exciting, early challenge for Collingwood’s litany of emerging stars, including Jamie Elliott, Taylor Adams and Tim Broomhead, in a pivotal marker in side’s preparation for the 2015 AFL season.
Collingwood’s two top 10 selections from the 2014 National Draft are also likely to feature in black and white for the first time, including athletic father-son pick Darcy Moore, in addition to fellow off-season recruits Travis Varcoe, Levi Greenwood and Jack Crisp.
Having travelled to Wangaratta during 2014, Bendigo will be the next regional Victorian city to experience Collingwood live in action when the side heads north to face Carlton in its second pre-season hit out on March 15.
The clash ensures the swift return of elite level football to the proud football region, and offers a piece of neat symmetry, given Collingwood featured in Bendigo’s final ever VFL match in August this year.
The Black and White pre-season campaign will then reach its conclusion in the more familiar surrounds of Etihad Stadium, with Western Bulldogs standing as the club’s final opponent before taking on Brisbane during round one of the 2015 home and away season.
The AFL has announced that club members with game access will be entitled to attend NAB Challenge matches free of charge.

2015 NAB Challenge
Game One Hawthorn v Collingwood Aurora Stadium Hobart Thursday 26 February 7.10pm	Game Two Collingwood v Carlton Queen Elizabeth Oval Bendigo Sunday 15 March 4.40pm	Game Three Western Bulldogs v Collingwood Etihad Stadium Melbourne Saturday 21 March 7.10pm

2015 Draw: Round 1

Collingwood News

Collingwood will take on Dayne Beams and his new Brisbane teammates in the first round of the 2015 season.
Beams, who was traded to the Lions after a request to return to his home state last month, will line up against his old Magpie teammates on Saturday 4 April at the Gabba.
The Magpies won't be short on motivation, having suffered a disasterous 67-point loss and several injuries to key players when they last met the Lions in round 21, 2014.
It will be the first time Collingwood has begun the home and away season at a venue outside Victoria since 1990, when it lost to the West Coast Eagles by 46 points at Subiaco Oval.
Fortunately, the loss was not a portent of things to come. The Magpies famously took out their 14th premiership against Essendon 189 days later.
The season will open at the MCG on 2 April when Carlton and Richmond kick off proceedings.
The AFL will unveil the complete fixture for 2015 on Thursday October 30.

ROUND 1, 2015
Thursday, April 2
Carlton v Richmond (MCG)

Saturday, April 4
Melbourne v Gold Coast Suns (MCG)
Sydney Swans v Essendon (ANZ)
Brisbane Lions v Collingwood (GABBA)
Western Bulldogs v West Coast Eagles (ES)

Sunday, April 5
St Kilda v GWS Giants (ES)
Adelaide v North Melbourne (AO)
Fremantle v Port Adelaide (PS)

Monday, April 6
Hawthorn v Geelong Cats (MCG)

Three New Faces

Collingwood News

Collingwood today completed a five-way trade that will see three players arrive at the Westpac Centre and a top five draft selection pass into the club’s possession in exchange for Dayne Beams and Heritier Lumumba.
North Melbourne’s Levi Greenwood, Geelong’s Travis Varcoe and Brisbane’s Jack Crisp have become Magpies and pick five in next month’s National Draft has become Collingwood’s second top 10 selection. The deal is completed with Beams and a fourth round pick (No. 67) moving to the Lions, Lumumba crossing to Melbourne and Mitch Clark leaving the Demons for Geelong.
The deal meets Collingwood’s immediate needs and furthers the club’s strategic aim of continuing to invest in the draft.
Collingwood emerges with two inside midfielders (Greenwood and Crisp), a line-breaking premiership player (Varcoe) and access to two top 10 national draft picks for the second consecutive year. The club has already invested pick No. 9 in the upcoming draft on under 18 All-Australian father-son prospect Darcy Moore.
Collingwood chose Matthew Scharenberg (No. 6) and Nathan Freeman (No. 10) in 2013 and selected Brodie Grundy (No. 18), Ben Kennedy (No. 19) and Tim Broomhead (No. 20) in 2012.
Once the 2014 national draft is over, and with Taylor Adams (No. 13 for GWS in 2011 before being traded to the Westpac Centre in 2013) included in the group, Collingwood will have introduced eight first round draft picks to its squad over the last three years.
The acquisition of Greenwood (74 matches), Varcoe (138 matches) and Crisp (18 matches) deepens the Collingwood midfield and offsets the loss of experience through the departures of Beams (110 matches) and Lumumba (199 matches).
Greenwood enjoyed a breakout season with the Kangaroos this year and finished one vote shy of winning the Syd Barker Medal. Playing 22 matches, the 25 year-old ranked among the side’s leading players in a host of statistical categories, including disposals per game (2nd – 25), inside 50s per game (2nd – 4.2), total clearances (3rd – 89), marks per game (4th – 5.4) and total tackles (4th – 107).
Crisp played the last six matches of Brisbane’s season and averaged almost 20 possessions and a goal across that run while Varcoe is a two-time premiership player who has shone on the biggest stage.
“With Dayne and Heritier leaving, our objective was to make sure the team remained in a position to play finals in 2015 while continuing to build a critical mass of elite talent. I think we have achieved that,” Collingwood’s General Manager of List Management, Derek Hine, said.
“Levi Greenwood is a hard-nosed midfielder who moved into serious centre square company this year. Travis Varcoe has speed, carry, a fine kick and big game success in his repertoire and we managed to get hold of Jack Crisp who is an emerging 190cm midfielder with good speed and endurance, a good inside game and a developing outside game.
“On top of that, we will be heading to the draft with two selections inside the top eight.”
Collingwood Director of Football, Rodney Eade, thanked Beams and Lumumba for their significant contributions to the club, notably their roles in the 2010 premiership.
The charismatic Lumumba forged a 10 year career in black and white out of a chance he took to chase, at his own expense, a place on the club’s rookie list. The 27 year-old became a constant in the senior side for the best part of eight years and has accepted the security of a long term deal with the Demons.
Beams sought a transfer back to his native Queensland for family reasons. The 24 year-old mid-fielder joined Collingwood as a second round draftee in 2008, made his debut in 2009, played in the 2010 premiership as a flanker and blossomed into an A-grade midfielder under coach Nathan Buckley in 2012, when he won the Copeland Trophy and an All-Australian jumper.
“Collingwood was good for Heritier and Dayne and they were good for Collingwood,” Eade said.
“They leave with records to be proud of and the club’s best wishes.”
Collingwood will take picks No. 5, No. 8 (Darcy Moore), No. 30 and No. 48 to the November 27 National Draft which will be held on the Gold Coast.

Levi Greenwood D.O.B: 19/02/1989 Position: Midfielder Games: 74 Recruited from: Port Adelaide/North Melbourne Draft: Pick No. 32, 2007 National Draft Height: 181cm Weight: 87kg	Travis Varcoe D.O.B: 10/4/1988 Position: Midfielder Games: 138 Recruited from: Central District (SA)/Geelong Draft: Pick No. 15, 2005 National Draft Height: 180cm Weight: 82kg	Jack Crisp D.O.B: 2/10/1993 Position: Midfielder Games: 18 Recruited from: Murray Bushrangers/Brisbane Draft: Pick No. 40, 2012 Rookie Draft Height: 190cm Weight: 89kg

Darcy Moore

Collingwood News

He has been one of the hottest draft prospects of season 2014, and now Darcy Moore is a Magpie.

Key facts
The son of Collingwood great and two-time Brownlow medallist Peter Moore, Darcy could be developed at either end of the ground having excelled as a tall forward and key defender this year. Boasting excellent closing speed, a natural leap, strong marking ability over his head and smarts around goal, Moore stands at an imposing 199cm.

Key 2014 TAC Cup Statistics (13 games, 15 goals; averages in brackets):
Disposals: 145 (11.2) Marks: 68 (5.2) Tackles: 19 (1.5) Inside 50s: 25 (1.9) Score Assists: 14 (1.1) Marks Inside 50: 26 (2.0) Tackles Inside 50: 11 (0.8) Rebound 50s: 14 (1.1) Marks from Opposition Kicks: 16 (1.2) Contested Marks: 27 (2.1) Spoils: 29 (2.2) Bounces: 0 (0.0) Smothers: 3 (0.2)

Key 2014 VFL Statistics (1 game, 0 goals; averages in brackets):
Disposals: 8 (8.0) Marks: 1 (1.0) Tackles: 2 (2.0) Inside 50s: 2 (2.0) Score Assists: 0 (0.0) Marks Inside 50: 0 (0.0) Tackles Inside 50: 0 (0.0) Rebound 50s: 2 (2.0) Contested Marks: 0 (0.0) Spoils: 5 (5.0) Bounces: 0 (0.0) Smothers: 1 (1.0)

What they say about Darcy Moore
“There is no doubt he’s got leadership written all over him and I think you will see he will end up being an AFL captain one day, for sure.  When you compare him against the boys that they talking about (as potential No. 1 picks) in (Patrick) McCartin and (Peter) Wright and so forth, in my eyes from what I have seen in the TAC Cup this year, I think he is better than those guys. If it was my choice in a pick of those guys, I’d certainly be picking Darcy Moore every day,” – Mark Smart, Oakleigh Chargers regional manager, Herald Sun, 6 October 2014.

“He is just a very competitive player and I think he is very proud of his performances and there is no doubt he reads the ball very well in flight, where he has able to defend strongly or mark the ball. His athleticism enables him to get back on to the ball quickly and get involved in the next contest. He’s got exceptional leg speed for his height and athleticism so he can play in both areas of the ground. It will be interesting to see where he forges his career because he is very capable at playing either end,” – Mark Smart, Oakleigh Chargers regional manager, Herald Sun, 6 October 2014.

“Here are a few things you might not know about Darcy Moore. He was school captain at Carey Grammar last year, and is a few subjects into a commerce degree. He has no idea what he would like to do in the future but can imagine himself working for a not-for-profit organisation. He likes literature, the arts, he's just become an uncle and he spent eight weeks in the United States at the end of last year, staying with a sister-in-law at Venice Beach, skiing with his father in Colorado and spending Christmas in New York with one of his three sisters,” – Emma Quayle, The Age, 5 October 2014.

"You'd have to be impressed by what you see. He captained the Oakleigh Chargers that won the (2014) TAC Cup Grand Final and played at centre-half forward – the toughest place out on the ground. You can't find guys of that size, that athleticism (and have) the clean hands, the lovely kick. He can play both ends of the ground, he's a fine young leader, I think he's got all the attributes to be a star down the track,” – AFL draft expert Kevin Sheehan, SEN 1116, 30 September 2014.

“He's a really mature guy but he's also got the ability to be one of the lads as well. He finds that balance really well. He's been one that's led from the front in terms of putting the team first. He's got a great ability to put that stuff aside and focus in on the team and the job, which is a credit to him,” Oakleigh Chargers coach Mick Stinear, The Age, 21 September 2014.

“You can see the (Jack) Viney situation at Melbourne where he's been able to come in and work and do bits and pieces and play, and he's in year 12. The fact that Darcy will be out of year 12, if he's coming under strong consideration by that period of time, will be massively beneficial, particularly given his size,” – Collingwood General Manager of List Management Derek Hine, collingwoodfc.com.au, 12 September 2012.

What he says
“I've got a certain degree of certainty, and a lot of teammates who have to wait another six or seven weeks to find out what's going to happen to them. I need to keep reminding myself that I'm privileged to be in this position. That's the way I've looked at it in the last month-and-a-half, and I'll always be looking at it that way,” – The Age, 5 October 2014.

"We don’t play favourites, but there’s one particular jumper I’d love to wear and it would be pretty romantic, but we’ll just see what happens. The drawn Grand Final (in 2010), I was getting as excited as anyone else when they won that premiership. Certainly it still flows through my veins and goes through my head,” – AFL Media, 2 October 2014.

“Being a lifelong supporter of the club, to be able to represent it for the first time doing what I love to do was obviously a huge thing. There are a few things going on inside my head but above all I just wanted to compete and have a win, which felt great. It’s weird now; I didn’t really think about it that much. A few people were getting sentimental, you know, being on the old man’s stomping ground – the hallowed turf, as he likes to call it. It’s huge now, it’s something I’ll never forget, running on this field, how romantic, the first time playing for Collingwood on this field where it all began,” – The Club, 8 August 2014.

“I'm more comfortable up forward, just because I've done it since I was a little kid. But I love the challenge of centre-half back or full back and flipping around the situation,” – AFL Media, 20 January 2013.

“Playing AFL, however, making a conscious effort to shift my thinking from ‘how can I be successful?’ to ‘how can I serve?’ Any sort of fame will only be used to make a difference to those less fortunate and towards a cause I am truly passionate about. I will be travelling lots and getting lost,” – Darcy Moore forecasts where he will be in 10 years time in an interview with The Weekly Review on 25 February 2013.

Pendlebury Wins Third Copeland

Collingwood News

Collingwood midfielder Scott Pendlebury has capped off an outstanding first season as captain by winning his second consecutive, and third overall, E.W. Copeland Trophy at Crown’s Palladium Ballroom this evening.
Pendlebury headed off challenges from fellow on-ballers Steele Sidebottom and Dayne Beams to claim the Best and Fairest award, reaffirming his status as one of the all-time greats of the Black and White.
The 26-year old was also named as the Magpie Army Player of the Year, and received the Gavin Brown Award for leading desire indicators.
Earning his fifth All-Australian guernsey this season, Pendlebury polled 165 votes to finish 51 clear of runner-up Sidebottom (114), who claimed the R.T. Rush Trophy, with J.J. Joyce Trophy recipient Beams (112) a further two back.
Defender Heritier Lumumba (89) and Brent Macaffer (85) rounded out the top five, claiming the J.F. McHale and Jack Regan Trophy’s respectively.
Having only missed 10 games in seven seasons leading into this year, Pendlebury’s assiduous approach to preparation once again paid dividends, featuring in all but one of Collingwood’s 22 matches for the 2014 campaign.
A paragon of consistency, Pendlebury thrived in his newfound captaincy role, ranking inside the AFL’s top ten for effective disposals per game (3rd), disposals per game (6th), contested possessions per game (8th) and free-kicks for (9th).
Meanwhile, he led all Magpies in total disposals (596), contested possessions (273), disposals per game (28.4), total tackles (116) and goal assists (14), while he was equal first with Sidebottom for uncontested possessions (314).
Retiring forward Quinten Lynch was recognised for his contribution around the club with the Darren Millane Perpetual Memorial Trophy as Best Clubman and defender Tom Langdon received the Harry Collier Trophy for Best First Year Player.
Midfielder Kyle Martin secured back-to-back Joseph Wren Awards as the club’s Best VFL Player, while with 39 goals for the season, Travis Cloke earned a fifth consecutive Gordon Coventry Trophy.
The Phonse Kyne Award for services to the club was presented to the club’s trainer of 33 years, Colin Arnell.
Retiring at the conclusion of the 2014 season, Arnell is a beloved figure of Collingwood’s football staff, and is a veteran of two Premierships, seven Grand Finals, 41 finals matches and more than 1,000 training sessions.

E.W. Copeland Trophy Top Ten
1. Scott Pendlebury 165
2. Steele Sidebottom 114
3. Dayne Beams 112
4. Heritier Lumumba 89
5. Brent Macaffer 85
6. Jamie Elliott 81
7. Travis Cloke 74
8. Tyson Goldsack 61
9. Jack Frost 61
10. Jarryd Blair 59

Other Awards
Magpie Army Player of the Year - Scott Pendlebury
Darren Millane Perpetual Memorial Trophy (Best Clubman) - Quinten Lynch
Harry Collier Trophy (Best First Year Player) - Tom Langdon
Gavin Brown Award (Leading Desire Indicators) - Scott Pendlebury
Gordon Coventry Award (Leading Goal Kicker) - Travis Cloke (39)
Joseph Wren Award (Best VFL Player) - Kyle Martin
Phonse Kyne Award (Services to the Club) - Colin Arnell