Pre-Season Game 1: Collingwood 116 Hawthorn 72

THE FACTS

COLLINGWOOD   0.5.3.33    0.7.6.48    0.10.10.70   0.17.14.116
HAWTHORN         0.3.1.19   1.5.3.42      2.6.5.59       2.8.6.72

SUPERGOALS - Collingwood: Nil
GOALS - Collingwood: Fasolo 4, Karnezis 3, White 2, Gault 2, Goldsack, Sidebottom, Grundy, Greenwood, Elliott, De Goey

BEST - Collingwood: Varcoe, Sidebottom, Greenwood, White, Goldsack, Elliott, Grundy

INJURIES - Collingwood: Nil

SUBSTITUTES - Collingwood: TBC

REPORTS - Collingwood: Nil

OFFICIAL CROWD: 15,422 at Aurora Stadium, Launceston

STATISTICS

Player	K	H	D	M	HO	FF	FA	T	SG	G	B
13. Taylor Adams	10	13	23	2	0	0	1	1	0	0	0
22. Steele Sidebottom	12	11	23	4	0	1	0	3	0	1	1
8. Tom Langdon	9	11	20	5	0	0	2	1	0	0	0
24. Josh Thomas	15	4	19	3	0	1	1	2	0	0	1
26. Marley Williams	8	10	18	1	0	1	0	2	0	0	0
7. Ben Kennedy	7	10	17	1	1	3	0	5	0	0	1
1. Alex Fasolo	8	8	16	4	0	2	1	0	0	4	0
31. Jackson Ramsay	9	6	15	3	0	0	2	2	0	0	0
29. Tim Broomhead	8	7	15	2	0	0	1	4	0	0	1
19. Levi Greenwood	9	6	15	4	1	2	2	3	0	1	0
33. Patrick Karnezis	11	4	15	5	0	0	2	5	0	3	1
18. Travis Varcoe	9	5	14	3	0	0	3	0	0	0	1
9. Jesse White	11	3	14	5	0	2	0	1	0	2	2
44. Corey Gault	5	9	14	3	6	0	0	4	0	2	1
28. Ben Sinclair	7	6	13	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1
21. Nathan Freeman	8	5	13	2	0	0	0	1	0	0	0
16. Nathan Brown	5	7	12	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
25. Jack Crisp	6	6	12	5	0	1	2	2	0	0	0
35. Jordan De Goey	4	8	12	2	0	0	0	2	0	1	0
4. Brodie Grundy	3	8	11	0	16	2	0	4	0	1	0
5. Jamie Elliott	7	3	10	3	0	1	2	4	0	1	0
34. Alan Toovey	5	3	8	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0
43. Adam Oxley	4	4	8	3	0	1	0	1	0	0	0
45. Jack Frost	3	4	7	3	0	0	0	1	0	0	0
2. Sam Dwyer	2	5	7	2	0	1	0	2	0	0	0
6. Tyson Goldsack	2	2	4	0	0	1	2	3	0	1	0
K: Kicks H: Handballs D: Disposals M: Marks HO: Hitouts FF: Free Kicks For FA: Free Kicks Against T: Tackles SC: Super Goals G: Goals B: Behinds

Of interest

• At 28 years of age, third-year rover Sam Dwyer was the oldest player in Collingwood's 26-man team.
• Fifteen of the 26 players were aged 22 or under.
• Collingwood's two starting substitutes for the evening were Adam Oxley and Sam Dwyer. Oxley replaced Alan Toovey at half time, while Dwyer replaced Tyson Goldsack at three quarter time.

THE MEDIA

COLLINGWOOD NEWS Travis Varcoe and Levi Greenwood's second comings as AFL players started in impressive fashion a Collingwood overcame a youthful Hawthorn side by 44 points in a feisty NAB Challenge opener on Thursday night. While it was only the first step in a marathon season, the star recruits and stand-in captain Steele Sidebottom led a Pies midfield lacking some of the game's biggest names. In recent seasons, it's been difficult to imagine Nathan Buckley's side without Scott Pendlebury, Dane Swan and Brisbane Lion Dayne Beams running the engine room. But cheered on by a vocal Magpie Army - despite the match being played at the Hawks' second home Aurora Stadium – ex-Cat Varcoe and former Roo Greenwood showed plenty in an encouraging 0.17.14 (116) to 2.8.6 (72) win. The toughness of No.5 draft pick Jordan De Goey – who already looks a ready-made player – and a fit-looking Jesse White also gave the Pies plenty to get excited about. De Goey was particularly influential early but contributed across the four quarters and kicked a long set shot goal, while White booted two goals and arguably had the better of Hawthorn's prized recruit James Frawley. White endured a mixed season after crossing from the Sydney Swans last year, but he enjoyed being the focal point with Cloke out of the side. What we learned It's fair to say Jesse White endured a mixed first season in the Black and White, but with Travis Cloke sitting out of the opening NAB Challenge match, White shone as the focal point of the Magpies' attack. At times last year the ex-Swan looked a little lost roaming up the ground while Cloke stayed at home. Nathan Buckley knows he needs to ease the reliance on his star goalkicker and a firing White, who has trimmed down after a strong pre-season, would ease his concerns significantly. New faces Collingwood: No.5 draft pick Jordan De Goey made his presence felt early with a crunching contested mark, impressed with his hardness at the contest and was very good as a link-up player across half-forward. Patrick Karnezis showed his class with a sublime checkside goal from outside the boundary line, while former Cat Travis Varcoe was prominent and had more time with the footy than most. Levi Greenwood barely missed a beat with his work at the coalface and Jack Crisp threw himself into the contest.                                  REAL FOOTY The rebirthing Collingwood rolled over the top of the rejuvenating Hawthorn by 44 points to win the first game of the year. It was February, in Tasmania and a pre-season game but still it was an engaging contest and enough to slake the thirst for football after six dry months for both teams. The recast Collingwood looked faster and stronger through the midfield with more options forward with a few more experienced bodies than the Hawks, who invested time in players who might displace their premiership players. Only eight premiership Hawks of last year were on the field. The window on the maybes and the whatabouts offered the first sight of James Frawley in brown and yellow. His first touch had a bit of Melbourne about it when he played on blind and coughed up a goal, but it was difficult to slip into a new side that actually looks nothing like the side he will play in. Frawley alternated on forwards including Jesse White who was looking leaner, running harder and leading more deliberately to the ball than he had in any game last year. Whether that was a sign of rediscovered confidence or the freedom of a Travis Cloke-less forward line was for now academic and only to be tested in weeks to come. Without Jarryd Roughead in the team Ben McEvoy played from the goal square and, like White, led at the ball with purpose and ever looked threatening booting three goals. Jonathan Ceglar, the man he displaced last September spent the game rucking with Sam Grimley against Brodie Grundy – another displaced person from last year – and Corey Gault. Ceglar and Grundy both had their moments but Grundy probably won the contest. The blend of smalls and mediums in Collingwood's forward line with recruits Travis Varcoe and Jack Crisp alternating on a wing and a forward flank looked threatening. Jordan De Goey showed he has not only a brutal attack on the ball but can go forward with confidence above his head and an eye for the goal. Alex Fasolo returned forward after an experiment last year as a running defender and found space and the goals. Ben Kennedy in particular looked good through the middle while Taylor Adams and Josh Thomas built on last year. “It’s good validation for what we’ve put in place over the off season. “This is really only the first step and it’s against a side that bought a young side down themselves. “We focused on the way we were going to go about it, playing the way we wanted to play, testing some younger leaders like Steele Sidebottom in his first game as captain. “I thought he stood up and played well with that responsibility. “We had everyone play their role and that was the most encouraging thing.”  Nathan Buckley

SUPERFOOTY COLLINGWOOD took full advantage of Hawthorn’s undermanned backline to hand the reigning premier a 44-point hiding at Aurora Stadium. In front of a record pre-season Launceston crowd of 15,422, the Magpies grabbed the lead 19 minutes into the first quarter and the Hawks couldn’t catch them, running away 0.17.14 (116) to 2.8.6 (72). Big recruit James Frawley, picked up as a free agent from Melbourne, found himself under siege in his first game in brown and gold, taking Lake’s place at full-back. Despite kicking a supergoal, Hawks champion Sam Mitchell did a power of work dropping back to help in defence, but his efforts were not enough to curb the penetration of the Pies. Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley said it was a good first-up effort and showed preseason planning was on track. “It’s good validation for what we’ve put in place over the off season,” Buckey said. “This is really only the first step and it’s against a side that bought a young side down themselves. “We focused on the way we were going to go about it, playing the way we wanted to play, testing some younger leaders like Steele Sidebottom in his first game as captain. “I thought he stood up and played well with that responsibility. “We had everyone play their role and that was the most encouraging thing.” Magpie newbies Jordan De Goey, Jack Crisp and Travis Varcoe did enough to show they will be integral to Collingwood’s push for September action. Buckley was particularly pleased with De Goey, pick five in last year’s draft. “He’s an exciting talent, very clean with the footy, his defensive skills in tight, his ability to win his own football, all excite us,” Buckley said. “He’s worked pretty hard, done a fair volume through the preseason and we’ve managed him through as we have all our first and second year players. “He doesn’t look like he’s out of place and he looks like he can handle the speed of the game. “So every opportunity that’s been thrown his way he’s taken but there’s still a long way to go.” Frawley’s direct opponent Jesse White kicked two goals, while Alex Fasolo bagged four and Patrick Karnezis three goals. The Magpies will bring in captain Scott Pendlebury, Dane Swan and Travis Cloke for their next NAB Challenge match. “They know the game so it’s just a matter of getting them robust and ready to go for round one,” Buckley said. “There’s quite a few guys out there tonight who have asked questions of the match committee and that’s a good problem to have in the short term.” Things we learnt PIE PRESSURE: The Magpies fought hard to lock the ball in their forward half with Patrick Karnezis, Tyson Goldsack and Alex Fasolo among the chief contributors. SHARING THE LOAD: Collingwood had 10 individual goalkickers last night including four to Fasolo and three for ex-Lion Karnezis. OH MY GAULT: Standing at 198cm, Magpie rookie Corey Gault made his presence felt with two second half goals. Moved into the ruck briefly to relieve Brodie Grundy.                                  THE AUSTRALIAN PREMIERS Hawthorn last night faced a pre-season 17.14 (116) to 2.8.6 (72) drubbing in Launceston at the hands of a resurgent Collingwood. The Magpies led at every break during the NAB Challenge opener at Aurora Stadium, with the outcome sealed with seven final quarter goals. It is the first time since September 2011 that Collingwood have beaten the men in brown and gold. Alex Fasolo led the scoring for the Magpies with four goals. Youngster Jordan De Goey lived up to expectations, showing abundant athleticism in his step up to the top grade, kicking a goal in the fourth quarter. But it wasn’t an entirely one-sided affair witnessed by a crowd of almost 15,500 at the ground more commonly known as York Park. The Hawks made a crisp start with Ben McEvoy scoring a goal within a minute of the opening bounce. That was closely followed by a Luke Breust kick from within the 50 which found the middle. But the bad news then started to filter through, as Tyson Goldsack kicked the first goal for the Magpies, then Hawthorn defender Kaiden Brand was helped from the ground nursing a heavily taped left shoulder. After a frantic opening quarter, Collingwood led by 14 points. In a see-sawing second period the Hawks fired back early with midfielder Jed Anderson finding the middle posts, signalling his return to form after an injury-plagued 2014 season. James Sicily then kicked the first nine-point super goal from outside 50m. The Magpies shared the spoils as Patrick Karnezis booted three while there were single goals to several players including Jamie ­Elliott, Corey Gault and Brodie Grundy. Elsewhere, following a post season when numerous players required surgery, North Melbourne will experiment with a number of positions in their sellout NAB Challenge opener against Adelaide in Port Lincoln on Sunday. The club’s high profile recruits — long-time Carlton forward Jarrad Waite and Shaun Higgins from the Western Bulldogs — will join the experience of Brent Harvey, Jack Ziebell, Nick Dal Santo, Drew Petrie, Ben Cunnington and Daniel Wells in the squad. But the club will also field a number of players who are hardly household names. The Kangaroos could not name regular defenders Scott Thompson (knee), Lachie Hansen (hip) and Nathan Grima (back) who are recovering from operations, and veteran Michael Firrito, who was left out. A new-look defence will have to battle the Crows’ big forward targets Taylor Walker, James Podsiadly and Josh Jenkins. North Melbourne captain Andrew Swallow withdrew yesterday from the initial squad, as did ruckman Tod Goldstein. One of the other key omissions is Aaron Mullett, who is overcoming a shoulder injury. The Kangaroos claimed Swallow was never meant to play, but was included in the 29-man squad due to an administrative error. The club said there were no ­fitness issues surrounding his withdrawal. The Kangaroos’ makeshift defence on Sunday will include Joel Tippett, who played four senior games last year after two previous games with Gold Coast in 2011. Injury-prone forward Robbie Tarrant could be in line for a positional switch. “We’ve got the flexibility to structure up our forward line a bit differently, so we’ll have a look at all the different aspects and probably play a few guys through the midfield who haven’t spent much time in there before,” Scott said.