COLLINGWOOD 0.3.1.19 0.4.4.28 0.7.4.46 0.8.6.54
WESTERN BULLDOGS 0.6.2.38 0.10.4.64 0.12.5.77 0.18.7.115
SUPERGOALS - Collingwood: Nil
SCORERS - Collingwood: Cloke (0.2.1), Adams (0.1.1), Greenwood (0.1.1), Varcoe (0.1.1), Blair (0.1.0), Pendlebury (0.1.0), Swan (0.1.0), Elliott (0.0.1), White (0.0.1)
BEST - Collingwood: Adams, Sidebottom, Elliott, Oxley, Greenwood
INJURIES - Collingwood: Greenwood (lower leg)
SUBSTITUTES - Collingwood: Levi Greenwood (lower leg) subbed out for Jack Crisp in the third quarter, Alex Fasolo subbed out for Corey Gault in the third quarter
REPORTS - Collingwood: Nil
OFFICIAL CROWD: 10,457 at Etihad Stadium
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Collingwood is likely to be without Levi Greenwood for at least its round one clash against the Brisbane Lions after the recruit suffered an ankle injury on Saturday night. Greenwood hurt his right ankle when it became trapped underneath Jarrad Grant as he tackled him in the third quarter of the Pies' 61-point loss to the Western Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium Greenwood limped off, unable to put weight through it, and didn't return to the field. "We don't know how severe it is," Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley admitted afterwards. "It was bad enough for him to not be able to play on. "We'll have to go and assess that but he's likely to miss weeks - we just don't know how many." After a disappointing performance, Buckley conceded his midfield mix for the Lions' clash on April 4 was less settled than it had been a few weeks ago. As many as 14 players could play in a VFL practice match against Richmond on Thursday, including Saturday's omissions Ben Kennedy, Patrick Karnezis and Tim Broomhead. "When they (the Magpies not playing) look at the performances tonight, they might see a few opportunities and there will be – we're looking for blokes to step up," Buckley said. "I thought Tay (Taylor Adams) battled away inside really well, Swanny (Dane Swan) is starting to get some game time into him off a slow preparation pre-Christmas, Pendles (Scott Pendlebury) is two games in after not playing Hawthorn. "Steele (Sidebottom) is up and about, (he has) had a heavy load so he'll be right to go. "Jack Crisp did all right in that second half when required. "We've got plenty of blokes who can go through there, it's just about how effective we are in that midfield mix." Before his injury, Greenwood had been tasked with stopping star Bulldogs youngster Marcus Bontempelli. The new Pie had succeeded in briefly curbing the influence of Bontempelli, who started the game with a 15-disposal first quarter. Buckley said he would continue to experiment with who could take on the tagging role left vacant by the injured Brent Macaffer with Greenwood sidelined. "There might be a Jack Crisp, it might be a Taylor Adams … we'll need to have a look at that over that next month or so while Levi is likely to be out as well,” he said. Meanwhile, the midfield depth of the Bulldogs looked depleted three weeks ago when Tom Liberatore suffered a season-ending knee injury in Luke Beveridge's first game in charge. It meant the rookie coach's engineroom would be without last year's best and fairest winner - not to mention the off-season losses of the Dogs' former captain Ryan Griffen, who defected to Greater Western Sydney, and Shaun Higgins (North Melbourne) and Adam Cooney (Essendon). But Beveridge said on Saturday the form of Bontempelli and the willingness of Jack Macrae, Luke Dahlhaus and Mitch Wallis to stand up, plus the contributions from the likes of Brett Goodes and Mitch Honeychurch, helped cover the losses. "It's really encouraging," Beveridge said. "We're going to need to share the load and they did tonight. "That's crucial for us to get to where we want to go as quickly as possible, that we find more lads to stand up in through that midfield." Bontempelli finished with 29 touches and three goals in a performance Beveridge said could make him the marked man for taggers this season. "We all know he's a very talented player and we can't constrain him, we need to let him loose and explore where he can take his game," he said. "There's no doubt if he plays like he did tonight regularly then he'll receive adequate attention from the opposition. "But if his teammates are sharing the load with him and he can play anywhere - he's going to be a difficult challenge for most teams." Boom recruit Levi Greenwood will almost certainly miss Collingwood's season opener against the Brisbane Lions on April 4 after sustaining an ankle injury during their 61-point NAB Challenge loss to the Western Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium on Saturday night. The former Kangaroo, who was signed by the Pies on a four-year deal, had to be helped from the ground by trainers in considerable pain during the third quarter and could not put any weight on his right leg as he hobbled to the rooms. The 26-year-old was injured when he tackled an opponent in the centre square. The Bulldogs player landed awkwardly on Greenwood's leg, twisting his ankle. Coach Nathan Buckley said the severity of the injury wouldn't be known for a few days at least. "We don't know how severe it is but [it was] bad enough for him to not be able to play on," Buckley said post-match. "We'll have to go and assess that but it's likely to [force Greenwood to] miss weeks – we just don't know how many." Buckley admitted his midfield was now less settled than it was a fortnight ago, and with Greenwood and Brent Macaffer unavailable to fulfil their tagging role due to injury, the Pies would probably turn to Taylor Adams or Jack Crisp to do so. An extended absence for Greenwood would be a huge blow for Collingwood with captain Scott Pendlebury earmarking him as a direct replacement for Dayne Beams, who went to Brisbane. It capped off a dirty night for the Magpies who were run off their feet by the Bulldogs. Luke Beveridge's men burst out of the blocks with five of the first six goals, including a pair to Brett Goodes, and by the time they piled on another five consecutive majors either side of quarter-time they held a 43-point advantage. Based on this performance, life without Tom Liberatore, Ryan Griffen, Adam Cooney and Daniel Giansiracusa might not be as gloomy for the Dogs as first thought. The victory was built on the efforts of back-to-back top picks Marcus Bontempelli, who had 29 touches, nine tackles and three goals, and Jackson Macrae (31 disposals). Both simply did as they pleased in the midfield and were instrumental in the Dogs' dominant first half, in particular. The Dogs were also well served by solid defensive performances from skipper Bob Murphy, Michael Talia and Jordan Roughead and rookie Goodes strengthened his case for an upgrade to the senior list in time for round one with 19 touches and two goals. Hard nut Lin Jong (two goals) and Luke Dahlhaus were also valuable contributors with 20 and 32 disposals respectively. Collingwood could not cope with the Bulldogs' pressure and of huge concern for coach Nathan Buckley is that the only top-liners missing were Ben Reid, Lachie Keeffe and Ben Macaffer. Taylor Adams (31 touches), Pendlebury (28) and Marley Williams (27) stood out for the Magpies while Jack Frost and Nathan Brown combined to limit the influence of Bulldogs key forwards Jack Redpath and Tom Boyd. But there wasn't a lot to smile about for Collingwood who were shaded by their hungrier opponents in disposals (418-382), clearances (45-39), inside 50s (54-49), contested possessions (164-155) and tackles (94-85). A DOMINANT first-half display from the Western Bulldogs propelled them to a 61-point AFL pre-season cup win tonight against Collingwood. Young Bulldog on-baller Marcus Bontempelli starred with 15 possessions in the first quarter and finished with 29 touches and three goals in the Dogs’ 0.18.7 (115) to 0.8.6 (54) win at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne. Collingwood took a strong side into the match, but it was the young Dogs who seized the momentum from the outset. Jack Macrae (31 disposals), Mitch Wallis (21) and Luke Dahlhaus (32) joined Bontempelli in helping to set up the win, with veteran skipper Robert Murphy also playing a pivotal role down back in the impressive performance. Collingwood stars Scott Pendlebury and Dane Swan weren’t able to exert their usual influence early and Travis Cloke managed just one goal in the first half before finishing with two, but to put the result down to an off night for the Pies would do an injustice to the hardworking Dogs. Luke Beveridge’s men impressed with their slick ball movement and overlap run, but also pressured their opponents into costly turnovers and ran hard defensively when they didn’t have the ball. The margin blew out to 48 points in the third quarter before the Pies managed an unanswered three-goal burst, but the Bulldogs finished the match well with six goals to one in the final term. Will Minson was also a key factor for the Dogs with a dominant 50-hitout display. Steele Sidebottom (30) and Taylor Adams (31) worked hard throughout for Collingwood, while Pendlebury (28) improved as the game went on. Both sides leave the match with injury concerns with Levi Greenwood (ankle) and Jason Johannisen (head knock) both subbed out. |
NEW Collingwood midfield recruit Levi Greenwood is under an injury cloud for the Pies’ Round 1 clash against Brisbane after hurting his ankle on Saturday night. Greenwood limped off the ground in the third term after trapping his right ankle in a Jarrad Grant tackle, as the Western Bulldogs galloped to a 61-point win at Etihad Stadium. While the Dogs hailed the raw talent in their midfield, led by second-year sensation Marcus Bontempelli and Jackson Macrae, there were worrying signs for the Pies for a second-straight week. Collingwood will tackle Brisbane and ex-Magpie Dayne Beams in its season-opener in a fortnight with plenty to work on after managing only four first-half goals and eight for the game. While some Scott Pendlebury magic helped ice a run of three-straight Collingwood goals in the third term, the Pies’ new-look midfield failed to fire when the heat was on in the first half. Onballer Taylor Adams was the best of the Pies’ ball-winners with 17 touches at the main break, while Marley Williams, Adam Oxley and Jackson Ramsay stood up at times in defence. But the club’s plans to become the best transition side in the AFL looked a looked a distant dream as new recruit Travis Varcoe and veteran midfielder Dane Swan were kept quiet early. Greenwood was substituted off in the third term with nine possessions after being sent to shut down a rampant Bontempelli before quarter-time. Bontempelli, the man who fell only a whisker short of gun Lion Lewis Taylor for last year’s Rising Star award, set the Bulldogs alight with 15 first-term possessions, ripping the ball out of stoppages and running away from congestion. By the time the rangy onballer had kicked his second goal of the night from an overhead mark in the second term, ex-Richmond hard-nut Jake King said the young Dog looked like the complete package. He finished with 29 possessions and three goals. “What is he in his second year of football? How quickly can someone win a Brownlow?” King said on Triple M. But he wasn’t the only one who was raising eyebrows for the Bulldogs. For a club that lost ex-captain Ryan Griffen in last year’s exchange period and Tom Liberatore to a season ending knee injury, the signs from Macrae (31 possessions), Lin Jong (20), Luke Dahlhaus (32) and million-dollar man Tom Boyd (13) provided a bright end to a tough week dealing with Lachie Hunter’s betting controversy. But perhaps the most encouraging sign from Luke Beveridge’s perspective was the way the Dogs moved the ball. The Dogs were a defence-first, contested ball team under ex-coach Brendan McCartney but the new direction under Beveridge is to take the game with run and handball. Even without Liberatore, and ex-captain Griffen, the young pups controlled the flow of ball movement but still out-tackled the Pies, with nine more for the game. There was pressure and desperation, but also a sense of flair and excitement, kicking 11 of their first 12 goals from a position inside the corridor. The move to send Matt Boyd to a defensive position also looks a winner with the former skipper providing a cool head and strong body with Robert Murphy in the back line. RELENTLESS pressure was the dominant feature of the Western Bulldogs' 61-point win over Collingwood on Saturday night, with Luke Beveridge's men saving their best pre-season performance for last. The Bulldogs put a tumultuous three weeks that involved losing Tom Liberatore to a season-ending knee injury as well as the investigation in Lachie Hunter's betting activity behind them to leap into round one with winning form. They out-tackled the Magpies and forced them into turnovers, winning 0.16.7 (115) to 0.8.6 (54) after a dominant first half at Etihad Stadium. Despite being sorely beaten in centre clearances (6-17), the Dogs locked down across the field and strangled a broken-down Magpies' forward line. Marcus Bontempelli, Mitch Wallis and Luke Dahlhaus provided plenty of pressure – Wallis racking up an impressive 11 tackles – while Jack Macrae had 31 touches. "We put them under pressure and they gave the ball back a little bit, and I thought our defence set up extremely well," Beveridge said post-match. "We capitalised on some of those opportunities so to a man I thought all the boys really contributed in that area. "It was a pretty rounded performance. I was happy with most it. "There was a period in the third quarter where we lost our way a little bit … but we managed to compose ourselves." Along with exposing some concerning areas for Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley, an ankle injury to recruit Levi Greenwood further soured the night. Greenwood was one of the Pies' best in the second quarter after being sent to cover Bontempelli, who had 15 disposals by the first break. But he didn't return after his right leg was trapped underneath him as he tackled Jarrad Grant in the third quarter and is likely to miss at least round one. Forward Tyson Goldsack was also treated for a shoulder concern in the fourth term but played out the game and is fine. Still, it was a disappointing performance from the Magpies, which Nathan Buckley said was contributed to by a six-day break. "We would have liked to have performed better," Buckley said. "That's not a reflection of the way we've trained and prepared. "There's obviously a bit of work for us to do between now and April 4 to make sure that we present in better nick than we displayed this evening. "We're not going to throw the baby out with the bathwater after the last two weeks. "We displayed some pretty good form and played how we wanted to play against Hawthorn and we've been satisfied with our training form. "We know exactly where we're at, we would have preferred to have performed better six days ago in Bendigo and tonight but we'll take lessons out of that." The Bulldogs' dress rehearsal mentality extended to their cheersquad, who took the opportunity to practice their banner-making one last time before the real thing starts in two weeks. In comparison, the Magpies made a low-key entry to the arena with no banner and little fanfare. It was the Dogs in the wars early with young defender Jason Johannisen taken from the field in a neck brace following a high-impact collision with Grant's hip. He returned to the bench later in the first term but was subbed out at quarter-time as a precaution after being one of the Dogs' best in the opening stages. Defender Easton Wood was also subbed out with concussion at the main break after a second quarter incident that left him noticeably groggy. But the loss of the two didn't affect the Dogs too much as they held off a spirited three-goal charge by the Pies late in the third quarter. A goal in the first minute of the final term to Jake Stringer kicked off a string of Dogs majors that put the result beyond doubt. Jack Redpath booted two late goals and took seven marks, which is sure to give Beveridge food for thought when picking his forward structure for round one with Tom Boyd contributing just one from his 13 possessions. Bob Murphy returned to the side along with Jordan Roughead, Liam Picken, Macrae and Dahlhaus, and was one of the side's best along with Matthew Boyd, who played across half-back. It was simply the Dogs' pressure that caught the Pies off guard. In the first half alone, they had seven more tackles and eight more contested ball wins. Jamie Elliot was the Pies' shining light after a week off, along with Taylor Adams who collected 31 possessions. It was a quiet first half from veteran midfielder Dane Swan, who had five touches in the first quarter and four in the second. He worked his way into the game, along with Steele Sidebottom after a slow start, but remained below his best. WHAT WE LEARNED Collingwood: There were a few worrying signs for the Magpies when the Dogs turned up the heat. Alex Fasolo had seven touches before being subbed off in the third quarter, and their forward line broke down and battled when the Dogs put the clamps on. Brodie Grundy, who was treated for a sore side last week against Carlton, was also monstered by Will Minson, who had 50 hit-outs to the young Pie's 22. NEW FACES Collingwood: Before going off in the third quarter, Levi Greenwood showed signs of just why the Pies signed him on a four-year contract. With Brent Macaffer out for a few more months while he comes back from a knee reconstruction, the Pies will be pleased to know they have someone they can task to nullify an opposition player who is threatening to blow a game apart - if he doesn't miss too much time with this new injury. |
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