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| Pos Position C Change from last round P Played W Won L Lost D Drawn F Points for A Points against % Percentage Form Past five results Next Next opponent Pts Points |
Sunday, May 31, 2015
2015 LADDER: ROUND 9
Round 9: Collingwood 112 North Melbourne 95
COLLINGWOOD 1.2.8 4.3.27 13.5.83 17.10.112
NORTH MELBOURNE 4.4.28 10.6.66 10.9.69 14.11.95
SCORERS - Collingwood: Elliott (5.2), Fasolo (2.0), Swan (2.0), Cloke (1.1), Sidebottom (1.1), Blair (1.0), Crisp (1.0), Grundy (1.0), Pendlebury (1.0), White (1.0), Witts (1.0), Varcoe (0.1)
BEST - Collingwood: Elliott, Sidebottom, Swan, Adams, Pendlebury, Fasolo
INJURIES - Collingwood: Nil
SUBSTITUTES - Collingwood: Adam Oxley replaced by Jordan De Goey in the third term
REPORTS: Nil
OFFICIAL CROWD: 43,452 at the MCG
NORTH MELBOURNE 4.4.28 10.6.66 10.9.69 14.11.95
SCORERS - Collingwood: Elliott (5.2), Fasolo (2.0), Swan (2.0), Cloke (1.1), Sidebottom (1.1), Blair (1.0), Crisp (1.0), Grundy (1.0), Pendlebury (1.0), White (1.0), Witts (1.0), Varcoe (0.1)
BEST - Collingwood: Elliott, Sidebottom, Swan, Adams, Pendlebury, Fasolo
INJURIES - Collingwood: Nil
SUBSTITUTES - Collingwood: Adam Oxley replaced by Jordan De Goey in the third term
REPORTS: Nil
OFFICIAL CROWD: 43,452 at the MCG
| 1. Pies pass big test ... Last week, Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley declared the clash against North the Pies' biggest test yet of the season. In their first game this season against a top-four side from last year, the signs looked ominous early. The Pies were wasteful by foot in the opening half and applied little pressure, allowing Brad Scott's men to do as they pleased. But mainly thanks to a blistering third term, the Pies stunned the Roos, turning a 39-point deficit into a 17-point victory. The brilliant win cemented their place in the top eight - the Magpies now sit fourth with a 6-3 record. 2. ... but North’s season hangs in the balance For the Roos, at 4-5 after nine rounds and sitting 13th on the ladder, their season sits in a perilous position with crucial games against West Coast (Blundstone Arena), the Sydney Swans (Etihad Stadium) and the Giants (Spotless Stadium) coming up before their bye in round 13. Approaching the half-way point of the season, not many would have predicted last year's preliminary finalists would be so low on the ladder with a percentage of just 89.7. With the competition so even, North Melbourne has a huge fight on its hands to push its way into finals contention. 3. Elliott's big day out It was Elliott's five-goal second half which turned the game on its head. After a slow start, the exciting forward suddenly looked dangerous at every turn in front of goal, or up the ground. The young Magpie kicked 5.2, had two score assists, seven marks, 18 disposals and four inside 50s. Elliott's third goal in the third term drew the Pies level late in the quarter, while his first of the final term was a brilliant soccer off the ground. Fittingly, with rain bucketing down at the MCG, it was the 22-year-old who marked uncontested in the last seconds of the game and kicked the final goal, to cap off an amazing comeback from Collingwood. |
4. Magpies surge in premiership quarter After a dominant first half, North Melbourne had etched out a 39-point lead. The Pies were all over the shop. But led by skipper Scott Pendlebury, they were sparked into action in the third term, kicking nine unanswered goals to head into the final break with a 14-point advantage. Pendlebury, who was quiet in the first half, had eight disposals, and kicked a goal in the third quarter, while Steele Sidebottom and Jack Crisp also stood up. But the biggest hero for Collingwood was small forward Jamie Elliott, who electrified Pies fans with three goals in the term. 5. Young Kangaroo shows promise After being the substitute for his first two games of AFL football, young Roo Trent Dumont relished playing his first full game. In the opening term he was handed the task of running with Pendlebury. Recruited from Norwood at pick No.30 in the 2013 NAB AFL Draft, the 19-year-old kept Pendlebury to just five lacklustre touches in the first term, and managed to gather five of his own and two inside 50s. Aided by teammate Ben Cunnington at the stoppages, Dumont was able to restrict Pendlebury's influence in the first half, restricting the Magpie to just nine disposals. Coach Brad Scott allowed Dumont off the leash in the second half and he made the most of the opportunity, finishing the game with 18 touches, seven clearances and an impressive 10 tackles. It was Elliott's five-goal second half which turned the game on its head. After a slow start, the exciting forward suddenly looked dangerous at every turn in front of goal, or up the ground. The young Magpie kicked 5.2, had two score assists, seven marks, 18 disposals and four inside 50s. |
| THE MEDIA | |
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A STUNNING nine-goal third quarter propelled Collingwood to a thrilling comeback win over North Melbourne at the MCG on Sunday, with the Magpies overcoming a 39-point half-time deficit to clinch a 17-point win. North looked to have the game in control at the main break, having dominated play in the midfield and ruled the air inside its forward 50 through tall targets Jarrad Waite and Drew Petrie. But the Pies came out a different team after half-time to produce a remarkable 13-goal-to-four second half that sealed a 17.10 (112) to 14.11 (95) win in greasy conditions. Collingwood even looked set to run away with a comfortable win when Jamie Elliott kicked the opening goal of the final term – the Pies' 10th in a row – to put his side 20 points up. But North suddenly found a spark when Robbie Nahas kicked its first goal of the second half three minutes later, with Lindsay Thomas and Jarrad Waite adding another two in the next two minutes. And when Drew Petrie goaled at the 18-minute mark the Roos were suddenly four points up. The game's frantic final minutes were played in driving rain and it was Collingwood that stood up in the conditions. Dane Swan took an outstanding contested mark over Jamie Macmillan at the 23-minute mark and converted from 20m to give the Pies back the lead. Jarryd Blair kicked truly from 40m three minutes later to give the Pies a 10-point lead and Elliott poured salt on to the Roos' raw wounds after the siren when he slotted his fifth major. Steele Sidebottom was outstanding for Collingwood, finishing with 31 possessions and one goal, while Elliott - who along with skipper Scott Pendlebury helped spark the Pies' comeback - kicked four of their 10 consecutive goals. Swan also worked his way into the game after a wasteful first half, racking up a game-high 32 possessions and six clearances. Todd Goldstein (19 possessions, eight marks and 51 hit-outs) was a tireless worker for North, while Waite (three goals and nine marks) was lively in attack and Brent Harvey (27 possessions) and Sam Gibson (27) provided constant run. North dominated the opening half, controlling play in the midfield and ruling the air in attack through tall trio Waite, Petrie and Ben Brown. Waite kicked two of the Roos' four opening-term goals to help set up a 20-point lead at the first break. The former Blue also took five marks (two contested) for the term while Petrie took four as North plucked six marks inside its forward 50 to the Magpies' one. North's quarter-time lead could have been greater too, with Petrie missing three set shots. The Roos stretched their lead to 39 points at half-time with a six-goal-to-three second term, sending the Pies into the main break needing a massive turnaround. If you did not see this game you will not believe this story, but please read on anyway and suspend disbelief. If you did watch the game, read on to double-check — it really did happen. At half-time, the team that was 12th on the ladder was beating the team that was fifth on the ladder by 39 points. They should have been more than 10 goals up after hideous misses in the first quarter, but they were romping ahead. It was a shellacking. North Melbourne was playing superbly and Collingwood was horrific. Brownlow medallist Dane Swan might not have played many more ineffectual games than the first half – he kicked the ball at 18per cent efficiency. Steele Sidebottom looked like his hand was still broken. Scott Pendlebury was poor. North Melbourne was pressuring, hunting, gathering and winning. Todd Goldstein was the dominant player. Ben Cunnington was channelling Greg Williams in ignoring his feet and creating everything by hand. Robin Nahas was bright and Jarrad Waite still had silly Jarrad Waite moments but more good ones than bad. Then the momentum changed and the score. But what created this change was nothing positional, nothing structural, nothing other than a mental change. Suddenly Collingwood wanted to be the team to win the ball and tackle and move the ball quickly. "We are an effort and intensity-based side and we know if that is off we are not going to win many games and that clearly showed in the two halves," Swan said. "We were waiting for them a little bit in the first half and they did what they had to and pantsed us. "At quarter time we said 'boys that is about as bad as we have played and we are three or four goals down' and after the second quarter we said 'that is the worst half we have played all year and we know we can't go any worse and if we get better we will get closer and closer' and I don't think any of us expected to be in front at three-quarter time." The third quarter was unforeseeable. Collingwood kicked nine goals to none. Within half an hour they led by 14 points. Pendlebury was the architect, Jamie Elliott the new conduit. Swan and Sidebottom began to create with possession, not hack to find territory. Jack Frost won contests behind the ball and Alex Fasolo looked to pressure not just finish. Collingwood was in front and rampant. A goal was even insisted upon from the video man just as Brent Harvey was about to kick in for the point that had been given. They kicked the first goal of the last quarter in a manner emblematic of the shift in the game – they hurried to force confusion and panic and the ball was bobbled up to them. The query was only whether the effort of getting back in the game would weary them. "No doubt it goes through our mind," Swan said. "The rain comes down but thankfully the wind was blowing our way a bit so those thoughts go through your head." To tease at those concerns North found momentum from a moment of nothing. A fortunate lapse on the mark, a long kick from Goldstein and mark and goal from Nahas that begat two more goals in a minute. Soon after, North hit the front when Petrie goaled. It seemed the Magpies would be left with more self-respect but no points. Yet there were cunning twists left. Collingwood chased the ball and territory. The three big tall forwards were ignored for the smaller ones Elliott, Blair and Fasolo. Swan went forward when something was needed. In the slip and wet, Jamie Elliott curled a ball to the goal square and Swan set his frame and edged his backside. He held his ground and more importantly held the mark. He kicked the goal to put his side back in front. "I have a lot of confidence in my hands and they put me forward to do something and thankfully I did. It was a perfect kick from Jamie, I just had to hold my ground and thankfully it stuck," Swan said. "We needed a good win, we needed a test against a good side. "We know North were a kick away from the granny last year and we need to beat those sides to have a bit of depth and make people think we can compete with the best." |
THE North Melbourne membership package should come with a warning label. In fine print on the back of the card the Kangaroos can safely write: “Will cause nausea. Do not tip with confidence”. The Kangaroos took their almost customary roller-coaster season to a new level against Collingwood at the MCG yesterday, violently jolting from a high to a crippling low in 30 extraordinary minutes which could define their season. They lost the unlosable. At half-time the Roos — which at 4-4 had labelled this junction a turning point in their season — were methodically destroying the Magpies and had a 39-point lead to show for it. It should have been north of nine goals, Drew Petrie and Jarrad Waite among offenders of easy first-quarter blemishes as the league’s current worst set-shot team again struggled in front of the sticks. When a furious Scott next spoke to his charges they were 14 points in arrears and moments into the last quarter Jamie Elliott had kicked the 10th consecutive Magpie goal to push his side’s lead past three goals. How did they do it? As dark clouds formed above the G and above North’s season, they conjured 7.0 from their first eight entries of the third quarter and finished with 9.2 from 13. It was magic, and will be replayed in Collingwood households frequently throughout the week. The deadly-efficient football not only tasered the Kangaroos, but will leave Arden St in shock for the week. Almost unbelievably, ruckman Todd Goldstein jagged another sharp momentum reverse in the final quarter as the seemingly impotent Kangaroos broke their goal drought with three majors in 144 seconds. The Roos then had three set-shots to regain the lead. Robin Nahas and Sam Gibson fluffed the first two but Drew Petrie made no mistake as rain began to pelt down on a contest which had morphed from mediocre to marvellous in a blink. The Kangaroos had kicked 4.2 from six forward 50 entries, but the Magpies refused to be denied. Elliott and Swan would prove critical after that Petrie goal. The livewire forward banged the ball to the top of the square where Swan marked a soapy Sherrin as if it was a tennis ball to restore the lead for the final time. Elliott fittingly smashed through his fifth goal — all kicked in the second half — after the final to cap a famous Collingwood win and plunge the Kangaroos further into demise. The final quarter was littered with mega moments. There was a brutal Marley Williams bump, a dropped Robbie Tarrant chest mark which led to a Jarryd Blair goal and a heavy Goldstein tackle on Swan. The premiership hopeful Roos are now 4-5 having been blown off the park by three quality sides this year and suddenly facing West Coast, Sydney and GWS before their bye. A preliminary finalist which recruited Jarrad Waite and Shaun Higgins is faced with the stark possibility of sitting out September. As for the Magpies? They’re 6-4, in the top four and have eight days to prepare for their Queen’s Birthday meeting with Melbourne. Things could hardly be sweeter. Collingwood produced a remarkable second-half revival to power over the top of North Melbourne and win their AFL match by 17 points at the MCG on Sunday. The Magpies were woeful in the first half, managing only four goals, and were lucky to go into the long break only 39 points in arrears. But they made up the deficit - and then some - in a stunning nine-goals-to-nil third term and withstood a belated fightback by the Kangaroos in the final quarter to win 17.10 (112) to 14.11 (95). Livewire forward Jamie Elliott was the game-breaker for the Magpies, booting three third-quarter goals. The Magpies' ninth major of the third quarter came courtesy of a video review which deemed that Drew Petrie had been unable to get a hand on Alex Fasolo's shot before it crossed the goal-line. When Elliott booted his fourth of the day early in the last term to put the Magpies 20 points up it looked as though they would run away with the win. But North hit back with the next four goals to regain the lead, only for the Magpies to make one more decisive surge with the last three goals of a see-sawing encounter. Elliott finished with a game-high five goals for Collingwood. The Kangaroos were best served by ruckman Todd Goldstein, while Robin Nahas and Jarrad Waite booted three goals apiece. North suffered a big blow in the lead-up when skipper Andrew Swallow was forced to withdraw due to an ongoing thumb injury. He was replaced by Kayne Turner. Collingwood’s come-from-behind win over North Melbourne saw it scale its third greatest half time deficit. Down by 39 points at the main break, the Magpies slammed on nine goals to nil in the third quarter to turn the game on its head. In its previous 2,449 games, the club had only twice overcome a greater half time margin. The Magpies beat St Kilda after trailing by 52 points at half time in round 10, 1970, while they went on to roll Richmond after ending the first half 46 points in arrears in round 20, 1978. It was only the third time since 2000 that Collingwood has won after trailing by five goals or more at half time. The magnitude of the comeback is greater understood when compared with VFL/ AFL history. Since 1897, only 18 teams have managed to win despite a half time deficit greater than 39 points. Other random facts and stats you might be interested in… In kicking 9.2 (56), the Magpies of 2015 catapulted themselves into the top echelon of the club’s third quarter history. But as potent as they were in that third term, they were outstripped by at least 15 other Collingwood sides in the club’s history. Collingwood’s record third quarter effort is 12.5 (77), kicked against Carlton at Princes Park in round four, 1969. It was Carlton’s highest score against at the time. John Greening’s seven goals may have had something to do with this. Sunday’s third quarter score was also the club’s equal sixth most accurate quarter in its history. As good as 9.2 (56) is, it’s still a little shy of the 10.0 (60) against Melbourne in round two, 1996. The Magpies have enjoyed some healthy quarters against the Kangaroos in recent years. They kicked 10.6 (66) in round 22, 2006, and managed 7.7 (49) in the third term against the same opponents in round three earlier that year. In fact, Collingwood’s strongest ever final quarter was recorded against North Melbourne. The Pies kicked 11.5 (71) at Victoria Park in round nine, 1990 (Gavin Brown and Peter Daicos each finished with seven for the day). |
Victoria Park
ROAR - brendan dower
This weekend, as we sit down on our ‘comfortable’ plastic tip-up seats, with a retractable roof protecting us from Melbourne’s perpetually fickle weather outside, accessing the free Wi-Fi on our phones to check the bank balance after ordering a lukewarm pie and a watered down beer, let’s remind ourselves that it wasn’t always like this.
There was a time when seats, if they existed, were wooden and hard and left the odd splinter in your numb backside. Where leaky grandstand roofs may have kept the rain out but offered no protection from the howling wind that tore through your duffle coat. The beer was full strength, as was the language and the toilets. Well, let’s not even go there.
Sounds bloody awful doesn’t it?
Looking back there were parts of the suburban football ground experience that were, shall we say, less than ideal, and things did need to change. But have we gone too far the other way? As you settle down at Telstra or Etihad or whatever it’s called this week for a match where you have genuinely forgotten if it’s your club’s home game or not, it’s time to reminisce about an era when that was never in doubt.
For all their faults these grounds had soul. They had character, and characters. They had identity. They had quirks. They had stories. But most importantly they were home. So let’s go around the grounds of past days, starting off this week with the club everyone loves to hate, Collingwood, and Victoria Park.
Victoria Park was a place akin to Mordor, where the local orcs would don their black and white scarves and leave their black and white houses to take the short walk to the ground beneath a sky of industrial smog emanating from the factories nearby.
It was from these factories in the staunchly working class suburb of Collingwood that the Magpies drew their support. These were tough men doing tough work and Saturday afternoon was the one time of the week they could ‘let off some steam’. It were these fans that gave Victoria Park its reputation as the most intimidating venue in the league.
And intimidating it was, the away support here was always much less than at other grounds across the city. Only the most committed, brave or some may say stupid supporter turned up in the opponent’s scarf or beanie. Stories even abound that during close finishes some of those said supporters secretly hoped their team would lose so as not to incur the wrath of the Magpie hordes afterwards.
This was a place where you swayed with the action on the terraces such was its cramped nature. Where those of smaller stature would stand on two full beer cans in an attempt to see at least some of the match. There was no nipping off for a quick pie or drink here either, once you had your place on the terrace that was it for the next three hours.
Empties rolled around your feet, the air was fresh with the aroma of cigarette smoke and stale beer breath and the sound of every profanity known to man, with a few unknown ones thrown in for good measure. It was rough and it was tough and you went home feeling as though you had played a match yourself.
The players didn’t have it easy though either. The opposition player’s race emptied the team onto the turf right in front of the famous Sherrin Stand at the railway end of the ground. For generations this was where some of the more vocal and famously one-eyed Collingwood supporters sat. Imagine for a minute the Manchester United team emerging from underneath the Kop at Anfield and you will get an idea of some of the abuse that was dished out here.
This was the end the ‘Pies preferred to attack in the last quarter and rightly so, as it always seemed as though they had a two or three-goal breeze behind them when they were kicking that way. Then win, lose or draw the players had to endure the infamous cold showers in the away dressing rooms. For some reason Collingwood never did manage to get those pesky things fixed.
So there you go, Victoria Park, on and off the ground it was hostile, it was intimidating and it was certainly not for the faint of heart. But it was what made it Collingwood. The tight terraced streets surrounding the ground, the old factories, the black, the white.
Don’t get me wrong, beating Collingwood anywhere, anytime is a fantastic feeling whether it be at Docklands, the ‘G, heck even on the moon.
But nothing can surpass the
feeling
of going behind the lines, deep into enemy territory and
returning home with those four, oh so precious, points from Victoria Park. Even if you only let out a celebratory cheer and mini fist pump once in the relative safety of Flinders Street Station.
Collingwood v N. Melbourne
MCG 7mate / Fox Sports 3:00pm Weather: Min 10 Max 15 Chance of rain 90%: 5-10mm Wind: WNW 27kph Betting: Collingwood $2.00 North Melbourne $1.84 |
There was a time when seats, if they existed, were wooden and hard and left the odd splinter in your numb backside. Where leaky grandstand roofs may have kept the rain out but offered no protection from the howling wind that tore through your duffle coat. The beer was full strength, as was the language and the toilets. Well, let’s not even go there.
Sounds bloody awful doesn’t it?
Looking back there were parts of the suburban football ground experience that were, shall we say, less than ideal, and things did need to change. But have we gone too far the other way? As you settle down at Telstra or Etihad or whatever it’s called this week for a match where you have genuinely forgotten if it’s your club’s home game or not, it’s time to reminisce about an era when that was never in doubt.
For all their faults these grounds had soul. They had character, and characters. They had identity. They had quirks. They had stories. But most importantly they were home. So let’s go around the grounds of past days, starting off this week with the club everyone loves to hate, Collingwood, and Victoria Park.Victoria Park was a place akin to Mordor, where the local orcs would don their black and white scarves and leave their black and white houses to take the short walk to the ground beneath a sky of industrial smog emanating from the factories nearby.
It was from these factories in the staunchly working class suburb of Collingwood that the Magpies drew their support. These were tough men doing tough work and Saturday afternoon was the one time of the week they could ‘let off some steam’. It were these fans that gave Victoria Park its reputation as the most intimidating venue in the league.
And intimidating it was, the away support here was always much less than at other grounds across the city. Only the most committed, brave or some may say stupid supporter turned up in the opponent’s scarf or beanie. Stories even abound that during close finishes some of those said supporters secretly hoped their team would lose so as not to incur the wrath of the Magpie hordes afterwards.This was a place where you swayed with the action on the terraces such was its cramped nature. Where those of smaller stature would stand on two full beer cans in an attempt to see at least some of the match. There was no nipping off for a quick pie or drink here either, once you had your place on the terrace that was it for the next three hours.
Empties rolled around your feet, the air was fresh with the aroma of cigarette smoke and stale beer breath and the sound of every profanity known to man, with a few unknown ones thrown in for good measure. It was rough and it was tough and you went home feeling as though you had played a match yourself.
The players didn’t have it easy though either. The opposition player’s race emptied the team onto the turf right in front of the famous Sherrin Stand at the railway end of the ground. For generations this was where some of the more vocal and famously one-eyed Collingwood supporters sat. Imagine for a minute the Manchester United team emerging from underneath the Kop at Anfield and you will get an idea of some of the abuse that was dished out here.
This was the end the ‘Pies preferred to attack in the last quarter and rightly so, as it always seemed as though they had a two or three-goal breeze behind them when they were kicking that way. Then win, lose or draw the players had to endure the infamous cold showers in the away dressing rooms. For some reason Collingwood never did manage to get those pesky things fixed.
So there you go, Victoria Park, on and off the ground it was hostile, it was intimidating and it was certainly not for the faint of heart. But it was what made it Collingwood. The tight terraced streets surrounding the ground, the old factories, the black, the white.
Don’t get me wrong, beating Collingwood anywhere, anytime is a fantastic feeling whether it be at Docklands, the ‘G, heck even on the moon.
But nothing can surpass the
feeling
of going behind the lines, deep into enemy territory andreturning home with those four, oh so precious, points from Victoria Park. Even if you only let out a celebratory cheer and mini fist pump once in the relative safety of Flinders Street Station.
Saturday, May 30, 2015
Collingwood Memorabilia
Collingwood News
COLLINGWOOD supporters have a rich history of
dispensing items to the club free of charge.
That list starts with advice on Travis Cloke’s goalkicking and includes the odd bequeath or returned membership ticket when the proverbial hits the fan.
So when an unknown Collingwood fan called the club last year volunteering a memorabilia collection no one had heard of, the Pies were intrigued.
A year on, what started as a potential wild goose chase has resulted in the Pies being handed the finest private football memorabilia collection ever seen.
In all, the 3000-odd pieces have been valued by Melbourne memorabilia expert Rick Milne at $1.478 million.
The benefactor of this magnificent treasure trove is adamant he will remain private, but the Pies are happy to advertise the results of his largesse.
The roughly $900,000 of non-Collingwood related merchandise will be offered for sale back to clubs including Richmond, the Western Bulldogs and Essendon.
That windfall will help grow the club’s Magpie Nest program, a
Salvation Army-backed partnership that operates 27 houses and 75 beds
for those sleeping rough in our city.
And the collection of Collingwood memorabilia left over?
As official Pies historian Michael Roberts says, “it is phenomenal”.
Among that haul is Len Thompson’s 1972 Brownlow Medal — sold in 1999 for $74,000 — one of his five Copeland trophies, 1910 and 1935 premiership medals and a 1958 premiership trophy.
Rare postcards, pages of uncut football cards dating back a full century and even a 1910 premiership cap in mint condition only scratch the surface of this collection.
All of it has, as Eddie McGuire said this week, “come home”, in the same year the football from the 1990 premiership was donated back to the club by Darren Millane.
With as few as 10 Brownlow Medals ever publicly sold, a collection with Thompson’s medal and Richmond player Stan Judkin’s 1934 Brownlow is off the charts.
“We weren’t aware of him at all,’’ says Pies director of stadia and community David Emerson.
“He is a very private man and when he learnt about the Magpie Nest he wanted to make a contribution and this was how he thought he could do it.
“He couldn’t make a big cash donation but he had been putting his
collection together for many years and had come to a point where this
was something positive he could do with it.”
Collingwood author and historian Roberts was soon enlisted to verify and date the collection, unsure of what he was about to find.
“We knew someone was buying a lot of high-quality Collingwood stuff at auction and through private sales,’’ he says.
“I had no idea who he was. When I saw it, I was staggered. The breadth of the collection, what it covered ... To be able to get his cards is exceptional, but this guy also had Brownlows and Copelands which are just incredibly rare.
“When I went into the meeting my eyes were just rolling. I was like one of those cartoon characters. There are very few or no collections of this quality and none which have made it to a footy club.
“We are very privileged to have come across a collection like this.”
Collingwood now has in its possession Thompson’s and Marcus Whelan’s 1939 Brownlow, two of only nine Brownlows awarded to Collingwood players.
If the AFL memorabilia market is a massive industry, a few precious items stand above the crowd.
The first Brownlow Medal — Carji Greeves’ from 1924 — sold for $170,000 in 2011, with Judkins’ medal now valued at $45,000.
But where Channel Nine makes a mint flogging “limited edition” cricket prints, the real stuff is infinitely more valuable.
“I loathe all that manufactured memorabilia. They say it’s limited
edition but they print 500 or 1000,’’ says Roberts.
“They are brand new. To me the real memorabilia was never intended to be memorabilia. A premiership medallion from a year long ago — you are talking 18 of them.
“The premiership caps are the same. These post cards — there are only six of them. Now that’s a limited edition.
“It is something that has real provenance, real history.”
The renovation of Collingwood’s Westpac Centre precinct will allow the club more room for a rolling exhibition of its $12 million collection in the room currently housing the Pies cafe.
Back in 1999 when Pies legend Thompson fell on hard times and sold his entire collection of memorabilia, Collingwood was in similar financial strife.
The club’s move from Victoria Park to Westpac Centre even saw some memorabilia damaged when a once-in-generation storm flooded a basement.
Now McGuire has been able to return the club’s prized possessions, with
1990 premiership captain Tony Shaw permanently loaning his Norm Smith
Medal, Copeland Trophy and premiership medal from that glorious year.
“To see the joy and tears in the eyes of Len’s sons and daughters and his ex-wife Bronwyn when I told them this would happen, it was one of the great things,’’ McGuire says.
“Len had really found peace with the club before his early passing and we couldn’t afford them when they first came up.
“Phil Carmen recently gave us his 1975 Copeland trophy too.
“These things are treasures. They are wonderful icons. To think we have been able to bring them back for everyone to see.”
Says memorabilia expert Milne of the collection: “”It is a phenomenal
collection. The really rare stuff like cards is going where stamps and
rare coins went.
“It is a fabulous collection with so many uncut sheets of cards.
“Some of the rarest footy cards were made by Jonco who made footy shorts. If you sent enough in you won a Malvern Star but then those cards were just thrown into the bin.
“They are colossally rare. A full set would go for about $50,000.”
Collingwood’s vision is to grow the Magpie Nest to 100 houses which all provide the current services around mental health, job training and drug addiction.
The club’s Magpie Nest cafe in Bourke St, Melbourne, serves 2500 meals a week to homeless people.
Collingwood, once a modest club from a modest suburb, has turned itself into a rich and powerful company that dominates the competition.
Yet McGuire says it is nothing if it forgets where it came from.
“We think thing like (the Magpie Nest) are in our DNA. This is the difference between a footy team and a football club.
“As a big football club we have to look after our sponsors and members, but also those who in our case are the people who formed the Collingwood football club. We have to look after them too.”
"It is the ultimate individual accolade for any footballer. Only nine Pies have won one. We weren’t in a position to buy it either time it came up for sale. Len is no longer here and that makes it even more poignant. He is a five-time Copeland winner and a huge figure in our footy club."
1910 premiership cap
"The premiership cap is incredibly rare. A relic of a bygone era. These were just after the years when players wore caps on the field as they played. This was only given to the winning players. They stopped it in about 1915. It is rare to find them in such pristine condition. Normally they are tattered and torn and even then they are priceless relics."
1958 premiership trophy
"The 1958 premiership has a huge level of importance at Collingwood because we protected our record of four premiership in a row record. It was also the centenary of football which is why the VFL gave a trophy instead of a medallion. Those two things make it a very special memento for the Collingwood football club."
Stan Judkins’ 1934 Brownlow Medal
"The Judkins Brownlow was Richmond’s first Brownlow Medallist. It’s massive important to them for that reason. It is also one at Collingwood that has a soft spot for us because he won the Brownlow outright initially then (Collingwood’s) Harry Collier tied with him retrospectively."
Collingwood bobble-head doll
"This is late 1950s and it’s very hard to find. It is just one of those curious pieces of memorabilia that no one knows why they came up. Bobble-heads were big in America and it’s probably in the $300-$500 range but it’s just a nice cute piece of ephemera that is so beautiful and of the time."
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| Collingwood champion Tony Shaw with his 1990 best-and-fairest, Copeland and Norm Smith medals. |
That list starts with advice on Travis Cloke’s goalkicking and includes the odd bequeath or returned membership ticket when the proverbial hits the fan.
So when an unknown Collingwood fan called the club last year volunteering a memorabilia collection no one had heard of, the Pies were intrigued.
A year on, what started as a potential wild goose chase has resulted in the Pies being handed the finest private football memorabilia collection ever seen.
In all, the 3000-odd pieces have been valued by Melbourne memorabilia expert Rick Milne at $1.478 million.
The benefactor of this magnificent treasure trove is adamant he will remain private, but the Pies are happy to advertise the results of his largesse.
The roughly $900,000 of non-Collingwood related merchandise will be offered for sale back to clubs including Richmond, the Western Bulldogs and Essendon.
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| Collingwood historian and collector Michael Roberts with items from the collection. |
And the collection of Collingwood memorabilia left over?
As official Pies historian Michael Roberts says, “it is phenomenal”.
Among that haul is Len Thompson’s 1972 Brownlow Medal — sold in 1999 for $74,000 — one of his five Copeland trophies, 1910 and 1935 premiership medals and a 1958 premiership trophy.
Rare postcards, pages of uncut football cards dating back a full century and even a 1910 premiership cap in mint condition only scratch the surface of this collection.
All of it has, as Eddie McGuire said this week, “come home”, in the same year the football from the 1990 premiership was donated back to the club by Darren Millane.
With as few as 10 Brownlow Medals ever publicly sold, a collection with Thompson’s medal and Richmond player Stan Judkin’s 1934 Brownlow is off the charts.
“We weren’t aware of him at all,’’ says Pies director of stadia and community David Emerson.
“He is a very private man and when he learnt about the Magpie Nest he wanted to make a contribution and this was how he thought he could do it.
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| A historic bobblehead doll forms part of the collection. |
Collingwood author and historian Roberts was soon enlisted to verify and date the collection, unsure of what he was about to find.
“We knew someone was buying a lot of high-quality Collingwood stuff at auction and through private sales,’’ he says.
“I had no idea who he was. When I saw it, I was staggered. The breadth of the collection, what it covered ... To be able to get his cards is exceptional, but this guy also had Brownlows and Copelands which are just incredibly rare.
“When I went into the meeting my eyes were just rolling. I was like one of those cartoon characters. There are very few or no collections of this quality and none which have made it to a footy club.
“We are very privileged to have come across a collection like this.”
Collingwood now has in its possession Thompson’s and Marcus Whelan’s 1939 Brownlow, two of only nine Brownlows awarded to Collingwood players.
If the AFL memorabilia market is a massive industry, a few precious items stand above the crowd.
The first Brownlow Medal — Carji Greeves’ from 1924 — sold for $170,000 in 2011, with Judkins’ medal now valued at $45,000.
But where Channel Nine makes a mint flogging “limited edition” cricket prints, the real stuff is infinitely more valuable.
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| Len Thompson’s Brownlow. |
“They are brand new. To me the real memorabilia was never intended to be memorabilia. A premiership medallion from a year long ago — you are talking 18 of them.
“The premiership caps are the same. These post cards — there are only six of them. Now that’s a limited edition.
“It is something that has real provenance, real history.”
The renovation of Collingwood’s Westpac Centre precinct will allow the club more room for a rolling exhibition of its $12 million collection in the room currently housing the Pies cafe.
Back in 1999 when Pies legend Thompson fell on hard times and sold his entire collection of memorabilia, Collingwood was in similar financial strife.
The club’s move from Victoria Park to Westpac Centre even saw some memorabilia damaged when a once-in-generation storm flooded a basement.
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| The 1910 premiership cap. |
“To see the joy and tears in the eyes of Len’s sons and daughters and his ex-wife Bronwyn when I told them this would happen, it was one of the great things,’’ McGuire says.
“Len had really found peace with the club before his early passing and we couldn’t afford them when they first came up.
“Phil Carmen recently gave us his 1975 Copeland trophy too.
“These things are treasures. They are wonderful icons. To think we have been able to bring them back for everyone to see.”
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| 1958 VFL premiership trophy. |
“It is a fabulous collection with so many uncut sheets of cards.
“Some of the rarest footy cards were made by Jonco who made footy shorts. If you sent enough in you won a Malvern Star but then those cards were just thrown into the bin.
“They are colossally rare. A full set would go for about $50,000.”
Collingwood’s vision is to grow the Magpie Nest to 100 houses which all provide the current services around mental health, job training and drug addiction.
The club’s Magpie Nest cafe in Bourke St, Melbourne, serves 2500 meals a week to homeless people.
Collingwood, once a modest club from a modest suburb, has turned itself into a rich and powerful company that dominates the competition.
Yet McGuire says it is nothing if it forgets where it came from.
“We think thing like (the Magpie Nest) are in our DNA. This is the difference between a footy team and a football club.
“As a big football club we have to look after our sponsors and members, but also those who in our case are the people who formed the Collingwood football club. We have to look after them too.”
COLLINGWOOD’S TRUE GEMS - Comments by Pies historian Michael Roberts
Len Thompson’s 1972 Brownlow Medal"It is the ultimate individual accolade for any footballer. Only nine Pies have won one. We weren’t in a position to buy it either time it came up for sale. Len is no longer here and that makes it even more poignant. He is a five-time Copeland winner and a huge figure in our footy club."
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| Stan Judkins’ Brownlow. |
"The premiership cap is incredibly rare. A relic of a bygone era. These were just after the years when players wore caps on the field as they played. This was only given to the winning players. They stopped it in about 1915. It is rare to find them in such pristine condition. Normally they are tattered and torn and even then they are priceless relics."
1958 premiership trophy
"The 1958 premiership has a huge level of importance at Collingwood because we protected our record of four premiership in a row record. It was also the centenary of football which is why the VFL gave a trophy instead of a medallion. Those two things make it a very special memento for the Collingwood football club."
Stan Judkins’ 1934 Brownlow Medal
"The Judkins Brownlow was Richmond’s first Brownlow Medallist. It’s massive important to them for that reason. It is also one at Collingwood that has a soft spot for us because he won the Brownlow outright initially then (Collingwood’s) Harry Collier tied with him retrospectively."
Collingwood bobble-head doll
"This is late 1950s and it’s very hard to find. It is just one of those curious pieces of memorabilia that no one knows why they came up. Bobble-heads were big in America and it’s probably in the $300-$500 range but it’s just a nice cute piece of ephemera that is so beautiful and of the time."
Thursday, May 28, 2015
Round 9: The Team
Collingwood v N. Melbourne
MCG 7mate / Fox Sports 3:00pm Weather: Min 9 Max 13 Chance of rain 90%: 1-5mm Wind: WNW 27kph Betting: Collingwood $2.15 North Melbourne $1.70 |
HB: Alan Toovey, Jack Frost, Tyson Goldsack
C: Travis Varcoe, Dane Swan, Paul Seedsman
HF: Jamie Elliott, Jesse White, Steele Sidebottom
F: Alex Fasolo, Travis Cloke, Jarryd Blair
Foll: Brodie Grundy, Taylor Adams, Scott Pendlebury
Int (from): Sam Dwyer, Jarrod Witts, Jonathon Marsh, Jack Crisp, Tim Broomhead, Jordan De Goey, Adam Oxley
IN: Sam Dwyer, Jonathon Marsh, Alan Toovey
OUT: Nil
NEW: Jonathon Marsh (19, East Fremantle)
Did you know? He wasn’t a big name. In fact, he played only 14 senior games. But John Barnett owns a unique record. The Kangaroo-turned-Magpie holds the record for the most reserves games played by an AFL player during the 1990s. Barnett played 121 reserves games for both clubs (as well as a prior stint at Hawthorn) and was a member of North’s back-to-back reserve grade premierships in 1995 and 1996.
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Collingwood has fortified its backline, with the addition of one defensive stalwart and the rapid recovery of another from injury. Back pocket Alan Toovey slots straight back into the 25-man squad to face North Melbourne on Sunday afternoon, while Jack Frost is set to take his place after ending last week’s match with a corked hamstring. Toovey joins Sam Dwyer and uncapped defender Jonathon Marsh in the extended squad. The return of Toovey comes ahead of a match in which Collingwood will need to lockdown on the dangerous Kangaroo forward Lindsay Thomas. “He missed just the one game, and we were hoping that would be the case,” Director of Football told Collingwood Media’s Team Sheet. “It was just jarred. He’s a pretty resilient guy.” Dwyer has been on the fringe of senior selection all year, yo-yoing between the AFL and VFL teams during the first eight rounds. He has been involved as the sub in two of his four senior games and has found his feet in the state league where he won 21 disposals, three clearances and carried the ball between the arcs with trademark efficiency against Richmond at Punt Road a fortnight ago.Marsh, meanwhile, has been in superb form in the VFL where he has developed into the one of the best defenders in the competition during his 19 games at the level. Standing 193cm, he has averaged 16.0 disposals, 4.8 marks and 6.0 rebounds across the first five games of the season. The West Australian has prior experience as a senior emergency but is still yet to break through for his first AFL game. Indigenous Round  The Collingwood players will wear a special guernsey to celebrate Indigenous Round in the round nine clash against North Melbourne. The circles within circles represent Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, as they come together to celebrate the Indigenous Round. The football motif is depicted, as they are coming together for the love of the game. The hands depict Collingwood's athletes reaching high. The semi-circles depict our old people (ancestors) guiding them on their journey. The boomerang shapes are placed to mimic the fast-paced high energy movement in the game of football. The guernsey was created by Indigenous designer Dixon Patten. |
Preview Round 9: Collingwood v North Melbourne
Collingwood News - David Natoli
Round nine of the 2015 AFL Season is upon us, and this week I’ll be previewing the crucial game between Collingwood and North Melbourne. The season has reached a really important point, with so many teams all fighting for a top eight position.
Collingwood sits in fifth spot on the ladder following a comprehensive win against Gold Coast. North Melbourne, though, is sitting precariously in twelfth spot. But only one win separates the two sides, highlighting how even the competition is this year.
It makes Sunday’s game a genuine eight pointer, as the result will have significant consequences for the fortunes of these two sides. North Melbourne is a genuine top four contender this year, but may find itself two games out of the eight if it loses. On the other hand, Collingwood could be two games clear in the eight if it wins, or back in the pack if it loses.
It is still very hard to assess how good these two teams are right now. Collingwood has surprised many but is yet to record a victory against a side currently in the top eight. In each of the last three rounds, Collingwood has had significant concentration lapses which has led its opposition piling on goals. This is upsetting considering Collingwood has prided itself on defence so far in 2015, as well as tackling pressure.
North Melbourne has had flashes of brilliance, but has also been on the receiving end of some massive losses, including a 73-point loss to Fremantle last round. This is concerning for a side that genuinely considers itself to be in a premiership window. While injuries have been a factor, the Kangaroos’ depth is good enough to provide cover and there is no doubt that some results so far this season have been disappointing.
Collingwood will be wondering which North Melbourne will turn up on Sunday. The Kangaroos’ best is still very good, but the worst is very bad as well. Collingwood is the sort of opponent that North Melbourne should be beating if it considers itself a genuine contender. On the other hand, the Roos would be a great scalp for the Magpies who are still really trying to re-establish themselves as a top eight side.
Collingwood has had a fairly comfortable draw so far this season, but has a tricky road ahead, so it must bank the wins now. The Pies will be considering this a big opportunity, as the Kangaroos are far from full strength and are battling for form. It’s a good time to play the Roos, and an opportunity to challenge an evenly matched side.
Recent History
These sides have not met since round five last year, where the Magpies put the game away in the opening half. They eventually won the game by 35 points. A four goal first half by Travis Cloke was the highlight, yet it was not enough to earn him a Brownlow vote.
Instead, it was Steele Sidebottom with 34 disposals and a goal who polled the three votes, while Dane Swan polled two votes with 35 disposals.
Alex Fasolo also earned one vote with 32 disposals, playing an unfamiliar role across half back. Brent Harvey was North Melbourne’s best with 29 disposals.
At the Selection Table
It should be a fairly settled week at the selection table for Collingwood after a convincing win against Gold Coast last week.
Jack Frost will face a fitness test following the corked hamstring he received in the third quarter last week, but will be relieved that he did not sustain a significant injury. He is considered a solid chance to play.
Someone may have to make way for Alan Toovey who will also press his case for selection following a minor knee injury in round seven. Finding a spot may prove difficult though.
The VFL side had a bye last round, but Ben Kennedy, Jonathon Marsh and Sam Dwyer will be right in the mix for selection as well. Marsh, in particular, may be the best suited replacement if Frost fails a fitness test. Jackson Ramsey is still probably another week away from his shin injury, while Ben Reid and Clinton Young should make a return to the VFL side this weekend.
Turning the attention to North Melbourne, and a few changes will be forecast following the heavy loss last weekend. Andrew Swallow and Ben Brown will press for selection, but both are likely to miss another week. This may give Majak Daw his opportunity after he impressed at VFL last week. Dan Currie was also dominant with five goals and 35 hitouts, but the Roos typically like to leave Todd Goldstein as the sole ruckman. Aaron Mullett has also worked his way back from injury and may be on the selection radar.
North Melbourne will be sweating on the availability of Brown and Swallow, especially with injuries to star players such as Daniel Wells, Nick Dal Santo and Nathan Grima out of the side. In positive news, Leigh Adams should return to the VFL side this weekend in his bid to return to senior footy.
Focus on Collingwood
The Magpies are ranked first for contested football and second for inside 50s, but it has been concentration lapses which have been most costly.
Despite the comprehensive win last weekend, Gold Coast was allowed four unanswered goals in the second quarter to even up the match. In the previous two rounds, an eight goal second quarter to Richmond blew the game wide open, while a seven goal opening term to Geelong in round six put the game out of reach very early.
It’s hard to read too much into the win against the undermanned Gold Coast last round, but it was good to see a high disposal efficiency rating, and also good ball use going inside 50. In particular, the forward line looked very dangerous with Jesse White, Jamie Elliott, Alex Fasolo and Scott Pendlebury all chipping in with multiple goals. It took the heat off Cloke who was able to roam the field.
While all Collingwood fans want to see Cloke kicking goals, it did make the forward line look much more unpredictable with Cloke playing a higher role.
Player Focus – Collingwood
Scott Pendlebury – The skipper played a perfect match last round in his 200th game milestone. He had 35 disposals, seven marks and kicked three goals. It was interesting to see him start the game as a forward. It led to speculation from the commentators that he is carrying an injury, but he covered the ground quite well. Regardless, it is a valuable weapon for Buckley to be able to utilise Pendlebury in the forward line. At 191cm, he is a difficult match-up, and he is also so smart with his ball use. On top of his three goals, he also set up countless others. It will be interesting to see whether he continues to spend more time up forward this week considering North Melbourne has a good midfield.
Steele Sidebottom – There is no doubt that the Pies have missed Sidebottom considerably so far this season. He didn’t miss a beat in his return game last round, picking up 32 disposals. His disposal efficiency was down, which is probably due to the fact he has missed so much football so far this season. But he is Collingwood’s best two-way runner, and often the first one to get back in defence to help out. He then offers so much offensively as he just does not stop running.
Jesse White – For mine, Jesse has had a patchy season so far, but he was very good last week with four goals. I have felt all season that White is very close to putting together a big game. His contested marking has improved, and his work rate has continued to improve. He just hasn’t had his radar on in front of goal, which is an area in which he is typically pretty good. He is not always a big possession winner, so it is just important that White keeps making the most of his opportunities and also keeps his work rate up. The Magpies are screaming out for talls to support Cloke, so White’s form is crucial.
Focus on North Melbourne
It’s really hard to know where North Melbourne sits right now. When you look through the list, it is really even and hard to find too many holes. There is probably just a lack of star power, which is magnified with Wells and Dal Santo out of the side. The Kangaroos have also struggled in contested footy, ranking 15th in the competition. This is a surprise considering the midfield possesses names such as Swallow, Ben Cunnington and Jack Ziebell. Unlike Collingwood, North Melbourne has also struggled to bring the ball inside 50, ranking 14th in this area.
I do not think these stats count for too much, as North Melbourne is the sort of side that can flick a switch and turn things on. Consistency has long been an issue for the Kangaroos. Nonetheless, they should be a formidable opponent this weekend as they have a forward line that will trouble Collingwood, and also a backline which should hold its talls. The Roos just need more potency out of the midfield.
Player Focus – North Melbourne
Shaun Higgins – It seems the move to North Melbourne has done wonders for Higgins who has really strung some really good football together. He definitely adds things the Kangaroos have lacked, such as pace and x-factor. His skills are so good, and he is also averaging 1.5 goals a game which is a good return for a midfield/forward. Importantly, he is a match winner, which was proven in the thrilling win against Essendon in round seven.
Brent Harvey – The evergreen 37-year-old is yet again having a terrific season, averaging 24 disposals. He is actually spending a lot more time in defence, using his run and carry to create counter-attacks. This has meant a reduction in goals (he has only kicked five so far this season), but his impact on games is still profound.
Todd Goldstein – Goldstein has claims to be the competition’s best ruckman and would most likely be the frontrunner for the All-Australian ruck position at this stage of the season. While his disposal figures have been down in the last three rounds, he is still averaging 38 hitouts a week (number one in the competition). Importantly, his hitouts typically are to advantage. He is also an elite runner, and covers the ground well. He battled manfully against Aaron Sandilands last round, and faces the inexperienced combination of Brodie Grundy and Jarrod Witts this round. The young Magpie ruckmen will need to team up to counter Goldstein’s influence. Collingwood has struggled from centre clearances over recent weeks, so they can’t afford Goldstein to dominate.
The Wrap Up
It’s a huge match for both sides and it is an impossible one to tip. Collingwood has a fairly good record against North Melbourne but has a much younger side on paper than it has in the past.
A cold and wet day is forecast, which should suit the Magpies. However, it is a game that North Melbourne simply must win to keep itself in touch with the top eight. Both sides are coming off interstate matches, but an eight-day break should mean that fatigue is a non-factor.
As is usually the case, the match will likely be won and lost in the midfield. Both sides have good forward lines, so the side that can get ascendency in the middle should win this game. Conversion and efficiency will also be vital, as either side can ill afford to waste their opportunities.
I think Collingwood’s midfield has a nice versatility about it now, and may worry North. But that said, Goldstein may have a huge influence on the game. If Jarrad Waite and Drew Petrie get enough opportunities, then they may eventually prove too big for the Collingwood defenders to manage. Especially if Frost is injured.
Pies by 12
Collingwood v N. Melbourne
MCG 7mate / Fox Sports 3:00pm Weather: Min 9 Max 13 Chance of rain 90%: 1-5mm Wind: WNW 27kph Betting: Collingwood $2.15 North Melbourne $1.70 |
Collingwood sits in fifth spot on the ladder following a comprehensive win against Gold Coast. North Melbourne, though, is sitting precariously in twelfth spot. But only one win separates the two sides, highlighting how even the competition is this year.
It makes Sunday’s game a genuine eight pointer, as the result will have significant consequences for the fortunes of these two sides. North Melbourne is a genuine top four contender this year, but may find itself two games out of the eight if it loses. On the other hand, Collingwood could be two games clear in the eight if it wins, or back in the pack if it loses.
It is still very hard to assess how good these two teams are right now. Collingwood has surprised many but is yet to record a victory against a side currently in the top eight. In each of the last three rounds, Collingwood has had significant concentration lapses which has led its opposition piling on goals. This is upsetting considering Collingwood has prided itself on defence so far in 2015, as well as tackling pressure.
North Melbourne has had flashes of brilliance, but has also been on the receiving end of some massive losses, including a 73-point loss to Fremantle last round. This is concerning for a side that genuinely considers itself to be in a premiership window. While injuries have been a factor, the Kangaroos’ depth is good enough to provide cover and there is no doubt that some results so far this season have been disappointing.
Collingwood will be wondering which North Melbourne will turn up on Sunday. The Kangaroos’ best is still very good, but the worst is very bad as well. Collingwood is the sort of opponent that North Melbourne should be beating if it considers itself a genuine contender. On the other hand, the Roos would be a great scalp for the Magpies who are still really trying to re-establish themselves as a top eight side.
Collingwood has had a fairly comfortable draw so far this season, but has a tricky road ahead, so it must bank the wins now. The Pies will be considering this a big opportunity, as the Kangaroos are far from full strength and are battling for form. It’s a good time to play the Roos, and an opportunity to challenge an evenly matched side.
Recent History
These sides have not met since round five last year, where the Magpies put the game away in the opening half. They eventually won the game by 35 points. A four goal first half by Travis Cloke was the highlight, yet it was not enough to earn him a Brownlow vote.
Instead, it was Steele Sidebottom with 34 disposals and a goal who polled the three votes, while Dane Swan polled two votes with 35 disposals.
Alex Fasolo also earned one vote with 32 disposals, playing an unfamiliar role across half back. Brent Harvey was North Melbourne’s best with 29 disposals.
At the Selection Table
It should be a fairly settled week at the selection table for Collingwood after a convincing win against Gold Coast last week.
Jack Frost will face a fitness test following the corked hamstring he received in the third quarter last week, but will be relieved that he did not sustain a significant injury. He is considered a solid chance to play.
Someone may have to make way for Alan Toovey who will also press his case for selection following a minor knee injury in round seven. Finding a spot may prove difficult though.
The VFL side had a bye last round, but Ben Kennedy, Jonathon Marsh and Sam Dwyer will be right in the mix for selection as well. Marsh, in particular, may be the best suited replacement if Frost fails a fitness test. Jackson Ramsey is still probably another week away from his shin injury, while Ben Reid and Clinton Young should make a return to the VFL side this weekend.
Turning the attention to North Melbourne, and a few changes will be forecast following the heavy loss last weekend. Andrew Swallow and Ben Brown will press for selection, but both are likely to miss another week. This may give Majak Daw his opportunity after he impressed at VFL last week. Dan Currie was also dominant with five goals and 35 hitouts, but the Roos typically like to leave Todd Goldstein as the sole ruckman. Aaron Mullett has also worked his way back from injury and may be on the selection radar.
North Melbourne will be sweating on the availability of Brown and Swallow, especially with injuries to star players such as Daniel Wells, Nick Dal Santo and Nathan Grima out of the side. In positive news, Leigh Adams should return to the VFL side this weekend in his bid to return to senior footy.
Focus on Collingwood
The Magpies are ranked first for contested football and second for inside 50s, but it has been concentration lapses which have been most costly.
Despite the comprehensive win last weekend, Gold Coast was allowed four unanswered goals in the second quarter to even up the match. In the previous two rounds, an eight goal second quarter to Richmond blew the game wide open, while a seven goal opening term to Geelong in round six put the game out of reach very early.
It’s hard to read too much into the win against the undermanned Gold Coast last round, but it was good to see a high disposal efficiency rating, and also good ball use going inside 50. In particular, the forward line looked very dangerous with Jesse White, Jamie Elliott, Alex Fasolo and Scott Pendlebury all chipping in with multiple goals. It took the heat off Cloke who was able to roam the field.
While all Collingwood fans want to see Cloke kicking goals, it did make the forward line look much more unpredictable with Cloke playing a higher role.
Player Focus – Collingwood
Scott Pendlebury – The skipper played a perfect match last round in his 200th game milestone. He had 35 disposals, seven marks and kicked three goals. It was interesting to see him start the game as a forward. It led to speculation from the commentators that he is carrying an injury, but he covered the ground quite well. Regardless, it is a valuable weapon for Buckley to be able to utilise Pendlebury in the forward line. At 191cm, he is a difficult match-up, and he is also so smart with his ball use. On top of his three goals, he also set up countless others. It will be interesting to see whether he continues to spend more time up forward this week considering North Melbourne has a good midfield.
Steele Sidebottom – There is no doubt that the Pies have missed Sidebottom considerably so far this season. He didn’t miss a beat in his return game last round, picking up 32 disposals. His disposal efficiency was down, which is probably due to the fact he has missed so much football so far this season. But he is Collingwood’s best two-way runner, and often the first one to get back in defence to help out. He then offers so much offensively as he just does not stop running.
Jesse White – For mine, Jesse has had a patchy season so far, but he was very good last week with four goals. I have felt all season that White is very close to putting together a big game. His contested marking has improved, and his work rate has continued to improve. He just hasn’t had his radar on in front of goal, which is an area in which he is typically pretty good. He is not always a big possession winner, so it is just important that White keeps making the most of his opportunities and also keeps his work rate up. The Magpies are screaming out for talls to support Cloke, so White’s form is crucial.
Focus on North Melbourne
It’s really hard to know where North Melbourne sits right now. When you look through the list, it is really even and hard to find too many holes. There is probably just a lack of star power, which is magnified with Wells and Dal Santo out of the side. The Kangaroos have also struggled in contested footy, ranking 15th in the competition. This is a surprise considering the midfield possesses names such as Swallow, Ben Cunnington and Jack Ziebell. Unlike Collingwood, North Melbourne has also struggled to bring the ball inside 50, ranking 14th in this area.
I do not think these stats count for too much, as North Melbourne is the sort of side that can flick a switch and turn things on. Consistency has long been an issue for the Kangaroos. Nonetheless, they should be a formidable opponent this weekend as they have a forward line that will trouble Collingwood, and also a backline which should hold its talls. The Roos just need more potency out of the midfield.
Player Focus – North Melbourne
Shaun Higgins – It seems the move to North Melbourne has done wonders for Higgins who has really strung some really good football together. He definitely adds things the Kangaroos have lacked, such as pace and x-factor. His skills are so good, and he is also averaging 1.5 goals a game which is a good return for a midfield/forward. Importantly, he is a match winner, which was proven in the thrilling win against Essendon in round seven.
Brent Harvey – The evergreen 37-year-old is yet again having a terrific season, averaging 24 disposals. He is actually spending a lot more time in defence, using his run and carry to create counter-attacks. This has meant a reduction in goals (he has only kicked five so far this season), but his impact on games is still profound.
Todd Goldstein – Goldstein has claims to be the competition’s best ruckman and would most likely be the frontrunner for the All-Australian ruck position at this stage of the season. While his disposal figures have been down in the last three rounds, he is still averaging 38 hitouts a week (number one in the competition). Importantly, his hitouts typically are to advantage. He is also an elite runner, and covers the ground well. He battled manfully against Aaron Sandilands last round, and faces the inexperienced combination of Brodie Grundy and Jarrod Witts this round. The young Magpie ruckmen will need to team up to counter Goldstein’s influence. Collingwood has struggled from centre clearances over recent weeks, so they can’t afford Goldstein to dominate.
The Wrap Up
It’s a huge match for both sides and it is an impossible one to tip. Collingwood has a fairly good record against North Melbourne but has a much younger side on paper than it has in the past.
A cold and wet day is forecast, which should suit the Magpies. However, it is a game that North Melbourne simply must win to keep itself in touch with the top eight. Both sides are coming off interstate matches, but an eight-day break should mean that fatigue is a non-factor.
As is usually the case, the match will likely be won and lost in the midfield. Both sides have good forward lines, so the side that can get ascendency in the middle should win this game. Conversion and efficiency will also be vital, as either side can ill afford to waste their opportunities.
I think Collingwood’s midfield has a nice versatility about it now, and may worry North. But that said, Goldstein may have a huge influence on the game. If Jarrad Waite and Drew Petrie get enough opportunities, then they may eventually prove too big for the Collingwood defenders to manage. Especially if Frost is injured.
Pies by 12
Preview Round 9: Collingwood v North Melbourne
SportMatt
Collingwood and North Melbourne came into the 2015 AFL season with different objectives. For the Magpies it was to be another year of rebuilding, with only a slight possibility of finals football. For the Kangaroos though the target was loftier. After winning two finals last season before losing in the preliminary final to the Swans, it seems as if the club thought they were on the verge of being genuine premiership contenders. Adding the likes of Jarrad Waite, Shaun Higgins and Nick Dal Santo (12 months prior) to the list shows that clearly. They now have one of the oldest senior lists in the AFL and really should be challenging for a premiership this season. Something has gone wrong though so far this year, yes they’ve had their fair share of injuries, but they have been nigh on uncompetitive against any top side that they’ve run into. It’s a situation that has to improve rapidly or North Melbourne will have wasted another season with an aging list.
This weekend Collingwood and North Melbourne meet at the M.C.G. in an important round 9 fixture. Strangely enough this will be the first of only 2 games that North will play at the home of football in the regular season, although winning 2 finals at the M.C.G last year shows they play well there. Collingwood call it home though, and the Pies are ticking along nicely with a 5-3 win loss record after 8 games. It could be argued that the Pies haven’t beaten anyone of any quality yet but 5 wins is a nice cache to have this time of year. The Kangaroos sit a game back in 12th position with a 4-4 record and a much lower percentage then the Pies. The recent history between these two clubs is rather one sided, with North Melbourne winning just 2 of the last 8 meetings. The Kangaroos will start favourites in this one though purely based on the maturity of their list.
PREVIOUS FORM
The Magpies have been inconsistent so far in 2015. They started the season well with only one loss in their first 5 games but then played their worst game of the year vs Geelong. After that loss to the Cats they then fell in a close game to the Tigers, a result that may come back to bite them at seasons end. Last week though Collingwood got back on track with a thumping 69 point win over the hapless Suns on the Gold Coast. The return of Steele Sidebottom straight away proved fruitful as the Pies second best midfielder racked up 32 disposals on his return. It allowed captain Scott Pendlebury to play more forward and he relished the role with 3 goals of his own. The best sign for the Pies though was the return to form of elite small forward Jamie Elliott. Before the Suns game Elliott was only averaging a goal a game but he burst back with 5 second half goals last week. It was a win the Pies needed especially ahead of a tougher stretch of games.
North Melbourne has had a tougher draw to start the season then the Pies but some of their performances have been poor really. Apart from a close loss to Port all of the Kangaroos losses have come from big margins, with an averaging losing margin of 73 points in those other 3 losses. There have been bright moments too though, with hard fought wins over Geelong and Essendon being the highlights of the season so far. Last week though North were insipid, all be it against the form side of the competition Fremantle. The Roos do have a decent sized injury list but to lose by 83 points really does show signs of something else fundamentally being wrong. North will be hoping that Ben Brown returns from injury this weekend but apart from that there’s not a lot of help coming for a side that desired a high finish.
COLLINGWOOD PREVIEW
Collingwood came out of the Suns game pretty well really. Steele Sidebottom got through his first game since breaking his thumb in round 1, Scott Pendlebury starred in his 200th and Jamie Elliott returned to form in a big way. The only injury concern was for Jack Frost who copped a knee to the hamstring and was subbed off during the third quarter. Early indications are that the Magpies key defender will get up for Sunday’s game but he will have to pass a fitness test. So will Alan Toovey, with the crowd favourite missing the trip to the Gold Coast with a knee injury. The Magpies are still without several key players due to injury but that list is getting shorter. Ben Reid, Levi Greenwood and Brent MaCaffer are the only best 22 players missing this week and so it’s probably the best position Collingwood have been in injury wise since early last season.
The problem for the Pies is consistency. More so consistency of effort over a four quarter period each week. For in the last 3 games, 2 of which they lost, they allowed the opposition to absolutely dominate for one period of the game. Versus the Cats it was the first quarter, against Richmond it was an 8 goal second quarter against, and even last week against the struggling Suns the Pies allowed the Gold Coast to dominate a 15 minute period before half time. They simply can’t afford to repeat that this Sunday against North Melbourne or they will lose the game.
Selection this week for the Pies doesn’t seem to be that difficult. The Magpies VFL team had a bye last weekend so not many from that level will push for promotion. The final changes will revolve around the fitness of Alan Toovey and Jack Frost. If both are declared right to go then it will probably be out of Tim Broomhead and Jordan De Goey for the unlucky omission to make way for Toovey. It does make the Magpies stronger though, Toovey and Frost are both reliable defenders and Toovey has developed into maybe the best one on one defender for his size in the league. Collingwood will set themselves for this game, it’s their first big challenge since the failure against the Cats and they’ll want to show the AFL world that they can match it with more mature sides.
OPPOSITION ANALYSIS
North Melbourne came into season 2015 hoping to challenge for a top 4 spot, but with a tougher draw and some key injuries they are well off that mark at the moment. That’s not to say it’s all doom and gloom for the Roos so far this season. Their 2 strong wins over Geelong and Essendon in recent weeks has shown that on their day this outfit can perform at a very high level. They have a mature list, one of the oldest in the AFL and this week they run into one of the youngest. That alone won’t win the game though, so the Roos will have to perform to their full potential to move to 5-4 for the season.
The Kangaroos midfield is struggling at the moment. The absence of Wells, Dal Santo and the loss of Greenwood from last season sees North having a central grouping that simply isn’t as good as last season. After 8 rounds they rank 15th for contested possessions, 16th for clearances and 10th for centre clearances. That paints a dark picture for a club renowned for winning the hard ball. There is hope though especially when you have Todd Goldstein in the ruck. Goldstein is averaging a staggering 38.5 hitouts a game this season along with 14 possessions. If he’s not the best ruckman in the league he’s damn close to it. That’s where the Roos will look to dominate the Pies too, with youngsters Witts and Grundy up against the star that is Goldstein. Collingwood are missing ex North player Levi Greenwood which does weaken them a little in the middle but last week’s return of Sidebottom makes it a formidable central grouping indeed for North to overcome.
The North Melbourne forward line looks dangerous when you see it on paper but something isn’t quite translating to game day. The recruitment of Shaun Higgins and Jarrad Waite was supposed to increase the forward efficiency of the Roos yet after 8 games it’s still a work in progress. Ben Brown has been a great find though and they will be hoping their second most effective forward will pass a fitness test later in the week. If Brown doesn’t come up though it will be left to Higgins, Waite, Petrie and the enigmatic Lindsay Thomas to put the score on the board. Majak Daw may also be a chance to play his first senior game of the year after a strong performance in the VFL last week. They do run into a Pies backline that hasn’t been as effective over the last few weeks as it was to begin the season. Giving up 100 points against the Tigers and Cats showed that the Magpies defense is exploitable if you have the tools to do so.
The Kangaroos backline is struggling if you look at the points against in the 4 losses so far. But that doesn’t tell the whole story. With North being dominated at times in the middle it’s placed unfair pressure on a defensive set up that is missing Nathan Grima. With names like Tarrant, Hansen, Thompson and Firrito they still possess enough talent to restrict most forward lines given a fair run from the middle. They are rated higher when it comes to ball movement out of the backline with a marginally higher average (9th in the league) compared to the Magpies (12th). The Magpies forward line, not unlike the current North version, is a little dysfunctional, with reliance on Cloke and Elliott to do most of the scoring. The absence of Ben Reid will help the Kangaroos defense cope with a Pies forward line that needs assistance from it’s midfield to be efficient.
North Melbourne go into this crucial matchup a little under done and not in great form but they will still start favourites. That’s basically because they are the more mature team and at this stage should be more consistent then the younger Magpies outfit. At selection they have some decision to make with the likes of Daw, Mullet, Black and Turner all pushing for promotion through the VFL. It is a vitally important game for the Kangaroos season. If they fall to 4-5 so early on in the season with a poor percentage along with it, they face losing touch with the top 6, let alone the top 4.
TIP
North Melbourne should be wining games like this. The Pies are still in a rebuilding mode and are wildly inconsistent during games. Where North give Collingwood a chance though is with their own current inability to show any consistent level of high performance. The absence of Wells, Swallow, Dal Santo, Grima and most likely Brown also brings the Pies right into a game that previously they wouldn’t have been in.
I can see this game being close at the end, the sides do match up so well given the circumstances. Both have had 8 day breaks coming back from gruelling interstate trips. Both have several key injured players and both have shown a liking to the M.C.G. What it might come down to is the contested possessions in the last quarter and in that is an area of dominance for Collingwood which should see them win a tight battle.
MAGPIES BY 5 POINTS.
Collingwood v N. Melbourne
MCG 7mate / Fox Sports 3:00pm Weather: Min 9 Max 13 Chance of rain 90%: 1-5mm Wind: WNW 27kph Betting: Collingwood $2.15 North Melbourne $1.70 |
This weekend Collingwood and North Melbourne meet at the M.C.G. in an important round 9 fixture. Strangely enough this will be the first of only 2 games that North will play at the home of football in the regular season, although winning 2 finals at the M.C.G last year shows they play well there. Collingwood call it home though, and the Pies are ticking along nicely with a 5-3 win loss record after 8 games. It could be argued that the Pies haven’t beaten anyone of any quality yet but 5 wins is a nice cache to have this time of year. The Kangaroos sit a game back in 12th position with a 4-4 record and a much lower percentage then the Pies. The recent history between these two clubs is rather one sided, with North Melbourne winning just 2 of the last 8 meetings. The Kangaroos will start favourites in this one though purely based on the maturity of their list.
PREVIOUS FORM
The Magpies have been inconsistent so far in 2015. They started the season well with only one loss in their first 5 games but then played their worst game of the year vs Geelong. After that loss to the Cats they then fell in a close game to the Tigers, a result that may come back to bite them at seasons end. Last week though Collingwood got back on track with a thumping 69 point win over the hapless Suns on the Gold Coast. The return of Steele Sidebottom straight away proved fruitful as the Pies second best midfielder racked up 32 disposals on his return. It allowed captain Scott Pendlebury to play more forward and he relished the role with 3 goals of his own. The best sign for the Pies though was the return to form of elite small forward Jamie Elliott. Before the Suns game Elliott was only averaging a goal a game but he burst back with 5 second half goals last week. It was a win the Pies needed especially ahead of a tougher stretch of games.
North Melbourne has had a tougher draw to start the season then the Pies but some of their performances have been poor really. Apart from a close loss to Port all of the Kangaroos losses have come from big margins, with an averaging losing margin of 73 points in those other 3 losses. There have been bright moments too though, with hard fought wins over Geelong and Essendon being the highlights of the season so far. Last week though North were insipid, all be it against the form side of the competition Fremantle. The Roos do have a decent sized injury list but to lose by 83 points really does show signs of something else fundamentally being wrong. North will be hoping that Ben Brown returns from injury this weekend but apart from that there’s not a lot of help coming for a side that desired a high finish.
COLLINGWOOD PREVIEW
Collingwood came out of the Suns game pretty well really. Steele Sidebottom got through his first game since breaking his thumb in round 1, Scott Pendlebury starred in his 200th and Jamie Elliott returned to form in a big way. The only injury concern was for Jack Frost who copped a knee to the hamstring and was subbed off during the third quarter. Early indications are that the Magpies key defender will get up for Sunday’s game but he will have to pass a fitness test. So will Alan Toovey, with the crowd favourite missing the trip to the Gold Coast with a knee injury. The Magpies are still without several key players due to injury but that list is getting shorter. Ben Reid, Levi Greenwood and Brent MaCaffer are the only best 22 players missing this week and so it’s probably the best position Collingwood have been in injury wise since early last season.
The problem for the Pies is consistency. More so consistency of effort over a four quarter period each week. For in the last 3 games, 2 of which they lost, they allowed the opposition to absolutely dominate for one period of the game. Versus the Cats it was the first quarter, against Richmond it was an 8 goal second quarter against, and even last week against the struggling Suns the Pies allowed the Gold Coast to dominate a 15 minute period before half time. They simply can’t afford to repeat that this Sunday against North Melbourne or they will lose the game.
Selection this week for the Pies doesn’t seem to be that difficult. The Magpies VFL team had a bye last weekend so not many from that level will push for promotion. The final changes will revolve around the fitness of Alan Toovey and Jack Frost. If both are declared right to go then it will probably be out of Tim Broomhead and Jordan De Goey for the unlucky omission to make way for Toovey. It does make the Magpies stronger though, Toovey and Frost are both reliable defenders and Toovey has developed into maybe the best one on one defender for his size in the league. Collingwood will set themselves for this game, it’s their first big challenge since the failure against the Cats and they’ll want to show the AFL world that they can match it with more mature sides.
OPPOSITION ANALYSIS
North Melbourne came into season 2015 hoping to challenge for a top 4 spot, but with a tougher draw and some key injuries they are well off that mark at the moment. That’s not to say it’s all doom and gloom for the Roos so far this season. Their 2 strong wins over Geelong and Essendon in recent weeks has shown that on their day this outfit can perform at a very high level. They have a mature list, one of the oldest in the AFL and this week they run into one of the youngest. That alone won’t win the game though, so the Roos will have to perform to their full potential to move to 5-4 for the season.
The Kangaroos midfield is struggling at the moment. The absence of Wells, Dal Santo and the loss of Greenwood from last season sees North having a central grouping that simply isn’t as good as last season. After 8 rounds they rank 15th for contested possessions, 16th for clearances and 10th for centre clearances. That paints a dark picture for a club renowned for winning the hard ball. There is hope though especially when you have Todd Goldstein in the ruck. Goldstein is averaging a staggering 38.5 hitouts a game this season along with 14 possessions. If he’s not the best ruckman in the league he’s damn close to it. That’s where the Roos will look to dominate the Pies too, with youngsters Witts and Grundy up against the star that is Goldstein. Collingwood are missing ex North player Levi Greenwood which does weaken them a little in the middle but last week’s return of Sidebottom makes it a formidable central grouping indeed for North to overcome.
The North Melbourne forward line looks dangerous when you see it on paper but something isn’t quite translating to game day. The recruitment of Shaun Higgins and Jarrad Waite was supposed to increase the forward efficiency of the Roos yet after 8 games it’s still a work in progress. Ben Brown has been a great find though and they will be hoping their second most effective forward will pass a fitness test later in the week. If Brown doesn’t come up though it will be left to Higgins, Waite, Petrie and the enigmatic Lindsay Thomas to put the score on the board. Majak Daw may also be a chance to play his first senior game of the year after a strong performance in the VFL last week. They do run into a Pies backline that hasn’t been as effective over the last few weeks as it was to begin the season. Giving up 100 points against the Tigers and Cats showed that the Magpies defense is exploitable if you have the tools to do so.
The Kangaroos backline is struggling if you look at the points against in the 4 losses so far. But that doesn’t tell the whole story. With North being dominated at times in the middle it’s placed unfair pressure on a defensive set up that is missing Nathan Grima. With names like Tarrant, Hansen, Thompson and Firrito they still possess enough talent to restrict most forward lines given a fair run from the middle. They are rated higher when it comes to ball movement out of the backline with a marginally higher average (9th in the league) compared to the Magpies (12th). The Magpies forward line, not unlike the current North version, is a little dysfunctional, with reliance on Cloke and Elliott to do most of the scoring. The absence of Ben Reid will help the Kangaroos defense cope with a Pies forward line that needs assistance from it’s midfield to be efficient.
North Melbourne go into this crucial matchup a little under done and not in great form but they will still start favourites. That’s basically because they are the more mature team and at this stage should be more consistent then the younger Magpies outfit. At selection they have some decision to make with the likes of Daw, Mullet, Black and Turner all pushing for promotion through the VFL. It is a vitally important game for the Kangaroos season. If they fall to 4-5 so early on in the season with a poor percentage along with it, they face losing touch with the top 6, let alone the top 4.
TIP
North Melbourne should be wining games like this. The Pies are still in a rebuilding mode and are wildly inconsistent during games. Where North give Collingwood a chance though is with their own current inability to show any consistent level of high performance. The absence of Wells, Swallow, Dal Santo, Grima and most likely Brown also brings the Pies right into a game that previously they wouldn’t have been in.
I can see this game being close at the end, the sides do match up so well given the circumstances. Both have had 8 day breaks coming back from gruelling interstate trips. Both have several key injured players and both have shown a liking to the M.C.G. What it might come down to is the contested possessions in the last quarter and in that is an area of dominance for Collingwood which should see them win a tight battle.
MAGPIES BY 5 POINTS.
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
2015 Indigenous Round
Collingwood News
Collingwood will join the AFL community in celebrating the culture and players who have helped shape Australia’s game when it meets North Melbourne during Indigenous Round at the MCG on Sunday afternoon.
Established in 2007, Indigenous Round was established to acknowledge the individuals, moments and stories woven into the rich tapestry of the game.
Fourteen Indigenous players have donned the Black and White throughout the club’s 112-year history, with Wally Lovett holding the honour of being the first native Australian to represent the club, playing 15 VFL games in 1982.
It was previously believed that Norm Le Brun, who featured in 19 games for the Black and White between 1933 and 1934, held that particular distinction.
However, research by the grand-daughter of Le Brun’s first cousin established his heritage to differ greatly from that previously assumed, with the investigation uncovering a diverse background, featuring familial links to Cape Verde, Jamaica, Scotland and Jersey.
Indigenous players have played a more prominent role for the club since Lovett’s pioneering efforts, with Leon Davis becoming the first native Australian to play 200 games for the Magpies before his retirement in 2011.
Grand Final glory though ultimately eluded Davis, allowing Sharrod Wellingham to become the club’s first Indigenous Premiership player when he starred in Collingwood’s 2010 triumph, booting two goals in the Grand Final replay.
Recruited in 2010, Andrew Krakouer’s three goal performance in the 2011 Grand Final almost proved the catalyst to drive the Magpies to back-to-back Premierships, but the side’s last quarter fade out denied them the chance to claim a history equalling 16th flag.
Tony Armstrong and Travis Varcoe are the two Indigenous players on the club's playing list in season 2015. Varcoe won two premierships in 138 games for Geelong before making the switch to Collingwood at the end of last season.
The Collingwood players will wear a special guernsey to celebrate Indigenous Round in the round nine clash against North Melbourne.
The circles within circles represent Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, as they come together to celebrate the Indigenous Round.
The football motif is depicted, as they are coming together for the love of the game. The hands depict Collingwood's athletes reaching high.
The semi-circles depict our old people (ancestors) guiding them on their journey. The boomerang shapes are placed to mimic the fast-paced high energy movement in the game of football.
The guernsey was created by Indigenous designer Dixon Patten.
Established in 2012, the Barrawarn Program is an initiative of the CFC Foundation and AFL Sportsready, supporting young Indigenous people through education and employment opportunities, empowering youth by providing career pathways.
Barrawarn is a woi wurrung, the language of the Wurundjeri people, word for Magpie.
Barrawarn Program participants develop vocational skills and attain nationally recognised qualifications, with trainees working within AFL Victoria’s regional development areas, making a significant impact on the elite development pathway for young Indigenous people.
School based participants are placed with a range of different organisations within the cities of Yarra and Darebin in areas such as sports and business administration, and hospitality.
Recently expanded after garnering the support of the Victorian Government, the Barrawarn Program has already placed 35 Indigenous jobseekers into full-time employment at partner organisations, including Linfox, Westpac and the Peter McCallum Cancer Centre, a figure poised to grow in the year ahead.
Featuring in four AFL Grand Finals, including 2010’s drawn decider against St Kilda, Davis established himself among the upper echelons of the competition’s elite, twice earning All-Australian recognition as well as winning the Goal of the Year award in 2008.
Roll call of Indigenous footballers to have played for Collingwood
Click on each player's name to view their profile.
Wally Lovett (1982)
Robbie Ahmat (1995-1997)
Leon Davis (2000-2011)
Richard Cole (2002-2005)
Chris Egan(2005-2008)
Brad Dick (2007-2011)
Shannon Cox (2007-2009)
Sharrod Wellingham (2008-2011)
Anthony Corrie (2009)
Kirk Ugle (2011-2012)
Andrew Krakouer (2011-2013)
Peter Yagmoor (2012)
Tony Armstrong (2014-2015)
Travis Varcoe (2015)
Collingwood v N. Melbourne
MCG 7mate / Fox Sports 3:00pm Weather: Min 9 Max 13 Chance of rain 80%: 1-5mm Wind: WNW 27kph Betting: Collingwood $2.20 North Melbourne $1.67 |
Established in 2007, Indigenous Round was established to acknowledge the individuals, moments and stories woven into the rich tapestry of the game.
Fourteen Indigenous players have donned the Black and White throughout the club’s 112-year history, with Wally Lovett holding the honour of being the first native Australian to represent the club, playing 15 VFL games in 1982.
It was previously believed that Norm Le Brun, who featured in 19 games for the Black and White between 1933 and 1934, held that particular distinction.
However, research by the grand-daughter of Le Brun’s first cousin established his heritage to differ greatly from that previously assumed, with the investigation uncovering a diverse background, featuring familial links to Cape Verde, Jamaica, Scotland and Jersey.
Indigenous players have played a more prominent role for the club since Lovett’s pioneering efforts, with Leon Davis becoming the first native Australian to play 200 games for the Magpies before his retirement in 2011.
Grand Final glory though ultimately eluded Davis, allowing Sharrod Wellingham to become the club’s first Indigenous Premiership player when he starred in Collingwood’s 2010 triumph, booting two goals in the Grand Final replay.
Recruited in 2010, Andrew Krakouer’s three goal performance in the 2011 Grand Final almost proved the catalyst to drive the Magpies to back-to-back Premierships, but the side’s last quarter fade out denied them the chance to claim a history equalling 16th flag.
Tony Armstrong and Travis Varcoe are the two Indigenous players on the club's playing list in season 2015. Varcoe won two premierships in 138 games for Geelong before making the switch to Collingwood at the end of last season.
The Collingwood players will wear a special guernsey to celebrate Indigenous Round in the round nine clash against North Melbourne.
The circles within circles represent Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, as they come together to celebrate the Indigenous Round.
The football motif is depicted, as they are coming together for the love of the game. The hands depict Collingwood's athletes reaching high.
The semi-circles depict our old people (ancestors) guiding them on their journey. The boomerang shapes are placed to mimic the fast-paced high energy movement in the game of football.
The guernsey was created by Indigenous designer Dixon Patten.
Established in 2012, the Barrawarn Program is an initiative of the CFC Foundation and AFL Sportsready, supporting young Indigenous people through education and employment opportunities, empowering youth by providing career pathways.
Barrawarn is a woi wurrung, the language of the Wurundjeri people, word for Magpie.
Barrawarn Program participants develop vocational skills and attain nationally recognised qualifications, with trainees working within AFL Victoria’s regional development areas, making a significant impact on the elite development pathway for young Indigenous people.
School based participants are placed with a range of different organisations within the cities of Yarra and Darebin in areas such as sports and business administration, and hospitality.
Recently expanded after garnering the support of the Victorian Government, the Barrawarn Program has already placed 35 Indigenous jobseekers into full-time employment at partner organisations, including Linfox, Westpac and the Peter McCallum Cancer Centre, a figure poised to grow in the year ahead.
Roll call of Indigenous footballers to have played for Collingwood
Click on each player's name to view their profile.
 |
| Travis Varcoe |
Robbie Ahmat (1995-1997)
Leon Davis (2000-2011)
Richard Cole (2002-2005)
Chris Egan(2005-2008)
Brad Dick (2007-2011)
Shannon Cox (2007-2009)
Sharrod Wellingham (2008-2011)
Anthony Corrie (2009)
Kirk Ugle (2011-2012)
Andrew Krakouer (2011-2013)
Peter Yagmoor (2012)
Tony Armstrong (2014-2015)
Travis Varcoe (2015)
The Draft: The Good And The Not So Good
ROAR
The time has come. It’s time to put the biggest club in the AFL, Collingwood, under the microscope to break down their draft history since 2001. Remember, The draft selections below will be labelled either sweet or sour depending on how that player’s career turned out. This could include playing 250 games, asking for a trade, captaining the side or being delisted after two games. They’ve picked some absolute gems and some absolute disasters. So let’s have a deeper look.
Top five sweets
1. Dane Swan
The 2001 AFL Draft. The Super Draft. Luke Hodge, Luke Ball and Chris Judd. Did you know Dane Swan was drafted by Collingwood in that same draft? Pick 58. He was taken this deep into the draft as he wasn’t a highly sought after recruit in 2001. But Collingwood showed a little faith and boy has he repaid them. We know he had behavioural issues early on in his career, but let’s focus on the oh so sweetness that is Dane Swan and his Collingwood career. Premiership player, Brownlow Medalist, triple best and fairest, AFL MVP, five-time All-Australian, two-time Anzac Day Medalist, 244 games, 198 goals and… the tattoos.
2. Scott Pendlebury
It turns out Collingwood drafted an absolute superstar when they selected Scott Pendlebury with the fifth pick in the 2005 National Draft. If you remember correctly, Dale Thomas was Collingwood’s first selection, using pick two to secure his services. Oh how sweet things have turned out for Collingwood fans. He played his 200th game for the club on the weekend, and his 35-disposal, three-goal performance is the perfect way to epitomise his career with the Pies. Like Swan, his resume is a little intimidating. He’s a pemiership player, Norm Smith Medalist, five-time All-Australian, two-time Anzac Day Medalist, three-time Best and Fairest and he is the captain of the Collingwood Football Club.
3. Nick Maxwell
Collingwood fans loved him, everyone else did not. But putting love and hate aside for a minute, you can’t deny that a rookie drafted player, who played just over 200 games and was the captain of the 2010 premiership side isn’t a sweet, success story for any rookie drafted player in the AFL. That’s right. Collingwood drafted Maxwell with the 15th pick in the 2002 Rookie Draft. Maxwell captained the Pies from 2009-2013, was All-Australian in 2009 and most importantly, captained the side to their first premiership in 20 years.
4. Travis Cloke and Heritier Lumumba in 2004
Collingwood drafted both Cloke and Lumumba (then known as Harry O’Brien) in the 2004 AFL Draft. Cloke joined the club under the father-son rule while Lumumba was selected with the 20th pick in the Rookie Draft. We’ll start with the Big H. Things ended a little bit sour for Heritier and Collingwood at the end of last season and ultimately they parted ways and he was traded to Melbourne. But Harry really did have a great career with Collingwood. He was a fan-favourite, he was known for his exciting run and carry, the crowd cheered every time he was near the ball, and he was only one game shy from playing 200 with the Magpies. An All-Australian and a premiership to go along with that. Now to Cloke. He makes you feel very sweet when he takes a contested grab in the forward line. And then he makes you feel sour when you realise he’s 30 metres out from goal, directly in front, and you’re really not sure where the ball is going to end up this time. But Cloke’s sweets outdo his sours. With 224 games and 408 goals, he’s been the only successful son of David Cloke’s to play in the AFL. He’s a premiership player, best and fairest winner, two-time All Australian and four-time leading goalkicker.
5. Steele Sidebottom and Dayne Beams in 2008
Another tag-team edition of brilliant recruiting by the Magpies, this time in the 2008 draft. Two brilliant, elite midfielders. Two premiership players. Two superstars. Sidebottom was selected with the 11th pick while Beams was plucked at pick 29 in 2008. Sidebottom has always been underrated. It’s not hard to see why when he’s mixing with the likes of Swan and Pendlebury. But still, 129 games and 101 goals in and Sidebottom is on his way to an incredibly consistent and elite career with the Magpies. Beams played in 110 games with the Pies, kicking 118 goals. He was a best and fairest winner and All-Australian in the black and white. No sour grapes here, you can’t begrudge the man for wanting to go to Brisbane to be closer to his sick father.
Worthy mentions
Heath Shaw (#48, F/S 2003 ND), Alan Toovey (#2, 2005 RD), Dale Thomas (#2, 2005 ND), Ben Reid (#8, 2006 ND)?, Nathan Brown (#10, 2006 ND), Chris Dawes (#28, 2006 ND) Tyson Goldsack (#63, 2006 ND), Sharrod Wellingham (#10, 2006 RD), Brent Macaffer, #26, 2006 RD), Jarryd Blair (#27, 2008 RD), Ben Sinclair (#62, 2009 ND), Alex Fasolo (#45, 2010 ND), Paul Seedsman (#70, 2010 ND), Brodie Grundy (#18, 2012 ND), Marley Williams (#35, 2011 RD), Sam Dwyer (#27, 2013 RD), Tom Langdon (#65, 2013 ND) and Jack Frost (#41, 2013 RD)
Top five sours
1. Chris Egan
Collingwood used their first selection (pick 10) in the 2004 AFL Draft on Chris Egan. This didn’t prove to be a great choice as Egan finished his career playing only 27 games in three years with the Magpies.
2. Richard Cole
Collingwood have another drafting blunder, this time three years earlier in 2001, when they drafted Richard Cole with the 11th pick in the national draft. He played 56 games for the Pies before being traded to the Bombers where he played seven. They got #23 in exchange for Cole, but they wasted it. You’ll find out who it was soon. Nick Dal Santo, Brent Reily, Kelly, Stevie J, Sam Mitchell and Brian Lake were drafted after Cole. The Pies took Cole with pick 11. They took Swan that same year with pick 58. Think about it.
3. Danny Stanley and Ryan Cook
In 2005, Collingwood picked up Pendlebury and Thomas with picks two and five. But they also had picks 21 and 23 in that draft. Number 23 became theirs in the trade for Richard Cole to Essendon. They hit the nail on the head with Thomas and Pendlebury. But not so with Stanley and Cook. Stanley was drafted with pick 21, but only played five games with the club. He was rookie drafted by the Suns in 2010 but is a B to C-grade midfielder at best. Cook played in 14 games before being delisted in 2010. Bernie Vince, Garrot Ibboton, Andrew Swallow, Alipate Carlile, Joel Patfull and Matthew Stokes were drafted after those two. They’re all still playing in 2015. Imagine Pendlebury, Swallow and Vince running around together in the same midfield.
4. Billy Morrison
Billy who? That’s right. You probably haven’t heard of Billy Morrison after he played zero games of AFL, after Collingwood drafted him with pick 17 in the 2003 National Draft.
5. Dale Thomas
I almost resisted not including Dale Thomas as a sour. But I’m going to. You can disagree if you’d like. You know by now that Thomas was taken at pick two in the 2005 draft by Collingwood. The sweetness comes in the form of 157 games, 121 goals, a premiership and All-Australian selection, all with the Magpies. The sour comes after he left Collingwood to join arch-rivals Carlton, as a restricted free agent, on a $750,000 four-year deal. Collingwood didn’t match the offer, but they weren’t happy. Collingwood fans were furious that the once beloved ‘daisy’ would leave to join Carlton of all places. Sweetness comes again in the form of karma for Collingwood fans as Thomas’s injuries have prohibited him from having a successful career at Carlton. It gets worse for Thomas. He won’t have someone to play kick-to-kick with anymore, as his beloved coach Mick Malthouse will not be coaching at Carlton anymore.
(Not) worthy mentions
Tom Davidson (#27, 2001 ND), James Podsiadly (#8, 2001 RD), Bowman Nixon (#21, 2002 ND), Luke Shackleton (#29, 2002 ND), Cameron Cloke (#43, 2002 ND), Brayden Shaw (#32 F/S, 2003 ND), Sean Rusling (#23, 2004 ND), John Anthony (except for that goal against Adelaide) (#37, 2005 ND), Lachlan Keefe? (#69, 2008 RD), Josh Thomas? (#75, 2009 ND), Kirk Ugle (#60, 2010 ND), Jackson Paine (#50, 2011 ND) and Kyle Martin (#13, 2013 RD)
Both sweet and sour: Ben Reid
Magpie fans it’s your call. You drafted him with the sixth pick in the 2006 National Draft. He has played 99 games but injuries have destroyed the last few years of his career. He started as a forward, then moved back and now they’re saying he’ll play as a swingman. He was an All-Australian and a part of your premiership side. But go back and look at the entire 2006 AFL draft. If you had your time again, would you still draft him at pick six?
Final words
Collingwood’s recruiting has been pretty phenomenal since 2005. Look at your back line right now, as well as the uncapped youngsters coming through. They’ve definitely had some misses. Big misses as well. But Collingwood’s strength seems to be drafting average prospects or not highly touted talent, and developing them into quality AFL players.
Collingwood v N. Melbourne
MCG 7mate / Fox Sports 3:00pm Weather: Min 9 Max 13 Chance of rain 80%: 1-5mm Wind: WNW 27kph Betting: Collingwood $2.20 North Melbourne $1.67 |
Top five sweets
1. Dane Swan
The 2001 AFL Draft. The Super Draft. Luke Hodge, Luke Ball and Chris Judd. Did you know Dane Swan was drafted by Collingwood in that same draft? Pick 58. He was taken this deep into the draft as he wasn’t a highly sought after recruit in 2001. But Collingwood showed a little faith and boy has he repaid them. We know he had behavioural issues early on in his career, but let’s focus on the oh so sweetness that is Dane Swan and his Collingwood career. Premiership player, Brownlow Medalist, triple best and fairest, AFL MVP, five-time All-Australian, two-time Anzac Day Medalist, 244 games, 198 goals and… the tattoos.
2. Scott Pendlebury
It turns out Collingwood drafted an absolute superstar when they selected Scott Pendlebury with the fifth pick in the 2005 National Draft. If you remember correctly, Dale Thomas was Collingwood’s first selection, using pick two to secure his services. Oh how sweet things have turned out for Collingwood fans. He played his 200th game for the club on the weekend, and his 35-disposal, three-goal performance is the perfect way to epitomise his career with the Pies. Like Swan, his resume is a little intimidating. He’s a pemiership player, Norm Smith Medalist, five-time All-Australian, two-time Anzac Day Medalist, three-time Best and Fairest and he is the captain of the Collingwood Football Club.
3. Nick Maxwell
Collingwood fans loved him, everyone else did not. But putting love and hate aside for a minute, you can’t deny that a rookie drafted player, who played just over 200 games and was the captain of the 2010 premiership side isn’t a sweet, success story for any rookie drafted player in the AFL. That’s right. Collingwood drafted Maxwell with the 15th pick in the 2002 Rookie Draft. Maxwell captained the Pies from 2009-2013, was All-Australian in 2009 and most importantly, captained the side to their first premiership in 20 years.
4. Travis Cloke and Heritier Lumumba in 2004
Collingwood drafted both Cloke and Lumumba (then known as Harry O’Brien) in the 2004 AFL Draft. Cloke joined the club under the father-son rule while Lumumba was selected with the 20th pick in the Rookie Draft. We’ll start with the Big H. Things ended a little bit sour for Heritier and Collingwood at the end of last season and ultimately they parted ways and he was traded to Melbourne. But Harry really did have a great career with Collingwood. He was a fan-favourite, he was known for his exciting run and carry, the crowd cheered every time he was near the ball, and he was only one game shy from playing 200 with the Magpies. An All-Australian and a premiership to go along with that. Now to Cloke. He makes you feel very sweet when he takes a contested grab in the forward line. And then he makes you feel sour when you realise he’s 30 metres out from goal, directly in front, and you’re really not sure where the ball is going to end up this time. But Cloke’s sweets outdo his sours. With 224 games and 408 goals, he’s been the only successful son of David Cloke’s to play in the AFL. He’s a premiership player, best and fairest winner, two-time All Australian and four-time leading goalkicker.
5. Steele Sidebottom and Dayne Beams in 2008
Another tag-team edition of brilliant recruiting by the Magpies, this time in the 2008 draft. Two brilliant, elite midfielders. Two premiership players. Two superstars. Sidebottom was selected with the 11th pick while Beams was plucked at pick 29 in 2008. Sidebottom has always been underrated. It’s not hard to see why when he’s mixing with the likes of Swan and Pendlebury. But still, 129 games and 101 goals in and Sidebottom is on his way to an incredibly consistent and elite career with the Magpies. Beams played in 110 games with the Pies, kicking 118 goals. He was a best and fairest winner and All-Australian in the black and white. No sour grapes here, you can’t begrudge the man for wanting to go to Brisbane to be closer to his sick father.
Worthy mentions
Heath Shaw (#48, F/S 2003 ND), Alan Toovey (#2, 2005 RD), Dale Thomas (#2, 2005 ND), Ben Reid (#8, 2006 ND)?, Nathan Brown (#10, 2006 ND), Chris Dawes (#28, 2006 ND) Tyson Goldsack (#63, 2006 ND), Sharrod Wellingham (#10, 2006 RD), Brent Macaffer, #26, 2006 RD), Jarryd Blair (#27, 2008 RD), Ben Sinclair (#62, 2009 ND), Alex Fasolo (#45, 2010 ND), Paul Seedsman (#70, 2010 ND), Brodie Grundy (#18, 2012 ND), Marley Williams (#35, 2011 RD), Sam Dwyer (#27, 2013 RD), Tom Langdon (#65, 2013 ND) and Jack Frost (#41, 2013 RD)
Top five sours
1. Chris Egan
Collingwood used their first selection (pick 10) in the 2004 AFL Draft on Chris Egan. This didn’t prove to be a great choice as Egan finished his career playing only 27 games in three years with the Magpies.
2. Richard Cole
Collingwood have another drafting blunder, this time three years earlier in 2001, when they drafted Richard Cole with the 11th pick in the national draft. He played 56 games for the Pies before being traded to the Bombers where he played seven. They got #23 in exchange for Cole, but they wasted it. You’ll find out who it was soon. Nick Dal Santo, Brent Reily, Kelly, Stevie J, Sam Mitchell and Brian Lake were drafted after Cole. The Pies took Cole with pick 11. They took Swan that same year with pick 58. Think about it.
3. Danny Stanley and Ryan Cook
In 2005, Collingwood picked up Pendlebury and Thomas with picks two and five. But they also had picks 21 and 23 in that draft. Number 23 became theirs in the trade for Richard Cole to Essendon. They hit the nail on the head with Thomas and Pendlebury. But not so with Stanley and Cook. Stanley was drafted with pick 21, but only played five games with the club. He was rookie drafted by the Suns in 2010 but is a B to C-grade midfielder at best. Cook played in 14 games before being delisted in 2010. Bernie Vince, Garrot Ibboton, Andrew Swallow, Alipate Carlile, Joel Patfull and Matthew Stokes were drafted after those two. They’re all still playing in 2015. Imagine Pendlebury, Swallow and Vince running around together in the same midfield.
4. Billy Morrison
Billy who? That’s right. You probably haven’t heard of Billy Morrison after he played zero games of AFL, after Collingwood drafted him with pick 17 in the 2003 National Draft.
5. Dale Thomas
I almost resisted not including Dale Thomas as a sour. But I’m going to. You can disagree if you’d like. You know by now that Thomas was taken at pick two in the 2005 draft by Collingwood. The sweetness comes in the form of 157 games, 121 goals, a premiership and All-Australian selection, all with the Magpies. The sour comes after he left Collingwood to join arch-rivals Carlton, as a restricted free agent, on a $750,000 four-year deal. Collingwood didn’t match the offer, but they weren’t happy. Collingwood fans were furious that the once beloved ‘daisy’ would leave to join Carlton of all places. Sweetness comes again in the form of karma for Collingwood fans as Thomas’s injuries have prohibited him from having a successful career at Carlton. It gets worse for Thomas. He won’t have someone to play kick-to-kick with anymore, as his beloved coach Mick Malthouse will not be coaching at Carlton anymore.
(Not) worthy mentions
Tom Davidson (#27, 2001 ND), James Podsiadly (#8, 2001 RD), Bowman Nixon (#21, 2002 ND), Luke Shackleton (#29, 2002 ND), Cameron Cloke (#43, 2002 ND), Brayden Shaw (#32 F/S, 2003 ND), Sean Rusling (#23, 2004 ND), John Anthony (except for that goal against Adelaide) (#37, 2005 ND), Lachlan Keefe? (#69, 2008 RD), Josh Thomas? (#75, 2009 ND), Kirk Ugle (#60, 2010 ND), Jackson Paine (#50, 2011 ND) and Kyle Martin (#13, 2013 RD)
Both sweet and sour: Ben Reid
Magpie fans it’s your call. You drafted him with the sixth pick in the 2006 National Draft. He has played 99 games but injuries have destroyed the last few years of his career. He started as a forward, then moved back and now they’re saying he’ll play as a swingman. He was an All-Australian and a part of your premiership side. But go back and look at the entire 2006 AFL draft. If you had your time again, would you still draft him at pick six?
Final words
Collingwood’s recruiting has been pretty phenomenal since 2005. Look at your back line right now, as well as the uncapped youngsters coming through. They’ve definitely had some misses. Big misses as well. But Collingwood’s strength seems to be drafting average prospects or not highly touted talent, and developing them into quality AFL players.
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Injury List
Injury Update Tuesday, May 26
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|---|---|---|---|---|
Player
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Injury
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Status
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| Nathan Freeman | Hamstring | 2-4 weeks | ||
| Jack Frost | Hamstring | Test | ||
| Levi Greenwood* | Fractured tibia | 1-3 weeks | ||
| Ben Kennedy | Hamstring | Test | ||
| Darcy Moore | Hamstring | 1-2 weeks | ||
| Brent Macaffer* | Knee | 3-4 weeks | ||
| Jackson Ramsay | Shin | 1-2 weeks | ||
| Ben Reid | Quad | Test | ||
| Ben Sinclair | Hamstring | 1-2 weeks | ||
| Alan Toovey | Jarred knee | Test | ||
| Clinton Young | Hamstring tightness | Test | ||
| *Placed on the club's long-term injury list | ||||
|
Frost was substituted out of Saturday’s win over Gold Coast after suffering a corked hamstring but Director of Football Neil Balme says he is very much in the mix to take on the Kangaroos. “We were hoping that it was only a corked hamstring and it appears that it is, it’s not a strain, and we’re very confident that he will be able to play this week,” Balme told CollingwoodTV’s Blackmores Injury Update. “He will be tested, but we’re pretty sure that he will get up.” The club is hopeful that two of its most experienced players will be able to put their soft tissue complaints behind them and return in the VFL on Saturday. “We’re pretty confident that Clinton Young will also play this week, so he will also be tested after training but more than likely will return in the VFL at Coburg,” Balme continued. “Ben Reid’s in a similar position (to Young), in that we are pretty confident that he will play this week as well. “He will also be tested and if we’re happy with his position, he will play at Coburg as well.” The injury list should clear further if Alan Toovey returns to the field. Toovey sat out Saturday’s win owing to a jarred knee but Balme expects him to pass a fitness test later this week. “He feels good so this week – today and tomorrow – he will train so we’re pretty confident that he will also be available this week. “Naturally we will test him but he will be pretty good chance of being available.” Balme said Levi Greenwood (fractured tibia), Darcy Moore (hamstring) and Ben Sinclair (hamstring) are all making good progress in their rehabilitation and should be pressing for a return to the field shortly. |
Preview Round 9: Collingwood v North Melbourne
AFL
SUMMARY
The last time these teams met, Collingwood bullied North Melbourne into submission with Travis Cloke bagging four first-half goals.
If the same thing happens this time the Roos should hang their heads in shame, given the Pies are a considerably younger side now.
There are high stakes – the Magpies can go two games clear of North, or the Roos can join them on five wins.
It will be interesting to see how both teams recover from their interstate trips, with the Pies regaining some of their earlier confidence with a comprehensive win over a depleted Gold Coast at Metricon Stadium, while the Kangaroos were handed a lesson by Fremantle at Domain Stadium.
LAST FIVE TIMES
Jarrad Waite. This is the kind of occasion the Roos will be hoping the former Blue will be up for: a must-win clash against the old enemy at the MCG. Aside from his seven-goal haul against the Brisbane Lions in round two, Waite has been so-so in his first season at North. A big performance here could reignite his campaign.
PREDICTION: Collingwood by five points
SUMMARY
Collingwood v N. Melbourne
MCG 7mate / Fox Sports 3:00pm Weather: Min 11 Max 14 Chance of rain 70%: 1-5mm Wind: W 28kph Betting: Collingwood $2.20 North Melbourne $1.67 |
If the same thing happens this time the Roos should hang their heads in shame, given the Pies are a considerably younger side now.
There are high stakes – the Magpies can go two games clear of North, or the Roos can join them on five wins.
It will be interesting to see how both teams recover from their interstate trips, with the Pies regaining some of their earlier confidence with a comprehensive win over a depleted Gold Coast at Metricon Stadium, while the Kangaroos were handed a lesson by Fremantle at Domain Stadium.
LAST FIVE TIMES
- R5, 2014, Collingwood 15.15 (93) d North Melbourne 8.10 (58) at the MCG
- R23, 2013, North Melbourne 19.11 (125) d Collingwood 17.12 (114) at the MCG
- R1, 2013, Collingwood 15.13 (103) d North Melbourne 13.9 (87) at Etihad Stadium
- R21, 2012, North Melbourne 13.13 (91) d Collingwood 8.13 (61) at Etihad Stadium
- R16, 2011, Collingwood 22.15 (147) d North Melbourne 3.12 (30) at the MCG
- Collingwood is ranked second this season for inside 50s, averaging 57.7 a game, while the Kangaroos are ranked 14th with 48.2.
- The Magpies are the No.1 contested possession team this year with 148.1 per game. Meanwhile, the Kangaroos have struggled in this area, ranking 15th at 132.1.
- There is a big difference in MCG experience between the sides. This will be Collingwood's sixth game at the 'G this year, while the Kangaroos will be playing their first.
- The Kangaroos have been a favourite of the umpires this year, ranking second for free kicks with 20.6 a game. Lindsay Thomas is ranked equal-third with 21 frees.
- Travis Cloke was the difference between the sides when the Magpies defeated the Kangaroos by 35 points in round five last year. Cloke took 11 marks and kicked four goals, while Kangaroos tall forwards Drew Petrie and Aaron Black failed to kick a goal between them.
- The Pies have the edge in the Official AFL Player Ratings, with skipper Scott Pendlebury consolidating his No.1 standing, well supported by fellow midfield guns Steele Sidebottom (16) and Dane Swan (57). The Roos, meanwhile, boast Brent Harvey (6) and Todd Goldstein (14) but are without Nick Dal Santo (19) and don't have another player inside the top 80.
Jarrad Waite. This is the kind of occasion the Roos will be hoping the former Blue will be up for: a must-win clash against the old enemy at the MCG. Aside from his seven-goal haul against the Brisbane Lions in round two, Waite has been so-so in his first season at North. A big performance here could reignite his campaign.
PREDICTION: Collingwood by five points
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