Round 13
Collingwood v Fremantle Thurday June 25, 8:10pm Subiaco Oval, Perth 7mate / Fox Footy 8:00pm Weather: Min 5 Max 19 Chance of rain 5%: < 1mm Wind: NNW 15kph Betting: Collingwood $4.25 Fremantle $1.22 |
Fremantle is currently on top of the AFL ladder, with only one loss to its name. But its final two matches before the bye were lacklustre and, in many regards, the break may have come at a good time.
The Dockers were looking unbeatable until the round 10 defeat at the hands of Richmond, and then only just scraped across the line against the bottom of the ladder Gold Coast. In fact, Fremantle’s form line has trended downwards over the last three rounds, only averaging 64 points per game during this time compared to 97 in the opening eight rounds of the season. But despite this, the Dockers are beautifully placed on top of the ladder and should bounce back after the bye.
Collingwood has also enjoyed a very good start to the year, currently sitting in fourth spot on the ladder. There has been much conjecture about Collingwood’s claims to being a genuine top four side considering its early season fixture has been generous, and the only win against a current top eight side was against Greater Western Sydney.
I think it is unfair to judge the Magpies on this basis, considering there have been some challenging victories along the way, and there has been undoubted improvement. In any event, the next month poses the greatest challenge so far this season with Fremantle, Hawthorn, Port Adelaide and West Coast to come. The proof will be in the pudding.
I think this Collingwood side is a lot more mature than the side that fell away from a similar position in 2014. The injury list is a lot better and the depth is very strong. In this regard, I think the Magpies will be better equipped to deal with any losses while still maintaining the confidence in what they are doing to continue to push for a high finish. It is a huge test this week, though, against the premiership favourite, and a side that exposes any weaknesses. A good performance will go a long way to silencing the critics.
It should be an intriguing battle as well. Fremantle has the competition’s tightest defence and is the best side at preventing marks inside its defensive 50. On the other hand, Collingwood is the number one ranked team in the competition for marks inside forward 50, largely due to the good form of Travis Cloke, Jesse White and Jamie Elliott.
Collingwood is the best contested football team in the competition, but Fremantle is the most damaging from clearances with Aaron Sandilands and Nat Fyfe dominating all season. It will be a real test for both side’s structures, and will also be a fascinating tactical battle between the coaches.
Recent History
These two teams have not faced each other since round one last season, where it was Fremantle who annihilated an injury-riddled Collingwood by 70 points. Aaron Sandilands was the chief destroyer, polling the three votes. He had 39 hitouts and 19 disposals. Michael Barlow polled two votes with 29 disposals and a goal, and Tendai Mzungu was also rewarded with a vote for his 27-disposal game.
For Collingwood, Dayne Beams and Dane Swan were prominent with 31 and 27 disposals respectively, but a wayward score line of five goals and 16 behinds meant there was little else to talk about.
At the Selection Table
After a week off, both sides will have some selection dilemmas.
Starting with the Magpies, and coach Nathan Buckley has quickly ruled out any chance of Ben Reid, Clinton Young or Levi Greenwood returning from injury. All have performed strongly at VFL level and are no longer on the injury list, but need more match fitness before they can be considered. It will be a headache for Buckley to squeeze them into a well performed side, but it will put the onus on everyone in the senior team to perform strongly considering there are such experienced players to select. Darcy Moore also returned strongly but will need more match fitness before he can be considered.
Jarryd Blair may be the only change for the Magpies after he was a late withdrawal in Collingwood’s last match with his ankle injury. The bye round should ensure he has freshened up. The only other injury concern relates to Brodie Grundy who is still in a neck brace following his training mishap. He will miss at least another week, which leaves a massive burden on Jarrod Witts to tackle Sandilands on his own. Also keep an eye out for Brayden Maynard who could be a sneaky chance to debut.
Turning the focus to Fremantle, and coach Ross Lyon has some issues in the defensive end and forward line. Zac Dawson, Alex Silvagni and Michael Johnson are all injured and not ready to return, leaving the backline a bit thin. But Chris Mayne should come straight back into the side following his withdrawal with illness last round. Ruckman Zac Clarke was also omitted and will be staking his claim for selection.
Focus on Collingwood
In Collingwood’s last match against Greater Western Sydney, I was pleased to see a more even four-quarter performance. For a period of two months now, the Magpies have experienced huge drop-offs during matches which have allowed opponents to kick multiple unanswered goals. In many respects, the Magpies have got away with these in-game form lapses. However, Collingwood will need a four quarter performance against Fremantle as any lapses will be punished. The Dockers are such a battle hardened team and thrive on wearing their opponents down. This is going to be a huge test for the resolve of the younger Magpies.
The other big test for Collingwood will be how to quell Aaron Sandilands. With Brodie Grundy ruled out, the onus falls on Jarrod Witts alone. There are not many situations where Witts is not the tallest ruckman on the ground, so it is a monster task to ask him to come up against the competition’s most damaging ruckman without a recognised ruckman for back-up (but expect him to get good support from Jesse White when he is not in attack). Witts was very good against Shane Mumford, but there is no doubt this is a totally different challenge. In many regards, it is going to be up to Collingwood’s midfielders to rove to Sandilands and try to read the ball of his hands. This is easier said than done, especially if Sandilands is able to dictate where he palms the ball down.
Player Focus – Collingwood
Taylor Adams – Adams is quickly becoming one of Collingwood’s most vital midfielders. He returned to the side last week against his former team GWS, and picked up 36 disposals and seven tackles. He has become Collingwood’s best in and under player, and he was greatly missed the week before against Melbourne. He will be vital this week as he will square off against a player like Lachie Neale who wins so many clearances. Adams needs to lift around the stoppages, especially if Sandilands becomes dominant.
Marley Williams – Marley is quietly going about his business without a lot of fanfare, but he has put together a month of football which would have him in All-Australian calculations. He is spending more time higher up the ground, which has translated into a higher disposal average of 20. Expect to see him more in defence this week as he either takes on the dangerous small forwards of Fremantle in either Hayden Ballantyne or Michael Walters.
Jesse White – Jesse was really good against the Giants in round 11, booting three goals and also playing a part in the ruck with 13 hitouts. He is going to have to assist in the ruck again, and he needs to stand his ground. He will also need to play his role as a forward against one of the best defences in the competition. His contested marking has improved this year, but he still looks at his most dangerous when the ball is at the ground where he is always more agile than his opponent.
Focus on Fremantle
The biggest criticism of Fremantle over the last few years has been the inability to score. The Dockers have struggled to find a tall to play a back-up role to Matthew Pavlich, and the team’s ultra-defensive structures have often made scoring difficult. Ross Lyon has addressed this over the off-season, which is why the Dockers averaged 97 points in the opening eight rounds of the season. Most premiership sides average over 100 points per game. Although the Dockers are just below this mark, they have such a good defensive game that 97 points will beat just about anyone.
That said, the Dockers went back into their shell in the last month, and the goals have dried up. Perhaps this is due to the fact that a number of key defenders have been injured, so Lyon has set his team up more conservatively. Or, it could just be a case of experiencing some fatigue in the lead up to the bye round after a tough draw to start the season.
Either way, the Dockers will need to keep attacking if they are going to take the next step this season and win the premiership. Collingwood has been kicking big scores recently, so it will be interesting to see whether this game is a high scoring shoot-out, or a dour affair.
Player Focus – Fremantle
Aaron Sandilands – Much has already been made in this preview about Sandilands, but he really does hold the key this week. His hitout statistics have been ridiculous in the three rounds (70, 47 and 69), and this has come against some pretty decent ruckmen. The beauty of Sandilands is that his midfielders can set up how they want in the knowledge that he is going to win the hitout more often than not. It means they can implement set plays and always leave the opposition midfielders guessing. It also means that opposition midfields cannot set up any of their own structures, and are constantly playing defensively to try and minimise the damage.
Nat Fyfe – Fyfe has polled 90 out of a possible 110 coaches award votes, so there is no denying he is the in-form player in the competition. There is little doubt in my mind that Fyfe will win the Brownlow this year. The only question, perhaps, is by how much. The key to his game is his ability to dominate contests while also being able to be a genuine goal-scoring and marking option when played forward. He is the impossible match-up because it is rare that a side possesses an equally durable player. Collingwood will likely turn to Jack Crisp who has done some good jobs this year. Crisp has shown a strong ability around stoppages, is around Fyfe’s height and can match him aerobically. No one has been able to stop Fyfe this year, so it will be interesting to see how Collingwood plan for him.
Lachie Neale – Perhaps the player going under the radar is Lachie Neale, who is having a break out year in his fourth season. Much of the focus is on the Sandilands/Fyfe combination, but Neale has also been a great beneficiary of the brilliant tap work and he never gets a tag. This has translated into an average of 27 disposals a game, and he has also kicked nine goals for the season as well. He is not big in stature (only standing at 176cm), but he is very clever around stoppages and has a good work ethic.
The Wrap Up
The bye came at a good time for Fremantle, and it will enjoy playing in front of a full house at Domain Stadium. But its loss to Richmond has proven to the competition that this team is not infallible and can be beaten on its home ground. Collingwood is traditionally a good travelling side, and will be looking at this week as a real statement game to prove its credentials as a top four side.
Sandilands is obviously a key and how Witts competes will be vital. The Magpies also need to play four quarters and also match Fremantle’s intensity. There will be times when Fremantle turns up the pressure, and at these stages, playing the percentages will be the message from Nathan Buckley. A quick kick down the line to the boundary may be better than taking too many risks and trying to bring it back through the corridor. However, there will also be other times when Collingwood simply has to pull the trigger, and the maturity of the younger Magpie players to sense these key moments in the game will be tested.
Fremantle always provides a thorough examination of any side, and it will be great to see where Collingwood actually rates against a top side. It is a good time to play the Dockers, considering it will give Buckley his best indication of how good his side is and what work still needs to be done from now until the end of the year. It’s better to get this test now than late in the year on the eve of the finals. With experienced players like Reid and Greenwood to come back, it will also be a test for the young players as to who can stand up under real heat.
I really think this will be a cracking game. If Fremantle play in the same manner it did prior to the bye, then Collingwood can cause an upset. But I expect a much hungrier Fremantle who will be looking to really kill off a young competitor, as it did against West Coast earlier in the year.
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