GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY 2.3.15 5.9.39 7.11.53 11.11.77
SCORERS - Collingwood: Cloke (5.2), White (3.1), Crisp (2.1), Broomhead (1.0), De Goey (1.0), Elliott (1.0), Fasolo (1.0), Oxley (1.0), Pendlebury (1.0), Seedsman (1.0), Varcoe (1.0), Swan (0.1), Williams (0.1)
BEST - Collingwood: Adams, Williams, Brown, Cloke, Pendlebury, Crisp, Varcoe, Swan
INJURIES - Collingwood: Jordan De Goey (hand)
SUBSTITUTES - Collingwood: Ben Kennedy replaced Jordan De Goey in the fourth quarter
REPORTS: Nil
OFFICIAL CROWD: 43,390 at the MCG
| 1. Collingwood cements top-four status Keeping pace with the competition's front-runners was important for Collingwood, considering its incredibly tough stretch in the next month. The Magpies' 42-point win over the fifth-placed Giants was meritorious, given how impressive the young side has been this season. But the true test to Collingwood's top-four pursuit will come in the next month. The Magpies face Fremantle, Hawthorn, Port Adelaide and West Coast in their next four games. Until then Nathan Buckley's side can rest up over the bye and be content with their 8-3 start to the season. 2. Giants running out of defenders With Tim Mohr rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee for the second time, the Giants could ill afford to lose another key defender. But that's exactly what happened when the Giants' co-captain Phil Davis was subbed out at half-time with a lower leg injury. But there was worse to come with Joel Patfull limping from the field after being involved in a heavy collision with teammate Matthew Buntine. The former Lion was taken to hospital for precautionary scans. With both key backs down, Travis Cloke ran riot to kick four goals in the final term. 3. Casualty ward grows If injuries to Davis and Patfull did not present enough problems, then the sight of Shane Mumford (left ankle) and Stephen Coniglio (shoulder) in the hands of trainers was not a happy sight for the Giants. Coniglio appeared to injure the AC joint in his right shoulder in a collision with Magpies skipper Scott Pendlebury in the final quarter, while Mumford hobbled from the field after collapsing in a ruck contest in the last term. Both were icing up on the bench and took no further part in the game, as the Giants found themselves down to zero rotations late in the game. |
4. One eye on the prize Many Collingwood supporters were keeping a close eye on the Giants' No.17, with the out-of-contract Adam Treloar linked with a move to the club. And the midfielder did not disappoint, with a polished performance in the Giants' 42-point loss. Before the game, Collingwood CEO Gary Pert confirmed the club's interest in the out-of-contract midfielder. The smooth-moving midfielder has averaged a tick under 28 disposals this season and looms as one of the competition's most enticing midfielders. Teammate Dylan Shiel would have commanded similar interest had the 22-year-old not rejected the lure to return home and re-sign with the club until the end of 2017. Shiel was the Giants' most influential midfielder with 34 disposals, including 14 in an electrifying second term. 5. Adams makes it count Whenever a player comes up against his former side, they want to perform well. So there was little mistaking Taylor Adams' strong performance against the Giants on Sunday. The midfielder, who spent two years at the club between 2013 and 2014, racked up a game-high 36 touches, as well as seven inside 50s to display his importance to the Collingwood side. He has become a key part of the Pies' rejigged midfield, led by captain Scott Pendlebury. ... the true test to Collingwood's top-four pursuit will come in the next month. The Magpies face Fremantle, Hawthorn, Port Adelaide and West Coast in their next four games. Until then Nathan Buckley's side can rest up over the bye and be content with their 8-3 start to the season. |
| THE MEDIA | |
|
Collingwood has capitalised on an avalanche of injuries to Greater Western Sydney, storming home late to beat the Giants by 42 points at the MCG on Sunday. After notching seven wins against the bottom seven teams on the ladder, the Magpies faced their first top-eight opponent and flexed their muscles to win 18.11 (119) to 11.11 (77). Their cause was helped significantly, however, by a string of injuries for their opponents, with the Giants' interchange left bare in the fourth quarter. Phil Davis was subbed off at half-time with an ankle injury and Joel Patfull left the MCG in an ambulance after a heavy collision in the third quarter. Patfull was cannoned into by teammate Matt Buntine late in the third term in a marking contest, taking a knee to his ribs and receiving treatment from medical staff at the ground. Midfielder Stephen Coniglio also suffered an apparent AC joint injury in the fourth quarter shortly before ruckman Shane Mumford's day was ended by a rolled ankle. The injuries meant Collingwood steamed home with eight of the final 11 goals, blowing out the scoreboard in what had been an entertaining, high-paced match for three quarters. The margin was only eight points halfway through the third term, with both sides enjoying lengthy periods with the momentum. The Giants had even threatened to run away with the match early in the second quarter when young star Dylan Shiel, who finished with 34 possessions, took control of the midfield. They didn't take full toll on the scoreboard, however, kicking 3.6 for the term before injuries started to mount in the second half. "For the most part we played the type of footy to have the game in some form of control, which is easier said than done against a side so damaging," Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley said. "Bar that 10-minute period through the middle part of the second quarter, we felt like we'd stabilised the momentum of the match and we were in control of how the match was being played. "We had to flick things around a fair bit and that's what you have to do against a good side, to try to maintain momentum and control." The Magpies started beating the Giants at their own game late in the second quarter, attacking from half-back and taking risks with the ball. They kicked four unanswered goals, with Marley Williams, who was crucial in the turnaround, setting up a goal for Jack Crisp that gave the home team a 15-point lead at the main break. Collingwood spearhead Travis Cloke came alive in the second half and capitalised on the Giants' injuries to finish with five goals, while Taylor Adams shone in the midfield with 36 possessions. At the other end of the ground, young Giants forward Cam McCarthy was superb with 4.1, but sidekick Jeremy Cameron (two goals) was well held by Nathan Brown. Giants coach Leon Cameron said injuries were not the reason his team lost. "We were always that two or three goals behind them and it culminated in contested possession (125-156), concentration at stoppages and not taking our opportunities when we had shots on goal," he said. "We've got to learn from that … you can't do one thing right and not nail your goals. "When there are opportunities to kick set shot goals we've got to take them." The Magpies go into their bye with an 8-3 record, while the Giants (7-4) face North Melbourne at Spotless Stadium next week off a six-day break. This was two games. There was the game played when GWS had key defenders, and the one played when they didn't. Collingwood was ahead and slightly in control of the first game played before Phil Davis finished half-time in a moon boot and Joel Patfull ended with a jumper full of clattered ribs from Tom Buntine's knee towards the end of the third term. And they were in commanding control in the second game played after they lost the GWS players. At the point when Patfull hobbled from the ground gasping for breath Collingwood was 11 points up. Travis Cloke had kicked one goal. After that point Collingwood kicked eight goals and Cloke added four and Jesse White one more goal to the two he had earlier in the day. The loss of the pair of backs meant Nick Heyne was on Cloke and Buntine on White. They were thoroughly outsized and out-muscled and encouraged the Collingwood surge to shift the ball sharper and longer to the marking talls. Collingwood kicked five unanswered goals in minutes without the GWS tall defenders, but the loss of Shane Mumford and Stephen Coniglio only salted those wounds and left the Giants looking for the line. The game after the injuries will leave an asterisk for both teams – Collingwood exploited the advantage but it was a significant advantage. The game before the injuries was equally delineated and the Magpies will be comfortable that they absorbed and adapted to the Giants and held the lead when the injuries had an impact. GWS began the first two quarters, but especially the second, in a surge of fast-break outside run and for a period controlled the game. But in each of those quarters Collingwood was able to steady and regain control. Taylor Adams' rugged work around the stoppages with Dane Swan and Jack Crisp meant Collingwood was winning the contested possessions, keeping the ball in tight and denying the Giants their outside run. Tim Broomhead's cleverness and clean possession was creative in working the ball forward in one of his better games for the Pies. Marley Williams, Tom Langdon and Adam Oxley intercepted and rebounded from half-back to keep play focused in Collingwood's half of the ground. "My man was sitting at the back of the stoppages so I followed him up and sagged a couple of metres off and that's where I got most of my ball," Williams said. "It's a big step in my game to go forward with it and try to get the ball into Trav and Billy. Slowly I am getting better and better at it. "We know the Giants like to spread from the contests and they have a lot of young players who run hard and they like to spread in waves so we knew if we could come forward and defend that and take away their contested ball we could get on top." Nathan Brown had Jeremy Cameron thoroughly beaten, leaving Cam McCarthy to shoulder the burden for the Giants. He kicked four goals and was vibrant throughout but the Giants wasted chances to score. Dylan Shiel's burst in the second quarter was critical in the Giants' best period of play but he was subdued by Adams. Jarrod Witts relished the chance to ruck one-out with Shane Mumford after Brodie Grundy went down at training with a neck injury. The young ruckman broke even at worst with Mumford. That Witts was able to break even in the contest with Mumford meant Collingwood eventually decisively won contested possession (156-125) and the clearances for the day. "I set myself and tried to use my body as best I could because he is a big strong lad and once you get out of position he is going to be able to put it where he wants it in the hit-outs. "Brodie has been playing good footy and we are trying to build a partnership and if he didn't go down this weekend we probably would have tag-teamed Mumford. We are just trying to build on the partnership and make it a weapon against the good teams." |
NATHAN Buckley lauded Collingwood’s improved maturity as it beat a top-eight side for the first time this season to reach the bye at 8-3 and a game clear inside the top four for the second consecutive season. Spearhead Travis Cloke kicked four of the Magpies’ eight last-quarter goals to smash Greater Western Sydney 18.11 (119) to 11.11 (77) at the MCG and keep their perfect record against the baby club intact. Buckley’s side enjoyed the final 22 rotations with the Giants’ bench exhausted when ruckman Shane Mumford (ankle) went down at the 11-minute mark of the final quarter. But Buckley said excluding a 10-minute period in the second term his side controlled the game, highlighted by winning 20 more contested disposals in the first half. Former Giant Taylor Adams (36 disposals) and captain Scott Pendlebury (29 disposals) were dominant against the Dylan Shiel-led Giants. The Magpies — who had beaten only the bottom seven teams before yesterday’s win — meet Fremantle (Subiaco), Hawthorn (MCG) and Port Adelaide (Adelaide Oval) in stand-alone fixtures after the Round 12 break. That testing run is capped with a duel against third-placed West Coast at Etihad Stadium. The Pies reversed their 8-3 start with a 3-8 finish to miss finals last season as a spate of serious injures struck, but Buckley was confident lessons had been learnt. He said the club was only looking at the Dockers match, with goalsneak Jarryd Blair (ankle) set to return. “I don’t know if we’re playing better footy (than this time last year) but I think we are a more mature group,” Buckley said. “We’re a better team and we’re a better club than we were 12 months ago. The environment around the place is really solid, we’re not getting carried away one way or the other. “I think we’re maintaining our composure well as an organisation and that’s going to stand us in good stead. “I’m not surprised by our growth, I’m not surprised by our development and I still think we’ve got a long way to go and a lot of work to do.” Recruit Levi Greenwood (ankle) made an impressive VFL return yesterday while Buckley said ruckman Brodie Grundy — in a neck brace after suffering whiplash at training on Friday — was unlikely to face Fremantle. He said this week would be spent analysing the strengths and weaknesses of the hot start — “and it’ll be largely positive”. The Pies have now kicked more than 100 points in seven of their past nine matches and Buckley said Cloke — who has been battling illness restricting him to about 70 per cent — had matured greatly. With Grundy absent, Buckley said Jarrod Witts was “really strong” against Mumford while he rated recruit Travis Varcoe’s first quarter “exceptional” with the former Geelong forward finding 22 disposals and impressing with his pressure. Full-back Nathan Brown dominated one-on-one battles with All-Australian Jeremy Cameron. Buckley said the club poured over GWS vision and spoke to Brown and Jack Frost on Saturday before he and backline coach Ben Hart opted for a Brown-Cameron and Frost-Cam McCarthy defensive set up. He said Adams (toe) was an unlikely starter early in the week but had proved he belonged in the club’s best midfield, praising his inside work and running ability. Collingwood has confirmed its place in the AFL's top four by crushing an injury-ravaged GWS Giants by 42 points at the MCG. The Magpies kicked clear of GWS in the final term to run out 18.11 (119) to 11.11 (77) winners over a depleted Giants side. A trio of serious-looking injuries to co-captain Phil Davis, Joel Patfull and Stephen Coniglio threatens the Giants' promising season. Worst still, influential ruck Shane Mumford went down late with an ankle injury as the Giants limped to the line. But for Collingwood, there are only positives as their fourth-straight win confirmed their credentials as top four contenders. In midfield, Scott Pendlebury and Taylor Adams were damaging, Dane Swan was busy and Jack Crisp showed his talent. Defenders Marley Williams and Tom Langdon were towers of strength in Nathan Buckley's 50th win as Collingwood coach. In his 100th match, Jesse White provided the spark for the Magpies after a scrappy start, kicking their first goal then turning provider for Travis Varcoe as Collingwood took a 13-point lead into the first change. Dylan Shiel then produced an incredible burst to power GWS back into the contest. The recently re-signed 22-year-old had 11 touches in 10 minutes, helping Cam McCarthy to kick the Giants into an 11-point lead. Back came Collingwood with four straight goals to lead again at half-time. The Giants' injury woes began from the start of the third term, when Davis did not emerge from the rooms with a suspected broken leg. Shortly after Matt Buntine collided brutally with teammate Patfull to further darken the day for GWS. Goals to Jack Crisp, Travis Cloke and a fine running effort from Scott Pendlebury in the opening five minutes of the final term sent the Magpies home to a comfortable win. McCarthy finished with four goals for GWS but Cloke outdid him with a goal after the siren to finish with a bag of five. "
|
No comments :
Post a Comment