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The Bulldogs sit in sixth position with nine wins, while the Magpies dropped out of the top eight last weekend and now sit ninth on eight wins. Fortunately, Collingwood’s percentage is higher than the Bulldogs and will see it leapfrog the Dogs if it wins on the weekend.
After four consecutive losses against quality opponents, the Magpies are desperate for a win. While Collingwood was competitive in all these games, it has taken no premiership points away and now faces an uphill battle just to make finals. It means a win this weekend well and truly gets Collingwood’s season back on track.
The Western Bulldogs are a tough team to predict. At their absolute best, the Doggies have an ability to challenge any team on its day. But last weekend was an example of the other end of the spectrum whereby the Bulldogs were beaten by an understrength Geelong side.
Although the Bulldogs were not embarrassed, they were below their best. Nonetheless, this is a significantly improved Bulldogs side, which is clearly evident by the fact that it has won nine games this season and is a real chance to play finals. Despite this patchy form, the Bulldogs have won five of their last seven games.
It is the second week in a row the Magpies will play at Etihad Stadium. Last week demonstrated that Collingwood does not enjoy playing on this ground, which is a concern considering the Bulldogs play at Etihad often and typically play well. It will suit their quick rebound off half back and good skills. Collingwood needs to clean up its own foot skills, which have been below par over the past two weeks. With the perfect conditions under the roof, there is no excuse for errant kicking.
Recent History
The Bulldogs had a massive victory over Collingwood in the NAB Challenge this year, but the most recent home and away battle was in round 13 last season where the Bulldogs won a thriller at Etihad Stadium by eight points.
Travis Cloke polled the three Brownlow Medal votes, booting six goals for the match. Liam Jones polled two votes, booting four goals of his own, and Tom Liberatore was the dominant midfielder with 34 disposals and 10 tackles. Interestingly, not one of these players will be available on Sunday.
At the Selection Table
By The Numbers
Collingwood Media breaks down the facts and figures that help make up the story of Collingwood's 150 meetings with the Western Bulldogs since 1925. 4,398,337 - The total number of people to watch a Collingwood v Western Bulldogs match since 1925. 94,104 – Largest crowd to attend a Collingwood v Western Bulldogs game (in the 1956 Preliminary Final). 29,322 – The average crowd for a Collingwood v Western Bulldogs fixture. 14,310 – Total number of points scored by the Magpies against the Western Bulldogs. 5,500 – The lowest crowd for a Collingwood v Western Bulldogs game (Victoria Park in 1942). 7,504 – Total number of scoring shots between the two teams. 477 – Combined number of games between captains Scott Pendlebury and Robert Murphy. 421 – Games coached for Collingwood and Western Bulldogs by Mick Malthouse. 536 – Disposals Tony Shaw had in his career against Western Bulldogs. 184 – Highest Collingwood score against the Western Bulldogs (Victoria Park in 1926). 150 – Games played against the Western Bulldogs. 122 – The number of times Collingwood played against Footscray before they became the Western Bulldogs in 1997. 121 – Average percentage against the Bulldogs. 95 – Collingwood’s average score against the Bulldogs. 80 – Games played for both the Bulldogs and Collingwood by Richard Osborne. He played a total of 283 for four clubs. 71 – The score both teams finished with in our only ever draw in 1995. 70 – Most combined scoring shots in a Collingwood v Western Bulldogs game (1980). 62 – Points allowed by Collingwood in the 2010 Qualifying Final win. 44 – Lowest Score in a win v Western Bulldogs (1931). 43 – Games lost to the Western Bulldogs. 34 – Games won by the Magpies at the Western Oval. 33 – The number worn by Tyson Lane during his 42 games for Collingwood. He had previously played 19 games for the Western Bulldogs, kicking four goals against the Magpies in round 18, 1998. 30 – The number of disposals collected by Taylor Adams in the two sides’ clash last year. It marked a career-high for the first year Magpie. 28 – Both teams lowest final score in a game. 25 – Dane Swan’s disposal average against the Bulldogs. 22 – Number of disposals won by Paul Seedsman in last game against the Bulldogs. 14 – More premierships Collingwood have won than Western Bulldogs. 13 – Last met in round 13, losing to the Bulldogs by eight points. 11 – Goals over the past two Magpies-Bulldogs games by Travis Cloke. 8 – Disposals won by a 19-year-old Dane Swan on debut against the Bulldogs in round 13, 2003. 8 – Eight of the last ten games between Collingwood and the Western Bulldogs have been played at Etihad Stadium. Seven of these have been won by the Magpies. 6 – Collingwood has won six of the last seven games against the Bulldogs. 6 - Venues that have played host to a Collingwood v Western Bulldogs game. 6 – The number of games in Collingwood’s winning streak against the Bulldogs from round one, 2010 to round 12, 2013. 6 – The number of goals kicked by Travis Cloke in round 13 last year. 6 – The number of times Collingwood have met the Western Bulldogs/Footscray in a final. The Magpies have a winning record of 5-1. 4 – Debutants (Guy Richards, Tom Davidson and Bo Nixon) selected by Collingwood to take on the Western Bulldogs in round two, 2004. 4 – Disposals won by Tom Davidson in his one and only AFL game. He debuted for the Magpies against the Bulldogs in round two, 2004, rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament. He never played at the highest level again, but spent the 2006 season on the Dogs’ rookie list. 4 – Goals kicked by Bulldog Brett Montgomery after being flattened by Brodie Holland in the 2006 Elimination Final. 4 – Goals kicked by Leon Davis against the Western Bulldogs in round 19, 2001. 3 – The number of seconds between the opening bounce of the final and Holland’s hit on Montgomery in 2006. 3 – The number of games played for Collingwood by Todd Curley. He went on to add 115 for the Western Bulldogs between 1997 and 2001. 3 – The number of clubs Josh Mahoney played for. He started his career with Collingwood and then spent two years at the Western Bulldogs before becoming a premiership player with Port Adelaide. 1 – Draw played between the teams. 0 – Disposals won by Bo Nixon in his AFL debut against the Western Bulldogs in round two, 2004. |
The big injury to come out of the weekend was Travis Cloke who has a calf injury and will miss the next fortnight. Collingwood’s next most potent forward, Jamie Elliott, will also miss another week at least with a back complaint, leaving the forward line really bare. Also absent are Taylor Adams, who has one more week to serve of his suspension, and Tim Broomhead, who will miss most of the remainder of the home and away season with a shoulder injury.
There is depth to call upon though. Tyson Goldsack continues to recover from knee tendonitis and is a chance to return this week if he gets through training on Friday. His experience could be vital.
For me, the real test relates to how Buckley will re-organise his forward line without his two best players. Darcy Moore and Patrick Karnezis will be two players that could be considered following solid performances at VFL level last week. If Goldsack is available, he may even be an option to go forward. Sam Dwyer continues to impress at VFL level, while Clinton Young has now put together a solid month. Defensively, Jonathon Marsh and Matt Scharenberg also continue to impress and are awaiting their call up. Ruckman Mason Cox may also come into calculations following his rapid development at VFL level.
In more positive news, Ben Reid, Corey Gault, Tony Armstrong and Ben Sinclair are all in the frame to return to the VFL side this week. Gault and Reid, in particular, will be looking to return quickly as they are options to replace the injured Cloke.
Turning the focus onto the Bulldogs, and Koby Stevens may miss the rest of the season with stress fractures in his foot. Mystery also surrounds injured ruckman Will Minson who is not on the injury list, but did not play last weekend. He may be a chance to return this week depending on his fitness.
Lin Jong looks set to return to bolster the midfield which is currently missing Stevens, Liberatore and Clay Smith. Joel Hamling may also be a chance to return to strengthen the defence. Michael Talia, Shane Biggs and Lukas Webb have strong VFL form behind them and will press for senior selection his week.
Focus on Collingwood
The media attention this weekend will be on Collingwood’s forward set-up, but my eyes will be firmly entrenched on the midfield. The midfield was comprehensively beaten from clearances last weekend. This translated into a very low inside 50 count for the Magpies, which would make it tough for any forward line to kick a winning score. With a make-shift forward line in operation this weekend, Collingwood’s midfield needs to get on top and the likes of Dane Swan, Scott Pendlebury and Jack Crisp need to hit the scoreboard as well.
In general, Collingwood’s tackling intensity has been pretty good throughout the last month, and I have no question marks about the effort. Against good sides, the Magpies have been in all of the games, they just haven’t had the polish to get across the line. Foot skills were an area of focus for the Magpies in the off-season, but have been an Achilles heel again over recent weeks. Set shot kicking has been below par, and speed of ball movement has often been poor as well.
Earlier in the season, Collingwood was quick to switch the ball and had more confidence to take risks going through the centre. In recent weeks, though, the quality of the opponent has really slowed the ball movement at times and there is less willingness to take the risky kick to open the game up.
Despite the losses over the past month, the Magpies have kept quality sides to low scores. In the past month, Collingwood has only conceded on average 84 points. But the issue has been that it has only been averaging 71 points of its own. Without its two leading goal-scorers, the Magpies need to find alternative avenues to goal. The Doggies like taking the game on, so Collingwood cannot expect to win this week without scoring around the 100 point mark.
Player Focus – Collingwood
Jack Crisp – I have written about Crisp a number of times this year, but he continues to improve and impress me. He was very good in a losing cause last week, picking up 31 disposals and leading the way for clearances. He is also Collingwood’s highest tackler for the year and has also kicked 13 goals. His disposal has significantly improved and he can be quite damaging by foot. He doesn’t play a tight tagging role, but he does manage to limit the influence of key players. Last week, he got the job on Luke Shuey who only had 13 disposals. This week, he may get his toughest job yet, matching up on the unique Marcus Bontempelli, who has really taken the competition by storm this season.
Levi Greenwood – It was a long wait for Greenwood to pull on the Collingwood guernsey, but he was a timely inclusion given the absence of Adams. He eased his way back into the side with 18 disposals last week and seven tackles. He will look to step up his game this week as he slowly tries to recapture his 2014 form which saw him finish runner up in the best and fairest with the Kangaroos. The Bulldogs are lacking an in and under without Liberatore or Stevens, so Greenwood can have a huge influence at the stoppages.
Travis Varcoe – Not many would have predicted Varcoe to have this sort of influence at Collingwood, but he has become one of the recruits of the season. We always knew he could be classy, but we didn’t know he could be this tough. In many regards, he has become a human wrecking ball, throwing his body recklessly into contests and laying some bruising tackles. He had another six tackles last week (five of which came in the first half), and also picked up 20 disposals. He has been asked to play a lot more across half back given the shortage of small defenders at the moment, but I think he looks his most dangerous on a wing or forward where his silky skills directly correlate to goals.
Focus on the Western Bulldogs
When Tom Liberatore went down in the pre-season, most experts had the Western Bulldogs in their bottom four calculations, especially given the departures of Adam Cooney and Ryan Griffen last season. But the Bulldogs have really impressed this season, and are getting such a great output from the young players. Jackson Macrae and Bontempelli have taken ownership in the midfield, whilst the forward line has become very dangerous with mid-sized forwards like Tory Dickson, Jake Stringer, Stewart Crameri and Luke Dahlhaus buzzing around.
For mine, the greatest strength of the Western Bulldogs is the terrific defence it has built. The mid-sized defenders in particular have offered so much dash off half back and are a real weapon. Older heads such as Dale Morris, Robert Murphy and Matthew Boyd have wound back the clock, whilst Easton Wood and Jason Johannisen have really elevated their games to the next level.
The Magpies not only need to find avenues to goal, but also need to find a way to pressure the strong rebound out of their forward 50 and make players such as Easton Wood accountable.
I feel the game will be won and lost based on Collingwood’s ability to lock the ball inside 50 and lock down on these running defenders. If the Bulldogs are allowed easy releases out of their defensive 50, then their speed of ball movement will be too hard for the Magpies to contain.
Player Focus – Western Bulldogs
Easton Wood – He is undoubtedly in the rolling All-Australian team at the moment following what has been a career best year so far. It took Wood a long time to overcome significant injury issues to start his career. But in recent times, he has become the prototype mid-sized defender with his ability to dash off half-back, coupled with his fearless attack on the footy in marking contests. He is one of the best players in the competition at taking intercept marks and has a terrific set of hands. With the understrength Collingwood forward line this week, Wood looms as one of the most important players. The Magpies need to find ways to keep him accountable and avoid kicking it long to contests where he is able to provide the out-number.
Liam Picken – No one would have expected Picken to perform the way he has in 2015. He was initially thought of as no more than a scrapper, who either tagger or played as a defensive back pocket or forward. But this season he has become a real weapon who wins a lot of the ball and tackles like a machine (he averages 24 disposals and seven tackles a game). He has also kicked 10 goals for the season. While unfashionable to many outsiders, Picken is one who continues to slip under the guard of his opponents and is having a big influence on games. He has become a real leader of the football club.
Jackson Macrae – Since getting dropped in round seven for his lack of defensive output, Macrae has not missed a beat since returning to the side in round nine. His disposal and tackling numbers are enormous and match any elite player of the competition. He is similar to Scott Pendlebury in so many ways, and also has more pace, making him a real weapon for the Bulldogs midfield. He has needed to step up as well in the absence of key midfielders and following the departures of Cooney and Griffen last season. He and Bontempelli are the new prototype midfielder, standing over 191cm tall with an ability to kick goals and play midfield. It makes the Bulldogs midfield really strong and tough to match-up on.
The Wrap Up
The Bulldogs will probably go in favourites this week given the massive omissions from Collingwood’s forward line. The Bulldogs have a more settled defence and forward line, and will really look to run Collingwood off its feet.
But Collingwood has a deeper midfield, and simply needs to get on top in the contested possessions (an area the Magpies still rank number one in the AFL). The Bulldogs are also without key players as well, so injuries are no excuse for either side.
Despite the winless month, Collingwood must still believe it is in reasonably good form given it has faced the best sides in the competition and challenged. It is just a test to see whether this tough run of games has burnt out the Collingwood side, or whether it has steeled it for a more favourable draw to come. It is also a test for the depth given the growing injury list.
How Collingwood structures its forward line will be interesting, and whether it can lock the ball inside 50 will also be the challenge. On the other hand, the Bulldogs will fancy themselves if the game opens up, and especially if they can get the running game going from half back. They will also be grateful the match will be played at Etihad Stadium.
Collingwood’s season may well be on the line, while the Bulldogs have a real opportunity to cement themselves in the top eight with a reasonable run home as well.
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