MELBOURNE 4.4.28 6.5.41 9.6.60 13.13.91
SCORERS - Collingwood: Fasolo (3.2), Adams (1.1), Varcoe (1.1), Pendlebury (1.0), Witts (1.0), De Goey (0.1), Elliott (0.1), Moore (0.1), Sidebottom (0.1), Swan (0.1), Toovey (0.1)
BEST - Collingwood: Swan, Adams, Sidebottom, Scharenberg, Langdon
INJURIES - Collingwood: Nil
SUBSTITUTES - Collingwood: Jamie Elliott replaced Paul Seedsman in the third quarter
REPORTS: Nil
OFFICIAL CROWD: 37,894 at the MCG
| 1. Pies lose six in a row This was meant to be the day Collingwood would break a five-game drought that perhaps wasn't as bad as it seemed, given three of those defeats had been at the hands of Fremantle (seven points), Hawthorn (10 points) and West Coast (31 points). However, for the second successive week the Pies were outplayed by a team they were expected to overcome. A sixth loss in a row – and by 31 points at that, after conceding nine of the last 12 goals, despite leading the inside 50 count 58-40 – raises questions about the club's on-field progress, which just a few weeks ago appeared to be on track. A finals berth is still mathematically possible but not realistic. 2. Demons set pattern with early dominance Melbourne started with flair and potency that belied their well-documented scoring problems. After netting just 30 goals in their previous four games – and just eight in their previous seven quarters – the Demons had four goals on the board after just 23 minutes. At quarter-time they should have had six but Jack Viney and Dom Tyson missed late shots they should have nailed. Instead of leading by close to five goals at the first break, the Dees led by 18 points. Their advantage was due to impressive pressure and ball use, the latter highlighted by a coast-to-coast goal that started with a kick-in and finished with an easy conversion for Jeff Garlett from the goalsquare. The Pies gained the lead briefly in the second term, before Melbourne again went on the march. 3. Prized Pie debuts after Goldsack mishap Matt Scharenberg's long-anticipated AFL debut came about through less-than-ideal circumstances when he was a late inclusion for Tyson Goldsack, who injured a quad in the warm-up. Pies fans had waited patiently to see the 19-year-old – the No.6 pick in the 2013 NAB AFL Draft – at the highest level after his early time at the club had been ruined by foot injuries and a knee reconstruction. And the black and white faithful wasn't disappointed. Twenty minutes into the first term came an early test when the South Australian copped a strong front-on tackle but maintained his composure and dished off a good handball. Deployed across half-back, Scharenberg gathered the equal-most most disposals in the second term – nine – and finished with 16 to be one of the Pies' few positives on a dirty day. |
4. Vintage Vince Melbourne veteran Bernie Vince was given the biggest assignment: limit the impact of the Pies’ superstar skipper Scott Pendlebury and generate some drive himself. The 29-year-old excelled in both aspects of the job description, convincingly winning what turned into a head-to-head contest. Pendlebury had 24 possessions and kicked a goal but wasn't as sharp as usual, while Vince had 30 touches and slotted three goals to be best-afield. Some doubted the wisdom of landing the former Crow with a long-term deal, but there is no doubt he has been a high-quality recruit. 5. Elliott a shock substitute Collingwood goalsneak Jamie Elliott had missed two games with a stress reaction in his back and there was some surprise when he was selected for this clash. Surprise turned to shock when the Pies named the livewire forward – their second highest goalkicker with 28 goals this year – as their substitute. With Elliott's back condition being carefully managed by the club, some felt the move reeked of desperation, given the Pies were in dire need of his enterprise in an inexperienced attack. The 22-year-old was injected into the action midway through the third term, missed a set shot from long range and then appeared to aggravate his back ailment but continued to play on and had little influence. This was meant to be the day Collingwood would break a five-game drought that perhaps wasn't as bad as it seemed, given three of those defeats had been at the hands of Fremantle (seven points), Hawthorn (10 points) and West Coast (31 points). However, for the second successive week the Pies were outplayed by a team they were expected to overcome. A sixth loss in a row – and by 31 points at that, after conceding nine of the last 12 goals, despite leading the inside 50 count 58-40 – raises questions about the club's on-field progress, which just a few weeks ago appeared to be on track. A finals berth is still mathematically possible but not realistic. |
| THE MEDIA | |
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Nathan Buckley says Melbourne was simply prepared to work harder for longer than the Magpies on Saturday, which was a new facet of Collingwood's mid-season slump. The Magpies' sixth-straight loss came after they failed to kick a goal in the last quarter, and followed their heavy favouritism this week despite having not won since the round 12 bye. Buckley said midfielder Dane Swan (36 disposals) was the only Pie who put in a four-quarter effort, with the Demons' "want, hunger and desperation" halting his team's ability to push forward and lock the ball in their attacking arc in the final term. "I've struggled to find many times throughout the year when our players just haven't tipped in, when they haven't provided a great effort," a visibly disappointed Buckley said. "This game would probably be the closest thing to not tipping in that effort we've seen throughout the year. "We lowered our colours today against a team that was prepared to work harder for longer than we were, and that's the first building block of the game. "We can talk about offence or defensive structures or clearances, game plans, but if we can't bring that intensity to work harder for longer against our opposition and roll our sleeves up to do that, it's pretty hard to measure the other stuff." Four of the Pies' five other recent losses have been by three goals or less, and none of them because of a lack of effort. Buckley was particularly damning of their last quarter, where the Pies registered just 23 kicks – eight of which were ineffective. With their "short-term validation poor", he said it was his job to ensure the players knew they remained on the right path despite the string of losses. "There's a bit of an economy of hope that takes place, and we've lost a little bit of it over the last month, and you need to get reward for your effort," he said. "It's a little bit about your finishing, your ability to take advantage of the work you've put in place. "We've put a lot of work in and we didn't get a lot of feedback or response from it, but you've just got to keep grinding away. "We'll learn a lot from this period. "We'd prefer to get those lessons having won. "We lowered our colours as far as the effort stakes go today, but that hasn't been a consistent part of our year." Youngster Matthew Scharenberg had 16 possessions on debut, despite being told he was definitely playing just half an hour before the first bounce. Tyson Goldsack's quad tightened enough in the warm up he had doubts on whether he'd get through, which catapulted the former No. 6 draft pick onto the AFL stage with little fanfare but pleasing results for Buckley. "He knows what he's doing," he said. "He'll learn a lot from that. He's been thereabouts for the last three or four weeks and we think he's going to be a very good player for us." Despite the result moving the Pies further away from a September berth, Buckley said they wouldn't give up on pushing back towards the top eight. "We want to play finals. Internally, we've set our sights on playing finals in 2015," he said. "We haven't set the agenda externally at any stage. "We've just been about putting our head down and performing as well as we possibly could, as often as we possibly could, and we've been unable to do that in recent times. "We'll dust ourselves off and continue to try and win games and see where it gets us." MELBOURNE has prolonged Collingwood's mid-season from hell, inflicting the Pies' sixth straight defeat to push Nathan Buckley's side even further away from finals contention. Bernie Vince dominated with 30 disposals and three goals to drive the Demons to a 13.13 (91) to 7.12 (54) win. The 37-point win is the Demons' sixth for the season, and will restore confidence in the club's supporters after their heavy loss to the rebuilding St Kilda a week ago. But questions about where the Magpies are at are going to come thick and fast this week, after succumbing to a team that won't play finals this year. Melbourne coach Paul Roos was proud of his side's response after such a poor showing against the Saints. "It's good for us to get some reward and play some young kids and get some good habits, and [we were] well led by the leaders, which makes a big difference," Roos said. "There were some real positive signs. It wasn't like they were playing that poorly. "They came back a couple of times and to finish off the game really well was a big positive." While the Demons are off the hook for the time being, questions about where the Magpies are at are sure to come thick and fast this week after they succumbed to a team that won't play finals this year. Seven weeks ago, the Pies were entrenched in the top eight and looked September bound after winning eight from 11 games. Saturday's loss – which came after the Pies failed to kick a goal in the final quarter – leaves them a game-and-a-half adrift of eighth-placed Geelong. Collingwood's forward line struggled, with the decision to start Jamie Elliott in the green vest in his first game in three weeks surprising. Travis Cloke, who kicked seven goals last time the sides met, didn't play because of a calf injury and Jesse White was dropped after indifferent form. It saw youngster Darcy Moore stationed as the focal point, but Demons defender Tom McDonald ensured Moore didn't replicate last week's bag of five. Alex Fasolo became the Pies' target when it became obvious Moore was being curtailed, and while the small forward marked strongly and kicked three goals, he was nullified by Neville Jetta after half-time. Post-match, Buckley backed the decision to start Elliott as the substitute, but admitted it didn't pay dividends with the small forward goalless with eight touches in a quarter-and-a-half. "There was two options; either have 'Billy' go through a five or six kilometre session away from the game to get the progression to get him back to full fitness, or there was the option today," Buckley said. "Worst case scenario, he comes on and plays 75 per cent of game time. "It was clearly pretty beneficial to have a sub we know we can inject to provide legs through the middle or forward. "It wasn't to be but that will work well for 'Billy'." Demons captain Nathan Jones racked up 26 possessions and his side benefited from three goals to Jesse Hogan and two from Jeff Garlett, while the influence of Max Gawn was huge. The Dees' ruckman looked shot at three-quarter time after chasing around Pies pair Brodie Grundy and Jarrod Witts throughout. But he ended with 32 hit-outs, 14 of which were in the centre, and won 17 possessions; more than both Grundy (10) and Witts (11). Pies fans saw Matthew Scharenberg for the first time after he was a late inclusion for Tyson Goldsack, who tweaked a quad in the warm-up. The first-round draft pick looked right at home at AFL level after a quiet first quarter and ended with 16 touches across half-back, after being given 30 minutes' notice of his call up. Goldsack complained of a tight quad, which will be assessed further on Sunday. Skipper Scott Pendlebury collected 24 in a head-to-head battle with Vince and Dane Swan had 36 in what Buckley described as the Pies' only four-quarter performance. After doubts were raised this week about how much the Demons have improved under Roos, the situation suddenly looks a little better. And, with Christian Petracca and Jack Trengove to come back in next season, things might not be so bleak for the Demons after all. Can you guess which player topped the game's disposal count during Collingwood's loss to Melbourne? You probably can. He's been doing it for years. And it makes sense - the man in question averages 28.38 disposals in 13 outings against the Demons. Give up? You probably nailed it on the first go. It's Dane Swan. And not only did he tally 36 disposals, but he used the ball at 77.8 per cent, won eight clearances, recorded three rebound 50s, laid three tackles and took the ball inside 50 eight times. |
MELBOURNE seemed to keep dangling victory in front of the Magpies’ beaks at the MCG, daring them to snatch it and fly away. For three quarters the Demons kept putting on little bursts of exciting play, skipping out to a two or three-goal lead, and then — as if not knowing how to put the game away — they would either drop back a gear or find a way to cough the ball up or blow a few shots at goal. But in the last quarter the Demons got it all together: their defensive pressure melded with quick ball movement and accurate disposal and they produced one of those quarters that brings a special roar to red-and-blue crowds at the MCG. The Demons have a young playing group that is prone inconsistency, but it also contains some prodigious talent. In Jesse Hogan they have a spearhead who has a presence, clean skills and a good football brain. It is hard to believe that this was just his 15th game, such is his ability to command the ball and make sound decisions. His raw statistics will tell you that he grabbed nine marks and kicked three goals (he is yet to be held goal-less) but the numbers only tell half the story. He gives the Demons forward line a structure that Collingwood can only envy in the absence of Travis Cloke, and he also brings other teammates into the game. A classic example came midway through the third quarter, when two Collingwood defenders had to fly in an effort to spoil Hogan at centre half forward. The aerial contest allowed the ball to spill to Aaron Vandenberg, who streamed forward to set up a Jack Watts goal. Another who impressed was ruckman Max Gawn, who had the better of two young opponents in Brodie Grundy and Jarrod Witts before tiring late in the game. Apart from his hitout work, Gawn is becoming one of the more formidable contested marks in the competition, and scraps at ground level in much the same way that has drawn plaudits from GWS big man Shane Mumford. One of the most pleasing aspects of this six-goal win against a team desperate to keep its finals hopes alive was that it showcased Melbourne’s midfield depth. Jack Viney, Nathan Jones, Angus Brayshaw and Dom Tyson all won their fair share of hard ball, while Bernie Vince not only had the better of Magpies’ skipper Scott Pendlebury but also did some damage as an attacking force, kicking three goals. Collingwood, on the other hand, had few positives. Teenager Matthew Scharenberg, who was a late inclusion after Tyson Goldsack tweaked a quad muscle in the warm-up, was sent onto the field midway through the opening quarter and matched against another high draft pick in Brayshaw. His first possession was a thumping welcome to football: a rushed handball as he was barrelled on to his back by Colin Garland. But he worked his way into the match, got plenty of the football and showed some poise and class. In general terms there were other encouraging signs for Demons coach Paul Roos. For a team that managed just six goals against St Kilda last Sunday, Melbourne was quick out of the blocks, slotting 4.4 in the first 23 minutes of the match. The Demons early success was down to the way they tackled and harassed, particularly in the forward 50, denying the Magpies the chance to get their running game into groove. Hogan was the focal point, pulling in four marks and kicking two goals in the opening term, and forcing the Pies to replace Jack Frost with Nathan Brown as his direct opponent. The Magpies lifted after quarter time, notably in their contested possession work. Alex Fasolo offered a lively lead-up target, Travis Varcoe looked dangerous when he backed his judgment and got loose ahead of 50-50 contests, and Steele Sidebottom racked up 21 disposals in the first half. The Pies kicked three consecutive goals to get their noses in front midway through the second term, and there was a sense that they might break the game open. But Melbourne responded admirably, with goals to Jeff Garlett — which he seemed to celebrate with a quasi tribal jig that drew boos from the crowd — and Vandenberg. Melbourne had all of the answers on this day, while Collingwood will walk away with all of the questions. MELBOURNE seemed to keep dangling victory in front of the Magpies’ beaks at the MCG, daring them to snatch it and fly away. For three quarters the Demons kept putting on little bursts of exciting play, skipping out to a two or three-goal lead, and then — as if not knowing how to put the game away — they would either drop back a gear or find a way to cough the ball up or blow a few shots at goal. But in the last quarter the Demons got it all together: their defensive pressure melded with quick ball movement and accurate disposal and they produced one of those quarters that brings a special roar to red-and-blue crowds at the MCG. The Demons have a young playing group that is prone inconsistency, but it also contains some prodigious talent. In Jesse Hogan they have a spearhead who has a presence, clean skills and a good football brain. It is hard to believe that this was just his 15th game, such is his ability to command the ball and make sound decisions. His raw statistics will tell you that he grabbed nine marks and kicked three goals (he is yet to be held goal-less) but the numbers only tell half the story. He gives the Demons forward line a structure that Collingwood can only envy in the absence of Travis Cloke, and he also brings other teammates into the game. A classic example came midway through the third quarter, when two Collingwood defenders had to fly in an effort to spoil Hogan at centre half forward. The aerial contest allowed the ball to spill to Aaron Vandenberg, who streamed forward to set up a Jack Watts goal. Another who impressed was ruckman Max Gawn, who had the better of two young opponents in Brodie Grundy and Jarrod Witts before tiring late in the game. Apart from his hitout work, Gawn is becoming one of the more formidable contested marks in the competition, and scraps at ground level in much the same way that has drawn plaudits from GWS big man Shane Mumford. One of the most pleasing aspects of this six-goal win against a team desperate to keep its finals hopes alive was that it showcased Melbourne’s midfield depth. Jack Viney, Nathan Jones, Angus Brayshaw and Dom Tyson all won their fair share of hard ball, while Bernie Vince not only had the better of Magpies’ skipper Scott Pendlebury but also did some damage as an attacking force, kicking three goals. Collingwood, on the other hand, had few positives. Teenager Matthew Scharenberg, who was a late inclusion after Tyson Goldsack tweaked a quad muscle in the warm-up, was sent onto the field midway through the opening quarter and matched against another high draft pick in Brayshaw. His first possession was a thumping welcome to football: a rushed handball as he was barrelled on to his back by Colin Garland. But he worked his way into the match, got plenty of the football and showed some poise and class. In general terms there were other encouraging signs for Demons coach Paul Roos. For a team that managed just six goals against St Kilda last Sunday, Melbourne was quick out of the blocks, slotting 4.4 in the first 23 minutes of the match. The Demons early success was down to the way they tackled and harassed, particularly in the forward 50, denying the Magpies the chance to get their running game into groove. Hogan was the focal point, pulling in four marks and kicking two goals in the opening term, and forcing the Pies to replace Jack Frost with Nathan Brown as his direct opponent. The Magpies lifted after quarter time, notably in their contested possession work. Alex Fasolo offered a lively lead-up target, Travis Varcoe looked dangerous when he backed his judgment and got loose ahead of 50-50 contests, and Steele Sidebottom racked up 21 disposals in the first half. The Pies kicked three consecutive goals to get their noses in front midway through the second term, and there was a sense that they might break the game open. But Melbourne responded admirably, with goals to Jeff Garlett — which he seemed to celebrate with a quasi tribal jig that drew boos from the crowd — and Vandenberg. Melbourne had all of the answers on this day, while Collingwood will walk away with all of the questions. |
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