| Round 1 COLLINGWOOD v FOOTSCRAY Time, Place, TV: Friday March 24, 7:50PM EDT MCG 7mate/Fox Footy 7:30pm Betting: Collingwood $3.25 Footscray $1.33 |
RICHMOND 0.2.2.14 0.6.5.41 0.11.7.73 0.16.11.107
SUPER GOALS - Collingwood: Treloar
GOALS - Collingwood: Moore 3, White 3, Fasolo 2, Mayne 2, Cox, Grundy, Treloar, Smith, Phillips
BEST - Collingwood: Treloar, Reid, Adams, Sidebottom, Crisp, Grundy, Smith
INJURIES - Collingwood: Adams (cut chin), Pendlebury (Achilles tightness) late withdrawal
REPORTS - Collingwood: Nil
OFFICIAL CROWD: 5,701 at Summerton Reserve, Moe
| THE MEDIA | |
|
BEN REID has underlined his importance to Collingwood's fortunes in 2017 with a commanding display as the Magpies outlasted Richmond by seven points in their JLT Community Series clash in Moe on Saturday. Reid was in splendid touch, collecting 26 disposals and 18 marks (three contested) to stamp himself as the Magpies' best player alongside gun midfielder Adam Treloar in the 1.15.15 (114) to 0.16.11 (107) victory. On the comeback trail from off-season knee surgery, Reid has patiently built up his workload, even suiting up in a VFL practice match in February, to ensure his availability for round one. With skipper Scott Pendlebury a late withdrawal due to Achilles tightness, Treloar picked up the slack and led the way beautifully in a best-on-ground performance. Treloar got rolling from the outset, kicking a goal and a supergoal in the first quarter and finished his day with 29 disposals. Young Pie Tom Phillips did his chances of a round one appearance no harm with another fine pre-season performance, the endurance king picking up 24 disposals. Jackson Ramsay, returning from a torn anterior cruciate ligament sustained in April last year, was also busy in defence with 28 disposals. The Magpies were in control from the get-go, leading at every change and they often looked like they would charge away to a dominant victory. But star Tiger Dustin Martin (26 disposals, six clearances and three goals), following a week where his contract discussions dominated the headlines, lifted in the latter part of third term after the Magpies booted four goals in the space of 12 minutes to start the quarter. Despite Collingwood's early dominance, the Tigers cut the margin to just seven points at the final siren as the Magpies ran out of steam. "We did throw it around and tried a few things in the last 40 minutes," Magpies coach Nathan Buckley said. "There's no doubt that we felt the (effects) of the longer game, with the cap rotations, so fatigue kicked in a little bit. "We weren't as clean late but when the game was up for grabs early we were happy with our ability to put heat on Richmond and then use the ball cleanly to get out of that." Although he had just 12 disposals for the afternoon, rookie Tiger Mabior Chol showed flashes of his potential while oft-injured midfielder Reece Conca had 24 touches. A late ankle injury to Jack Riewoldt, who was reported for rough conduct earlier in the game, caused some concerns but the spearhead, who booted two goals, appeared to be walking freely when he shook hands with the opposition after the siren. Collingwood still has to fit Daniel Wells, Jamie Elliott, Tom Langdon, Jordan De Goey, Levi Greenwood and skipper Pendlebury back into its best 22 as competition for spots heats up. The Tigers were without Ben Lennon and Corey Ellis, and after a dismal start coach Damien Hardwick would have been content with their fightback and increased pressure around the footy. "We started poorly. The first quarter was not something we want to replicate going forward but then three quarters after that made for a pretty even contest," Hardwick said. "The disappointing thing was the way we started. Collingwood got the better of us around the scrimmages and played the ball in their half. We'll have a look at it and see if we can rectify it." What we learned Collingwood: Collingwood has a number of selection dilemmas ahead of round one. Scott Pendlebury (Achilles), Levi Greenwood (hamstring), Jordan De Goey (quad) and maybe Jamie Elliott (ankle) will be looking to force their way back into the side for the opening round clash against the Western Bulldogs. Rookies Henry Schade and Mason Cox both look on the cusp of being elevated to the senior list, one in place of the injured Ben Sinclair, after excellent performances over the pre-season. If all of Pendlebury, Greenwood, De Goey and Elliott are fit, that means four players need to drop out. Some tough decisions await Nathan Buckley and his match committee. New faces Collingwood: Ex-Docker Chris Mayne got his confidence levels up early with a goal in the opening term, and he finished the day with two majors and 13 touches in his best performance for his new club. Henry Schade, formerly of Gold Coast, was solid in defence and has put himself in line for an early-season debut in his new colours. Schade appears to be ahead of Lynden Dunn in the race of the second tall defender spot, with the former Demon only featuring in the second half. Will Hoskin-Elliott should be a certain starter in the Magpies' round one team, with his athleticism and versatility adding a point of difference. Next up With the JLT Community Series done and dusted, round one of the 2017 season beckons. The Magpies open their home and away season against the Western Bulldogs at the MCG on March 24. |
Daniel Wells has hogged the headlines, Chris Mayne has been a regular talking point, Jamie Elliott's name has been on plenty of lips and the very presence of Josh Daicos has had the romantics dreaming. But if there is one player Collingwood desperately need fit and firing, it is Ben Reid. The departures of Nathan Brown, Jack Frost and to a lesser extent, Jonathon Marsh, left the Magpies short on tall defenders. The additions of Lynden Dunn and Henry Schade helped fill the void, but Reid is a class - if not more - above that pair. His start to the pre-season had been delayed due to knee surgery, and given his history of injuries Pies faithful would have been forgiven for not believing he'd be right for round one until they saw him playing. On the evidence presented on Saturday at Moe's Ted Summerton Reserve, the black and white devotees can breathe a sigh of relief. Reid wasn't far off his commanding best, repeatedly mopping up the Tigers' forward thrusts, and providing ample abundant drive from defence. His 26 disposals and 18 marks was the highlight of a strong performance from the Pies, well-timed given their round one opener against the Western Bulldogs is only 13 days away. Magpies coach Nathan Buckley said Reid still had plenty to improve on though. "He's still got a way to go," Buckley said. "Especially late. Some of his decisions weren't quite what we were looking for but he got a lot of the ball and it was great for him to get through so that was really positive." Collingwood's win should be made even more pleasing for Buckley and his assistants because of the list of absentees. With Wells, Elliott, Jordan De Goey and Levi Greenwood already sidelined, the Pies team was made considerably weaker by dint of captain Scott Pendlebury's late withdrawal because of Achilles soreness, which Buckley assured was precautionary. So that a clearly depleted Collingwood comfortably beat an arguably full-strength Tigers outfit was a little worrying for Richmond, who had posted impressive wins in their first two JLT Community series matches. The Tigers' concerns should not however include the report of Jack Riewoldt, even though the dual Coleman medallist had his number taken in the second quarter for making rough conduct to Pies backman Jackson Ramsay, who played out the game after copping a relatively late bump to his midriff from the Tiger during a marking contest. There was some late concern for Riewoldt though after he landed awkwardly in a marking contest in the game's dying minutes, although coach Damien Hardwick said the veteran was fine. Riewoldt had arrived late to that earlier contest with Ramsay, and it was fitting given Richmond's sluggish start to their final pre-season hitout. With the Tigers laying just five first quarter tackles, Collingwood dominated possession in the first term, and shot out to a 38-point quarter time lead on the back of slick ball movement from defence. In Pendlebury's absence, his usual midfield partner Adam Treloar again reminded Richmond what they had missed out on when they lost the race to his services in 2015, with two first term majors including an early nine-pointer. Richmond lifted considerably in the second term, cutting the margin to 27 points at half-time, but were unable to maintain that standard as the the Pies kicked out to a 46-point lead late in the third quarter. The Tigers had a late flurry but despite briefly threatening were never closer than seven points in arrears after kicking the last three goals of the game. Treloar's fine form continued for most of the day, and he had plenty of company for the winners. Having missed most of last year with a knee injury Ramsay looks a walk-up start for round one after a polished showing, while Tom Phillips rounded out an excellent pre-season with another busy day. Richmond ruckman Toby Nankervis had enjoyed a terrific start to his time at Punt Road but was shown a gulf remains between he and the AFL's best big men by Collingwood's Brodie Grundy.  |
No comments :
Post a Comment