AFLW 2018 Round 3: GWS 48 Collingwood 35

THE FACTS

GWS                         0.1.1   2.6.18   2.6.18   7.6.48
COLLINGWOOD    2.3.15   2.4.16   4.5.29   5.5.35

GOALS - Collingwood: Hope 2, Bonnici, Chiocci, Duffin

BEST - Collingwood: Bonnici, King, Molloy, Duffin, Hope

INJURIES - Collingwood: Nil

REPORTS - Collingwood: Nil

OFFICIAL CROWD - 3,600 at Olympic Park Oval

THE MEDIA

COLLINGWOOD NEWS Collingwood captain Stephanie Chiocci says a lack of consistency is hurting her side, as the Magpies fell to 0-3 following a hard-fought loss to the GWS Giants at the Holden Centre. Speaking to Collingwood Media post-match, Chiocci says that Collingwood’s cold stretches were ultimately the reason for their loss. “We started really well. We addressed the things we wanted to address during the week in the first quarter and unfortunately couldn’t sustain it,” Chiocci said. “We have every confidence in this playing group that we can win games of footy, it’s just about stringing together four quarters of footy on the day,” she said. The dramatic momentum shifts in the game may be partly attributed to a breeze which blew to the Olympic Boulevard end of the ground, where eleven of the game’s thirteen goals were kicked. Despite this, Chiocci said that Collingwood have only themselves to blame. “A couple of undisciplined acts late in the game cost us,” Chiocci said, referring to a 50-metre penalty and downfield free kick late in the game which handed the Giants two goals. Collingwood won’t have to search far for inspiration as they look to notch their first win of the season. Coach Wayne Siekman notes the Pies found themselves in an identical position last year at Round 3 but regrouped to finish the season strongly. “The positive I take from today is that last year we were 0-3 and we finished the season with three wins,” Siekman said in his post-match media conference. Collingwood’s next chance to notch its first win comes on Saturday in Alice Springs against Melbourne. Chiocci says that the trip away as a group may be the tonic required to turn the team’s form around. “I’m looking forward to getting away with the group. What an amazing experience it will be to get up to Alice Springs,” she said. “I’ve never been to the Northern Territory and I know some of the girls haven’t been there. I think it will be a great experience for us to see the diverse culture that is Australia and prepare for the Melbourne game on Saturday.” The Collingwood players will fly out to Alice Springs on Wednesday, before participating in a community camp as part of the club’s Next Generation Academy.                                  AFL GREATER Western Sydney has won its first game for the NAB AFL Women's season, overcoming Collingwood by 13 points. The Giants' 7.6 (48) to 5.5 (35) victory leaves Collingwood winless after three matches and almost certainly out of the race for a Grand Final berth.  The match came to life in the second half, with momentum continually swinging between the two sides. But in the end, the weight of inside 50s (37-18) proved to be too much for the Magpies defence missing an injured Stacey Livingstone, who will undergo surgery on her shoulder this week. The Magpies, boosted by the additions of Moana Hope and Meg Hutchins – the veteran defender picked for her first game this season and playing up forward – had started full of purpose, kicking the opening two goals. But a Cora Staunton-inspired Giants owned the second quarter, albeit inaccurately, kicking 1.5. Staunton kicked three behinds, while teammate Aimee Schmidt was sharper, with two goals in two minutes.  Staunton was also forced from the field just before half-time after copping an elbow to the face while tackling Magpie Sophie Casey. Coach Alan McConnell said she would require an x-ray on her "bent" nose, and may not fly back with the team on Sunday night. Midfielder Courtney Gum kicked two goals in the last quarter to wrest the game away from a dogged Collingwood, who had been given late hope through a Hope goal.  Successive goals to Giants key forwards Jacinda Barclay and Phoebe McWilliams put the game beyond doubt. It was a "devastated" Collingwood coach Wayne Siekman who spoke post-match, making the point the much-discussed guidelines set down by the AFL was making life difficult for his players. "It is what it is," Siekman said. "It's hard because you go to a game like last night's (Carlton v Brisbane) and you're trying to see the changes and what you can implement and what you think you can do. You see things start a different way, then the umpires adjudicate it differently, then the next day it's back to a different way, it's hard to get consistency. "Our players are trying to learn the game, because they haven't been in a TAC Cup program, they haven't been playing elite football for five years, they're all still learning. It's so hard to keep adjusting and these poor females are having to keep adjusting. Imagine what their brains are going through." Adding salt to the wound, former Pie Alicia Eva was one of the Giants' best, with a game-high 23 touches forcing Siekman to put Britt Bonnici on her as a tag in the fourth quarter. But it was to no avail, as Bonnici's former opponent Gum bobbed up to kick those two important goals. Point of difference GWS' win came on the back of sheer weight of inside 50s. The Giants' second quarter return of 1.5 could have won the game there and then if they had kicked accurately. But if you keep kicking at goal, the tide has to turn at some point, and it did in the last quarter. The Giants followed their scoreless third term with five goals straight in the fourth and finished with an inside-50 count of 37-18. Remember me? While Tayla Harris may have struggled against her former club on Saturday night, Alicia Eva was one of the Giants' best against her old Collingwood teammates. After requesting a trade up north, Eva has fitted in seamlessly, adding some much-needed nous to the Giants' line-up. The tireless onballer ran riot, recording a match-high 23 disposals, three marks and three tackles. Her pace and creativity was something the Magpies desperately missed at points during the match.  Where there's life, there's Hope All eyes were on reinstated Collingwood forward Moana Hope, returning for her first game after her omission last week. It was a mixed day for last season's marquee signing, who marked strongly but struggled with her field kicking. She kicked a stunning dribble goal from the pocket in the third term, as well as a gimmie from a 50-metre penalty in the goal square and has probably done enough to hold her place.  Say what? "We had a good chat after the game with the players. There was some really good patches from us, certainly the first quarter I felt we were pretty dominant … but that second quarter they were coming hard, their inside-50 numbers were off the charts" – Collingwood coach Wayne Siekman  Up Next Collingwood travels to Alice Springs for a daunting match-up against Melbourne.                                  AFLW 2018 Round 4 COLLINGWOOD v MELBOURNE Time & Place: Saturday February 24, 7.10pm EDT Traeger Park, Alice Springs TV: 7mate Foxtel Weather: Min 23 Max 37 Chance of rain 30%: < 1mm  Wind: SE 23kph

SUPERFOOTY IS that the sound of a pressure valve squealing? Collingwood is the only AFLW team without a win so far this season and dwells alone at the bottom of the ladder after a 13-point loss to Greater Western Sydney on home turf at Olympic Park. Coach Wayne Siekman’s last win at the helm came at the same ground and against the same opposition — in Round 6 of last season — but there was no similar joy for this Pies outfit. Having jetted to an early lead last week and put the brakes on, Collingwood was determined not to repeat its mistakes and keeping the Giants scoreless in the third term went a long way to ensuring that. But it was to no avail. The Giants were the more attacking side throughout, almost doubling Collingwood’s inside 50 count. In familiar territory, Giants vice-captain Alicia Eva pulled out all stops in her attempt to drag her side to victory on her former stomping ground with the Pies virtually unable to quell her influence, their former vice-skipper finishing with 23 disposals and three tackles. Chloe Molloy — who started forward for the Pies — is something special and will be tough to beat for this year’s Rising Star. But they need more like her or this season could be over in no time. Cold Pies IT’S tough to come back from, three losses in this AFLW caper. Collingwood is the only team without a win in the AFLW, having squandered a second-half lead against the Giants to now dwell at the bottom of the ladder. It’s a lonely place. With so many sides pushing for the top two positions, it’s just about impossible from here. Monday, Busy Monday PUT the kettle on Chrisso — might be a few more for you to have a look at on Monday morning. After Tayla Harris’ punch on Leah Kaslar and Dayna Cox’s hit to Bulldog Ellie Blackburn, Magpie Sophie Conway could also be in the mix for some attention from the league’s match review officer. Casey — who copped a two-match ban last season — barrelled through Irish Giant Cora Staunton and raised her elbow, which met flush with Staunton’s nose and the claret flowed. Could have been accidental but will certainly be inspected. Hope For Mo? YES, there most certainly is. The forward — who was dropped last week — appeared to struggle to find her confidence early but eased into the game nicely. She started as “the bear in the square” — so flagged by Pies assistant Daniel Harford last week — with Pepa Randall given the job for the most part. When she led with gusto just 45 seconds into the game and received a Meg Hutchins kick cleanly, the former marquee sprayed her shot for goal out of bounds on the full. The crowd was worried. But she rallied. When paid a free kick 40m out, she quickly passed — maybe a sign of some nerves. But a dribbled goal to put the Pies back in front in the third quarter that saw her face light up, turn to the crowd and the fingers pointed. A later 50m penalty to her favour brought a walk-in goal. Back? Maybe. But certainly on the right track. Initiative In Action THE league’s new “spirit of the game initiative” made a conspicuous appearance at Olympic Park on Sunday with play held up in the third quarter until the Pies acknowledged and actioned a 5-6-5 formation at the centre ball-up. Immediately after the ball was thrown up, players resumed normal transmission and returned to the defensive set up they had originally looked to employ. Not a rule, they say, but an “initiative” that is concrete enough to hold up play. Not concrete enough to stop players immediately reverting.                                  REAL FOOTY Collingwood coach Wayne Siekman lamented the altered situation created by the AFL’s recent AFLW memo after his side capitulated in a loss to Greater Western Sydney at Olympic Park Oval yesterday, all but ending the Pies’ season. The Giants had only won once in AFLW history, and never before in Melbourne, but they overcame a slow start, kicking seven goals to three after quarter time to record their first win of the season and consign the Pies to bottom spot on the ladder. Not even a second half cameo from the recalled Mo Hope could save the Pies, who for the second year in a row have made a meal of the start of their season. With her side trailing deep in the third quarter, Collingwood needed a moment of brilliance. They found it from Hope, who dribbled through a right foot banana. But the fairytale script for the home side was quickly thrown out. The Giants – wooden spooners last season – have made huge strides in the off-season, and converted their early season promise by running out the game strongly. Courtney Gum put through two goals early in the final term, and again Collingwood were on the ropes. Hope then benefited from a generous umpiring decision to kick her second goal of the day, but Jacinda Barclay steadied for the Giants. Phoebe McWilliams put icing on the cake with her second, giving veteran coach Alan McConnnell – who had been caretaker at Fitzroy in the mid 1990s – his first victory as a senior coach in either AFL or AFLW. Making it even sweeter for the Giants was the showing of former Pie Alicia Eva, the consensus choice for best afield with 23 disposals. The opening passage of the day was hugely promising for Collingwood, but ultimately a microcosm of a day that promised plenty but amounted to little. Meg Hutchins – hitherto unseen this season – marked on the lead and kicked deep to the forward pocket, where Hope took a nice grab. But she missed everything. Still Collingwood controlled proceedings in the early stages, heading to the first change 14 points ahead. It didn’t last, as GWS grabbed the ascendancy. They peppered the goals for little reward before eventually Aimee Schmidt put through a couple of majors shortly before half-time, giving the Giants a narrow lead, but perhaps more importantly, plenty of momentum. Pie Sophie Casey will also likely face match-review attention for a hit on Irishwoman Cora Staunton, who McConnell said was facing X-rays on a suspected broken nose. The game was also noteworthy for a second quarter incident in which the central umpire declined to restart the game until players were in the 5-6-5 formation, a flow-on effect of the controversial post-round one memo to coaches. Describing himself as "devastated", Siekman said the memo had made things hard for his side. "Our football club, since the memo came out from the AFL, [has been trying] to play the numbers," he said. "We didn’t want to put numbers behind the footy. "For [the situation] to change [mid-season], we’ve sort of been hit by a roadblock." Meanwhile Carlton have conceded they need to improve the standard of lighting if they are to host further AFL night matches at their Ikon Park home ground. Carlton chief executive, Cain Liddle, conceded parts of the ground were "difficult to see", but said there were plans to rectify the situation. "There’s no doubt we want our supporters to have the best possible fan experience at our games. The AFL, who manage the lighting at Ikon Park, have conducted all the relevant testing procedures, which were approved from a safety perspective," Liddle said. "We acknowledge that some areas of the ground were difficult to see from afar and we are working with the AFL, state and local governments on a solution that ensures that our elite female footballers have access to the same quality of facilities and infrastructure as our elite men do. "Ikon Park has proven itself to be the ideal home for AFLW and it is incumbent upon all key stakeholders to ensure that we give women’s football at all levels, the very best opportunity to grow." Carlton host Melbourne in a twilight match on March 11.