2018 AFL Round 2
COLLINGWOOD v GWS
Time & Place:
Saturday March 31, 4:35pm EDT
MCG
TV:
7mate / Fox Footy 4:30pm EDT
Weather:
Min 12 Max 23
Chance of rain 5%: <1mm
Wind: SW 4kph
Betting:
Collingwood $3.00
GWS $1.39 |
B: Sam Murray, Lynden Dunn, Brayden Maynard
HB: Tom Langdon, Darcy Moore, Jeremy Howe
C: Steele Sidebottom, Scott Pendlebury, Tom Phillips
HF: Josh Thomas, Ben Reid, Will Hoskin-Elliott
F: Jaidyn Stephenson, Ben Crocker, Callum Brown
Foll: Brodie Grundy, Adam Treloar, Taylor Adams
Int: Jack Crisp, Travis Varcoe, Matthew Scharenberg, James Aish
Emg: Jarryd Blair, Chris Mayne, Tim Broomhead, Brody Mihocek
IN: Callum Brown, Matthew Scharenberg
OUT: Mason Cox (suspension), Josh Smith (hamstring)
Callum Brown and Matt Scharenberg have been called into Collingwood’s team for the round two clash against Greater Western Sydney at the MCG on Saturday.
Brown and Scharenberg have replaced big man Mason Cox (suspension) and midfielder Josh Smith (hamstring) as the Magpies look to bounce back from their 34-point loss to Hawthorn in round one.
Brown, who has been named in a forward pocket, didn’t play at any level last weekend after being the held over emergency for the round one loss to the Hawks.
Scharenberg, who has been named on the interchange bench, is back after excelling across half-back in the VFL practice match against Box Hill.
The emergencies are Jarryd Blair, Chris Mayne, Tim Broomhead and Brody Mihocek.
Among the players still missing from Collingwood’s potential best 22 are Jamie Elliott (ankle), Jordan De Goey (hamstring) and Levi Greenwood (knee).
Don’t forget that after Saturday’s clash with the Giants you can walk across to the Holden Centre and watch the VFL side take on North Melbourne.
No Stevie spoiler this time
Who could forget the last time the Pies played GWS in a home and away game?
In round eight last season at Spotless Stadium, Collingwood shot out to 26-point lead at quarter-time, then held sway for much of the contest.
The Magpies were three points up with 43 seconds to go, only for Giants veteran Steve Johnson to bob up with a match-winning goal.
Stevie J is now an assistant coach at the Sydney Swans, so he won’t be around to spoil the party this time.
Matt's back
After his early seasons at the Collingwood were cruelled by injuries, Matt Scharenberg was a regular in the team in the second half of last season, playing 10 games after being recalled in round 10.
The 22-year-old played mainly in the backline and tallied more than 20 disposals in a number of matches.
He was overlooked for the AFL game against Hawthorn last weekend, he now gets another chance to cement his spot in the team in what will be his 15th appearance at the highest level.
180329_scharenberg620.jpg
Until this year, Matthew Scharenberg has never played an AFL match earlier than round 10.
Cal's call up
Callum Brown made his AFL debut in round 12 of last season against Melbourne and ended up playing five games in all.
He showed plenty of improvement and finished the season on a high by gathering 19 disposals in the round 23 win over the Demons.
With Mason Cox sidelined, Brown looks set to start in the forward line. |
Collingwood faces a big challenge this week against a red-hot Greater Western Sydney.
After the first round of the season, the Giants sit atop of the AFL ladder following their 82-point thumping of the Western Bulldogs. On the other hand, the Magpies started the season poorly against the Hawks and will go into this Saturday’s clash as underdogs.
On paper, this is a big challenge for the undermanned Magpies. But it is also an opportunity to get the season off to the right start and silence any critics. The Giants have only beaten the Pies once in their history, and that win was secured courtesy of a last-minute goal last season by Steve Johnson to pinch the game.
The Magpies seem to always match up well against the Giants, and will have the home ground advantage of the MCG, which is a venue the Giants have only won at once before from 12 attempts.
But the Giants looked ominous last week, and have so many avenues to goal. Jeremy Cameron (six goals), Toby Greene (four goals) and Jonathon Patton (two goals) headline a potent forward line that is very well serviced by a star-studded midfield.
Collingwood will need to turn up the intensity to extreme this weekend, and get a huge output from its own midfield.
Focus on Collingwood
It was a familiar tale for the Magpies in round one. Despite being competitive in a number of key areas including inside 50s, clearances, tackles and contested football, it was a lack of efficiency going forward which ultimately cost the Magpies. Despite having 58 inside 50s, the Magpies were only able to score nine goals, which won’t cut it against most sides in the competition.
For me, the biggest challenge facing Nathan Buckley and his men is organizing the forward line in the absence of key players such as Jamie Elliott, Alex Fasolo, Daniel Wells and Jordan De Goey. Darcy Moore also looks set to play in the backline again, while Mason Cox is out suspended. Finding enough goals to match the offensive juggernaut that is GWS is the problem.
The conditions against Hawthorn were slippery, but it provided the backdrop to some basic errors that plagued the Magpies all night. The Giants are one of the best counter-attacking teams in the competition, so the Pies need to be clean with their ball use.
Player Focus – Adam Treloar
Despite a team-high 33 disposals, his disposal efficiency was down to 42 per cent. Against his former side, Treloar would love to put in a huge game and hit the scoreboard. At his best, Treloar is a damaging goal kicking midfielder who can tear a game apart. We didn’t see enough of his line-breaking skills last week, but, for mine, he looms as the key player for the Magpies this week.
Focus on Greater Western Sydney
For the Giants to be genuine premiership contenders, they need to win at the MCG. This match is an opportunity for them to get some experience at the home of football.
Much has been written about the top-end talent in which the Giants possess. In recent years, the Giants have struggled defensively and have received some attention for their need to apply forward pressure. The focus may be on the star talent, but the most pleasing thing to come out of their win last week was the emergence of valuable players such as Zac Langdon, Harrison Himmelberg and Daniel Lloyd. Along with veterans such as Sam Reid and Matt De Boer, the Giants have a number of players that are willing to do the blue-collar work, which in turn allows the superstars to play their natural game.
Last week’s win was the best I have seen the Giants tackle, and the best I have seen them lock the ball inside forward 50. Despite having 90 more disposals than the Bulldogs, the Giants also had more tackles. This is a sign of a team that is working hard at sticking to the task. There seems to be a strong team focus, with everyone having clearly defined roles.
Player Focus – Lachie Whitfield
The big question mark over the off-season was how the Giants were going to replace Nathan Wilson (traded to Fremantle) and Zac Williams (out indefinitely with an Achilles injury), both of whom were stars for the Giants off half back last year. That question has been quickly answered by moving Lachie Whitfield into defence. Whitfield was brilliant last week with a team-high 34 disposals. He is a classy ball-user, great decision maker and also an elite endurance athlete. His run off half back was vital in the round one victory.
At the Selection Table
The Magpies will need to make two forced changes with Mason Cox suspended and Josh Smith injured. In line to recalled are the likes of Callum Brown or Brody Mihocek, both of whom were regular features during the JLT series. Otherwise, the coaches could turn to the experience of Chris Mayne or Jarryd Blair who were both good in the VFL last week. Alex Fasolo is unlikely to return as he continues to build match fitness, while Matt Scharenberg and Tim Broomhead are also available for selection.
The Giants have fewer concerns and are unlikely to make many changes following a convincing round one victory. The only change may be Tom Scully who is pushing for selection since overcoming a pre-season knee injury, though he may be required to regain touch in the NEAFL. Jacob Hopper is also on the verge of selection as well.
The Wrap Up
I expect to see a better effort by Collingwood this week. In my mind, I think the Magpies sometimes play better as the underdog, and showed in 2017 that they are more than capable of causing big upsets. The Magpies still have enough talent in the midfield to match the Giants, but the biggest concern will be kicking a winning score with an unsettled forward line, and also containing the star-studded GWS forward line.
With a difficult month ahead, the Magpies can ill-afford to drop their opening two matches. Collingwood is an unpredictable side and is capable of causing an upset this weekend. But this looks to be a much more hardened GWS team that is capable of kicking big scores. Whether the Giants can carry this form onto the MCG will be the challenge considering their difficulty winning at this venue in the past. We’ll learn a lot about both teams this weekend. I’m expecting a pretty close game |
No comments :
Post a Comment