REMEMBER when the heat on Nathan Buckley reached fever-pitch last year?
After entering 2017 with high expectations, the Magpies sat 4-6 after Round 10 and the alarm bells were ringing that the side was going backwards in the coaches’ sixth season in charge.
All that seems a distant memory now as, 12 months on, Collingwood sits 6-4 with a favourable fixture ahead.
The club’s first finals appearance since 2013 is looking a more likely prospect by the week.
There is still plenty of room for improvement, as the performance against the Bulldogs was by no means a four-quarter one.
The Dogs held a 25-point lead at quarter time and had the better of most of the opening half before Buckley’s team flicked the switch.
The Magpies overused the ball early — having 152 disposals before finally kicking their second goal in the second term — and the forward line was, put simply, dysfunctional.
Too often there were long bombs to outnumbered forwards who were not clunking it and the main goal source of recent weeks — Jordan de Goey — simply could not get near it playing deep in a forward pocket.
At halftime Collingwood had logged 30 inside 50s for just five goals — one in every six entries — worse numbers than any other team in the competition is averaging this year.
But whatever Buckley said at the main break resonated and the magnets he moved worked for Collingwood looked every bit a contender during a dominant second half.
De Goey was pushed up the ground, the forward line was opened up, there was a clear instruction to move the ball quicker and the leaders stood up.
Adam Treloar had 13 disposals in the third quarter alone, Steele Sidebottom finally hit the scoreboard and provided a spark and Brodie Grundy got right on top in the ruck after a tight battle with Tom Boyd in the opening half.
In all it was an eight-goal-to-none second half, the only negative for Collingwood big man Mason Cox — who had a dirty night — being reported in the final term for a high bump on Jason Johannisen.
The Bulldogs were still known as Footscray last time they were held goalless in a half — Round 12, 1991 — the final 60 minutes quite frankly forgettable.
Just where at the Bulldogs at?
Short answer: a long way off.
They still haven’t beaten a side above them on the ladder, their only wins coming against Essendon (14th), Carlton (18th), Gold Coast (15th) and Brisbane (17th).
Friday night was their opportunity to take a scalp and they blew it after such a positive start.
As for the Magpies, winter might be setting in in Melbourne but there are blue skies ahead for Buckley and his side.
Collingwood could quite easily sit 10-4 after Round 15 with games against Fremantle (MCG), Melbourne, Carlton and Gold Coast to come.
Maybe 2017 was a case of taking a step back to take a leap forward this year.
COLLINGWOOD has climbed into the top eight after completely dominating the second half against the Western Bulldogs to win by 35 points at Etihad Stadium on Friday night.
The Magpies trailed by 26 points early in the second quarter and struggled to find a target in attack for much of the first half as the Bulldogs defenders ruled the air inside their forward 50.
However, the Pies seized control of the game with a four-goal-to-none third quarter and then put the Dogs to the sword with another four goals in the final term to power to a 13.12 (90) to 8.7 (55) victory.
After kicking eight goals in the first half to lead by 18 points at the main break, the Dogs went goalless in the second half, kicking just four behinds.
Brodie Grundy (26 possessions, 38 hit-outs, seven marks and seven clearances) was outstanding for Collingwood, dominating the ruck contests against Jordan Roughead and Tom Boyd and providing a hard-running target around the ground all night.
The Magpies' win broke a string of five consecutive losses against the Bulldogs – entering Friday night's game they had not defeated them since round 12, 2013 – and took them to sixth on the ladder, although they will slide out of the top eight by the end of round 10 if North Melbourne, Geelong and Hawthorn win.
The tireless run of Adam Treloar (40 possessions, six inside 50s and two goals ) and Tom Phillips (36 possessions and one goal) was vital to the Pies' comeback win, while the composure of skipper Scott Pendlebury (32 possessions and six clearances) was important all night.
Will Hoskin-Elliott (two goals) was a lively performer in attack, while Tom Langdon, Matthew Scharenberg and Lynden Dunn kept things tight in defence.
There were a couple of sour notes late in the game for Collingwood, with big man Mason Cox reported for a bump on Jason Johannisen and Travis Varcoe sitting out the last quarter with a hamstring injury.
Although Johannisen appeared to emerge unhurt from the incident, Cox will still have concerns after cannoning into the Bulldog speedster with his hip while Johannisen had his head over the ball, a potentially dangerous action that is unlikely to sit well with Match Review Officer Michael Christian.
Collingwood coach Nathan Buckely was pleased with his team's response after its slow start.
"It was a pretty impressive last three quarters. The gap in the first quarter was always going to be hard to peg back but we did it bit by bit, and the last half in particular was a really strong example of the brand we want to play more often," Buckley said.
"Hopefully we’re improving and getting closer to it and doing it better week by week.”
On a disappointing night for the Dogs, captain Easton Wood (15 possessions and 10 marks) worked tirelessly in defence, while Toby McLean (35 possessions) and Jack Macrae (30) fought hard in the midfield.
Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge said the game changed so markedly after quarter-time it was as if "two completely different sides" had taken the field.
"They lifted their intensity and they challenged us on a number of fronts and we came up well short. Put that down to Collingwood's ferocity around the ball (and) our lack of scope to maintain it in our front half – the ball came out of our forward half way too easily," Beveridge said.
"It felt like for most of the game our backend held it together pretty well, but backmen can't defend those open plays.
"So the 12 through the middle of the ground and forward of the ball just became complacent, and as much as that's disappointing and deflating, at least we know what it is and we can fix it."
The Magpies did all the attacking at the start of the game, but struggled to find targets inside their forward 50.
Finally, from their ninth inside 50, Tom Phillips kicked the game's opening goal – and score – but after that breakthrough the Bulldogs seized the momentum and, unlike Collingwood, made the most of their control of general play.
The Dogs piled on the next five goals, two of them through Tory Dickson, who was returning from a hamstring injury that had sidelined him since round five, and two of them courtesy of 50m penalties given away by the Pies.
The Bulldogs went into quarter-time with a 25-point lead, but Collingwood suddenly found a spark early in the second term with two goals in less than two minutes through Treloar and Josh Thomas.
The Pies still hadn't taken a mark inside their forward 50 at that stage, but they managed to cut the Bulldogs' lead to six points at the 24-minute mark after consecutive goals from Langdon and Jaidyn Stephenson.
However, when Billy Gowers goaled after taking a strong pack mark close to goal and former No.2 draft pick Josh Schache, in his first game in Bulldogs colours, converted a 35m set shot, the Dogs extended their lead back out to 18 points at half-time.
At that stage, the Bulldogs had taken nine marks inside their forward 50 to Collingwood's two.
Jordan De Goey, fresh off a match-winning six goal performance against St Kilda last week, started as the Magpies' deepest forward, but he was held scoreless and to just five possessions by Zaine Cordy in the opening two terms, before Cordy was ruled out with concussion after half-time.
De Goey was moved into the midfield at the start of the second half, from which time his night and, particularly, the Magpies' took a big turn for the better.
MEDICAL ROOM
Collingwood: Travis Varcoe's night ended early when he came off the ground in the third quarter with a hamstring injury. Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley said after the game Varcoe had suffered a "likely strain".
NEXT UP
The Magpies host Fremantle at the MCG next Sunday, having won their past five games against the Dockers at the home of football.
There is a moment in every match when the team trailing faces a critical juncture. That's to fight and lift, or let the contest meander and slip. For Collingwood, that point arrived at half-time in Friday night's clash against the Western Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium. Trailing by three goals, the Pies had to change. That would come through intent, philosophy and tactics.
The Magpies would also benefit from Zaine Cordy's unexpected absence, the key defender missing the second half with delayed concussion, leaving the Dogs exposed. This would contribute to the Pies' resurgence, and ultimately a 35-point win that leaves them with six wins and as a firm finals contender. It would also snap a five-year losing streak to the Dogs.
The Magpies would boot eight goals after half-time, while the Dogs would be goalless in a half for the first time since 1991. Their lack of run was noticeable, while the Pies were finally able to demonstrate the fast-break style of play that had been central to their campaign. What was also noticeable was their intent. Having managed only 21 tackles to half-time, 15 less than their opponents, the Pies would have six tackles in the opening five minutes. They were back.
As the pressure rose, so, too, did Brodie Grundy, who began to take charge in the ruck and through contested possession around the ground. Midfielder Adam Treloar provided the dash, skipper Scott Pendlebury worked his way into the contest, while hard-running defender Tom Phillips, in what was a break-out game, and Matthew Scharenberg were resolute. The Pies had their own injury issues, Travis Varcoe was forced off with a hamstring strain, but their overall physical maturity started to take a toll.
"Everyone played their role - we have started to find the feeling, which is what we want to do," Phillips said.
They would also finish the night with Mason Cox reported for a high bump on Jason Johannisen late in the final term.
Where the Magpies had been overly defensive in the first half, their attacking flair returned. Ben Reid, free of Cordy, demonstrated this when he opted to pass to Jordan De Goey in the corridor, who would win a free kick. The Pies were able to play on, leading to a successful snap by the threatening Will Hoskin-Elliott. That would extend their lead to eight points, and the Dogs seemed lost from that point.
The Dogs had stifled their opponents run in the first half. Jack Macrae, having averaged 40 touches in his past three weeks, and Toby McLean had dominated possession but would fade. Ed Richards, from the famous Collingwood family, was also busy, while Tom Boyd had been central to a strong first term.
They would also have been pleased to have kept De Goey goalless before the main break. He was used as a deep forward in the first half but began the third term as a high half-forward. He would get busy but finish goalless in a week when his contract status dominated headlines.
The signs were not good for Dogs heading into the final term. They had won only one last quarter this year - and that would remain the case. Treloar would all but shut the door on the contest when he marked and snapped successfully in the opening minutes. That the Dogs would drop off so quickly would have frustrated coach Luke Beveridge, with his team left with only four wins and facing another major challenge next Saturday against Melbourne.
It took more than nine minutes for the first score of the game and the contest to get going. The Pies had enjoyed 70 per cent of the play in their attacking 50 to that point but would have only the one goal, when Phillips capitalised on a lazy pass back into the corridor by Bailey Williams.
The Dogs had begun with numbers behind the ball. That made it hard for them to score when they did have possession but that changed when they evened the numbers inside their attacking 50. The move of Boyd from full-forward into the ruck was also pivotal, for he helped to win the clearances and generate the required run.
Suckling got his team going with a 55-metre bomb and when Tory Dickson capitalised on a free kick, the Dogs had the momentum. Jordan Roughead, sent to forward, built on this when he marked 40m out. The Dogs also lifted their tackling, and Tory Dickson and Boyd would benefit from undisciplined acts by Tom Langdon and Pendlebury, leading to 50-metre penalties and goals from point-blank range.
The question was whether - and how - the Pies would respond. It was as simple as winning the clearances. With his hands first to the ball, Treloar was able to find space and convert from 30m on the run, and when a slick Pendlebury handball found Josh Thomas, who snapped successfully, the Pies were back in the contest.
Sidebottom was typically busy and made his displeasure clear to McLean, the Bulldog having won a free kick for ducking. McLean would just continue amassing touches.
What had been an uncertain start became an intriguing contest. Now it was time for the Dogs to respond. They did that twice. A clever long kick from Suckling found Roughead, who converted. The Pies again got busy, Langdon repaying his teammates with a goal from 50 of his own, after another clever handball from Pendlebury, while Jaidyn Stephenson reinforced why he is one of the elite kicks of the competition by converting from 40m.
The Dogs, though, would hit back twice, the second goal coming from Josh Schache's first with his new team, prompting his teammates to respond in typical football style - slaps on the back and a roughing up of his hair. Unfortunately for the Dogs, they would feel roughed up by the end of the night. |
