Round 9: Collingwood 100 St Kilda 72

THE FACTS

2018 AFL Round 10 COLLINGWOOD v FOOTSCRAY Time & Place: Friday May 25, 7:50pm EST Etihad Stadium TV: 7mate/Fox Footy 7:30pm EST Weather: Min 9 Max 16 Chance of rain 30%: <1mm Wind: WNW 11kph Betting: Collingwood $1.46 Footscray $2.75

COLLINGWOOD   3.3.21   7.6.48   14.7.91  15.10.100
ST KILDA             3.5.23   7.7.49   9.9.63    10.12.72

GOALS - Collingwood: De Goey 6, Stevenson 2, Wells 2, Hoskin-Elliott 2, Thomas, T. Phillips, Pendlebury

BEST - Collingwood: De Goey, Sidebottom, Pendlebury, Howe, Crisp, T. Phillips

INJURIES - Collingwood: Fasolo (right ankle)

REPORTS - Collingwood: Nil

OFFICIAL CROWD -  33,994 at Etihad Stadium

TALKING POINTS

1. That's how you kick De Goals, Saints At half-time St Kilda was up by a point and fans were close to the happiest they had been with their team all season. But just 15 minutes later, they were in a familiar place – their team had given up a run of goals, punctuated with St Kilda behinds. It was in marked contrast to Collingwood forward Jordan De Goey, who took full advantage of a St Kilda defence missing the injured Jake Carlisle, Sam Gilbert and Dylan Roberton. De Goey had a first half to remember, running rampant and eventually finishing with a career-high six goals straight. 2. An unlikely Newnes hero, but Membrey struggles Before the match against Collingwood, the highest number of goals Jack Newnes had kicked in a match was just two. By half-time, the 25-year-old had three and finished the match with 4.2. It was a welcome change for Saints fans, who have put up with woefully inaccurate goalkicking and low scoring this season. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for key forward Tim Membrey, who had another miserable night in front of goal. After recording 1.5 last week, he managed just three behinds and looked bereft of confidence. With Newnes not key-forward size and Josh Bruce out with a back injury, Membrey needs the support of another big body, and quickly. 3. Patchy Pies get the job done It wasn't Collingwood's most convincing performance of the season, but sometimes you just need to bank the four points and move on. The Magpies were generally second to the ball in the first half, but noticeably lifted their pressure in the second half. A seven-goal burst in the third term created a comfortable buffer and was a marked improvement on the team's five-goal effort last week against Geelong. The last quarter rapidly deteriorated in quality, with the teams trading horror turnovers and just 2.6 scored between them. Not one to watch on the replay, but a win's a win.

4. No goals, but Cox creates carnage Sometimes a key forward doesn't have to hit the scoreboard to have an impact on the game. Despite some close attention from Nathan Brown for much of the match, he was the focal point for many of Collingwood's forward 50 entries. He struggled to hold his marks at times, but the superb roving of the classier Magpies like Daniel Wells and De Goey meant it wasn't too costly. He also managed to clean up both Brown and his teammate Hunter Clark in the final term in a marking contest. Brown did not return to the field, leaving the inexperienced Rowan Marshall to try and contain the giant American. 5. Hey, brother! On the night of the royal wedding and Prince Phillip making a rare public appearance, it seemed fitting the Phillips brothers lined up directly on each other. Older brother Tom made a beeline for Ed, playing just his second game, and the two shared a grin on the wing before play got underway. They spent most of the match loosely matched against each other, with Tom taking the chocolates with 30 disposals to Ed's 19, even celebrating his goal with an unusual "sleeping" mime. It wasn't Collingwood's most convincing performance of the season, but sometimes you just need to bank the four points and move on. The Magpies were generally second to the ball in the first half, but noticeably lifted their pressure in the second half. A seven-goal burst in the third term created a comfortable buffer and was a marked improvement on the team's five-goal effort last week against Geelong.

THE MEDIA
SUPERFOOTY NATHAN Buckley joked this week that he was “losing sleep” over who was going to walk Meghan down the aisle. Sure, he was joking, but Jordan de Goey ensured his coach slept easy on Saturday night. Keeping hold of him, however, might keep a few Magpies awake into the wee hours after the young gun led Collingwood to a dominant 28-point win over St Kilda at Etihad Stadium. As the world stopped for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to make their commitment to one another, half a world away it became evident that there is only one commitment the Magpies should now look to make. “De Goey is the most important signing. The most!,” club legend Peter Daicos exclaimed online. He couldn’t have been more right. The out-of-contract 22-year-old was royally sublime against St Kilda on Saturday night, producing six goals from just 12 disposals right when Buckley needed it – as Darcy Moore and Jamie Elliott nursed their injured hamstrings and Alex Fasolo an ankle injury incurred early. It’s a role de Goey told Channel 7 post-game that he is loving, lauding his teammates’ delivery into attack. The Pies, Buckley said last week, needed “a little bit more information” before they’d commit on a contract. Sure, there’s off-field things to work through after Buckley admitted there had been “a few dust-ups” in their union. But on-field alone, do they need any more than stuff like that? The bloke capable of elite things in the midfield paid his way up forward – a performance that may well have added to his price. De Goey lit things up every time he went near the ball and worked hard for the benefit of his teammates, too – stuff that’s worthy of huge dollars at the likes of North Melbourne and the Saints, who could do little to curtail him. “The relationship is getting stronger, he is investing in it more and is being more consistent,” Buckley said on SEN last week. Jade Gresham in the middle worked for the Saints, and Jack Newnes looked every bit a legitimate forward on his way to four goals. But Tim Membrey’s poor record in front of goal only got worse as he slumped to a 1.10 record from his last 11 shots. Talks on de Goey are off until at least mid-year – which looms – and there may be a few pre-nuptial style conditions as he continues to rebuild trust. “I’m feeling good. Feeling comfortable,” he said after the game. But as one of the hottest players on the market, de Goey can command plenty and will draw big dollars, with the Magpies faithful hopeful that home is where the heart is. Jordan de Goey: six goals “De Goey is the most important signing. The most!,” club legend Peter Daicos exclaimed online. He couldn’t have been more right. The out-of-contract 22-year-old was royally sublime against St Kilda on Saturday night, producing six goals from just 12 disposals right when Buckley needed it.	AFL WHO needs a settled pre-season? Not Jordan De Goey, whose rise from the outhouse to the penthouse has continued, with a career-best six-goal haul that helped spark Collingwood to a 28-point win over St Kilda at Etihad Stadium on Saturday night. De Goey missed the start of the season courtesy of a club-imposed suspension and then an injured hamstring, but since his return in round four he has given the Magpies (5-4) an X-factor close to goal that now has them knocking on the door of the eight. The 22-year-old booted three goals in the second term as the Pies kicked away to a 16-point lead, but some quick and direct football got the Saints back in the game and they even took a one-point lead into half-time. But the Pies dominated the third term with seven goals to two to take a firm grip on the game. There was some luck involved, however. They hit the front at the 11-minute mark following a goal to Josh Thomas after a missed free kick to St Kilda youngster Nick Coffield for an arm chop. From the bounce Collingwood got the ball to Daniel Wells who goalled with the assist from Will Hoskin-Elliott, who should have been penalised for a hold on a St Kilda defender. And De Goey then got his fifth major when the Pies swooped on a dreadful kick from St Kilda’s Rowan Marshall that badly missed his target. The youngster wasn't just dragged from the ground but was taken into the tunnel behind the interchange bench to be spoken to by coach Alan Richardson, who spent the evening coaching from the boundary line. Somewhere, former Saints coach Ken Sheldon, who did the same to Craig Devonport, also against Collingwood in 1992, would have nodded his approval. By and large, the Saints (1-1-7) could not be faulted for their energy. And for that brief time in the second term they played brave and direct footy that for a few minutes, had the Pies on the back foot. But they couldn't sustain it for long and their field kicking didn't hold up for long enough. And they were wayward in front of goal once again, unable to apply enough scoreboard pressure when they held the edge. With key forwards Josh Bruce and Paddy McCartin again watching from the stands, they needed Tim Membrey to straighten his kicking, but he finished with 0.3. Officially, he has the yips and it was left to Jack Newnes with a career-best four goals to provide a target. Only once this year have the Saints kicked more goals than behinds. Collingwood welcomed back skipper Scott Pendlebury and he glided through the midfield with 30 possessions and a superb left-foot snap in the third term as the Pies kicked away. Steele Sidebottom was prolific with 38 possessions, while Jack Crisp and Jeremy Howe, with 30 touches each, provided great drive from half-back. “It was frustrating at times but for the second week in a row we made adjustments at half time to get things back how we wanted it,” said Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley. “It was a strong enough performance for what we wanted to see.” Apart from Newnes, Luke Dunstan (32), Seb Ross and Jack Steven (both 29) won plenty of the ball for the Saints. But it’s not much good getting the ball if you can’t use it properly. It has been the story of St Kilda so far in 2018 and there isn’t much evidence to suggest it will change any time soon. “They took their opportunities, we didn’t and we were disappointed with that facet of our play,” coach Alan Richardson said. MEDICAL ROOM Collingwood: More ill-luck for small forward Alex Fasolo who will undergo scans this week to learn the extent of a syndesmosis injury. It was his first game back for 2018. NEXT UP The Pies are back at Etihad on Friday night – as the home team – to take on the Western Bulldogs.
REAL FOOTY Alex Fasolo leaves the field. Collingwood will wait for scans to confirm whether forward Alex Fasolo suffered a syndesmosis injury in his first game for the season. After being forced from the ground in the second quarter of the win against St Kilda he sat out the rest of the game with the Magpies fearing he might spend significant time on the sidelines. "He's upset," Buckley said. "These days [syndesmosis injuries] can really linger and hang around. We will know more about it when we get the scans." Fasolo had shoulder surgery in the off-season and spent the past five games in the VFL as he fought to win a spot back in the line-up. He was selected for the match against St Kilda with the Magpies hoping he could provide some much needed goal-scoring power but he was only able to win two disposals before injury struck. "Clearly getting his opportunity and then getting injured early in the game he is a bit dirty and has got plenty of emotions going on but we will get around him," Buckley said. "It's pretty early in the year so we will give it plenty of time." The win softened the blow for the Magpies but it was the third game in succession where they have lost a player for most of the second half with Darcy Moore sidelined last week and Scott Pendlebury the week before. The Saints have their own injury worries with Nathan Brown suffering a suspected medial ligament strain. The key defender hurt himself in a marking contest late in the game and coach Alan Richardson said Brown will have a scan on his knee this week. "He's tweaked his medial ligament. To what extent, we're not sure. He'll get scans so it is likely he will miss a little bit [of football]," Richardson said. "He thought that in the past he has been able to get back after a couple of weeks. He is a real pro. He will give himself every chance so we will just have to wait and see."