| 2018 AFL Round 19 COLLINGWOOD v RICHMOND Time & Place: Saturday July 28, 1:45pm EST MCG Fox Footy 1:30pm EST Weather: Min 8 Max 16 Chance of rain 60%: 1-5mm Wind: N 10kph Betting: Collingwood $3.10 Richmond $1.37 |
HB: Jeremy Howe, Matthew Scharenberg, Tom Langdon
C: Chris Mayne, Scott Pendlebury, Tom Phillips
HF: Will Hoskin-Elliott, Brody Mihocek, Travis Varcoe
F: Josh Thomas, Mason Cox, Jaidyn Stephenson
Foll: Brodie Grundy, Taylor Adams, Steele Sidebottom
Int: Josh Daicos, Sam Murray, Callum Brown, Levi Greenwood
Emg: Adam Oxley, Jack Madgen, Josh Smith, Sam McLarty
IN: Callum Brown, Darcy Moore
OUT: Jordan De Goey (leg), Brayden Sier (leg soreness)
COLLINGWOOD NEWS
David Natoli Collingwood faces the reigning premiers Richmond at the MCG this Saturday afternoon, in what has been described as one of the matches of the season. Some externally are predicting this to be a potential finals preview given the sides are sitting in third and first place respectively on the ladder. The Magpies and Tigers have already faced off once this year back in round six. The game was really competitive for three quarters, before the Tigers broke the game apart in the last quarter to eventually win by 43 points. A lot has changed since this match considering the Magpies have won eight of their last nine matches and are playing confident football. This is the biggest test so far for Collingwood against a Tiger outfit that is looking nearly invincible on the MCG, having won all 10 matches at the venue this season. Collingwood is perhaps the only other side in the competition as comfortable on the MCG as Richmond, having played there 11 times this year, but it must be noted the Pies have lost five of these games (although it has won five of the last six times). Despite some of the negativity surrounding the state of the game, AFL will always be in a healthy position when these two sides are at the top of the table. A sellout crowd is expected on the weekend, with potentially over 90,000 fans packing into the home of football. Despite Collingwood’s impressive ladder position, there is still a question mark regarding its ability to beat the absolute best sides in the competition. This was highlighted two weeks ago in the disappointing loss to West Coast. This is a real opportunity for the Magpies to officially stamp themselves as a contender in 2018 and silence the doubters. The Match-Up – Brodie Grundy v Toby Nankervis Many would be declaring Grundy as the All-Australian ruckman, and potentially even a smoky for the Brownlow Medal. But when these sides last met, it was Nankervis who arguably took the points on the day. Grundy had nearly double the hitouts, but Nankervis had a career high 29 disposals and 10 marks. It was unusual to see Grundy beaten around the ground as this is typically his strength. Much has been written about Richmond’s perceived lack of a genuine back-up ruck option when Nankervis rests. But the Magpies were unable to exploit this in round six, so this match-up will be crucial this week considering both sides possess such talented midfields. At the Selection Table The Magpies should have Darcy Moore available for selection after he was a late withdrawal last week with hamstring tightness. He has trained so far this week and will put his hand up for recall. Finding a spot will be the difficulty though after a big victory against North Melbourne last week. Josh Daicos, who was Moore’s late replacement, had a career best game and would be very unlucky to lose his spot. Despite some early concerns regarding Steele Sidebottom’s jaw, the Magpies have declared him a certain starter as well. One man who will miss is Jordan De Goey, who was ruled out by coach Nathan Buckley owing to a leg complaint. His absence will be a blow, but it must be noted he had his quietest game of the season against Richmond back in round six when he only registered nine disposals and a goal. The Tigers have some selection dilemmas as well, with so many players impressing at VFL level. The Tigers could hand a debut game to Liam Baker who keeps tearing it up in the VFL, while Bachar Houli will also press him case for selection after overcoming injury. Others in the mix include Tyson Stengle and Patrick Naish. Focus on Collingwood After a disappointing loss to West Coast the week prior, the Magpies were comprehensive in their response against North Melbourne. It was a decisive 66-point victory, which was even more impressive given the very late withdrawal of Darcy Moore from the side. The midfield was well down against the Eagles, but it was back to its dominant best against North Melbourne, recording 31 more disposals, 13 more inside 50, 33 more marks and 46 more uncontested possessions. In summary, the Magpies had the game on their terms and were just too much for the Kangaroos to contain. Despite so much of the football, the Magpies also recorded a staggering 36 more tackles. Despite this dominant display, Nathan Buckley will know that his side needs to go to an even higher level this week to knock off the reigning premier. The Magpies will welcome the test in front of a huge crowd, and it is perfect preparation for a likely finals campaign. The Magpies probably only need to win one-to-two more games to cement their finals position, but a top four spot will beckon if they can score victory this week. Player Focus – Taylor Adams After a career best season in 2017, Adams had an indifferent start to this season, which was largely affected by a hamstring injury prior to round four. His last month has been really promising, averaging 29 disposals, and he was at his aggressive best last week with 10 tackles, and he also hit the scoreboard with a goal. Adams will face a huge test this week as he will likely square off against Trent Cotchin in the middle. In the absence of Adam Treloar, Taylor Adams has lifted his game enormously to fill the void. Focus on Richmond There are many superlatives that could describe this Richmond side. For all the analysis, the ultimate strength of this side is its unity and chemistry. The Tigers play as a team, and seem to know exactly where their teammates are running. They play at a consistent level each week and rarely have lapses throughout games. This has meant that many sides have been able to keep up for three quarters or so, but are ultimately overrun in the last quarter through pure exhaustion. If anything, Richmond is an even scarier prospect this year than at the same time last year. Jack Riewoldt is in career best form, and Dustin Martin is starting to really warm-up after a slightly quieter season thus far. The only chink in Richmond’s armor so far has been its form on the road, having lost all four away trips. Obviously that’s not going to be an issue for Richmond come finals if it makes the top two, considering all its games will be at the MCG anyway. It’s hard to see the Tigers losing enough games in the final five rounds to drop out of the top two. When Richmond locks the ball inside forward 50, it is almost impossible to clear it out. With so many hungry small to medium sized forwards swarming, the Tigers are clearly the number one forward half defensive pressure side in the competition. To counter this, the Magpies will need to stay composed coming out of defence and try not to over do it. A simple kick to a one on one near the boundary could be as effective a move as any. The Tigers sweat on turnovers, so being too daring can be a pitfall. Player Focus – Nick Vlastuin One of Richmond’s most improved players this year has been Nick Vlastuin. That’s not to say that he wasn’t already an integral part of the side, but it seems his game has gone to a new level this year as a defensive general. With teams putting attention into Alex Rance, Vlastuin often gets freed up which allows him to win a lot of the football across half back. He is a terrific reader of the play, and can be so damaging with ball in hand. He reminds me a lot of Luke Hodge during Hawthorn’s premiership years. The Magpies obviously need to ensure that Rance is kept accountable, but it would also be worth putting plenty of attention onto Vlastuin as well. The Wrap-Up No matter which way you look at it, this is a huge test for the Magpies. The Tigers are purring at the moment and are playing such devastating football. But the Magpies are also in terrific form and will be up for the fight. Despite injuries, the Magpies keep winning and finding new players to fill the voids. It’s a big challenge for some of the younger players in the side against such a mature opponent. For mine, the Magpies need to be smart with ball in hand, and stay composed. They cannot afford easy turnovers across half back. If in doubt, a 50 metre kick to Mason Cox near the boundary may be the smartest option, as opposed to a dangerous short kick into the corridor. Beating the Tigers is a grind, and it will mean four quarters of consistent aggressive football. The Magpies also need to kick accurately as they did early last week. Taking opportunities is the key to beating the best sides. The weather looks favourable, and it’s good to see such a big clash at the home of football on a traditional Saturday afternoon. |
Toby Nankervis and Brodie Grundy fought out an enthralling battle back in round six, with the Tigers' big man winning the battle around the ground and the Magpie claiming the points in the ruck contests. Nankervis fought back after Grundy got the early jump, so both will be keen to assert themselves on the contest from the word go. PREDICTION: Richmond by 22 points |
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