Round 16: Collingwood 78 Essendon 62

THE FACTS

2018 AFL Round 17 COLLINGWOOD v WEST COAST Time & Place: Sunday July 15, 1:10pm EST MCG Fox Footy 1:00pm EST Weather: Min 8 Max 15 Chance of rain 0% Wind: N 28kph Betting: Collingwood $1.50 West Coast $2.59

COLLINGWOOD   4.1.25   4.4.28   7.5.47   12.6.78
ESSENDON             1.2.8   4.5.29   7.6.48     9.8.62

GOALS - Collingwood: De Goey 3, Sidebottom 2, Stephenson, Grundy, Daicos, Hoskin-Elliott, Mihocek, Cox, Adams

BEST - Collingwood: Pendlebury, Grundy, Sidebottom, De Goey, Adams, Crisp, Langdon

INJURIES - Collingwood: Hoskin-Elliott (right knee), Appleby (hamstring)

REPORTS - Collingwood: Nil

OFFICIAL CROWD - 69,868 at the MCG

TALKING POINTS

1. De Goey and Pendles ensure its seventh heaven for Pies Jordan De Goey knocked back a "godfather offer" from North Melbourne to re-sign with Collingwood and demonstrated in the clutch against the Bombers exactly why he has become such a valuable weapon for the Magpies. In a closely fought tussle, De Goey's power and confidence to step up in the big moments – as he bagged three majors – was the difference between the sides. Pendlebury's leadership in the final term was equally significant, with the Magpies skipper racking up 14 disposals to finish the match with a game-high 34 touches. Their performances have seen the Magpies win their seventh game in a row for the first time since 2012. 2. Man of Steele delivers in milestone game Steele Sidebottom is universally admired for his consistency and ability to stand up in big games. A Collingwood fan favourite, Sidebottom has raised his game to a new level this season and is right in contention to receive his first All Australian guernsey. Sidebottom’s goal in the first quarter, which saw him baulk around Bombers opponent Travis Colyer and turn comfortably onto his non-preferred left foot and launch a goal from outside 50m on the boundary line, encapsulated his elite skillset and the consistent excellence he has portrayed over his 200-game career. Sidebottom finished with 27 disposals and two goals to underline his class, receiving a standing ovation when he possessed the ball late in the game. 3. Injury concerns for both clubs Patrick Ambrose cannot take a trick. A wrist injury in the pre-season forced him to miss the first five games of the year, while the athletic defender returned to the senior side against North Melbourne last weekend after another week in the VFL. But a hamstring injury suffered in the first term of Sunday's game means he is set for another stint on the sidelines. Magpie Will Hoskin-Elliott also had his own injury concern with a knock to his right knee, although the skilful wingman was able to return to the field and played out the game. Hoskin-Elliott was certainly proppy, but it was important for Collingwood's rotations that he was able to continue. Flynn Appleby looks like he will miss an extended period of time after hurting his hamstring late in the game. 4. The Pies Dunn well covering for injured defender A key question leading into Sunday's game was how Collingwood was going to replace Lynden Dunn, who will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL. Nathan Buckley resisted the urge to push mature-age rookie Brody Mihocek, who was drafted as a defender, back to the backline with Tom Langdon and Matthew Scharenberg both stepping up in Dunn's absence. Langdon was one of the Magpies' best, particularly in his ability to come off his man and support his teammates. While the undersized duo stood up against the Bombers, it will be interesting to see whether the Magpies recall Darcy Moore in the coming weeks as he builds match time in the VFL after a hamstring injury. 5. Free kicks rile up Bomber fans Irate Essendon fans made their feelings clear about several umpiring decisions throughout the game, with Collingwood eventually receiving 27 free kicks to Essendon's 17. With Essendon leading by a point midway through the final term, a pivotal 50m penalty against Brendon Goddard for impeding Magpies star Steele Sidebottom  left the Bomber faithful particularly incensed. Sidebottom's resultant goal put the Magpies in front for the final time and gave the Magpies enough breathing room to hold onto victory.

THE MEDIA

SUPERFOOTY THIS is Collingwood’s month of truth. There is no doubt the Magpies deserve a big tick so far, for climbing inside the top-four with an injury list which is now as long as your arm. But even though we said Collingwood received a dream draw in 2018, Champion Data rates the Magpies’ remaining seven games the second-hardest run home in the competition. And the next four circled in Nathan Buckley’s diary are West Coast (MCG), North Melbourne (MCG), Richmond (MCG) and Sydney (SCG). They already have 11 wins and two more victories within the next month, combined with at least one other triumph over lower-placed Brisbane at the MCG (Round 21) or Fremantle in Perth (Round 23) will book the Pies a long-awaited finals appearance. It’s been a four-year wait which tested every ounce of the club’s faith. But looking ahead this next month is where Collingwood will either gain enormous belief for a serious tilt at the flag, or the wheels may start to wobble a bit. And without two of their best midfielders Adam Treloar and Daniel Wells, star forward Jamie Elliott, important stopper Lynden Dunn and now speedster Will Hoskin-Elliott, no one will be surprised if the Pies run out of some puff. But this is a much more attractive football club for star free agent Tom Lynch or even his Gold Coast co-captain Steven May. The Magpies have stability and upside, and the decision to re-sign coach Nathan Buckley looks like one of the best calls any club made last year in the face of searing pressure. Veteran Tyson Goldsack yesterday said it was genuinely a much happier footy club after 39 staff changes as part of the review. And stronger relationships across the board are at the centre of the upswing in 2018. But even though Buckley’s troops sit second on the ladder, we still reserve out judgment somewhat on Collingwood, despite icing their seventh-straight over the brave Bombers yesterday. Match-winning skipper Scott Pendlebury produced an inspirational last term and Jordan De Goey put on a show deep forward to seal the 16-point victory, 12.6 (78) to 9.8 (62). De Goey may have turned down huge offers to drag him to a new club last week but the star goal kicker looked every bit a big-money man curling the sealer home tight on the boundary late in the fourth term. Pendlebury had 14 last-term possessions, Mason Cox reeled in a career-best five contested marks with a screamer late and De Goey looks like a man ready to become a genuine superstar of the league, owning big moments like yesterday’s nailbiting finish. Buckely isolated De Goey one-out in the square, probably sensing he could win them the game and he did reeling in two brilliant marks late. Re-signing him was a huge coup for the club. But Buckley will be pragmatic about things overall in tomorrow’s review. Collingwood’s connection between defensive 50m and the forward line was average at best yesterday and for a good part Essendon’s key defenders owned the airwaves. And only one of Collingwood’s seven-straight wins has been against a top-eight team — and that was against an-up and-down Melbourne. And the real worry, aside from the enormous injury list which claimed another two scalps yesterday — Will Hoskin-Elliott and Flynn Appleby — is the running repairs down back. Dunn’s departure leaves a big hole at full back and over the next four games Collingwood confronts some of the best key forwards in the game. There’s Eagles’ swingman Jeremy McGovern, Coleman Medal leader Ben Brown, premiership spearhead Jack Riewoldt and a bloke by the name of Lance Franklin. It can’t all hinge on Brody Mihocek filling the key defensive hole and pressure through the midfield will be key. If Collingwood or can or can’t complete the fairytale, we will know a lot more by the start of next month. AFL COLLINGWOOD has severely dented Essendon's already-slim finals hopes, scoring a 16-point victory in a battle royale at the MCG on Sunday to consolidate its spot in the top four. The Bombers seemed primed to continue their mid-season uprising from a horror 2-6 start to the season when Mitch Brown's third goal broke the deadlock early in the final term. But the Jordan De Goey-inspired Magpies instead booted five of the last six majors to win a seventh game on the trot – something they last achieved six years ago – by a 12.6 (78) to 9.8 (62) scoreline. Collingwood is bracing for a difficult month ahead that will prove its premiership bona fides, with West Coast, North Melbourne and Richmond to come at the MCG before travelling to face Sydney. De Goey's move forward in the third quarter caused headaches for an Essendon defence that held up well until then. His three goals either side of three-quarter time, as well as another set shot that hit the post, swung the momentum in the Pies' favour in front of a crowd of 69,868. It was the prodigiously talented 22-year-old's first appearance since spurning multimillion-dollar offers from North Melbourne and St Kilda to commit to the black and white for two more years. De Goey's second, after Brown's finish, brought his side within a point before milestone man Steele Sidebottom, in his 200th match, fittingly gave Collingwood the lead for good. Brendon Goddard won't look back at the moment fondly, having gifted Sidebottom a 50m penalty and shot at goal after unnecessarily hanging onto him as the Sherrin disappeared up the field. Skipper Scott Pendlebury (34 disposals, 11 clearances, eight tackles) and his great mate Sidebottom (27, two goals), key pillars in the Magpies' 2010 flag, were outstanding. Sidebottom's first major in the opening term summed up his brilliance. He faked Travis Colyer on the mark, then sidestepped him, strolled to 50m and slotted a spectacular goal from near the boundary line. Taylor Adams also won 27 possessions and kicked a crucial last-quarter goal, while Brodie Grundy (24, eight clearances, 34 hit-outs) overcame Tom Bellchambers' strong opening to press his All Australian claims once more. Collingwood shot 18 points clear late in the opening term thanks to four straight goals, but the match became an arm wrestle through the second and third quarters. Essendon took a one-point lead into the fourth quarter on the back of stellar midfield performances from Zach Merrett (33, six clearances), Dyson Heppell (33) and pressure king Devon Smith (31, 13 tackles). Cale Hooker and Michael Hurley repeatedly repelled the Pies' offensive forays – taking 16 marks between them – but the decision to leave Conor McKenna to mind De Goey backfired. Brown and McKernan (two in the third quarter) combined for five majors to again prove their worth in Joe Daniher's injury absence, but it wasn't enough. The Bombers are now two games and significant percentage outside the top eight. MEDICAL ROOM Collingwood: Will Hoskin-Elliott suffered a right knee knock late in the opening term and came from the ground, but returned relatively early in the second quarter and played out the game. A positive day suffered a late negative when Flynn Appleby suffered a right hamstring injury late in the final quarter. NEXT UP Collingwood hosts West Coast on Sunday at the MCG, where the Eagles have lost 18 of their 24 matches since 2008. REAL FOOTY Much has been made this year, and again this weekend, of Richmond’s ability to answer the call when challenged at three-quarter time. On Sunday at the MCG, against hungry and in-form opponents, Collingwood too showed they had the answers when it counts. The Pies notched their 11th win in 13 games, but they did it the hard way. Drawn into an arm-wrestle by Essendon, whose door to the finals remained ajar, the Pies found themselves seven points down seven minutes into the final quarter. Had Bomber Mark Baguley done better from a set shot, the Dons could have been two goals clear with momentum. Given an opening, Collingwood, and specifically Jordan De Goey, barged through. De Goey could have been a $1 million man, and this was the type of performance players of that price tag deliver. In a low-scoring game he kicked three second half goals, two in the final term, to clinch the four points for the Pies. The third, a curled effort in time on, might have been the killer blow for an Essendon charge to September that had always looked unlikely after a 2-6 start to the season. One of the low points in those awful first two months for the Dons had been the Anzac Day meeting between these sides. On that afternoon Brendon Goddard left a villain after some heated on-field exchanges with teammates. This time around the veteran was yet again in the bad books, giving away a crucial 50-metre penalty in the final term, bringing Steele Sidebottom within range for the second goal of his 200th game. Along with Sidebottom and De Goey, Mason Cox and Jeremy Howe stood up for the Pies in the closing stages, while captain Scott Pendlebury played a mighty final term in which he racked up 14 disposals and six clearances. Despite repeated injury woes, Collingwood keep getting the job done. There are challenges ahead in the next fortnight, but the round 19 date with the Tigers looms large. In contrast to Essendon’s game against North Melbourne seven days earlier, goals were at a premium in the first half. Mitch Brown had put the Dons ahead, but it didn’t last. Sidebottom had already sold a dummy in defence, but he backed it up with another baulk from dead on the boundary line 50 metres out to sink a beauty with a slippery ball. From the outset it was clear Jaidyn Stephenson would cause headaches, being afforded too much space by Adam Saad. The teenager snapped truly from the pocket to kick the Pies’ second. Then Brodie Grundy nonchalantly curled one through after grabbing the ball from a forward 50 stoppage, and when Josh Daicos converted a set shot not long before quarter time, the Pies seemed to be in control, having curbed the Dons’ early clearance dominance. However despite losing Patrick Ambrose early in the second term to a hamstring injury, the Dons hit back. Brown again slotted a set shot, benefiting from a bold rebound that had started with Andy McGrath’s toil. Then came a pair of contested marks in the Dons’ left forward pocket, as Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti and Kyle Langford both took after outmuscling opponents in one-on-ones. McDonald-Tipungwuti could have had a second had he taken a chance following a contentious free kick against Levi Greenwood for going in too low. That the Bomber missed was perhaps a just outcome, although an 18-8 free kick count in the Pies’ favour had Dons fans booing heartily at the long break. Still, the Dons had edged a point clear, throwing down the gauntlet for Collingwood to respond. Will Hoskin-Elliott briefly looked set for a lengthy stint on the sidelines after hobbling off with a knee issue in the first quarter following a collision with Brown. But with knee heavily bandaged he played on and boosted Magpie hopes with a long set shot goal shortly after the break. For all that, it was Essendon who looked most likely to kick clear in the third term. The Dons’ pressure had stifled Collingwood’s typical run, allowing Shaun McKernan - enjoying one of his increasingly regular hot spells - to kick two quick goals in response. The Pies got a couple back, but a ghastly Howe turnover in midfield opened the door for Essendon to hit back via Baguley.