Monday, August 26, 2019
2019: Finals Week 1 + 2019: Ladder Round 23
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Pos Position P Played Pts Points % Percentage W Won
L Lost D Drawn F Points For A Points Against
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Saturday, August 24, 2019
2019 Round 23: Collingwood 76 Essendon 65
| 2019 Finals Week One Qualifying Finals QF1: September 5-8 1st vs. 4th QF2: September 5-8 2nd vs. 3rd Elimination Finals EF1: September 5-8 5th vs. 8th EF2: September 5-8 6th vs. 7th Week Two Semi-Finals SF1: September 13-14 Loser of Q1 vs. Winner of E1 SF2: September 13-14 Loser of Q2 vs. Winner of E2 |
ESSENDON 6.2.38 7.2.44 9.3.57 10.5.65
GOALS - Collingwood: Mihocek 4, Elliott 3, Thomas, Roughead, Adams
BEST - Collingwood: Grundy, Mihocek, Elliott, Pendlebury, Roughead, Treloar, Mayne
INJURIES - Collingwood: Scharenberg (concussion)
REPORTS - Collingwood: Nil
OFFICIAL CROWD - 85,405 at the MCG
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"We just take a few deep breaths, get a good night sleep tonight and wake up tomorrow and then go from there. ... We have looked after our end of the bargain, the home and away is done and dusted and the wins and percentage are locked, so now we see where it settles. We have still got a lot of upside with that and the sides that do well in September are ones that continue to improve and we have got a lot of improvement in us. ... We draw the line on the season now including on tonight’s game and we begin the finals season which I think exists in its own right as a separate entity and we need to perform in that." – Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley |
Media Clippings
Collingwood NewsIf Collingwood's hard-fought 11-point victory over Essendon at the MCG on Friday night is an entree to the upcoming finals series, then bring on September. The stakes were high for both sides and the blockbuster clash between traditional rivals didn't disappoint as the Magpies gave themselves an outside chance of a top-four finish with the 10.16 (76) to 10.5 (65) triumph in front of more than 85,000 fans. They didn't have it all their own way though, as the injury-plagued Bombers - missing a host of key players through injury and having to adjust to the loss of key defender Michael Hurley to a shoulder issue during the second term - took it right up to their more fancied opponent for much of the hard-hitting contest. The Bombers led by 19 points at quarter-time and showed glimpses of their best football right up until the final break, before weight of numbers eventually told and the Brodie Grundy-led Magpies flexed their muscle to win a fourth match on the trot and jump up to third place on the ladder, at least overnight. Grundy was a class above anyone else on the ground as the ruckman and Brownlow fancy tied his career-high disposals count with 33, while also contributing 35 hitouts in a tremendous individual performance matched up against Bombers' counterpart Tom Bellchambers. Herald Sun There is no bigger lock for All-Australian selection next week than Brodie Grundy. The Collingwood ruckman was named on the bench in last year’s team but has to be the starting ruck this time around. Grundy put on an absolute clinic again last night, overworking a sluggish Tom Bellchambers who returned for the Bombers after seven weeks sidelined with a calf injury. The Magpies’ big man had 8 disposals and three clearances in the first 15 minutes and finished with 33 disposals, seven clearances and 35 hit-outs. He’s going to be a serious weapon come finals. Fox Footy Ultimately, the extra grade of class across the Magpies’ line-up — and the chasm of experience at the Bombers — inspired Nathan Buckley’s men to a hard-fought 11-point victory, 10.16 (76) to Essendon 10.5 (65). Captain Scott Pendlebury (33 disposals) and likely All-Australian ruckman Brodie Grundy (33 disposals) took control of the game in the second half, while Jamie Elliott (3.4 from 18 disposals and nine marks) produced an impressive game for the second consecutive week to inspire their side to victory. Yet when Essendon fans walked out of the MCG on Friday night, they could argue there’s more upside with their team than Collingwood fans. The Age It wasn’t all great news for Collingwood ... with Moore potentially hurting his hamstring upon his return from a five game absence. He headed to the bench in the final quarter and sat out the game. Matt Scharenberg was ruled out of the game before quarter-time with concussion after he copped friendly fire from teammate Levi Greenwood when flying for a mark. Scharenberg, who has had more than his fair share of injury, will have time to recover however he would have preferred a run before finals given he was injured on the eve of last year’s finals series. Thomas hurt his knee late in the game. |
Thursday, August 22, 2019
2019 Round 23: The Team & Preview
| 2019 AFL Round 23 COLLINGWOOD v ESSENDON Time & Place: Friday August 23, 7:50pm AEST MCG TV: 7mate / Fox Footy 7:30pm AEST Weather: Min 5 Max 17 Chance of rain: 5% <1mm Wind: N 14kph Betting: Collingwood $1.38 Essendon $3.00 |
HB: Jack Crisp, Darcy Moore, Brayden Maynard
C: Tom Phillips, Scott Pendlebury, Chris Mayne
HF: Josh Thomas, Brody Mihocek, Will Hoskin-Elliott
F: Jamie Elliott, Jordan Roughead, Callum L. Brown
Fol: Brodie Grundy, Adam Treloar, Taylor Adams
I/C: Jack Madgen, John Noble, Travis Varcoe, Rupert Wills
Emg: Tim Broomhead, Tyler Brown, Ben Crocker, Josh Daicos
In: Darcy Moore
Out: Steele Sidebottom (Injured)
The 23-year-old was a revelation in the first half of the season for the Magpies in defence, and returns to the MCG after a troublesome hamstring saw him sidelined since round 17. Moore replaces Steele Sidebottom who was ruled out after rupturing a testicle and undergoing surgery on Wednesday. The Magpies have a slim chance of a top 4 finish but rely on other results to go their way. Coach Nathan Buckley is focused on the task that lies ahead in the Bombers. “We’ve got Essendon… we need to narrow our focus on that and execute the footy we’re capable of and building towards whatever September looks like for us,” Buckley said on Wednesday. Collingwood have named Tim Broomhead, Tyler Brown, Ben Crocker and Josh Daicos as the emergencies. The first bounce is set for 7.50pm, with the MCG expected to attract 83,000 fans. Jordan De Goey (hamstring) and Jaidyn Stephenson (suspension) were unavailable for selection. |
What it means for Essendon: Win and the Bombers will almost certainly remain seventh and face an away elimination final against Greater Western Sydney; lose and they will play an elimination final against either the Pies or perhaps even Richmond or West Coast. The match-up: Adam Treloar v Dylan Shiel The former Greater Western Sydney teammates might well square off at stoppages, where it will be a battle between the game's most prolific ball-winner Treloar (ranked No. 17 in the Official AFL Player Ratings) and the second-ranked Bomber (No. 34). It’s a big week for: John Noble The Pies' mid-season recruit has played two AFL games and both have been road trips to Perth and Adelaide, so he finally gets his first opportunity to play in front of a big crowd at the MCG. But don't expect the occasion to faze the speedy little man, who has made a strong start to his career. Big call: Essendon coach John Worsfold will become animated on the sidelines while Collingwood counterpart Nathan Buckley watches on with apparent indifference. Prediction: Collingwood by 19 points |
Monday, August 19, 2019
2019: LADDER ROUND 22
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Pos Position P Played Pts Points % Percentage W Won
L Lost D Drawn F Points For A Points Against
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Sunday, August 18, 2019
2019 Round 22: Collingwood 114 Adelaide 48
| 2019 AFL Round 23 COLLINGWOOD v ESSENDON Time & Place: Friday August 23, 7:50pm AEST MCG TV: 7mate / Fox Footy 7:30pm AEST Weather: Min 7 Max 17 Chance of rain: 20% <1mm Wind: WNW 12kph Betting: Collingwood $1.52 Essendon $2.48 |
ADELAIDE 0.5.5 2.6.18 3.8.26 6.12.48
GOALS - Collingwood: Elliott 5, Thomas 3, Adams 2, Hoskin-Elliott 2, Phillips 2, Varcoe 2, Maynard
BEST - Collingwood: Elliott, Treloar, Pendlebury, Maynard, Crisp, Howe
INJURIES - Collingwood: Nil
REPORTS - Collingwood: Nil
OFFICIAL CROWD - 48,175 at Adelaide Oval
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"We want to finish (in the) top four. Our part in that is winning games and winning them as well as we possibly can. We need a few results to go our way, either tomorrow or next weekend. We've got Essendon in six days' time, we need to narrow our focus on that and execute the footy we're capable of and building towards whatever September looks like for us. ... We’re seeing the type of footy that we want to play more often. That is always important to get that validation, the reminder for the players of what it feels like to be playing the way that you’re capable of and to be able to impose that on an opposition. Clearly when the stakes get higher and the opposition becomes sharper, then it becomes a little bit more difficult to execute that. But I think we’re in a pretty good space to be able to take those next steps.” – Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley |
Media Clippings
Herald SunJamie Elliott booted five goals for the first time in four years as Collingwood’s revamped small forward-line helped keep the club’s top four hopes alive with a dominant 66-point win over Adelaide. The Magpies produced another stunning on-the-road success on Saturday night, with Elliott turning on his best game for years and Jeremy Howe dragging down another mark of the year contender. Importantly for Nathan Buckley’s side, the victory lifted the Magpies’ percentage from 113.9 to 117.8, courtesy of their third-highest score of the season. It’s a validation of the Pies’ forward structure change since Mason Cox’s season-ending eye injury against Gold Coast in Round 20. Elliott has been the Magpies’ most-used target inside 50 in each of their past two matches. Fox Footy Collingwood have trounced Adelaide by 66 points to climb into the AFL’s top four and all but kill off the Crows’ finals chances. Magpie Jamie Elliott booted five goals in a resounding 17.12 (114) to 6.12 (48) triumph in Saturday’s Adelaide Oval twilight fixture. ... Elliott was dynamic, forming a dangerous forward line with Josh Thomas and Travis Varcoe who booted two goals each — as did Will Hoskin-Elliott and Tom Phillips. The fleet-footed forwards feasted on regular supply from a dominant midfield headed by captain Scott Pendlebury (34 possessions), Adam Treloar (27 disposals) and Taylor Adams, whose 24 touches featured three goals. Collingwood’s defence, marshalled by Brayden Maynard (30 disposals) and Jack Crisp (29 touches) stifled Adelaide’s attacking threats. AFL COLLINGWOOD is back in the top four after smashing Adelaide by 66 points and leaving the Crows' finals chances on life support. The Magpies turned on the after-burners in the third quarter with six unanswered goals in 22 minutes on their way to a dominant 17.12 (114) to 6.12 (48) victory at Adelaide Oval on Saturday. The game was up for grabs at half-time with the Magpies leading by 17 points before they gained control of the midfield through Adam Treloar and captain Scott Pendlebury to give their versatile attack avenues to score. Small forward Jamie Elliott (five goals) ran riot, Josh Thomas chipped in with three and Travis Varcoe and Will Hoskin-Elliott were also dangerous, kicking two each. Despite nursing a massive injury list, the Magpies (14-7) have won three games in a row to move ahead of Richmond in fourth spot on the ladder. The Age Resurgent Collingwood enhanced their top-four claims and dismissed wayward, dispirited Adelaide as an absolute finals pretender after annihilating the Crows on Saturday. The Magpies’ third consecutive victory, among their most convincing of 2019, saw them, for now, leapfrog Richmond into fourth spot on the ladder, ahead of the Tigers’ clash with West Coast on Sunday. Jamie Elliott (five goals) enjoyed an electrifying third quarter and gave hapless Luke Brown a bath while repeatedly isolated one-on-one in the square, while Adam Treloar, Scott Pendlebury and Taylor Adams had by far the better of their Crows engine-room counterparts. |
Thursday, August 15, 2019
2019 Round 22: The Team & Preview
| 2019 AFL Round 22 COLLINGWOOD v ADELAIDE Time & Place: Saturday August 17, 4:35pm AEST Adelaide Oval TV: Fox Footy 4:30pm AEST Weather: Min 10 Max 20 Chance of rain: 60% 1-5mm Wind: NNW 15kph Betting: Collingwood $2.25 Adelaide $1.63 |
HB: Jack Crisp, Jack Madgen, Brayden Maynard
C: Tom Phillips, Scott Pendlebury, Chris Mayne
HF: Callum L. Brown, Brody Mihocek, Will Hoskin-Elliott
F: Jamie Elliott, Jordan Roughead, Steele Sidebottom
Foll: Brodie Grundy, Adam Treloar, Taylor Adams
I/C: John Noble, Josh Thomas, Travis Varcoe, Rupert Wills
Emg: Tyler Brown, Ben Crocker, Josh Daicos, Mark Keane
In: John Noble
Out: Josh Daicos (Omitted)
Milestones: Levi Greenwood - Playing 150th game
The dashing half back returns to the line-up for his second AFL game after sustaining a calf injury in his debut against West Coast. Noble has been an outstanding contributor to Collingwood’s VFL side in recent weeks and replaces Josh Daicos who has been omitted from the trip to Adelaide Oval. “He’s a chance and has played some really good footy recently,” Buckley told reporters on Thursday. Levi Greenwood is set to play his 150th AFL game after starting his career at North Melbourne in 2009. The 30-year-old was drafted to Collingwood in 2014 and has played 75 games in the black and white. Collingwood have named Tyler Brown, Josh Daicos, Ben Crocker and Mark Keane as the emergencies. Brown and Daicos will travel with the team to Adelaide. The first bounce is set for 4.05pm (Adelaide time), with the Adelaide Oval expected to attract 43,000 fans. Jordan De Goey (hamstring), Darcy Moore (hamstring) and Jaidyn Stephenson (suspension) were unavailable for selection. |
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What it means for Collingwood: A win could push the Magpies up to fourth if Richmond loses to West Coast. But if the Magpies lose to the Crows, and the Tigers beat the Eagles, then the double chance in the finals is gone.
The match-up: Matt Crouch v Adam Treloar The Crows don't employ a tagger so will back their midfielders to get on top of the Magpies. Crouch (82nd overall in the Official AFL Player Ratings) is coming off a massive 43 disposals against West Coast, while Treloar (18th overall) is leading the League with 33.9 disposals per game. It's a big week for: Sam Jacobs Not only is it his 200th game, but the experienced Crows ruckman will have his hands full against Magpies star Brodie Grundy. Jacobs was strong in his return game against West Coast last week – his first appearance at senior level since round two – and will be better for the run. Big call: Crows co-captain Taylor Walker kicks four goals, including two in the last term, to keep his side's finals chances alive against an undermanned Magpies. Prediction: Crows by five points |
Sunday, August 11, 2019
2019: LADDER ROUND 21
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Pos Position P Played Pts Points % Percentage W Won
L Lost D Drawn F Points For A Points Against
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Saturday, August 10, 2019
2019 Round 21: Collingwood 70 Melbourne 53
| 2019 AFL Round 22 COLLINGWOOD v ADELAIDE Time & Place: Saturday August 17, 4:35pm AEST Adelaide Oval TV: Fox Footy 4:30pm AEST Weather: Min 9 Max 17 Chance of rain: 16% 0mm Wind: N 20kph Betting: Collingwood $2.08 Adelaide $1.75 |
MELBOURNE 1.4.10 2.6.18 3.8.26 7.11.53
GOALS - Collingwood: Mihocek 4, Pendlebury 2, Varcoe 2, Thomas, Crisp
BEST - Collingwood: Treloar, Grundy, Mihocek, Pendlebury, Sidebottom, Howe
INJURIES - Collingwood: Daicos (concussion)
REPORTS - Collingwood: Nil
OFFICIAL CROWD - 31,903 at the MCG
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"We were very passive in the last quarter. And I think that's probably not a bad reminder, too. That you need to take the game on, remain aggressive, proactive, because as soon as you sit back, you give the impetus to the opposition. ... The players are already talking about it (Q4). ... We were able to play the way that we wanted to play for the most part. We looked at Melbourne's players and the talent that they have at their disposal, you look on paper and think 'they're a challenge'. ... We understood that this game wasn't going to win itself. We had to really grind that out in the second and third quarters." – Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley |
Media Clippings
Fox FootyCollingwood remain in the hunt for a top-four finish after consigning Melbourne to more misery with a 17-point defeat at the MCG. Midfield leaders Scott Pendlebury and Steele Sidebottom were the key architects of Saturday’s 10.10 (70) to 7.11 (53) victory, which lifted the Magpies to fourth on the ladder. Pendlebury finished with 23 disposals and two goals, Sidebottom gathered 28 touches and Brody Mihocek booted four majors. AFL COLLINGWOOD is slowly lurching out of its form slump in time for finals. Nathan Buckley's men were slow out of the blocks again on Saturday at the MCG, but a five-goal-to-one second term instigated a 10.10 (70) to 7.11 (53) victory over struggling Melbourne. A late red-and-blue flurry reduced the final margin to 17 after it stretched to 42 early in the fourth quarter. The Age At least it didn’t snow. But it was no one’s idea of a classic. Melbourne and Collingwood played to a two-thirds empty house and the standard was befitting of the big snub. The first 25 minutes were goalless, and it only rarely improved from there. The Magpies extracted what they needed, clinging to the thread of a premiership chance with a bunch of first-choice players missing with a 17-point victory. They will at least play finals at 13-7. For Melbourne, the end of a dreadful season cannot come quickly enough. Their supporters are already well and truly on the road, with just 31,903 turning out, the lowest Melbourne-Collingwood crowd since the days of Victoria Park. That Collingwood won amounted to a triumph of their midfield, for in the swirling winds, it was not a day for forwards. The Magpies won through weight of possession and created enough chances to eke out a winning score. Herald Sun The Pies were no oil painting — starting and finishing poorly — but ultimately forced themselves back inside the top four. ... Collingwood’s ability to hang tough in the face of an injury crisis at the pointy end of the ladder is reminiscent of last year. ... Collingwood will persist with the experiment of playing Jordan Roughead forward, with coach Nathan Buckley “encouraged enough” with his new-look attack against Melbourne. In the absence of fellow big man Mason Cox, who will miss the rest of the season with an eye injury, Roughead started forward against the Demons having spent the rest of the year in defence. |
Thursday, August 08, 2019
2019 Round 21: The Team & Preview
| 2019 AFL Round 21 COLLINGWOOD v MELBOURNE Time & Place: Saturday August 10, 1:45pm AEST MCG TV: Fox Footy 1:30pm AEST Weather: Min 5 Max 11 Chance of rain: 80% 10-20mm Wind: WSW 25kph Betting: Collingwood $1.44 Melbourne $2.75 |
HB: Jack Crisp, Matthew Scharenberg, Chris Mayne
C: Tom Phillips, Scott Pendlebury, Josh Daicos
HF: Callum L. Brown, Brody Mihocek, Travis Varcoe
F: Jamie Elliott, Will Hoskin-Elliott, Steele Sidebottom
Foll: Brodie Grundy, Adam Treloar, Taylor Adams
I/C: Levi Greenwood, Jack Madgen, Josh Thomas, Rupert Wills
Emg: Tim Broomhead, Tyler Brown, Ben Crocker, John Noble
In: Jack Madgen
Out: Mason Cox (Injured)
The 26-year-old will provide the Magpies with much needed height after Mason Cox was ruled out for the remainder of the season after having surgery to repair a torn retina. After booting four goals last week, Will Hoskin-Elliott lines up at full forward and is set to go head-to-head with Melbourne’s Oscar McDonald. In what will be one of the most anticipated ruck contests of the season, Brodie Grundy and Max Gawn are in career best form and sit among the top 3 on the AFL Player Ratings. Collingwood have named Tim Broomhead, Tyler Brown, Ben Crocker and John Noble as the emergencies. The first bounce is set for 1.45pm, with the MCG expected to attract 45,000 fans. Jordan De Goey (hamstring), Darcy Moore (hamstring) and Jaidyn Stephenson (suspension) were unavailable for selection. |
What it means for Collingwood: The push for top four continues for the Pies after their percentage-boosting win over Gold Coast. Can almost guarantee a top-six finish with a win against Melbourne. The stat: Collingwood's biggest strength is its ability to win the ball. The Magpies lead the competition in average disposals with 403.6 a game. By contrast, Melbourne is in 13th position with an average of 363.1 touches per match. The match-up: Max Gawn v Brodie Grundy Everyone's favourite ruck battle. Gawn is ranked the best player in the competition in the AFL Player Ratings, while Grundy is sitting 3rd overall. Both were Virgin Australia AFL All Australians last year, with Gawn pipping Grundy for the starting ruck role. It's a big week for: Braydon Preuss The ruck recruit was always going to struggle to get a match ahead of Gawn but is now desperately needed as a key forward due to Melbourne's injury woes. Didn't make much of an impact against Richmond and the Dees need a marking target. Big call: Jeremy Howe loves a hanger, especially against his old side. Don't be surprised if the JLT Mark of the Year is taken in this match. Prediction: Magpies by 39 points |
Monday, August 05, 2019
2019: LADDER ROUND 20
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Pos Position P Played Pts Points % Percentage W Won
L Lost D Drawn F Points For A Points Against
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Sunday, August 04, 2019
2019 Round 20: Collingwood 120 Gold Coast 51
| 2019 AFL Round 21 COLLINGWOOD v MELBOURNE Time & Place: Saturday August 10, 1:45pm AEST MCG TV: Fox Footy 1:30pm AEST Weather: Min 6 Max 12 Chance of rain: 90% 5-10mm Wind: WNW 18kph Betting: Collingwood $1.39 Melbourne $2.94 |
GOLD COAST 3.2.20 5.2.32 6.3.39 8.3.51
GOALS - Collingwood: Hoskin-Elliott 4, Varcoe 2, Elliott 2, Sidebottom 2, Mihocek 2, Treloar, Brown, Cox, Thomas, Grundy, Pendlebury
BEST - Collingwood: Treloar, Sidebottom, Grundy, Crisp, Pendlebury, Hoskin-Elliott
INJURIES - Collingwood: Cox (eye)
REPORTS - Collingwood: Nil
OFFICIAL CROWD - 33,577 at the MCG
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"It was a step in the right direction and we need to build from that. ... It was much better. I think we just played more efficiently and it was better team football. We need to see that continue over the next three weeks and build that connection in the way that we set up the ground ... so that we can see some fluid, dynamic offence. But more importantly to defend well and we were able to defend pretty well today." – Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley |
Media Clippings
Fox FootyCollingwood have shaken off a month of patchy AFL form, with Adam Treloar starring for the depleted Magpies who have cruised past hapless Gold Coast in a 69-point win at the MCG. After losing four of their past five matches, Nathan Buckley’s men needed a confidence boost and received it in Sunday’s 18.12 (120) to 8.3 (51) victory in front of 33,577 fans. The Pies kicked their second-highest score of the season and gained almost five percentage points, as the last-placed Suns slumped to their 15th defeat in a row. Treloar was outstanding with 35 possessions, 10 clearances and a goal, but he had plenty of willing helpers. Brodie Grundy gathered 26 touches and had 43 hitouts, Steele Sidebottom had 27 disposals and kicked two goals and Scott Pendlebury was all class with 24 possessions and a goal. AFL NATHAN Buckley this week described Collingwood's form as "coughing and spluttering". In that case, Sunday's 69-point thrashing of Gold Coast was the tonic the Pies needed to feel a little better about themselves. But it was hard to know whether the victory was merely a short-term shot in the arm, or a step towards the Pies getting back to full health. Either way, it was better than the alternative – not that that was ever in danger. The 18.12 (120) to 8.3 (51) result at the MCG came with little fuss and not much fanfare, and condemned the Suns to their 15th straight defeat – the club's worst ever losing streak. It also all but assured the Pies of their spot in the top eight, a doubt that seemed ridiculous eight weeks ago but had become a possibility after a string of injuries and losses in four of their past five clashes. A depleted Collingwood, missing the likes of Jordan De Goey (hamstring), Darcy Moore (hamstring), Tom Langdon (knee), James Aish (shoulder), Daniel Wells (knee) and Jaidyn Stephenson (suspension), filled their boots in the second half. Although the Pies did suffer another injury scare, with tall forward Mason Cox missing the second half with an eye injury. It was the only sour point as the more experienced Pies overran the Suns as they fatigued in their first trip to the MCG this season, cashing in on their work to boot eight goals to three after the main break. It was also an important percentage boost for the Pies, jumping from 108.74 per cent before the clash to 113.2, which is more than the fourth-placed Richmond (who are a win ahead of the Pies). The Age The message on the back of the Collingwood banner was more philosophical than the standard run-through fare. "It's never as good or as bad as it seems," were the words facing the Great Southern Stand side of the ground at a couple of minutes before 1pm. But when Gold Coast dominated the early minutes on Sunday, kicking the first two goals, the black and white punters had cause to question the banner rhetoric. Their club's season was already in freefall, and an unthinkable result briefly beckoned. Yet those who briefly pondered whether things might actually have been worse than they appeared should have held out a bit longer. Within the space of 45 minutes, the Pies had found their groove, and the plummeting had been arrested, at least for a week. Herald Sun Collingwood big man Mason Cox was sent to see a specialist right after experiencing blurred vision from a poke in the eye that kept him out of the second half of the Magpies’ big win over lowly Gold Coast. Cox received the impact to the eye late in the second quarter and was ruled out of the rest of the game by the Magpies’ doctor as the team went on to record a 69-point win at the MCG. It was only the second win from the past six games for the injury-hit Magpies, who accumulated some handy percentage as they fight to reclaim a top-four spot ahead of the finals. Magpies coach Nathan Buckley said the team was hopeful the injury to Cox would not be serious, but the club doctor was concerned enough to seek specialist advice straight away. “Coxy got a poke in the eye. The doc ruled him out at half-time after having a look at that eye,” Buckley said. |
Thursday, August 01, 2019
2019 Round 20: The Team & Preview
| 2019 AFL Round 20 COLLINGWOOD v GOLD COAST Time & Place: Sunday August 4, 1:10pm AEST MCG TV: Fox Footy 1:00pm AEST Weather: Min 8 Max 14 Chance of rain: 20% <1mm Wind: NNE 3kph Betting: Collingwood $1.11 Gold Coast $6.25 |
HB: Jack Crisp, Matthew Scharenberg, Levi Greenwood
C: Tom Phillips, Scott Pendlebury, Steele Sidebottom
HF: Callum L. Brown, Mason Cox, Will Hoskin-Elliott
F: Jamie Elliott, Brody Mihocek, Travis Varcoe
Foll: Brodie Grundy, Adam Treloar, Taylor Adams
I/C: Tyler Brown, Ben Crocker, Josh Daicos, Jack Madgen, Chris Mayne, Josh Thomas, John Noble, Rupert Wills (Four to be omitted)
In: Levi Greenwood, Taylor Adams, Tyler Brown, Jack Madgen, John Noble, Rupert Wills
Out: Jordan De Goey (Injured), Isaac Quaynor (Injured)
New: Tyler Brown
Milestones: Jamie Elliott - Playing 100th game
Adams was a late withdrawal from the side that lost to Richmond last weekend due to hamstring soreness, while Greenwood returns after missing the past two matches due to a hamstring problem of his own. Tyler Brown, John Noble, Jack Madgen and Rupert Wills have also come into the Pies' 26-man squad. Injuries have forced Isaac Quaynor (foot) and Jordan De Goey (hamstring) out of the team. Brayden Sier (calf), James Aish (shoulder), Darcy Moore (hamstring) and Jaidyn Stephenson (suspension) were among the other players unavailable for selection. Collingwood will hold its main training session for the week on Friday morning. The Pies' 22-man team will be confirmed at 5pm that evening. Sunday's game is set to attract a crowd of around 35,000. Kids get in free as part of the AFL's Sunday Funday initiative. |
What it means for Gold Coast: After coming within a whisker of upsetting Essendon at home, a win over Collingwood at the home of football would be a great way for the bottom team to break a 14-game drought. The stat: The two teams have met in Melbourne just twice and on both occasions the Magpies posted landslide victories – by 97 points at the MCG in round 10, 2012 (the Suns' second season), and by 71 points at Docklands in round 22, 2016. The match-up: Brodie Grundy v Jarrod Witts Grundy (the second-ranked ruckman at No. 3 overall in the Official AFL Player Ratings) has had another huge season, but was below his best in the loss to Richmond and is expected to face stiff resistance from in-form Suns co-captain Witts (the ninth-ranked ruckman at No. 70), who left Collingwood at the end of 2016 for more opportunity. It’s a big week for: Mason Cox The Magpie giant contributed 18 goals in his first 11 outings this season, but has been held goalless in the past two rounds while averaging just 7.5 touches and 3.5 marks. As is the case with 100-game goalsneak Jamie Elliott, the 'American Pie' has probably kept his spot because of the Woods' injury crisis. Big call: The Suns will again surrender a late lead, providing some respite for the under-siege Woods. Prediction: Magpies by 19 points |
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