2019 Round 23: Collingwood 76 Essendon 65

THE FACTS

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

COLLINGWOOD   3.1.19   6.7.43   8.9.57    10.16.76
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

What The Pies Coach Said "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 News If 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.