2020 Round 4: GWS 66 Collingwood 64

THE FACTS

2020 AFL Round 5 COLLINGWOOD v ESSENDON Time & Place: Friday July 3, 7:50pm AEST MCG TV: 7mate / Fox Footy Weather: 9° Chance of rain: 25% 0mm Wind: W 13kph Betting: Collingwood $1.44 Essendon $3.30

GWS                         1.3.9   4.4.28   8.6.54   10.6.66
COLLINGWOOD    2.2.14   4.4.28   8.5.53   9.10.64

GOALS - Collingwood: Stephenson 2, Mihocek 2, Phillips 2, Daicos, Crisp, Cox

BEST - Collingwood: Moore, Pendlebury, Howe, Maynard, Crisp, Wills

INJURIES - Collingwood: Howe (right knee)

REPORTS - Collingwood: Nil

OFFICIAL CROWD - 487 at the Sydney Showground

What The Pies Coach Said "His (Jeremy Howe) knee hasn't come out of it that well. We won't see him for a while, I don't think. He's been great, he's a great leader, great player. I'm devastated for him. He puts a lot into his footy, he invests all of himself into it. You are going to lose people as you go along through a season from different times and we will have to cover, and we will. It happens in footy, happens in life - things don't go your way and Howie's pretty devastated at the moment. These guys have been sitting on their heels for quite a while. We've all been taken away from doing the things we love in some shape or form and Howie loves his footy. He wears his heart on his sleeve and he invests everything of himself. We're pretty flat at the moment." – Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley

Media Clippings 7news | AAP Collingwood star Jeremy Howe faces the prospect of months on the sidelines and a complex recovery from two damaged ligaments after suffering a serious injury in Friday night's AFL clash. Howe's right knee twisted in horrible fashion when he clashed with a diving Jacob Hopper at Giants Stadium, souring the Magpies' two-point loss. GWS defender Phil Davis described the incident as "sickening" and he wasn't alone. Teammates and opponents both immediately called for assistance as it became clear that something had gone horribly wrong. Magpies coach Nathan Buckley suggested the in-form defender, who had extended his bright start to the year and was threatening to drag his team to victory on Friday, had likely damaged his medial collateral ligament (MCL) and posterior cruciate ligament (PCL). NEWS.com.au Blood was spilt and hearts were broken after Collingwood once again suffered a nail-biting defeat to the Greater Western Sydney Giants. Last year, Collingwood’s season came to an abrupt end after suffering a narrow four-point loss to the Greater Western Sydney Giants in the preliminary finals. It was a tough pill to swallow for the Magpies, having already defeated minor premiers Geelong in the qualifying final. Fast forward nine months, Collingwood were yet to register a loss in the 2020 season leading into Friday’s match at Giants Stadium, are were eager for revenge. But in a cruel twist of fate, history seemingly repeated itself, with Collingwood conceding another single-digit defeat to the 2019 finalists. The Pies desperately searched for a late winner in the dying moments, but once again, the Giants prevailed, securing a nail-biting 10.6 (66) to 9.10 (64) victory. AFL GREATER Western Sydney has inflicted Collingwood's first defeat this year and avoided a third straight loss to put its season back on track. In a fitting follow-up to their gritty preliminary final clash last year, GWS again withstood a last quarter onslaught to hang on for a 10.6 (66) to 9.10 (64) victory at Giants Stadium. Only four points separated the sides last time as the Giants booked their maiden Grand Final berth, and there was deservedly even less between them on Friday night. The returning Toby Greene was best afield with a match-winning three goals in another entertaining duel with Magpies defender Brayden Maynard, who still did his part for the black and white.  The Age It came right down to the final seconds – just like last year's classic preliminary final between these two teams, although the stakes and the spectacle didn't compare this time around. ... It was Collingwood's first loss of the season and the only blemish on their 2020 record so far, aside from their eerie round-two draw with Richmond. Worse still for Pies fans is the prospect of losing Jeremy Howe for an extended chunk of the season. Howe was involved in a bone-rattling collision with Jacob Hopper in the final term, his knee bending at all sorts of unnatural angles. Howe was helped off the field and took no further part, with coach Nathan Buckley declaring the early diagnosis was that the star backman had injured both his medial and posterior cruciate ligaments.