2020 Round 13: Collingwood 65 North Melbourne 35

THE FACTS

2020 AFL Round 14 COLLINGWOOD v CARLTON Time & Place: Sunday August 30, 3:35 PM AEST The Gabba TV: Fox Footy Weather: 14°- 24° Rain: 0.0mm Wind: NE 9kph Betting: Collingwood $1.68 Carlton $2.15

COLLINGWOOD             1.2.8   4.3.27   8.3.51   10.5.65
NORTH MELBOURNE    2.1.13   3.4.22   5.5.35    5.5.35

GOALS - Collingwood: Ruscoe 2, Thomas, Daicos, Cox, Appleby, Adams, Pendlebury, Sidebottom, Hoskin-Elliott

BEST - Collingwood: Pendlebury, Adams, Maynard, Moore, Sidebottom, Mayne, Daicos

INJURIES - Collingwood: Nil

REPORTS - Collingwood: Nil

OFFICIAL CROWD - 2,443 at The Gabba

The Coach Steele leaves on a high as Pies vow to 'share the load' Collingwood News "He'll (vice-captain Steele Sidebottom) get himself back. He's 95 per cent pumped to get back and be with his partner (who is giving birth) and to go through the next couple of weeks. He's five per cent bummed that he's missing what is the next couple of weeks of our campaign. We believe we've been a club that shares the load and steps up to cover for each other as much as we possibly can. We still believe that it's our way forward. It's not about who, it's about how. We need to improve our how. We saw elements of it tonight and we want to continue that. But we've got stiff opposition to come in Carlton in six days' time. We're looking forward to that challenge. That will be without Steele, but we'll have 22 fit blokes ready to go. Hopefully, Steele can find his way back and return for the tail-end of the campaign." - Nathan Buckley

The Game Pies do enough to shrug off Roos The Age Collingwood won't win the premiership playing football as they did on Monday night but by beating North Melbourne they at least enhanced their chances of buying enough time to regain the kind of form that briefly made them flag favourites this year. In a performance that could kindly be described as gritty, Nathan Buckley's side made heavy work of the 17th-placed Kangaroos, trailing early in the third quarter at the Gabba following a Jy Simpkin major. To that point, the Pies had been outgunned in the middle and overly cautious with the ball, repeatedly retreating and giving North the scent of an upset victory. But for all their foibles, Collingwood still had North's measure. Repelled time and time again by the human sponge that is Darcy Moore, the Kangaroos were let down by their sloppy skills which ultimately handed the Pies victory on a silver platter.  Magpies hardly convincing but do enough against North to hold onto top eight spot — for now Fox Footy Collingwood did just enough to keep its spot in the top eight but copped a major scare from North Melbourne at the Gabba, winning by 30 points. The Magpies (7-5-1) looked terrible in the first quarter and a half, turning the ball over constantly and having no rhythm as the lowly Kangaroos (3-10) took a surprising lead. But normality was restored in the second half as the Roos continued to make mistakes and Nathan Buckley’s side capitalised, with Taylor Adams’ excellent season continuing as one of their best. There were no late changes to either side. It was a low-quality start from both teams with frequent missed passes and turnovers, despite perfect conditions at the Gabba, and a miskick deep in defence handed Trent Dumont a set shot and the opening goal for North Melbourne. The Magpies’ major issues connecting to their forward line showed up early. It took until their eighth inside 50 to record a scoring shot – a long-distance behind. The run home: Who'll be in the eight when it matters? The Roar - Stirling Coates 7th – Collingwood 7-5-1, 109.1% Remaining fixture: Blues (Gabba), Lions (Gabba), Suns (Gabba), Power (TBA) Did themselves an almighty favour last night in downing the Roos and now control their own destiny. The ladder says they have a six-point lead on the chasing pack but, having played 13 games to Melbourne, Carlton and GWS’ 12, it’s really only two – and their run home is tough. That makes their next clash against the Blues the most important match in this rivalry since Carlton killed off Collingwood’s top four chances in 1994. On current form, I can’t back the Pies against Brisbane or Port so, if they fall to the Blues, even going 1-3 with a win against the Suns would leave them at 8-8-1 – highly unlikely to make the eight. Knocking off Carlton puts their arch-rivals well behind the eight ball and, even if they lose to the Lions and Power, gives them enough on the board to see off the others. If they lose? Game on. Collingwood keeps finals hopes alive with win over North Melbourne Daily Telegraph Collingwood has some breathing space within the top eight after a scrappy 30 point win over a determined but at times wayward North Melbourne at the Gabba on Monday night. The game never reached any great heights as a spectacle with only seven goals scored in the first half with both sides constantly turning the ball over. If anything Kangaroos looked a little more poised in the first term but as the game wore on, Collingwood’s experience, led by it’s midfield general Steele Sidebottom and Scott Pendlebury, shifted momentum their way. A four-goal-to-two third term set Collingwood up with 16 point lead at the last change, the biggest of the match at that stage, and on the way to a much needed win following a heavy loss to Melbourne last week. It took some Pendlebury brilliance for Collingwood to break the deadlock with a passage of play in the third quarter that allowed the Pies to regain lead and never look back. Pies ease past Kangas to keep finals hopes intact AFL YOU CAN always bank on Scott Pendlebury. With his Collingwood side struggling to click into gear against an equally wayward North Melbourne on Monday night, the club's talismanic skipper sensed the moment and decided to do it himself. Through sheer force of will, and through his trademark class on the many occasions where he found the footy, Pendlebury spearheaded a second-half surge that inspired a hard-earned 30-point Magpies victory. Pendlebury had 11 disposals and a goal in the third quarter alone, steadying the ship with his composure at the contest as Collingwood wriggled clear of a gallant North Melbourne to win 10. 5 (65) to 5. 5 (35). He finished with 28 touches for the night, duly supported by Taylor Adams (31 disposals, one goal) and Steele Sidebottom (23 disposals, one goal) in a Magpies midfield that eventually bested their younger Kangaroos counterparts. While the victory was by no means convincing, it was important.  The result lifts Collingwood to seventh on the ladder with just four matches remaining in its season, creating a valuable two-game buffer between itself and the ninth-placed Melbourne. Collingwood consolidates a spot in the top eight with 30-point win over North Melbourne at the Gabba ABC News Collingwood gave their AFL finals hopes a significant boost with a hard-fought 30-point victory over North Melbourne. Neither of the injury-hit sides produced anything like their best football in an untidy contest at the Gabba. But the Magpies' superior work around the contest in the second half saw them pull away to secure a vital 10.5 (65) to 5.5 (35) win on Monday night. It moved them into seventh spot on the ladder, six points clear of Carlton, GWS and Melbourne — the nearest sides outside the top eight — who all have a game in hand. They meet the Blues in a huge clash at the Gabba on Sunday.