Fox Sports: Collingwood 2019 Season Preview

Fox Sports - Max Laughton

Fox Footy makes the case for Collingwood winning the 2019 AFL premiership. Source: FOX SPORTS

AFL 2019 Round 1 COLLINGWOOD v GEELONG Time & Place: Friday March 22, 7:50pm EDT MCG TV: 7mate / Fox Footy 7:50pm EDT Weather: Min 17 Max 27 Chance of rain 60%: < 1mm Wind: SSE 8kph Betting: Collingwood $1.60 Geelong $2.25

What would Collingwood winning the premiership look like?
Here’s what the start of a match report from September 28, 2019 could say...
Revenge truly is sweet.
The script has been flipped, with Collingwood defeating West Coast by four points to win an epic 2019 AFL Grand Final, a year after copping last-minute heartbreak.
This time it was Jordan de Goey playing the Dom Sheed role, with the young superstar kicking the Magpies ahead with just minutes to play. It’s a perfect ending to a season that saw him join the AFL’s elite, with a top three finish in the Brownlow Medal to go with it.
It was clear from the start of the season that Nathan Buckley’s side was going to be driven by last year’s pain. Dayne Beams slotted in perfectly to an already star-studded midfield, with Brodie Grundy becoming the tallest ever winner of the Norm Smith Medal.

Could Jordan de Goey be the key to the Magpies going one better in 2019? Photo by Michael Dodge/AFL Media/Getty Images Source: Getty Images

What have they done to improve from 2018?
Traded away quality draft picks, showing they’re trying to win now, not in the future.
Once it became clear Dayne Beams wanted to return home, Collingwood proved it was willing to pay up for their former star, sending away two first round picks.
While there are questions over who he replaces, given the Magpies already had the second-strongest midfield in the AFL per Champion Data, he actually does fill a real need.
None of the Pies’ four mids who are rated above average in the 2019 AFL Prospectus - Scott Pendlebury, Adam Treloar, Steele Sidebottom and Taylor Adams - are real goalkickers. Treloar and Sidebottom kicked 12 each in 2018, while Pendlebury and Adams each booted nine.
Beams kicked 18 in just 21 games; that saw him post the sixth-best average of any midfielder in the competition. The year prior, Beams kicked 20 goals in 19 matches.
When you’re in the window, you have to try and win a flag. The Pies have recognised that.

Dayne Beams is more of a goalkicker than the rest of the Pies’ star mids. Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images Source: Getty Images

The academy system
Taken advantage of the academy system to pick up a potential gem.
It’s somewhat ironic, given Eddie McGuire’s historic protests, that the academy system helped Collingwood acquire a potential star more cheaply than usual.
Isaac Quaynor was already expected to be a high draft selection, but thanks to the Next Generation Academy system (and his dad hailing from Ghana), he fell into the Magpies’ zone, allowing them to match a bid and get the halfback for much less than he otherwise would have cost in draft capital.
Quaynor is a strong chance to face Geelong in Round 1, lining up in defence - for the first of potentially hundreds of times.

Daniel Wells played just four games in 2018, and none after the Queen’s Birthday clash. AAP Image/Julian Smith Source: AAP

Why can they win the flag?
They led the 2018 Grand Final with two minutes to play.
Sorry for the reminder, but it’s a sign the Pies are already pretty close.
It’s not like they can cop worse injury luck than they have in recent years.
Every club has to deal with injuries, but some have it worse than others.
Richmond lost the fourth-fewest games to injury from their best 22 in 2017; the Bulldogs got their stars back in time for the finals in 2016. This is a major element of luck that every year impacts on the flag race.
In a sense then Collingwood overachieved last year by getting as close as it did to a premiership.
The Magpies lost 218 games from players in their best 22 because of injuries in 2018, per Champion Data. Of the eight sides that lost the most games to injury last season, only they and GWS made the finals.
This doesn’t mean they’ll suddenly bounce back and be fully healthy in 2019; luck doesn’t quite work like that.
Also, on an individual player level, health is a ‘skill’ - you have it or you don’t, and you can get better at it. A player like Daniel Wells, who has played more than 10 games once in the last five seasons, is unlikely to suddenly play all year (as good as it would be for the Pies if he did).
But it is unlikely things will get worse in 2019.

Nathan Buckley: Everything appeared to click in 2018.

Nathan Buckley
Nathan Buckley clearly figured something out in 2018.
Remember how big a circus it was around whether Bucks would be re-signed in the latter stages of 2017?
Now compare that to him signing a new contract last week. You might have even missed it.
That's a sign of how far things have come for the former club champion, as in his seventh year as Magpies coach everything appeared to click.
We know the Pies love playing for Buckley, but it shone through in their game style in 2018.
It’s been frustrating watching the club in recent years because they clearly had the talent to be better than their results said they were; in 2018, it appeared the whole team invested more heavily in defending.
In 2017, the Magpies were the 13th-best in the AFL at allowing opposition sides to score from their defensive half. In 2018, they were second-best. Funnily enough, the Pies rose from 13th on the ladder to second (post-finals) in those years as well.
Buckley had major success moving the magnets around, too. Chris Mayne had a career resurgence on the wing. Darcy Moore, when fit, impressed as a defender. Will Hoskin-Elliott and Travis Varcoe jumped from spending 25.6 per cent and 36.4 per cent of their time forward in 2017, to 79.8 per cent and 84.3 per cent in 2018 respectively.
And, of course, Mason Cox emerged as a key forward who tore a preliminary final apart.
This all bodes well for Bucks in two ways.
One, the team looks much better and settled heading into this season than it did coming into 2018. Two, we have faith that if issues do arise during 2019, he and his coaching staff can solve them.

The Pies defended much better as a team in 2018. Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images Source: Getty Images

What could stop them from winning the flag?
The fixture is much tougher this year.
For the second straight season, a team took advantage of the AFL’s fixturing rules to make the Grand Final.
Richmond and now Collingwood went from 13th to the last game of the season; partially because they had the draw of the bottom six side they were the year prior.
In contrast, as a top four side in 2018, the Magpies now face what has been judged as footy’s toughest fixture.
Compare their 2018 double-ups to 2019.
Last year: Brisbane (15th in 2018), Carlton (18th), Essendon (11th), Fremantle (14th) and Richmond (1st in H&A).
This year: Richmond (1st), West Coast (2nd), Melbourne (5th), Essendon (11th) and the Western Bulldogs (13th).
That’s six games against last year’s preliminary finalists, compared to just four games against last year’s bottom four.
The Pies also have an AFL-high eight six-day breaks; every other club, bar Essendon, has six or fewer.

The Plexiglas Principle

The Pies face West Coast twice in the 2019 home and away season. AAP Image/Julian Smith Source: AAP

Something called the Plexiglas Principle.
There’s a relatively simple concept that is often used in covering US sports, known as the Plexiglas Principle.
The idea is that when a player or team does something unusual, like make an enormous jump from year to year, it’s like bending Plexiglas; in the seasons afterwards, it’s likely it will bend back to a more normal shape. (This is an artsy way of talking about regression to the mean, basically.)
Our natural inclination is to assume a team on the rise will continue to rise, because humans love patterns. This isn’t always true; randomness means things don’t work that way.
Essentially, when a team jumps from 13th on the ladder one year to third the next, it means we shouldn’t necessarily expect them to stay there or rise. That is what Collingwood did between 2017 and 2018.
Yes, they improved because their players and tactics got better, but that doesn’t mean continued success is a sure thing.
Look at how close the margins were for the Pies on the ladder last year. They finished third by 0.3 per cent, and would’ve been fifth with one more loss.
And consider that Collingwood had one of the easiest fixtures in 2018, but face the hardest one in 2019. As shown above, they could easily lose one or two more games because their double-ups are different.
Entire games turn on the bounce of a ball. It is not far fetched that randomness, combined with a tougher fixture, will see the Pies drop out of the top four - and thus face an elimination final, rather than being able to take advantage of the double chance. It wouldn’t take much.

2019 Draw
First Six

Herald Sun: Collingwood 2019 Season Preview

Herald Sun - Chris Cavanagh

Collingwood fell agonisingly short in the 2018 Grand Final and that type of defeat can send a club one of two ways. However, looking at the Magpies list and off-season capture of Dayne Beams, Chris Cavanagh believes there’s plenty to like about the black and white in 2019.

Nine Reasons For Collingwood Fans To Get Excited

1. Brilliant Beams

Dayne Beams back in black and white.

Brisbane didn’t want to let Dayne Beams head back to Collingwood, knowing he is a quality footballer with plenty left in the tank but in the end they didn’t get much choice. Beams wanted to return to Melbourne and the club where he started his career and got his wish in the end despite being contacted to the Lions for another two years. Beams will start next season aged 29 but is coming off a runner-up finish in Brisbane’s best-and-fairest after a campaign during which he averaged 29.1 disposals and kicked 18 goals from 21 games. The midfielder will prove a massive addition to an impressive Collingwood onball brigade which already boasts Scott Pendlebury, Adam Treloar, Taylor Adams and Steele Sidebottom.

2. Grand Final Heartbreak
Grand final heartbreak can go one of two ways. It can either crush you the following season or spur you on to bigger and better things. The Magpies will be hoping the latter eventuates in 2019. Collingwood was oh so close in the 2018 Grand Final, leading by 12 points early in the last quarter before eventually falling to West Coast by five points. Nathan Buckley’s men will see it as a missed opportunity and will no doubt be determined to make amends in 2019.

3. Big Mason

A dejected Mason Cox after the
2018 AFL Grand Final.

The American Pie, Mason Cox, officially announced himself during the 2018 Finals Series. While there were some promising signs earlier in the year, Cox showed an ability to tear a game apart in Collingwood’s preliminary final against Richmond. He had 15 disposals, took 11 marks and kicked three goals in that match and went on to play an impressive second half in the Grand Final against West Coast a week later, booting two goals. The 27-year-old finished the season with just 25 goals from 24 games but, given his finish, the Magpies will be expecting plenty more out of him in 2019 as his rise from college basketballer to AFL star continues.

AFL 2019 Round 1 COLLINGWOOD v GEELONG Time & Place: Friday March 22, 7:50pm EDT MCG TV: 7mate / Fox Footy 7:50pm EDT Weather: Min 17 Max 27 Chance of rain 60%: < 1mm Wind: SSE 8kph Betting: Collingwood $1.60 Geelong $2.25

4. Curse Over?
While Collingwood made do to make a Grand Final in the end regardless, an injury curse throughout 2018 did not help the club’s cause. The Magpies had one of the lengthiest injury lists in the league week-in, week-out including many key players. Tyson Goldsack (knee) and Daniel Wells (foot) each played just four games, Ben Reid (calf) played six games, Darcy Moore (hamstring) managed seven matches and Lynden Dunn (14 games) and Matthew Scharenberg (17 games) both missed the closing stages of the season after having knee reconstructions. The injuries particularly cut deep in the back half, something that should be strengthened next season if those players can stay fit.

5. Soaring Belief
While Grand Final day didn’t go as hoped, the Magpies showed in the 2018 preliminary final against Richmond that their best football is scintillating and just about unbeatable. Collingwood brought extreme pressure around the ball, dominated the midfield battle, were hard to score against and damaging up forward.
They won that match by 39 points, with Jordan De Goey kicking four goals and Mason Cox three.

Jordan De Goey celebrates a goal in the
preliminary final win over Richmond.

It ended the Tigers’ 22-game winning streak at the MCG and back-to-back premiership hopes, providing the Magpies with enormous belief that their structures stand up against the competition’s best when they are properly carried out.

6. Talented Trio
Collingwood’s list isn’t overly old. On average the club’s Grand Final team was 173 days younger than West Coast and three players featured in the big dance during their debut seasons. They were none other than Jaidyn Stephenson, Brayden Sier and Brody Mihocek, who all have significant upside left in them. Stephenson won the AFL Rising Star award and finished the 2018 season with 38 goals from 26 games, while Sier made an impact in the midfield in second half of the season and mature-age recruit Mihocek finished the year with 29 goals from 16 games. While all sizzling debut seasons, you suspect that is just the beginning for the talented trio.

7. Buckley At Best

Nathan Buckley with Adam Treloar and
Steele Sidebottom. Picture: David Caird

There is no doubt Nathan Buckley has grown significantly as a coach over the past two years. He now has seven seasons in the top job under his belt and this is his Magpies team. Last season it was clear he had a plan and had the players on board with it. Buckley won the AFL Coaches Association Coach of the Year award for the first time, voted by his peers, which highlighted his rise and that growth he has experienced should hold the side in good stead going forward.

8. Jordan De Goey
The 2018 season was a breakout year for Collingwood forward Jordan De Goey, but you sense he is only getting better. The 22-year-old kicked 48 goals from 21 games, after a previous career-best haul of 16 goals in 2016. He has X-factor most players can only dream of and ranks elite in his position for goals, marks inside 50m, clearances and kicks. Hawthorn great Dermott Brereton compared De Goey to Richmond superstar Dustin Martin last year and while the Magpie is not quite there yet, he is well on the way.

9. The Number: 2
It’s no surprise that Collingwood’s strength is its midfield, rating as the second-best midfield and ruck combination in the competition. It’s the evenness of the group that stands out, with not one elite midfielder but four in the above average category.

2019 Draw
First Six

Roar: Collingwood 2019 Season Preview

Roar - Cameron Rose

2019 Draw
First Six

AFL 2019 Round 1 COLLINGWOOD v GEELONG Time & Place: Friday March 22, 7:50pm EDT MCG TV: 7mate / Fox Footy 7:50pm EDT Weather: Min 17 Max 27 Chance of rain 60%: < 1mm Wind: SSE 8kph Betting: Collingwood $1.60 Geelong $2.25

Collingwood were a surprise packet of the 2018 season, rocketing from a 13th-placed finish in 2017 all the way to leading a grand final with five minutes to play.
Alas, Dom Sheed kicked what has already become one of the most famous goals in VFL/AFL history, and the Magpies were denied a 16th premiership.
From a future perspective, the best thing about Collingwood’s season was the improvement they showed throughout 2018. After a 4-4 start, they only lost five more matches for the year, with three of those coming to the premiers West Coast.
The preliminary final demolition of Richmond was a case in point, given they had lost to the Tigers twice by comfortable margins earlier in the home-and-away rounds.
The Pies were both fierce and formidable in 2018. Can they sustain and then build upon that momentum to go one step further this year?

Dayne Beams

Photo Michael Dodge/Getty Images

Collingwood best 22
B: T.Langdon L.Dunn B.Maynard
HB: J.Howe D.Moore J.Crisp
C: T.Phillips S.Pendlebury S.Sidebottom
HF: D.Beams B.Mihocek W.Hoskin-Elliott
F: J.De Goey M.Cox J.Elliott
Foll: B.Grundy T.Adams A.Treloar
Int: J.Thomas J.Stephenson C.Mayne T.Varcoe
Em: T.Goldsack D.Wells L.Greenwood

Midfield
Collingwood lost no-one of note in the off-season, but welcomed back Dayne Beams from Brisbane and gained Jordan Roughead from the Western Bulldogs.
The Pies had arguably the best midfield in the competition anyway, and the addition of Beams strengthens it even further. Daniel Wells only played three full matches in 2018, so would add even more if he can ever get fit.
But just adding a gun midfielder or two to an already stacked part of the ground doesn’t necessarily equate to an improved team – we saw that with Geelong last year adding Gary Ablett and Tim Kelly to the likes of Dangerfield, Selwood, Duncan and Menegola but still tumbling down the ladder.
There is still only one footy to go around, so the addition of Beams isn’t just going to automatically add 30 disposals and a goal or two a game on what Collingwood did last year.
When thinking about who the star of the Magpie midfield is, names like Scott Pendlebury, Steele Sidebottom, Adam Treloar and Beams are hard to split. But the true answer is Brodie Grundy.
Grundy is the closest thing to Dean Cox we’ve seen since the peak years of the West Coast champion, a monster in the ruck but an enormous around the ground presence, particularly in the clinches, with his running game also unequaled by anyone over 200cm in the league.
In The Roar AFL Top 50 voting earlier this month, Sidebottom (23), Pendlebury (24), Beams (26) and Treloar (30) were all ranked around the same mark, highlighting how much class the Pies have.
Sidebottom runs all day and uses it well, time continues to stand still whenever Pendlebury has the ball, Beams is the longest kick, best mark and most natural goal-kicker of the four, while Treloar is the most explosive. What a mix.
Taylor Adams is the workhorse of the midfield, which frees up his classier teammates, and Tom Phillips assumes a completely outside role running both ways.
Young Brayden Sier has a bright future as an inside specialist, and would be a starting player in almost every other side but is probably only depth in this squad. James Aish played through the finals and looked to have finally made it, but is another that will likely get squeezed out. He did play as a back pocket in the JLT Series though, so there may be a change of role for him.

Jordan De Goey
Photo Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Jordan de Goey led the Collingwood goal-kicking with 48 last year, often deployed as the deepest forward to give opposition defenders a few nightmares. Alex Rance was toweled up by him in the preliminary final, which is a sign of de Goey’s standing in the game already.
The easy comparison is with Dustin Martin, because it’s true. Will he push more into the midfield after bursts there last year?
Jamie Elliott has a lot of fans among AFL watchers, all hoping he can stay fit and get back to his best. He’s the rare marking small forward, with great instincts, a big leap and sure hands. Jaiden Stephenson won the Rising Star from the forward pocket, with his electric pace causing problems for opponents.
Will Hoskin-Elliot has fulfilled his potential at Collingwood in a way he never could at GWS, but a cleaner bill of health has helped. Mason Cox continues to narrow the gap between his best games and his worst, as well as the length of time between those events.
Brody Mihocek played an effective role as a defensive tall forward once he came into the side, and hit the scoreboard regularly. He should hold his spot, but was still kept on the rookie list rather than being elevated. Travis Varcoe has played all over the ground in his career, but continues to provide value as a forward pocket and flanker.
The Pies forward-line is an eclectic mix that worked for them in 2018, but they will have to rediscover the same chemistry this season with Elliott back in the side.
Down back, Collingwood has plenty of options too.
Roughead has been brought into play fullback while Lynden Dunn recovers from a knee injury, and also provide cover for when Darcy Moore inevitably gets injured. Moore looked extremely sharp in the JLT Series, and we know the importance of an attacking tall defender that can be a strong marking option down there.
Tom Langdon had an outstanding finals series and has fully arrived at the top level. Jeremy Howe has been a beacon of consistency as an interceptor since arriving at Collingwood. Similar to other top sides like West Coast and Richmond, the Pies backline is well stocked in regards to winning the ball back from opposition forward attacks.

Taylor Adams
Photo Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Jack Crisp provides drive off halfback, Brayden Maynard has nailed down a spot as a tough back pocket, and there are the likes of Levi Greenwood and Tyson Goldsack as all-purpose options that can also play in other parts of the ground. Matt Scharenberg often commands a spot, but never gets a consistent run due to injury.

Draw
The Pies will want to be up and going early this year, given they have Geelong, Richmond and West Coast to open the season. They had a combined 1-6 record against those three sides in 2018.

They also have double up games against the Eagles, Tigers, Melbourne and Essendon, which shapes as difficult. You wouldn’t have to go far to find someone that has those teams as their top four.Collingwood has the best midfield in the comp, an outstanding multi-faceted forwardline, a more-than-solid defence, and unsurpassed depth. They play with ferocious intensity and high pressure, and they will be burning with hunger from getting so close to the holy grail last year.
The Pies are the team to beat when September comes around.

Prediction: second

AFLW 2019 Round 7: Collingwood 25 Brisbane 19

THE FACTS

S E A S O N O V E R

COLLINGWOOD   1.3.9   3.5.23   3.6.24     3.7.25
BRISBANE            1.1.7     1.1.7   2.4.16     2.7.19

GOALS - Collingwood: D'Arcy 2, Lambert

BEST - Collingwood: Brazill, Lambert, D'Arcy, Chiocci, Dargan

INJURIES - Collingwood: Lambert (concussion)

REPORTS - Collingwood: Nil

OFFICIAL CROWD - 2,030 at Victoria Park

What The Pies Coach Said “Brisbane had everything to play for in the second half and we still held on. I want to be here, there is no question about that. We are all about development this year and it’s an exciting place to be. We will go through the process at the end of the season. I am doing the job to the best of my ability and it’s develop these players. I can hold my head up high and put that on the table.” – Collingwood coach Wayne Siekman

Media Clippings The Age Collingwood coach Wayne Siekman is hopeful he will cling to his job for another year after the Pies finished their season on a high. For the second year running, the Magpies played the role of spoiler on the final day of the AFLW home and away season. Having denied Adelaide a grand final berth last year, the Pies led almost from the outset and hung on to deny the Brisbane Lions a preliminary final berth on Sunday. The Pies’ six-point win at Victoria Park also meant Collingwood avoided the ignominy of a winless season, and provided hope of better things to come next year, especially given gun youngster Chloe Molloy will return from injury. Herald Sun Collingwood dodged unwanted history and shaped finals destinies at Victoria Park after handing first-year side Geelong passage into the preliminary finals. Brisbane needed only to win its third game of the season against the winless Magpies to leapfrog the Cats in Conference B and take on Adelaide in next week’s finals. Instead, Collingwood snapped a six-match 2019 losing streak with a fierce early assault, then rearguard action as the Lions surged in the second half. AFL News Collingwood forward Sarah D'Arcy is far from the loudest member of the Magpie team, but she has been forced to lead from the front this year among an inexperienced forward line. By her own admission in the post-match press conference, it was one of her better AFLW games. Predominantly playing on Sharni Webb, a good match athletically, D'Arcy had 20 disposals, 11 marks and kicked two goals in a four-quarter performance. Collingwood News It wasn't a match for the ages, but the Magpies were determined to finish a poor season on a winning note. They withstood a second-half fightback from the Lions, scoring just two points in the final two terms but, thanks to some wasteful Brisbane shots on goal, had done enough. The Pies simply denied the Lions the ball in the first quarter, up 65 to 41 in disposals and 10 to three in clearances.

AFLW 2019 Round 7: The Team

AFLW 2019 Round 7 COLLINGWOOD v BRISBANE LIONS Time & Place: Sunday 17th March, 2:05pm EDT Victoria Park TV: 7mate / Fox Footy 2:00pm EDT Weather: Min 15 Max 27 Chance of rain 5%: < 1mm Wind: SSW 11kph Betting: Collingwood $2.35 Lions $1.60

Backs: Jordyn Allen, Sophie Casey, Ruby Schleicher

Half-backs: Emma Grant, Stacey Livingstone, Ash Brazill

Centre: Brittany Bonnici

Half-forwards: Darcy Guttridge, Jordan Membrey, Maddie Shevlin

Forwards: Sarah Rowe, Sarah D’Arcy, Kristy Stratton

Rucks: Eliza Hynes, Stephanie Chiocci, Jaimee Lambert

Interchange: Sharni Layton, Katie Lynch, Erica Fowler, Sarah Dargan, Georgia Gourlay, Lauren Butler, Mikala Cann

In: Butler, Cann, Fowler
Out:  Ross

Roar By the time Collingwood takes to Victoria Park for their final round clash against the Brisbane Lions, they will know whether they are still a chance of avoiding the overall wooden spoon. They would have to pray that the GWS Giants are beaten by the Geelong Cats on Friday night, and a win for the Pies would see them overtake the Giants on percentage. Regardless, Wayne Siekman’s side will be playing for pride after what has been a disappointing season, failing to win any of their six matches and going down to North Melbourne by 22 points in the Marvel Stadium double-header last Saturday night. On the other hand, the Brisbane Lions have everything to play for in what will be their second consecutive match in Melbourne, after losing to Carlton by 16 points at Ikon Park last Sunday. They must first rely on the Giants beating Geelong, and then beat the Pies by enough to overtake Carlton on percentage, and then ensure the Blues are beaten by the Western Bulldogs in the latter match. Otherwise, if the Cats win, the Lions must beat the Pies by a huge margin and ensure the Blues are beaten heavily by the Bulldogs to qualify. Any other result and the Lions will miss out altogether, so Craig Starcevich’s side will want to be switched on from the get-go. Prediction: Brisbane Lions by 18 points.

AFLW 2019 Round 6: North Melbourne 53 Collingwood 31

THE FACTS

AFLW 2019 Round 7 COLLINGWOOD v BRISBANE LIONS Time & Place: Sunday 17th March, 2:05pm EDT Victoria Park TV: 7mate / Fox Footy 2:05pm EDT Weather: Min 16 Max 29 Chance of rain 60%: 1-5mm Wind: E 10kph Betting: Collingwood TBC Lions TBC

NORTH MELBOURNE  2.2.14   4.6.30   7.8.50   7.11.53
COLLINGWOOD           2.0.12   3.0.18   3.1.19     5.1.31

GOALS - Collingwood: Guttridge 2, Grant, Rowe, Chiocchi

BEST - Collingwood: Bonnici, Lambert, Brazill, Rowe, Livingstone, Guttridge

INJURIES - Collingwood: Ross (ankle)

REPORTS - Collingwood: Nil

OFFICIAL CROWD - 10,612 at Docklands

What The Pies Coach Said "There was no expectation on us as a team (before the season). It was about improvement and development and that was my job as the senior coach of this side … we're improving week by week and that's all I can ask for. It sets us up going into next season with a young group that's improving week by week individually and as a team that, who knows, where it can go to? But that's where we're building and I'm excited about that." – Collingwood coach Wayne Siekman

Media Clippings The Age It appeared as though North Melbourne were going to run away with the game when they kicked the first two goals of the game but the Magpies did not yield. They fought back to kick the next two goals and it was an effort that represented the young Magpies' spirit during the game. Not only were the usual contributors in Ashleigh Brazill, Jaimee Lambert and Brittany Bonnici solid but the skills of youngsters Sarah Rowe, Darcy Guttridge and Jordyn Allen were outstanding whenever they won the ball. Although winless the Magpies hung in the game for three quarters against one of the premiership favourites. Herald Sun ... Collingwood’s fortunes went from bad to worse, with a late run converting what could have been a devastating loss to a 22-point defeat at the hands of the competition’s favourites. Both teams warmed up in their Marvel gear and the Pies came out like superheroes, but were eventually brought undone by the villainous Roos who — despite having some trouble early — simply punished the winless Pies at the contest. AFL News NORTH Melbourne has kept alive its dream of capturing the AFL Women's premiership in its debut season with a comprehensive victory over winless Collingwood. ... North poured more misery on the Magpies, who lost stars Jess Duffin, Emma King, Jasmine Garner and Mo Hope to the new franchise in a devastating off-season blow. Collingwood News The Roos should have ended the game as a contest earlier than it did, but wayward goalkicking ensured Collingwood started the second half only 12 points down despite seven fewer scoring shots. However, any hope of a quick Magpie start in the third quarter was dashed when the prolific Jenna Bruton (19 disposals, six clearances) won another centre clearance to set up an immediate North Melbourne goal. ... The terrier-like Brittany Bonnici was Collingwood's best, winning a game-high 21 possessions and laying 10 tackles while blunting League medallist Emma Kearney's influence in the process.

AFL 2019 Pre Season Game 2: Collingwood 77 Carlton 73

THE FACTS

AFL 2019 Round 1 COLLINGWOOD v GEELONG Time & Place: Friday March 22, 7:50pm EDT MCG TV: 7mate / Fox Footy 7:50pm EDT Weather: Min 12 Max 26 Chance of rain 40%: < 1mm Wind: WSW 22kph Betting: Collingwood $1.63 Geelong $2.28

COLLINGWOOD   2.4.16   5.7.37   9.9.63   11.11.77
CARLTON               1.0.6   5.3.33   6.6.42   10.13.73

GOALS - Collingwood: Thomas 3, Elliott 2, Varcoe, Goldsack, Sidebottom, Beams, Treloar, Phillips

BEST - Collingwood: Treloar, Sidebottom, Crisp, Beams, Pendlebury, Elliott, Moore

INJURIES - Collingwood: Nil

REPORTS - Collingwood: Nil

OFFICIAL CROWD - 6,386 at Morwell Recreation Reserve

Collingwood News Collingwood’s awesome foursome in midfield gave a tantalising taste of their A-Grade quality on Monday afternoon, starring in a dramatic four-point win over Carlton. Combining in Collingwood colours for the first time, onball quartet Adam Treloar, Scott Pendlebury, Steele Sidebottom and Dayne Beams were prolific and helped to swing the ledger against the club's bitter foes with an influential collective display. It came as the Pies withstood a late Blues fightback in Morwell to bring their JLT Community Series campaign to a close on a high with an 11.11 (77) to 10.13 (73) victory. Carlton had rallied from 21 points down at the final change to draw level late in the last term, only for Josh Thomas' third of the afternoon to seal a thrilling pre-season win. A number of returning Pies were also impressive as they continued their roads to recovery, with Jamie Elliott and Darcy Moore producing promising displays at either end of the field. Elliott kicked two goals and looked lively out of the goalsquare, while Moore limited the effectiveness of Charlie Curnow in defence in a clever smothering role. But it was through the midfield where the game was won for Collingwood. Treloar (42 disposals, one goal) and Sidebottom (31 disposals, 10 marks) were the stars of the show, frequently getting their hands on the footy ahead of their young and developing opponents in the Carlton engine room to play a leading hand in the win. Pendlebury and Beams also had 26 touches each, playing important complementary roles. At the other end, Carlton captain Patrick Cripps was a constant in the midfield, but found help hard to come by in what proved a narrow loss for a young Blues side Along with racking up 23 disposals, Cripps kicked two goals, aiding youngster Harry McKay's tally of three majors to act as one of his side's most potent forward threats. Sam Walsh followed up his impressive JLT1 performance with another solid display, winning 23 touches in the defeat, while fellow first-round draft pick Liam Stocker was named in the team but didn't enter the field of play after spending the entire game on the bench. Instead, the consistent list of performers were coming from the opposition. Along with the star quality in midfield, Jack Crisp (33 disposals, 12 marks) cleaned up everything in defence and Thomas (19 disposals, three goals) looked dangerous in the forward line as the Pies completed a near faultless preparation for round one. What we learned Collingwood: Try stopping this Collingwood midfield. It's not just the stars. Yes, there's Scott Pendlebury, Adam Treloar, Steele Sidebottom and Dayne Beams. But it just grows from there. Callum Brown looks all class, Tom Phillips wins plenty of it regardless of where he is on the field, while Levi Greenwood and Chris Mayne can pinch-hit from different parts of the ground whenever required. Throw in a ruckman who wins plenty of the footy in Brodie Grundy and the quality in depth is as good as you will see anywhere in the competition.  New faces Collingwood: The Pies didn't have any fresh faces featuring in Morwell. Next up Collingwood: Collingwood takes on Geelong in its season-opening clash at the MCG on Friday night.

AFL 2019 Pre-Season Game 2: Team

AFL 2019 Pre Season Game 2 COLLINGWOOD v CARLTON Time & Place: Monday March 11, 2:10pm EDT Morwell Recreation Reserve TV: Fox Footy 2:00pm EDT Weather: Min 13 Max 24 Chance of rain 30%: < 1mm Wind: W 25kph Betting: Collingwood TBC Carlton TBC

B: J.Aish 14 J.Roughead 23 T.Langdon 8

HB: B.Maynard 37 D.Moore 30 J.Crisp 25

C: J.Thomas 24 M.Cox 46 S.Sidebottom 22

HF: J.Stephenson 1 J.Elliott 5 T.Phillips 21

F: T.Varcoe 18 B.Mihocek 41 A.Treloar 7

Foll: B.Grundy 4 S.Pendlebury - C 10 D.Beams 11

I/C from: C.Brown 17 T.Goldsack 6 C.Mayne 16 L.Greenwood 19 J.Howe 38 T.Brown 34 J.Daicos 26 B.Reid 20 B.Crocker 39 N.Murphy 28 I.Quaynor 35 R.Wills 33

In: B.Maynard, M.Cox, A.Treloar, T.Goldsack, J.Howe
Out: F.Appleby

Notable absentees: Will Hoskin-Elliott, Daniel Wells, Taylor Adams

Collingwood News Pies name 30-man squad to face Carlton Collingwood has named a 30-man squad for Monday's JLT Community Series match against Carlton at Morwell Recreation Reserve. Mason Cox, Brayden Maynard, Jeremy Howe, Chris Mayne and Adam Treloar have been listed in the squad after not contesting JLT 1 against Fremantle. The two teams are fresh off wins in their JLT 1 encounters, where Carlton ran out nine-point winners over Essendon. The Pies will look to continue their winning ways as they edge closer their round one clash against Geelong on Friday, March 22. AFL News Veteran Pie, emerging superstar get through training unscathed IT WAS only a light workout but Collingwood's training session on Thursday held some significance because veteran defender Lynden Dunn and emerging superstar Jordan De Goey got through it unscathed. The key pair was involved in the entire 90-minute session at Olympic Park and, importantly, easily handled the agility and change of direction work. Magpie fullback Dunn, 31, underwent a left knee reconstruction last July and has gradually increased his workload to put himself in a good position to make an early-season return. Powerful forward/midfielder De Goey kicked without any issues on the left foot that was sprained during match simulation on February 15 and looks set to be available for the Pies' round one clash with Geelong at the MCG on Friday March 22. A better gauge on the pair will be Collingwood's main session on Saturday, ahead of its final JLT clash with Carlton at Morwell on Monday. Just three days after the Magpies' first JLT Community Series game, which resulted in a 27-point win over Fremantle in Perth, several stars trained lightly or not at all. In the latter camp were gun trio Jamie Elliott, Darcy Moore and Dayne Beams, each of whom attracted attention with strong showings against the Dockers. The Pies' joint club champions last year, ruckman Brodie Grundy and midfielder Steele Sidebottom, jogged and kicked a ball together before leaving the track midway through the session. Young speedster Jaidyn Stephenson appeared sore, returning briefly to the rooms before re-emerging for some individual skills when he kicked on either foot. Tough backman Brayden Maynard didn't play against Fremantle and failed to make an appearance on the track. Veteran midfielder Daniel Wells (foot) was also a no-show. Will Hoskin-Elliott briefly wandered among his teammates, his left knee bandaged after undergoing surgery that is expected to keep him sidelined for at least round one. In Grundy's absence, forward/ruckman Mason Cox and rookie Max Lynch practiced their ruckwork at boundary throw-ins.

AFLW 2019 Round 6: The Team

AFLW 2019 Round 6 COLLINGWOOD v NORTH MELBOURNE Time & Place: Saturday 9th March, 4:45pm EDT Docklands TV: 7mate / Fox Footy 4:40pm EDT Weather: Min 15 Max 28 Chance of rain 10%: < 1mm Wind: S 7kph Betting: Collingwood $5.50 North Melbourne $1.15

Backs: Jordyn Allen, Sophie Casey, Iilish Ross

Half-backs: Emma Grant, Stacey Livingstone, Ash Brazill

Centre: Brittany Bonnici

Half-forwards: Darcy Guttridge, Jordan Membrey, Sarah Dargan
   
Forwards: Sarah Rowe, Sarah D’Arcy, Katie Lynch

Rucks: Eliza Hynes, Stephanie Chiocci, Jaimee Lambert

Interchange: Sharni Layton, Kristy Stratton, Maddie Shevlin, Ruby Schleicher, Georgia Gourlay

Emerg: Lauren Butler, Mikala Cann

In: D’Arcy, Gourlay
Out:  Alexander, Kuys

Collingwood News Sarah D'Arcy Collingwood forward Sarah D’Arcy will return to the Magpies' AFLW side for their round six match against North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium on Saturday. D’Arcy was sidelined for the Pies’ round four and five matches due to hamstring tightness. Also re-joining the side is first year player Georgia Gourlay, who hasn’t taken to the field since the Pies’ 33-point loss to Fremantle in round three. And Collingwood defender Iilish Ross is preparing to come face-to-face with her housemate, Emma King, in the North Melbourne clash. “We haven’t spoken too much about it, but I’m sure closer to the game there will be a little bit more banter,” Ross told collingwoodfc.com.au. “We like to keep it as friends rather than rivals.” King was the Pies’ leading ruckman throughout the club’s first two seasons in AFLW, before departing for the Roos at the end of the 2018 season along with Jasmine Garner, Moana Hope and Jessica Duffin. This season marks Ross’ second year at the Holden Centre, having been selected with pick 13 in the 2018 draft.

Roar The second of three matches on Saturday will see the first professional Australian rules football match played under the Marvel Stadium banner, the Docklands venue previously known as Etihad Stadium having been renamed last September. In fact, the venue will see its first AFLW double-header when Collingwood and North Melbourne go head-to-head in what is sure to be a grudge match, especially with new Roos Jasmine Garner and Moana Hope set to come up against their former club. After four straight wins to start life in the AFLW, the Roos came crashing back down to earth last week, easily beaten by the Adelaide Crows by 35 points in their first and only home game in Melbourne for the season. They’ll be hoping to bounce back against a Collingwood side which has without doubt been the biggest disappointment story of the season, being the only side without a win after five rounds. They did have their chances against Carlton at Princes Park last Saturday night, only for a late goal by the Blues’ Darcy Vescio to sink them at the death. At this rate, it’ll be hard seeing when their next win will come, and I can’t see it happening this Saturday night. Prediction: North Melbourne by 20 points.

AFL 2019 Pre Season Game 1: Collingwood 111 Fremantle 84

THE FACTS

AFL 2019 Pre Season Game 2 COLLINGWOOD v CARLTON Time & Place: Monday March 11, 2:10pm EDT Morwell Recreation Reserve TV: Fox Footy 2:00pm EDT Weather: Min 12 Max 26 Chance of rain 40%: < 1mm Wind: WSW 22kph

COLLINGWOOD     1.1.7   7.5.47     10.5.65   17.9.111
FREMANTLE        5.3.33    6.5.41     9.11.65   12.12.84

GOALS - Collingwood: Varcoe 3, Stephenson 2, Elliott 2, Miihocek 2, Daicos 2, Beams, Phillips, T.Brown, Sidebottom, Crocker, Wills

BEST - Collingwood: Sidebottom, Pendlebury, Varcoe, Grundy, Phillips, Elliott

INJURIES - Collingwood: Nil

REPORTS - Collingwood: Nil

OFFICIAL CROWD: 5,245 at Joondalup Arena

Collingwood News Collingwood's forgotten dynamo Jamie Elliott slotted seamlessly back into a multi-pronged attack while returning star Dayne Beams whet fans' appetites as the Magpies overcame a spirited Fremantle outfit by 27 points on Monday. Meanwhile, prized Dockers recruit Jesse Hogan made a quiet debut in purple, although former Giants tall Rory Lobb gave fans a glimpse of his potential playing mainly in the ruck. Elliott missed the entire 2018 campaign due to recurring hamstring injuries but was lively in a welcome comeback, finishing with two majors alongside young gun Jaidyn Stephenson (two) and veteran Travis Varcoe (three). In his return to Collingwood after four years in Brisbane, Beams provided an early highlight when he flew for a chest mark and converted the Pies' first major against the run of play, before finishing with 25 disposals.  Temperatures topped 37 degrees at bouncedown, and the Magpies had to fight back in energy-sapping conditions after giving away a 26-point lead at quarter-time to run out 17.9 (111) to 12.12 (84) winners. Coming back from a concerning navicular stress fracture, ex-Melbourne spearhead Hogan covered plenty of territory but picked up only six touches and went scoreless before being put on ice during the third quarter. Emerging tall Brennan Cox was the Dockers' main threat inside 50, booting three goals before half-time to keep his name in the mix for round one against North Melbourne. Lobb was recruited mainly to play forward but in the absences of first-choice big men Aaron Sandilands (calf) and Sean Darcy (back/hamstring) he was required to lead the ruck. The ex-Giant competed strongly against All Australian Brodie Grundy and was busy around the ground, picking up 20 touches. The Dockers were missing some key midfield personnel, headlined by Nat Fyfe (elbow), but matched Collingwood's star-studded, albeit understrength, onball division in clearances (41-38) and dominated inside 50s (60-46). Michael Walters (21 disposals, seven clearances) and Bradley Hill (28 possessions, one goal) provided enough drive, while Andy Brayshaw impressed in his comeback from his broken jaw suffered in last year's Western Derby. Brayshaw appears set for more midfield time after Lachie Neale's departure and racked up 25 touches and four clearances. There were plenty of positives for Freo, although a scare went through the camp when young defender Griffin Logue limped off late coming back from a season ruined by a foot problem. It was the usual suspects for the Pies tallying bulk possessions, with skipper Scott Pendlebury (34 disposals) and Steele Sidebottom (34) bringing their own football. Collingwood was missing Adam Treloar (rested), Taylor Adams (finger) and Jordan De Goey (foot) but, with arguably the AFL's deepest engine room, received more than enough grunt from gun ruck Grundy, Josh Thomas, Tom Phillips and Beams.  Aided by a stiff breeze, Fremantle dominated the first term and Cox took full advantage of a 17-10 inside 50 count, booting two goals as the Dockers took a 26-point lead into the opening break. The visitors put the foot down with the wind at their backs in the second, hitting the front at the long break after a six-goal-to-one term, highlighted by NAB AFL Rising Star Stephenson lighting up attack with his blistering pace. Collingwood booted seven unanswered goals either side of half-time to grab control of the game, before Freo goalsneak Hayden Ballantyne broke the drought with a clever snap. It kickstarted a fightback, and the Dockers drew level at the final change after at one stage trailing by 22 points, but fell short against last year's beaten grand finalists. What we learned Collingwood: The Pies' fleet-footed forward line helped carry them to a Grand Final last season, and Jamie Elliott looms as the X-factor which could take the attack to another level. Elliott's smarts at ground level and overhead ability should complement giant American tall Mason Cox, versatile Brody Mihocek and speedsters Jaidyn Stephenson, Travis Varcoe, Josh Thomas and Will Hoskin-Elliott. What the Pies lack in height they make up for in a variety of dangerous options. New faces Collingwood: Returning star Dayne Beams got his second stint as a Pie underway in excellent fashion with a well-judged contested mark before slotting Collingwood's opening goal and was busy with 25 touches. Jordan Roughead made a solid debut playing on the last line, while Isaac Quaynor showcased his athleticism and willingness to dash from half-back and looked comfortable at the level. Next up  Collingwood faces arch-rival Carlton in Morwell next Monday.

AFLW 2019 Round 5: Carlton 34 Collingwood 29

AFLW 2019 Round 6 COLLINGWOOD v NORTH MELBOURNE Time & Place: Saturday 9th March, 4:45pm EDT Docklands TV: 7mate 4:40pm EDT Weather: Min 13 Max 25 Chance of rain 50%: < 1mm Wind: S 10kph Betting: Collingwood TBC North Melbourne TBC

CARLTON               1.5.11     1.6.12   2.7.19   4.10.34
COLLINGWOOD      0.0.0     2.4.16   4.5.29     4.5.29

GOALS - Collingwood: Lynch, Allen, Guttridge, Rowe

BEST - Collingwood: Brazill, Lambert, Rowe, Allen, Chiocci

INJURIES - Collingwood: Nil

REPORTS - Collingwood: Nil

OFFICIAL CROWD -  3,215 at Princes Park

What The Pies Coach Said "Heaps of improvement again. That second and third quarter we pretty much dominated Carlton and got our reward for it, too. We've been working heaps on our forward pressure, and Carlton couldn't get it out, it was just turnover after turnover … that last quarter, Carlton stepped it up again, and we just couldn't get our hands on the footy to play the way we wanted to play and that was the difference in the end." – Collingwood coach Wayne Siekman

Media Clippings The Age Carlton have come from behind to ensure rivals Collingwood remain winless after five rounds in the AFLW, defeating the Magpies by five points in an exciting, seesawing encounter in Melbourne. After a week of criticism following their four-game losing streak, Collingwood started the fourth quarter with an unlikely 10-point lead. But Carlton hit the lead 12 minutes into the final term with an excellent snap goal from Darcy Vescio to ensure the Blues ran away with the win 4.10 (34) to 4.5 (29) in front an Ikon Park crowd of 3215. Herald Sun Carlton has moved into second spot on the Conference B ladder after a hard-fought come-from-behind win over Collingwood at Ikon Park on Saturday night. The Blues trailed by 10 points at the final change and didn’t regain the lead until there was just under four minutes left on the clock courtesy of a Darcy Vescio goal. It was heartbreak for the Pies who remain winless in season 2019. AFL News The Magpies have consistently struggled to get a score on the board this year. Having lost forwards Christina Bernardi, Jasmine Garner and Moana Hope to other clubs, and Sarah D'Arcy to a hamstring injury, it was up to 18-year-olds Katie Lynch and Jordy Allen, 19-year-old Guttridge, fourth-gamer Sophie Alexander and seventh-gamer Jordan Membrey to hold the fort. They combined better than any Magpies forward combination this year, kicking their highest score.