Shaw on Buckley

SUPERFOOTY

Pre-Season Game 2 Collingwood v Carlton Sunday March 15, 4.40pm Queen Elizabeth Bendigo Fox Footy 4.30pm Weather: Min 12 Max 24 Chance of rain 5%: < 1mm Wind: SSE 21kph Betting: Collingwood $1.45 Carlton $2.75

COLLINGWOOD legend Tony Shaw says Nathan Buckley’s favourite son status won’t save him if the Pies’ slide continues.
Shaw told the Herald Sun he didn’t see Buckley in the gun, but said a “volatile” coaching industry meant his side had to start performing soon.
Buckley is contracted until the end of 2016 and his regeneration strategy has the backing of club chiefs.
But it’s Collingwood’s drop from fourth to sixth to 11th in his three years in charge that has the sharks starting to circle.
Shaw, a 1990 premiership captain and Norm Smith medallist, was told to resign as Magpie coach in 1999.
“It doesn’t matter what name you are, whether you’re a favourite son — and I’ve been through it — you’ve got to pay a price, but I hope it doesn’t happen because I’ve got enormous respect for the bloke,” Shaw said.
“I reckon they had heaps of excuses (last year), but the excuses fall by the wayside if they continue. It’s a big year, you’d hope they make the eight.
“He’s got two years left on the contract so I wouldn’t think anything would be done unless it’s disastrous and they were non-competitive in a lot of areas until his contract is up.
“The pressure is on, of course. You’ve got to keep competitive and keep winning, but poor clubs make poor decision. Ed’s backed him in and they’ve gone down that track.”
Former Collingwood ruckman Darren Jolly, who was delisted by the Pies in 2013, said it was obvious his old side was “under the pump this year”.
“I’m sure he (Buckley) is probably feeling a bit of pressure to get the season underway and we’ll have to wait and see,” Jolly said.
“I’m sure they would have liked to have finished a bit higher the last few years, but ‘Bucks’ knows what he’s doing and they’re a big club with a lot of professional people.”
Incredibly, not one of 20 experts in the Herald Sun Footy 15 magazine, available tomorrow, has tipped Collingwood to play finals this year.
But Pies staffers remain bullish over what they claim is their best pre-season for some time, with a healthy list the cause for most optimism after a nightmare run of injuries in 2014.
Premiership defender Michael Christian, part of the fabled 1990 flag side, said he couldn’t understand the rumblings.
“I’ve heard people say this is a make or break year, but I don’t subscribe to the view that if Collingwood don’t make the eight in 2015 then we’ve got to start panicking,” Christian said.
“I’m quite optimistic and I still think there’s another 2-3 years with this group to hopefully make a Grand Final. I see 2016 as a real year where progress needs to be made and I don’t think it all hinges on 2015.”
Buckley delivered a stirring speech at Thursday night’s Collingwood season launch, finishing with a pointed reference to those critical of his progress.
“There’s plenty of people asking questions out there, about what we’re capable of,” Buckley told the crowd.
“They can ask all the questions they like. Only what we do on the park is going to count.”

Injury List

Collingwood News

Pre-Season Game 2 Collingwood v Carlton Sunday March 15, 4.40pm Queen Elizabeth Bendigo Fox Footy 4.30pm Weather: Min 12 Max 24 Chance of rain 5%: < 1mm Wind: SSE 21kph Betting: Collingwood $1.45 Carlton $2.75

On 12 March, Director of Football Neil Balme provided an update on the injury status of the following players.

Lachlan Keeffe (hamstring)
"Lachie hurt his hamstring last week so he is short-term, meaning I don’t think he will play against Carlton this week but he won’t be far away."

Brent Macaffer (knee)
"Brent is medium term injury. He’s still recovering from his knee reconstruction. So he’ll be medium- to longer-term, only because we’re going to give plenty of time. "

Jonathon Marsh (hamstring)
"Jonathon is in the same boat as Darcy Moore and Paul Seedsman (medium-term). He had serious hamstring surgery and will require conditioning."

Darcy Moore (toe)
"Darcy, with his toe, is in a similar position to Paul Seedsman and Jonathon Marsh (medium-term). He’s in full training, but he’s not quite available to play because of the conditioning element."

Paul Seedsman (hip)
"Paul is in full training. He’s not available to play, meaning he hasn’t done enough conditioning. He won’t be far away at all. He’s relatively available but not for this week (medium-term)."

Matthew Scharenberg (knee)
"Matt, who had a knee reconstruction last August, is in a similar position to Brent Macaffer but he’s probably in advance of Brent. Whilst he’s probably still medium-term because he’s got some work to do, he’s still in pretty good shape. He’ll be relatively soon"

Clinton Young (hamstring)
"Clinton is still medium-term with his hamstring, meaning he’ll be some weeks - we’re not quite sure how many. He’s training but he’s still a fair way off."

Collingwood's injury list explained

In 2015, Collingwood will be using the following method to categorise its injuries:

Short-term
A short-term injury indicates that there is some chance a player will play in the VFL or AFL on the coming weekend, but it is more likely that they won't.

Medium-term
If a player has sustained a medium-term injury, it is considered that he will require more than a two weeks to return to the VFL or the AFL, but the club is unsure exactly how long it will be.

Long-term
If a player has sustained a long-term injury, that means it will be more than six weeks until they play football at either VFL or AFL level.
"We normally talk about how many weeks players are going to miss, but we never know for sure," Director of Football Neil Balme explained.
"It’s always a bit of a guess. This stops us from saying two-to-three weeks, which then turns into 18 weeks, which can quite often happen."

Pre Season Game 2: The Squad

Collingwood News

Pre-Season Game 2 Collingwood v Carlton Sunday March 15, 4.40pm Queen Elizabeth Bendigo Fox Footy 4.30pm Weather: Min 12 Max 27 Chance of rain 5%: < 1mm Wind: S 16kph Betting: Collingwood $1.45 Carlton $2.75

The addition of four big names to Collingwood’s 29-man squad and the promise of a capacity crowd means Sunday’s trip to Bendigo to face Carlton will take on a rare class of interest for a NAB Challenge fixture.
Collingwood set to field a team comprising premiership stars Dane Swan, Scott Pendlebury, Travis Cloke and Jarryd Blair for the first time in 2015.
The quartet was absent from the line up when the team last played against Hawthorn on 26 February.
Third-year defender Adam Oxley is the only missing member from the team that beat the Hawks by 44 points.
Each of the four inclusions will each be eager to get their campaigns off and running after a middling end to 2014.
Swan and Cloke sat out the final rounds owing to injury, while Pendlebury and Blair were left to swim against the tide in a midfield that was lacking experience.
As coach Nathan Buckley told those gathered at Collingwood’s Season Launch and Hall of Fame Dinner on Wednesday night, the team’s best 22 is yet to be determined, meaning Sunday’s match will mark another opportunity for several youngsters to press their claims for a senior berth against Brisbane in round one.
Experienced recruits Levi Greenwood, Travis Varcoe and Jack Crisp will look to build on their promising starts to life as Magpies, and so, too, will Jordan De Goey.
The fifth overall selection in last November’s National Draft was an eye-catcher in the win over Hawthorn and has been given another opportunity to gain senior experience.
Carlton, meanwhile, has regained several stars for Sunday’s match.
Champion onballer Chris Judd will appear for the first time in 2015, as will Bryce Gibbs, Michael Jamison, Lachie Henderson and Andrew Carrazzo.
Collingwood’s 29-man squad will be trimmed to 26 ahead of the match.
The club’s VFL team is set to face Geelong in its first practice match of the year at Simonds Stadium at 12pm on Saturday.

Collingwood’s Squad
1. Alex Fasolo
2. Sam Dwyer
4. Brodie Grundy
5. Jamie Elliott
6. Tyson Goldsack
7. Ben Kennedy
8. Tom Langdon
9. Jesse White
10. Scott Pendlebury (captain)
11. Jarryd Blair
13. Taylor Adams
16. Nathan Brown
18. Travis Varcoe
19. Levi Greenwood
21. Nathan Freeman
22. Steele Sidebottom
24. Josh Thomas
25. Jack Crisp
26. Marley Williams
28. Ben Sinclair
29. Tim Broomhead
31. Jackson Ramsay
32. Travis Cloke
33. Patrick Karnezis
34. Alan Toovey
35. Jordan De Goey
44. Corey Gault*
45. Jack Frost*
*Denotes rookie

IN: Jarryd Blair, Travis Cloke, Scott Pendlebury, Dane Swan
OUT: Adam Oxley

McGuire: Season 2015

SUPERFOOTY

Pre-Season Game 2 Collingwood v Carlton Sunday March 15, 4.40pm Queen Elizabeth Bendigo Fox Footy 4.30pm Weather: Min 12 Max 27 Chance of rain 5%: < 1mm Wind: S 16kph Betting: Collingwood $1.45 Carlton $2.75

COLLINGWOOD president Eddie McGuire has urged his club to seize the moment, suggesting it is possible for the Magpies to snatch an unlikely flag.
On a night the Pies feted their 1990 premiership team at a season launch at Crown palladium, McGuire sought to link the club’s drought-breaking heroes and its unproven 2015 group.
“The fabled 1990 premiership team had an average age of 23 when we won that flag and in 2015 our average age of players is 23. So it’s never too early and it’s never too late,” McGuire told 1000 guests.
“Don’t think about tomorrow. Season 2015 is fair and square on the agenda for us to do the best we possibly can.”
The Magpies have slipped from fourth to sixth to 11th in Nathan Buckley’s three years in charge, as the club continues to regenerate after its 2010 triumph.
“We’ve got room for more silverware, we’ve got room for more premiership flags,” McGuire said.
“This is a club that, ever since its inception in 1892, has brought people together. It means so much to us. It’s a humbling experience to represent the Collingwood Football Club, whether you just barrack for the team, whether you’ve got the ultimate honour of running onto the MCG as a player or whether you’re in my situation as somebody who never forgets how privileged the position is as president of Collingwood.”
McGuire said the black and white army was building again, with more than 67,000 members already signed after a record total of 80,456 signed up last year.
“A lot of that is because of the players who played Hawthorn last week, so I say this to ‘Bucks’ and all the players - the membership will spike if we go out and belt Carlton in Bendigo on Sunday,” he said.
McGuire said the $70 million Olympic Park facility was on track to be completed by September, while revealing the Pies had secured a new five-year deal to stay at the MCG.

Pre-Season Game 2: Big Guns Back

SUPERFOOTY

Pre-Season Game 2 Collingwood v Carlton Sunday March 15, 4.40pm Queen Elizabeth Bendigo Fox Footy 4.30pm Weather: Min 11 Max 26 Chance of rain 5%: < 1mm Wind: SW 15kph Betting: Collingwood $1.45 Carlton $2.75

COLLINGWOOD will welcome back big guns Dane Swan and Scott Pendlebury against Carlton as Ben Reid creeps closer to a NAB Challenge hit-out.
The Magpies take on their arch rival in Bendigo on Sunday afternoon, aware they are still well short of finalising their best 22 for Round 1 against the Brisbane Lions.
Nervous Pies fans who watched injury-plagued Reid struggle through 2014 will be reassured he has not missed a beat since a minor calf muscle twinge in December.
Footy boss Neil Balme said yesterday Reid was basically ready to go, with the Pies now deciding whether to play him on Sunday or in the following weeks.
Swan, Pendlebury and Travis Cloke are expected to play this weekend after missing the club’s NAB Challenge win over premiers Hawthorn in Tasmania.
Scott Pendlebury is set to face Carlton. Picture: Colleen Petch
“(Reid) trained well today so he is pretty right, it will just be another conscious decision of when we play him,’’ Balme said.
“Maybe against Carlton but maybe not. It hasn’t been decided yet but to my mind he looks terrific.
“He has done the cadence, as they call it, built up in intensity so now he’s nearly there. It was a relatively minor issue but we had a fairly significant reaction to it because of his soft-tissue prevalence.
“But he’s been terrific since he’s been back.”
The Pies have a final NAB Challenge game against Richmond, with most sides expected to have a VFL practice match in the week before Round 1 to help players short on match practice.
Swan has built in intensity since another round of off-season surgeries while skipper Pendlebury has recovered from post-season shoulder surgery.
Both played in a recent intra-club, with Paul Seedsman only a few weeks away after hip surgery.
The Pies and Blues hope to sell out Bendigo’s Queen Elizabeth Oval, which has a capacity of 10,000.
Balme said the Pies had plenty of spots up for grabs with such a young list, which means the next fortnight is a virtual Round 1 audition for many youngsters.
The Pies will launch their season tonight, with the 1990 premiership side to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
In the 44-point win over a half-strength Hawthorn young tall Corey Gault and Jordan de Goey both impressed, as did forwards Patrick Karnezis and Jesse White.

1990 Side Enters Collingwood Hall of Fame

AFL

Pre-Season Game 2 Collingwood v Carlton Sunday March 15, 4.40pm Queen Elizabeth Bendigo Fox Footy 4.30pm Weather: Min 11 Max 26 Chance of rain 5%: < 1mm Wind: SW 15kph Betting: Collingwood $1.45 Carlton $2.75

ST KILDA coach Alan Richardson will be one of 45 former players and staff from the 1990 premiership team inducted into the Collingwood Hall of Fame on Wednesday night as the Magpies honour the people who helped break a famous flag drought.
Richardson was unlucky to miss the 1990 Grand Final after failing a brutal fitness test conducted by then coach Leigh Matthews, who tested Richardson's injured shoulder with a quick bump as he left the track.
Shane Kerrison replaced Richardson, who had played 18 games that season, and performed well in the decider.
Richardson played 114 games for the Magpies from 1987-96. Coleman medallist Brian Taylor and popular defender Ron McKeown were also unlucky to not make the team in 1990, led by coach Matthews and skipper Tony Shaw.
The latter was brilliant during the finals series and won the Norm Smith Medal.
Sadly, Darren Millane, who held the ball as the siren went to signal the Magpies' first flag for 32 years – breaking a sequence of nine Grand Final appearances without victory – died a year later in a car accident.
The Magpies did not win another flag for 20 years after that victory and did not win a final for 12 seasons until the 2002 qualifying final. The induction will take place at Collingwood's season launch.
The Magpies will also induct Ted Rowell, who played 189 games between 1901-1915, receiving a champion of the colony award, leading the club's goalkicking twice and coaching the club from 1907-08.

The 1990 outfit will become just the fourth Collingwood team honoured in such fashion, following the 1929, 1953 and 1958 sides.

2015 Season Preview

Triple M Footy

Pre-Season Game 2 Collingwood v Carlton Sunday March 15, 4.40pm Queen Elizabeth Bendigo Fox Footy 4.30pm Weather: Min 10 Max 25 Chance of rain 5%: < 1mm Wind: ESE 17kph Betting: Collingwood $1.45 Carlton $2.75

2014 Result: 11 wins 11 losses (11th)

The potential on this list is scary. In Brodie Grundy, Lachlan Keeffe and Jarrod Witts Collingwood have three talented ruckmen who can swing forward and kick goals. Despite the departure of Dayne Beams and retirement of Luke Ball, the Pies midfield still boasts class in captain Scott Pendlebury, Steele Sidebottom and Dane Swan who will be the equivalent of a new recruit for the 2015 season after his poor showing in 2014. The arrival of Levi Greenwood is a real coup after his best ever season for North Melbourne plus Travis Varcoe is capable of playing off half-back, half-forward or pinch-hitting in the midfield. Add to this the abundance of talented youngsters pushing for spots and the Pies are an exciting proposition. If Man Mountain Travis Cloke wakes up on the right side of the bed in 2015 and becomes the dominant key forward that he should be, look out for the Pies to go deep into the finals.

Star Man: Scott Pendlebury – The Pies skipper appears to be doing everything in slow motion yet is rarely caught with the ball in hand. Pendlebury also has that unique ability to find space in the tightest of packs and will once again lead from the front for Collingwood in 2015.

Player to watch: Travis Cloke – Pendlebury may be Collingwood’s best player but it is Cloke who holds the key to victory for the Pies. The sheer power and size of Cloke makes him a daunting proposition for any defender and yet too often in 2014 the big man allowed his opponent to get the better of him. If coach Nathan Buckley can find a way to get Cloke’s swagger back in 2015 expect to see the big man at the pointy end of the goal kickers list.

Make-or-break fixtures:
Round 13: v Fremantle (Away)
Round 14: v Hawthorn (Home)
Round 15: v Port (Away)
Round 16: v West Coast (Home)

Collingwood have the bye in Round 12 and are then greeted by a tough stretch against four other likely finalists. The Pies face two of the toughest road trips in football when they take on Fremantle in Perth and Port at the Adelaide Oval with an MCG blockbuster against reigning premiers Hawthorn wedged in the middle for good measure. This will be a bruising three-week period for the Collingwood players and they could be easy prey for the tall timber of the Eagles in Round 16. After having their batteries recharged by the bye, Collingwood would be happy with two wins in this taxing month of footy.

2015 Season Preview

The Roar - Cameron Rose

Pre-Season Game 2 Collingwood v Carlton Sunday March 15, 4.40pm Queen Elizabeth Bendigo Fox Footy 4.30pm Weather: Min 10 Max 25 Chance of rain 5%: < 1mm Wind: ESE 17kph Betting: Collingwood $1.45 Carlton $2.75

It’s a little known fact that Collingwood have dropped in ladder position every year since winning the 2010 premiership.
Last year’s 11th placed finish was the first time they missed the finals since 2005, when current coach Nathan Buckley was still the most important player at the club.
These stats speak of a club on a downward, perhaps irretrievable, spiral. But is it actually the case?
Let’s have a look at the sort of team they may field and discuss:

B: T.Langdon N.Brown A.Toovey
HB: P.Seedsman L.Keeffe M.Williams
C: S.Sidebottom S.Pendlebury L.Greenwood
HF: T.Varcoe T.Cloke B.Reid
F: J.Blair J.White J.Elliott
Foll: B.Grundy D.Swan B.Macaffer
Int: T.Goldsack N.Freeman B.Kennedy P.Karnezis
Em: J.Witts B.Sinclair J.Crisp

The above 22 would contain 10 premiership players still standing from the 2010 flag. In addition, Travis Varcoe won two at Geelong.
There are also no less than six members from that premiership side currently plying their trade at other clubs, some having moved on via free agency, others through the trade process, all for valuable picks in the draft.
Add in some enterprising trading from the Pies, and the club has brought in considerable and highly credentialed talent over the last few years. Strong players have left the club, yes, but the next generational seeds have already been planted. This might be the year they blossom, but if not, it won’t be long.
Collingwood is a side in transition.
Only one player played every match last season, Jack Frost, and, while valuable, he was put back on the rookie list. Heritier Lumumba (21 games in 2014), Dayne Beams (19) and Luke Ball (17) are no longer there.
Scott Pendlebury played 21, and we know he’s one of the top handful of players in the game. His contributions to the side can be lumped in with death and taxes, such is his consistency and class.
The next most games played, 21, were from Brent Macaffer and Jarryd Blair. One is a tagger, and the other a forward-half pressure specialist with dodgy skills. Tyson Goldsack, another of the defensively minded, played 20 matches.
Travis Cloke also played 20, but seems, counter-intuitively, to be getting more inconsistent as his career progresses. Jarrod Witts got 20 games under his belt too, as a second year ruckman, for a total of 27 to his overall credit.
Pendlebury aside, and with Lumumba, Beams and Ball gone, where are the engine room players, the nucleus of any top-four side, that are going to drive the club over the next-half decade?
Steele Sidebottom cemented his status as the hardest two-way runner at the club, and took his ball-winning talents to a new level in the second half of the year. The prolific Dane Swan had a well-publicised “putrid” year, but was it him falling off the cliff as an elite player, or just a bump in the road?
Levi Greenwood, brought across from North Melbourne, finally established himself at AFL level after eight years on the Kangaroos list. Can he be trusted to stay at that level? More Geelong fans were happy to see Varcoe leave the Cattery than not.
Marley Williams and Paul Seedsman, the running rebounders of the future from the back half, have struggled for continuity across their careers. Williams is yet to play in the first six rounds of a season. Seedsman has only twice played more than half a dozen matches in a row, and has succumbed to injury again this pre-season.
Of the 2013 national draft intake, Tom Langdon (pick 65) is the only one we’ve seen – he made a huge impression last season with his inordinate sense of poise and decision-making for a first year player.
There are plenty of other young players on the list who have shown glimpses of talent, but we don’t see enough consecutive games from them.
Ben Kennedy has played 20 games, but been a sub in half of them. Will Alex Fasolo ever make it, and is 2015 his crossroads? Where does Josh Thomas fit in? Ben Sinclair? Was Taylor Adams a disappointment last season, or is that his level, just a solid AFL player?
All of these players could have exponential improvement in them. Any one of them could flounder and not ultimately make the grade.
The more players you look at, the more questions there are.
Will Ben Reid’s body ever allow him to play good football again, let alone get back to his All-Australian best? Last year, he was a shell of a footballer when he finally got on the field. Is Jesse White really going to be the answer at 27 years of age, having never been so before? Brodie Grundy in the ruck, or Jarrod Witts? Can you play both?
Fittingly, given the amount of interrogation points in this write-up, the Pies are one of the biggest question marks in the competition this season. Their one-eyed supporters will tell you that finals are a certainty given a reasonable run with injury, and top four isn’t out of the question.
The facts of 2015 may be a little more sobering. The raw materials are there. But can they be harnessed? Will they mature? How much shaping and mining of the talent is still to be done? Are they ready to climb up the ladder for the first time in five seasons?
I don’t have the answers at this stage, but if you do, I’m more than happy to read them in the comments below!

Predicted ladder spread: 10th-13th
Predicted finish: 12th

Rosey’s ladder
12th – Collingwood
13th – Greater Western Sydney
14th – West Coast
15th – Carlton
16th – Melbourne
17th – Western Bulldogs
18th – St Kilda

Pre-Season Game 1: Collingwood 116 Hawthorn 72

THE FACTS

COLLINGWOOD   0.5.3.33    0.7.6.48    0.10.10.70   0.17.14.116
HAWTHORN         0.3.1.19   1.5.3.42      2.6.5.59       2.8.6.72

SUPERGOALS - Collingwood: Nil
GOALS - Collingwood: Fasolo 4, Karnezis 3, White 2, Gault 2, Goldsack, Sidebottom, Grundy, Greenwood, Elliott, De Goey

BEST - Collingwood: Varcoe, Sidebottom, Greenwood, White, Goldsack, Elliott, Grundy

INJURIES - Collingwood: Nil

SUBSTITUTES - Collingwood: TBC

REPORTS - Collingwood: Nil

OFFICIAL CROWD: 15,422 at Aurora Stadium, Launceston

STATISTICS

Player	K	H	D	M	HO	FF	FA	T	SG	G	B
13. Taylor Adams	10	13	23	2	0	0	1	1	0	0	0
22. Steele Sidebottom	12	11	23	4	0	1	0	3	0	1	1
8. Tom Langdon	9	11	20	5	0	0	2	1	0	0	0
24. Josh Thomas	15	4	19	3	0	1	1	2	0	0	1
26. Marley Williams	8	10	18	1	0	1	0	2	0	0	0
7. Ben Kennedy	7	10	17	1	1	3	0	5	0	0	1
1. Alex Fasolo	8	8	16	4	0	2	1	0	0	4	0
31. Jackson Ramsay	9	6	15	3	0	0	2	2	0	0	0
29. Tim Broomhead	8	7	15	2	0	0	1	4	0	0	1
19. Levi Greenwood	9	6	15	4	1	2	2	3	0	1	0
33. Patrick Karnezis	11	4	15	5	0	0	2	5	0	3	1
18. Travis Varcoe	9	5	14	3	0	0	3	0	0	0	1
9. Jesse White	11	3	14	5	0	2	0	1	0	2	2
44. Corey Gault	5	9	14	3	6	0	0	4	0	2	1
28. Ben Sinclair	7	6	13	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1
21. Nathan Freeman	8	5	13	2	0	0	0	1	0	0	0
16. Nathan Brown	5	7	12	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
25. Jack Crisp	6	6	12	5	0	1	2	2	0	0	0
35. Jordan De Goey	4	8	12	2	0	0	0	2	0	1	0
4. Brodie Grundy	3	8	11	0	16	2	0	4	0	1	0
5. Jamie Elliott	7	3	10	3	0	1	2	4	0	1	0
34. Alan Toovey	5	3	8	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0
43. Adam Oxley	4	4	8	3	0	1	0	1	0	0	0
45. Jack Frost	3	4	7	3	0	0	0	1	0	0	0
2. Sam Dwyer	2	5	7	2	0	1	0	2	0	0	0
6. Tyson Goldsack	2	2	4	0	0	1	2	3	0	1	0
K: Kicks H: Handballs D: Disposals M: Marks HO: Hitouts FF: Free Kicks For FA: Free Kicks Against T: Tackles SC: Super Goals G: Goals B: Behinds

Of interest

• At 28 years of age, third-year rover Sam Dwyer was the oldest player in Collingwood's 26-man team.
• Fifteen of the 26 players were aged 22 or under.
• Collingwood's two starting substitutes for the evening were Adam Oxley and Sam Dwyer. Oxley replaced Alan Toovey at half time, while Dwyer replaced Tyson Goldsack at three quarter time.

THE MEDIA

COLLINGWOOD NEWS Travis Varcoe and Levi Greenwood's second comings as AFL players started in impressive fashion a Collingwood overcame a youthful Hawthorn side by 44 points in a feisty NAB Challenge opener on Thursday night. While it was only the first step in a marathon season, the star recruits and stand-in captain Steele Sidebottom led a Pies midfield lacking some of the game's biggest names. In recent seasons, it's been difficult to imagine Nathan Buckley's side without Scott Pendlebury, Dane Swan and Brisbane Lion Dayne Beams running the engine room. But cheered on by a vocal Magpie Army - despite the match being played at the Hawks' second home Aurora Stadium – ex-Cat Varcoe and former Roo Greenwood showed plenty in an encouraging 0.17.14 (116) to 2.8.6 (72) win. The toughness of No.5 draft pick Jordan De Goey – who already looks a ready-made player – and a fit-looking Jesse White also gave the Pies plenty to get excited about. De Goey was particularly influential early but contributed across the four quarters and kicked a long set shot goal, while White booted two goals and arguably had the better of Hawthorn's prized recruit James Frawley. White endured a mixed season after crossing from the Sydney Swans last year, but he enjoyed being the focal point with Cloke out of the side. What we learned It's fair to say Jesse White endured a mixed first season in the Black and White, but with Travis Cloke sitting out of the opening NAB Challenge match, White shone as the focal point of the Magpies' attack. At times last year the ex-Swan looked a little lost roaming up the ground while Cloke stayed at home. Nathan Buckley knows he needs to ease the reliance on his star goalkicker and a firing White, who has trimmed down after a strong pre-season, would ease his concerns significantly. New faces Collingwood: No.5 draft pick Jordan De Goey made his presence felt early with a crunching contested mark, impressed with his hardness at the contest and was very good as a link-up player across half-forward. Patrick Karnezis showed his class with a sublime checkside goal from outside the boundary line, while former Cat Travis Varcoe was prominent and had more time with the footy than most. Levi Greenwood barely missed a beat with his work at the coalface and Jack Crisp threw himself into the contest.                                  REAL FOOTY The rebirthing Collingwood rolled over the top of the rejuvenating Hawthorn by 44 points to win the first game of the year. It was February, in Tasmania and a pre-season game but still it was an engaging contest and enough to slake the thirst for football after six dry months for both teams. The recast Collingwood looked faster and stronger through the midfield with more options forward with a few more experienced bodies than the Hawks, who invested time in players who might displace their premiership players. Only eight premiership Hawks of last year were on the field. The window on the maybes and the whatabouts offered the first sight of James Frawley in brown and yellow. His first touch had a bit of Melbourne about it when he played on blind and coughed up a goal, but it was difficult to slip into a new side that actually looks nothing like the side he will play in. Frawley alternated on forwards including Jesse White who was looking leaner, running harder and leading more deliberately to the ball than he had in any game last year. Whether that was a sign of rediscovered confidence or the freedom of a Travis Cloke-less forward line was for now academic and only to be tested in weeks to come. Without Jarryd Roughead in the team Ben McEvoy played from the goal square and, like White, led at the ball with purpose and ever looked threatening booting three goals. Jonathan Ceglar, the man he displaced last September spent the game rucking with Sam Grimley against Brodie Grundy – another displaced person from last year – and Corey Gault. Ceglar and Grundy both had their moments but Grundy probably won the contest. The blend of smalls and mediums in Collingwood's forward line with recruits Travis Varcoe and Jack Crisp alternating on a wing and a forward flank looked threatening. Jordan De Goey showed he has not only a brutal attack on the ball but can go forward with confidence above his head and an eye for the goal. Alex Fasolo returned forward after an experiment last year as a running defender and found space and the goals. Ben Kennedy in particular looked good through the middle while Taylor Adams and Josh Thomas built on last year. “It’s good validation for what we’ve put in place over the off season. “This is really only the first step and it’s against a side that bought a young side down themselves. “We focused on the way we were going to go about it, playing the way we wanted to play, testing some younger leaders like Steele Sidebottom in his first game as captain. “I thought he stood up and played well with that responsibility. “We had everyone play their role and that was the most encouraging thing.”  Nathan Buckley

SUPERFOOTY COLLINGWOOD took full advantage of Hawthorn’s undermanned backline to hand the reigning premier a 44-point hiding at Aurora Stadium. In front of a record pre-season Launceston crowd of 15,422, the Magpies grabbed the lead 19 minutes into the first quarter and the Hawks couldn’t catch them, running away 0.17.14 (116) to 2.8.6 (72). Big recruit James Frawley, picked up as a free agent from Melbourne, found himself under siege in his first game in brown and gold, taking Lake’s place at full-back. Despite kicking a supergoal, Hawks champion Sam Mitchell did a power of work dropping back to help in defence, but his efforts were not enough to curb the penetration of the Pies. Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley said it was a good first-up effort and showed preseason planning was on track. “It’s good validation for what we’ve put in place over the off season,” Buckey said. “This is really only the first step and it’s against a side that bought a young side down themselves. “We focused on the way we were going to go about it, playing the way we wanted to play, testing some younger leaders like Steele Sidebottom in his first game as captain. “I thought he stood up and played well with that responsibility. “We had everyone play their role and that was the most encouraging thing.” Magpie newbies Jordan De Goey, Jack Crisp and Travis Varcoe did enough to show they will be integral to Collingwood’s push for September action. Buckley was particularly pleased with De Goey, pick five in last year’s draft. “He’s an exciting talent, very clean with the footy, his defensive skills in tight, his ability to win his own football, all excite us,” Buckley said. “He’s worked pretty hard, done a fair volume through the preseason and we’ve managed him through as we have all our first and second year players. “He doesn’t look like he’s out of place and he looks like he can handle the speed of the game. “So every opportunity that’s been thrown his way he’s taken but there’s still a long way to go.” Frawley’s direct opponent Jesse White kicked two goals, while Alex Fasolo bagged four and Patrick Karnezis three goals. The Magpies will bring in captain Scott Pendlebury, Dane Swan and Travis Cloke for their next NAB Challenge match. “They know the game so it’s just a matter of getting them robust and ready to go for round one,” Buckley said. “There’s quite a few guys out there tonight who have asked questions of the match committee and that’s a good problem to have in the short term.” Things we learnt PIE PRESSURE: The Magpies fought hard to lock the ball in their forward half with Patrick Karnezis, Tyson Goldsack and Alex Fasolo among the chief contributors. SHARING THE LOAD: Collingwood had 10 individual goalkickers last night including four to Fasolo and three for ex-Lion Karnezis. OH MY GAULT: Standing at 198cm, Magpie rookie Corey Gault made his presence felt with two second half goals. Moved into the ruck briefly to relieve Brodie Grundy.                                  THE AUSTRALIAN PREMIERS Hawthorn last night faced a pre-season 17.14 (116) to 2.8.6 (72) drubbing in Launceston at the hands of a resurgent Collingwood. The Magpies led at every break during the NAB Challenge opener at Aurora Stadium, with the outcome sealed with seven final quarter goals. It is the first time since September 2011 that Collingwood have beaten the men in brown and gold. Alex Fasolo led the scoring for the Magpies with four goals. Youngster Jordan De Goey lived up to expectations, showing abundant athleticism in his step up to the top grade, kicking a goal in the fourth quarter. But it wasn’t an entirely one-sided affair witnessed by a crowd of almost 15,500 at the ground more commonly known as York Park. The Hawks made a crisp start with Ben McEvoy scoring a goal within a minute of the opening bounce. That was closely followed by a Luke Breust kick from within the 50 which found the middle. But the bad news then started to filter through, as Tyson Goldsack kicked the first goal for the Magpies, then Hawthorn defender Kaiden Brand was helped from the ground nursing a heavily taped left shoulder. After a frantic opening quarter, Collingwood led by 14 points. In a see-sawing second period the Hawks fired back early with midfielder Jed Anderson finding the middle posts, signalling his return to form after an injury-plagued 2014 season. James Sicily then kicked the first nine-point super goal from outside 50m. The Magpies shared the spoils as Patrick Karnezis booted three while there were single goals to several players including Jamie ­Elliott, Corey Gault and Brodie Grundy. Elsewhere, following a post season when numerous players required surgery, North Melbourne will experiment with a number of positions in their sellout NAB Challenge opener against Adelaide in Port Lincoln on Sunday. The club’s high profile recruits — long-time Carlton forward Jarrad Waite and Shaun Higgins from the Western Bulldogs — will join the experience of Brent Harvey, Jack Ziebell, Nick Dal Santo, Drew Petrie, Ben Cunnington and Daniel Wells in the squad. But the club will also field a number of players who are hardly household names. The Kangaroos could not name regular defenders Scott Thompson (knee), Lachie Hansen (hip) and Nathan Grima (back) who are recovering from operations, and veteran Michael Firrito, who was left out. A new-look defence will have to battle the Crows’ big forward targets Taylor Walker, James Podsiadly and Josh Jenkins. North Melbourne captain Andrew Swallow withdrew yesterday from the initial squad, as did ruckman Tod Goldstein. One of the other key omissions is Aaron Mullett, who is overcoming a shoulder injury. The Kangaroos claimed Swallow was never meant to play, but was included in the 29-man squad due to an administrative error. The club said there were no ­fitness issues surrounding his withdrawal. The Kangaroos’ makeshift defence on Sunday will include Joel Tippett, who played four senior games last year after two previous games with Gold Coast in 2011. Injury-prone forward Robbie Tarrant could be in line for a positional switch. “We’ve got the flexibility to structure up our forward line a bit differently, so we’ll have a look at all the different aspects and probably play a few guys through the midfield who haven’t spent much time in there before,” Scott said.

The Illustrated Man

The Illustrated Man

2015 Opening Odds

2015 Season opening odds are from William Hill.