Despite our recent performances on the road, particularly in South Australia, Adelaide was always going to be a real test for our boys, particularly with so much at stake. In many ways, Adelaide are a similar side to us, a well drilled team that doesn’t rely so much on star power as it does on team work and executing a set strategy. The game played out very much as expected; a low scoring arm wrestle that tested the resolve and fitness of all 44 players who took the field.
Collingwood burst out of the blocks in the first quarter, dominating the first 10 minutes of play despite not getting full reward for effort on the scoreboard. Brad Dick looked lively early but proved to have a wayward radar in front of the sticks. It seemed to be a confidence related issue, as he looked to give the ball off more often than not when in scoring positions. After the first 10 minutes had elapsed, Adelaide dragged their way back into the game and gained ascendancy, clawing the margin back before eventually taking the lead.
The second quarter was very much Adelaide’s term and a quarter in which I would consider Collingwood fortunate. Adelaide controlled most of the play and could have placed some serious scoreboard pressure on the Magpies if not for errant kicking. Adelaide added 1.6 for the quarter compared to Collingwood’s 1.2 and changes needed to be made if we were to get on top. We were having trouble getting it past the middle of the ground and spent a lot of our time being corralled in the back pocket and half-back line. On our occasional forays forward, Adelaide rebounded the ball out of defence with ease through superior numbers and running.
Despite our excellent record at AAMI, my confidence had been deflated a little by the time halftime arrived.
We started slowly in the third term with Adelaide picking up where they left off, but once again being wasteful in front of goal. To our credit, the boys stuck to the task at hand in what was a gruelling affair, eventually arresting the momentum by breaking through Adelaide’s zone with some dash and daring. We managed to kick four consecutive goals to rein Adelaide back in, taking a one goal lead into the final quarter.
Dane Swan was brilliant in the third quarter after being masterfully switched to the half-back line in order to break a close checking tag from Shirley. Cameron Wood was on course to have his best game for Collingwood, which has been a call that seems to have been made every week since his return to the senior side. Our defenders proved honest as always, with the usual suspects in O’Brien, Maxwell, Shaw and Presti all continuing on with their excellent form.
The final quarter started well for the Pies with Didak kicking the opening goal to give us a tiny bit of breathing space. Adelaide answered soon after, but as the quarter progressed Collingwood started to turn the screws. Didak was brilliant in the last quarter and played a massive role in getting us over the line in the second half. Dane Swan finished the night with 30 disposals in what some might consider a quieter game by his standards, although it was an equally important performance considering how effective he was across the half-back line.
Maxwell provided the highlight of the night in the last, after killing a contest with a running left handed spoil before running onto the ball, breaking a tackle and finding Didak at half-forward, who in turn setup Dawes for what proved to be the match winning goal. Cameron Wood covered a lot of ground the entire night and fittingly capped his night off by kicking his second shortly before the final siren. Wood finished the night 24 disposals, 8 marks, 19 hit outs and 2 goals – a return that is sure to silence his critics in the media.
Chris Dawes provided us with another option up forward and proved to be an important player during the second half, presenting well up the ground and making the most of his opportunities. Jack Anthony got his kicking boots back on and Travis Cloke – whilst not dominant – also played a serviceable role. Brad Dick’s return would have been exceptional had he kicked straight, but his defensive work up forward was valuable as usual and he continued to show his ability to get into dangerous positions that result in scoring opportunities.
Dale Thomas had one of his poorer games for the season, which leads me to wonder whether he might be carrying an injury. He looked disinterested at times and his defensive pressure – which is usually a positive attribute for Daisy – was below his usual standard. With that said, Thomas is always a valuable asset to have on the field and a player who requires the opposition’s attention at all times. Medhurst is still yet to hit his straps, but he is showing signs and with three rounds remaining, he may just peak at the perfect time.
We have now won 10 out of our last 11 games, an excellent achievement considering that our last month has seen us front up to some serious tests in the shapes of the Western Bulldogs, Brisbane, Adelaide and traditional rivals Essendon and Carlton. Despite not playing our best football, last night’s victory showed an impressive amount of perseverance and mental application to stick to the task at hand in front of a mostly hostile crowd and eventually win by a comfortable margin considering the nature of the match.
After an unlikely loss to the Eagles, Collingwood have jumped over the Western Bulldogs to now sit outright third on the AFL ladder with three games remaining. Our next two matches are against Sydney and Richmond and whilst you would expect that we would win these matches, I’m as apprehensive as ever. Historically, we’ve had a tendency of losing such games at this point of the season heading into finals. It’s important that we win both of these games to ensure a top four finish prior to the encounter with the Bulldogs.
Earlier in the year I had some concerns about the brand of football we were playing and some uncertainty as to what direction we were heading in. Full credit has to be given to the players and coaches for the turning the season around like they have, as we are currently on course to have one of our most successful home-and-away seasons. Defeating Adelaide last night also provided further credence to our claims as one of the best travelling teams in the competition, with a 4-0 record interstate this year. Whilst we will – and should – be judged by our performance in September, we can most certainly enjoy the ride.
One of those games that reminds you of how nice it is that we’ve still remained competitive and played finals for the last few years despite being a young, developing side.