Teams: Collingwood Vs. North Melbourne (Round 6, 2009)

Collingwood

B: Shaw / Prestigiacomo / Maxwell
HB: O’Brien / N. Brown / Clarke
C: O’Bree / Lockyer / Thomas
HF: Medhurst / Cloke / Macaffer
F: Anthony / L. Brown / Rocca
Foll: Fraser / Beams / Pendlebury
INT: Davis / Barham / Swan / Toovey
EMG: Goldsack / Corrie / Wellingham

IN: Heath Shaw, Nick Maxwell.
OUT: Shannon Cox, Tyson Goldsack.

North Melbourne

B: Watt / Thompson / Gibson
HB: Pratt / Firrito / Rawlings
C: Urquhart / Harris / Thomas
HF: Harding / Edwards / McMahon
F: Warren / Petrie / Hale
Foll: McIntosh / Ziebell / Swallow
INT: Lower / Power / Simpson / Greenwood
EMG: Ross / Jones / Goldstein

IN: Daniel Harris, Shannon Watt.
OUT: Brent Harvey (elbow), Lachie Hansen (hamstring).

Much to my surprise, we have made only two changes ahead of our clash against North Melbourne.  I personally expected at least three, with the likes of Toovey, Macaffer and Barham being fortunate to escape the knife.  I also thought that Leigh Brown may have made room for one of Wood or Bryan considering Fraser’s performance last week, but the experiment continues.

Just on Barham and Macaffer, I’m actually glad to see that we’ve decided to persist with them.  Macaffer didn’t have a noteworthy debut, but at the same time he didn’t do too much wrong and I’d like to see what he can offer after settling a bit more at senior level.  Barham had a day to forget as far as his disposal was concerned, but his endeavour was once again commendable.  If he can continue to work hard and improve his disposal he might become a regular fixture, otherwise he might be relegated to the VFL until he polishes up on the basics.

I’m not sure what to think of this side, which is a feeling I’ve had all year when it has come to team selection.  We have effectively made minimal changes after what was one of the worst losses I can remember — it still hurts.  Our back line should become a bit more settled with the welcome return of Shaw and Maxwell, but I’m still not sold on our top-heavy forward line.

As far as the omissions go, the dropping of Goldsack was fair enough as he is still yet to find his feet at senior level after a forgettable 2008.  Shannon Cox I’m a little surprised by, as I thought he would have had enough credits in the bank after a reasonably good start to the season.  Cox has his detractors and had his worst outing against Essendon, but he has been in our best or thereabouts for most games in 2009.  Someone had to reap the whirlwind after ANZAC Day and it turns out that Cox was our Dorothy.

I remain uncertain about our team selection and downright fearful about our ruck situation opposed to the likes of McIntosh, Petrie and Hale.  North’s midfield has taken a significant hit with the loss of Harvey and Wells, but the likes of Simpson and Harris are very good in the clenches and are likely to be well-serviced by their rucks — whilst you would hope that we gain supremacy in the midfield, it’s never a sure thing.

Without pondering further, I’m just going to say we better win this one because if we don’t, we could realistically be standing 2-6 in a couple of weeks time.  After last week, the side owes something to the supporters — it’s time to pull the finger out Collingwood.

Preview: Collingwood Vs. North Melbourne (Round 6, 2009)

This has been one of the toughest weeks I’ve endured as a football fan in recent memory; as every morning upon waking I’ve been forced to come to the bitter realisation that – as surreal as it was – it wasn’t just a nightmare.  Suffice to say the season hasn’t started as we all expected and I’m as bewildered as the next person as to what is happening down at Collingwood, but as fans we must persevere.

We’ve dropped two games that we should have won, the last being downright unforgivable given the circumstances.  This week we come up against a North Melbourne outfit, sans Daniel Wells and Brett Harvey.  Despite the Kangaroos always troubling us, this is a game that would have been pencilled in by most as yet another predicted victory.  With our current position in mind and the absence of Wells and Harvey, if Collingwood don’t win this one then whatever is amiss down at the club could very well become terminal as far as 2009 is concerned.

Josh Fraser became the face of our spectacular failure on ANZAC Day, which was expected if not a little unfair given the general performance of the entire list.  Fraser deserved to be put under the microscope, but the extent to which he has been scrutinised – whilst overlooking the entire picture – was in my opinion a little bit much.

It will be interesting to see how Fraser responds, as this week he’ll have his work cut out for him against the likes of McIntosh and Petrie.  What was evident on Saturday was that Josh needs more adequate back-up.  We’ve sent a message to the likes of Wood and Bryan, but now is probably the time to see if that message has been received by testing one of the two at senior level once more.

Alan Didak is still under an injury cloud, but Nick Maxwell is a certain starter and Heath Shaw could be another inclusion if he gets through training this week.  Our back line has lacked balance all year and team selection has been a bit of a puzzle so far.  I haven’t been convinced with having Toovey, Goldsack and Cox all within the same team and with the return of Maxwell and hopefully Shaw, we might be able to find equilibrium down back.

Harvey and Wells are fortunate outs as far as Collingwood is concerned, as these two habitually cause us problems.  Wells is a player who we tend to disregard and pay the price, whilst Harvey is arguably in the top bracket of talent in the AFL and for good reason.

Whilst you would expect (or maybe hope is more apt) that our shocking loss to Essendon will sting the side into action, it must be remembered that North Melbourne would also be determined to bounce back after falling to Richmond last week — a more surprising outcome than our match, albeit not as dramatic.  Further concern stems from our discomfort at the Dome, a ground which we haven’t performed well on in recent years.

I can’t predict how the team is going to line-up this week, although I would expect a minimum of three changes with returning players in the mix.  Wood or Bryan could very well constitute another change if Fraser’s performance last week is to be addressed via the line-up.

Much like our back line, our forward line still requires some tweaking.  Granted we suffered from the loss of Didak, but faced with that possibility again I think we need to opt for more flexibility up front.  I’m a fan of Macaffer and whilst it was good to see him debut, I think it was perhaps a little premature.

The plan to add strings to Macaffer’s bow at VFL level was only in its infancy and I think we would have been better persevering with the original plan a little longer.  Macaffer didn’t disgrace himself on ANZAC Day and I was actually content with what I saw; but we can’t carry Rocca, Anthony, Cloke, Leigh Brown and Macaffer at the moment.  We need to bring in a player at the expense of Brown or Macaffer that either fills a more important role (i.e. Wood or Bryan as dedicated second string rucks) or has more flexibility, perhaps even an extra set of legs in the midfield.

Friday night isn’t about redemption, as there is no possible way we can redeem ourselves for last week’s disaster.  We simply have to win this game and move on to the next job, because given the season so far and our 2-3 standing, any celebrations should we get up on Friday night should be humble if not non-existent — I want to see some resolve and focus from this point forward.

Redemption can be judged come mid-season.

Teams: Collingwood Vs. Essendon (Round 5, 2009)

Collingwood

B: Cox / Prestigiacomo / Goldsack
HB: O’Brien / N. Brown / Clarke
C: O’Bree / Didak / Thomas
HF: Beams / Cloke / Medhurst
F: Anthony / L. Brown / Rocca
Foll: Fraser / Lockyer / Pendlebury
INT: Davis / Barham / Swan / Toovey
EMG: Corrie / Macaffer / Wellingham

No Change

Essendon

B: Fletcher / Pears / H. Slattery
HB: Dempsey / McPhee / Hocking
C: McVeigh / Stanton / Lonergan
HF: Winderlich / Lucas / Zaharakis
F: Ryder / Lloyd / Davey
Foll: Hille / Watson / Lovett
INT: Monfries / Lovett-Murray / Myers / Jetta
EMG: Dyson / Nash / Houli

IN: Lovett-Murray, Lonergan, Myers, Hocking, Jetta.
OUT: Daniher (Groin), Skipworth (Hamstring), Quinn, Nash, Dyson.

Collingwood have opted to make no change heading into our ANZAC Day clash with Essendon.  After a great team performance last week, the philosophy has been to refrain from messing with a winning formula.  Saturday is expected to be wet, so our experience last week will serve us well if conditions play out as forecasted.

In the event that the weather is as predicted, there has to be some question over the height that we’re carrying into the match.  We will be taking 8 players above the 192cm mark into this game and I can’t help but feel a little anxious about such a line-up, despite triumphing last week.  Leigh Brown will remain simply because he provides some minor relief for Fraser in the ruck, but I wouldn’t rule out a possible late change with Rocca being under a slight injury cloud.

Speaking of injury clouds, Paul Medhurst is apparently still struggling to shake off the after effects of concussion from last week’s game — although I’m reasonably confident that he’ll be right to go.  Alan Didak has also been in doubt after experiencing some hamstring soreness, which saw him rested for most of the last quarter against Brisbane.

With Brent Macaffer, Sharrod Wellingham and Anthony Corrie all named as emergencies, the club is obviously covering its bases up forward in the event that one or two of Didak, Medhurst or Rocca miss.  Game day conditions may also play a part, as a smaller type would be a safer bet in the event that we are faced with a wash out.

Congratulations to Brent Macaffer for getting named amongst the emergencies on the back of two hard-working performances in the seconds.  We have blooded players on ANZAC Day before and whilst most had their money on Sidebottom, we may yet see Macaffer make his debut on the biggest stage in the home-and-away season.

Preview: Collingwood Vs. Essendon (Round 5, 2009)

ANZAC Day is upon us once more and fans of the 14 other teams can take some pleasure in sharing the day with us, being that ANZAC day falls on Saturday this year.  With that said, Collingwood and Essendon still hold a monopoly on the daylight hours, whilst any small victory other fans might feel about how the calendar panned out this year will quickly make way to bitterness once more when they have to face up to work on Monday.

But enough of this pettiness…

We’ve managed to straighten the ship somewhat after a well earned victory against Brisbane, although our next two weeks shape us equally important in the scheme of things.  Facing Essendon this week and North Melbourne the next, I would be disappointed with anything but a 4-2 standing by the end of round six.

This pre-season we made it clear for the first time in a long time that we were aiming for a premiership.  Every side obviously has this objective in mind, but when a club declares such matters publically then they are accepting the expectations that follow.  If all of our talk is to be taken seriously, then Essendon should find themselves chalking up another defeat come Saturday evening.

ANZAC Day has always made for a good spectacle in the past, regardless of ladder positions or the form guide.  Both sides tend to lift for the occasion and neither team can afford to take anything for granted.  On paper and current form, Collingwood should win, but any such confidence on my part will go out the door once the Last Post winds down.

Essendon has been getting game time into its young defenders Pears and Daniher, with Dustin Fletcher providing some experience down back.  With Anthony Rocca getting through his first senior game unscathed last week; John Anthony with some stunning recent form against the Dons; Paul Medhurst playing himself back into All-Australian form and Travis Cloke overdue for a big one — the inexperienced backs of Essendon shape as a tasty proposition for Collingwood’s forwards and fans alike.

Down back, Prestigiacomo was close to our most important player last week doing a fantastic job of shutting down Brown.  Whilst Harry O’Brien has been gradually finding his feet again after the loss of his father at the final stages of our pre-season campaign.  O’Brien kept Bradshaw goalless last week and has made a habit of destroying Scott Lucas – who is currently struggling – whenever our two sides meet.

We’ll be missing Nick Maxwell down back whilst Heath Shaw is also likely to sit out again this week with hamstring soreness.  Tyson Goldsack may get a reprieve whilst Alan Toovey was serviceable enough to assume he will also be retained.  Matthew Lloyd shapes us a potential threat, as despite my dislike of the velvet sledgehammer I have to admit he has been in threatening form since the Bombers shocked most punters by defeating Carlton.  With Prestigiacomo returning to his glove-like best, he’ll be a sure bet to match up on Lloyd.

Essendon’s biggest asset is their pace, which tends only to come to the fore when things are falling into place for them.  With the likes of Lovett, Davey, Winderlich and Dempsey along with the Knights game plan of moving the ball quickly and taking risks, Essendon do have the ability to open games up when the planets are aligned — or when their opposition refuses to apply pressure.

Pressure football is perhaps one of our biggest assets when we’re switched on.  Essendon have shown a tendency to come unravelled when the heat is applied, as demonstrated in our NAB Cup meeting when we benefited greatly from Essendon turnovers.  In regards to pace, Jaxson Barham was a revelation last week and has come into the side just in time to counter Essendon’s leg speed.  Outside of pace, Barham will also go a long way to applying the sort of pressure I just spoke of.

I can comfortably say that on paper we have the forward and back lines covered, but the middle of the ground will be interesting.  Essendon got the better of us in the clearance department during the pre-season and I expect a better showing this time around.

Jobe Watson is an excellent extractor and has carved us up in the past, whilst Jason Winderlich has been in a purple patch after nearly being forced into retirement.  Winderlich’s speed and ability overhead could be a worry; Toovey shapes as a possible match-up if retained, but may also get given the job on Watson if we choose to man him up.  Watson is always an interesting one, as he’s been known to burn the ball by foot and as such often gets left unchecked.

Scott Pendlebury was brilliant on Friday night and fortunately for us, Andrew Welsh will not be available for Essendon to perform another shut-down job.  Pendlebury was a match winner with his clearance work against the Lions and shapes as a key player for us heading into Saturday.

Josh Fraser is in considerably better form than David Hille, although Hille often comes away with the points when these two meet.  If Fraser isn’t provided with support, he’ll be going on his fourth game in a row playing as a lone ruck and the question has to be asked as to whether the current setup is sustainable for much longer.  Cameron Wood played his best game for the year in the VFL last weekend and may come into consideration; although a straight swap between Leigh Brown and Chris Bryan is also a possibility.

I’ll say this every week until it ceases to occur, but we must not relinquish the middle of the ground so willingly.  In all of our games we have done this for a quarter or more and during those times we have been punished.  If we do this once again on Saturday, we run the risk of allowing Essendon’s pace and game plan to pay dividends.  We don’t want the Dons getting their tails up in a free flowing game in front of 90,000 people.  We need to make them stop, start and second guess, forcing their current crop of players to resort to Plan B — which basically involves handing the ball over to the opposition.

Essendon can be a difficult team to assess, as their best and worst are leagues apart.  They were not at all impressive against Fremantle, Port Adelaide and North Melbourne, but I rated their performance against Carlton.  Regardless of the general consensus on where Essendon is at, expect them to have a real dip come Saturday.

We should expect the same – and more – of our boys.

Teams: Collingwood Vs. Brisbane (Round 4, 2009)

Collingwood

B: Cox / Prestigiacomo / Goldsack
HB: O’Brien / N. Brown / Clarke
C: O’Bree / Didak / Thomas
HF: Beams / Cloke / Medhurst
F: Anthony / L. Brown / Rocca
Foll: Fraser / Lockyer / Pendlebury
INT: Davis / Barham / Swan / Toovey
EMG: Corrie / Dick / Stanley

IN: Anthony Rocca, Tyson Goldsack, Jaxson Barham, Alan Toovey.
OUT: Brad Dick (Omitted), Heath Shaw (Susp.), Nick Maxwell (Susp.), Ben Johnson (Leg).

Brisbane

B: McGrath / Merrett / Patfull
HB: Power / MacDonald / Drummond
C: Dalziell / Black / Rich
HF: Rischitelli / Brown / Sherman
F: Notting / Bradshaw / Clark
Foll: Charman / Johnstone / Adcock
INT: Brennan / Stiller / Roe / Selwood
EMG: Polkinghorne / Collier / Proud

IN: Jamie Charman, Jared Brennan.
OUT: Matthew Leuenberger (Knee), Albert Proud (Omitted).

I admit, I was a little concerned about how the selectors would go this week after having an opportunity to watch the VFL side on Saturday and after hearing that Alan Toovey and Anthony Corrie had made the journey.  Personally, I didn’t feel that either player warranted selection given their respective performances in our seconds.

With that out of the way, Toovey has been named in the starting 22 whilst Corrie has been named as an emergency.  Whilst I would have preferred to see players such as Cook or Stanley rewarded for good form in the reserves, I can only imagine that the club rates Toovey as a better defensive option at this point.

On a more positive note, Anthony Rocca has been named in the starting line-up although you would expect the weather to determine whether he actually takes the field or not.  If the weather up north is the same as it was last Saturday night, then expect to see a late change with either Dick or Corrie entering the team in place of Rocca up forward.

Jaxson Barham is set to make his debut after a good showing in the VFL.  Barham was very good on Saturday, although did undo quite a bit of his good work via poor disposal.  Regardless, I really like the way Barham goes about his football and you can be sure that he’ll go in hard and give 100%.  If it does turn out to be another wet night at the Gabba, I expect that Barham will be of great value.

Fraser will carry the ruck duties once again after two weeks of admirable performances.  Tyson Goldsack has been brought in to cover the loss of Maxwell and Shaw in some part.  After a slow start to the season, we can only hope that he can find some of his 2007 form, because he’ll be required to play a big role on Friday night.

If the team that takes the field resembles the one listed on paper, then our forward line is looking quite tall.  The likes of Anthony and our medium/small forwards will be required to work harder this week to apply pressure within our forward line, as we’ll need to provide a Yin to Rocca’s Yang.

All in all, the selected side looks pretty much the way most would have expected, with Barham being the only surprise.

Preview: Collingwood Vs. Brisbane (Round 4, 2009)

I don’t quite know what to take from the Geelong match last week, much like I don’t know what to make of our early form this year.  We won two quarters against Geelong – in fact we were dominant in those two quarters – yet the match still ended with us looking – and being – well beaten thanks largely to a second quarter fade out where Geelong blew the game open.

Most people would have expected us to be 2-1 at this point, but as things stand we are under threat of falling to 1-3 after this weekend.  I had this match pegged as a 50/50 prospect, which was why I had hoped we would be in a better position at this point.  Our matches against Brisbane are never a foregone conclusion and over recent years we have shared the chocolates evenly.

The side hasn’t quite found any synergy yet this year, at least not for any extended period.  In our first three matches, we have suffered from having at least one forgettable quarter.  It has cost us twice, whilst we were able to get it together and overcome Melbourne in round two — which is nothing to write home about.

Brisbane’s season so far has paralleled ours to some degree, with the Lions also falling victim to “missing quarters” as Michael Voss so dubbed them.  I’ve watched all three of Brisbane’s games this year and I would have to say that they’re looking a little bit better than us at the moment, due in large part to their key players firing when required.

We’ll go into this match missing both Heath Shaw and Nick Maxwell, a significant part of our defensive make-up.  Our defence has looked vulnerable so far this year and has been exposed accordingly, the absence of Shaw and Maxwell – regardless of their current form – is sure to hurt.  We’ll also be missing Ben Johnson who broke his fibula against Geelong, meaning that our hand will be forced on at least three changes this week.

With our defence being somewhat rattled through injury, suspension and plain old form; the likes of Brown and Bradshaw look even more ominous.  Prestigiacomo has always been good value on Brown in the past, but it remains to be seen whether he still has enough petrol tickets to repeat past heroics.

Bradshaw generally plays closer to goal and I fear could expose Nathan Brown when it comes to body-on-body contested work.  Presti might be a better option whilst Rambo is given another stab at Brown after doing an admirable job earlier last year.  Whoever stands Brisbane’s formidable key targets will need a chop out and regular assistance throughout the game.  Our defenders have looked a little off early this year, but we need them to pull it together despite the odds on Friday night.

With the absence of Heath Shaw, I would expect Marty Clarke to drop back across half-back to help fill the void.  Clarke and Cox – hopefully alongside an improved Harry O – will be vital in providing us with rebound.  Importantly, we could make life a lot easier for our defenders if our midfield can break even with their Brisbane counterparts, whilst containing – at least to some extent – the likes of Simon Black and Luke Power.

It has almost become a foregone conclusion that Simon Black will carve us up, as he’s made such a habit of it.  We need to start reversing this trend, not just against Brisbane but right across the board, as it seems every side has a player who regularly gets off the leash against us.  At the same time we can’t afford to become fixated on one player, as Brisbane’s midfield runs fairly deep.  Whilst Luke Power, Jed Adcock and Travis Johnstone are established talents, the likes of Rischitelli, rising star Daniel Rich and the returning Brennan are all deserving of respect.

I feel like I say it every week – which I probably do – but our medium and small forwards will have to make their minders accountable.  In today’s game, a large portion of forward thrusts begin in defence and Brisbane has some excellent architects in this regard; Josh Drummond in particular.  The likes of Drummond, MacDonald, Patfull and McGrath like to carry the ball and break things open heading forward — we don’t want these players getting comfortable for any period of time.

We did fairly well against Geelong in regards to clearances, whilst admittedly Geelong were more convincing – as we’ve come to expect – when it was their turn to take the ball away.  We need to continue and sustain our work over the four quarters, whilst giving our forwards some quick, quality ball out of the middle.  Travis Cloke is due for a big game and quite frankly we need him to stand up, as he’s been well subdued so far this year.

There has been some speculation that Rocca might return this week, something we’ll find out by this time tomorrow.  Rocca would be a welcome addition, as his inclusion would alleviate some of the pressure currently on Cloke and Anthony.  If Rocca does come in, those surrounding him will have to be switched on defensively because you can guarantee whoever mans him will be instructed to test him heading the other way.

Games at the Gabba tend to be a fast paced affair, so we’ll need to use the ball a lot better than we have in previous weeks to avoid getting cut up on the turnover.  Thankfully, Brisbane have also had a tendency to burn the ball with some frequency, so if we can tighten up our game when in possession whilst punishing Brisbane for their errors, we’ll be halfway there.  It goes without saying that we’ll all be praying for better kicking in front of the sticks this week, as I don’t think I could handle another night of repeated face palms.

With the threat of a 1-3 start to the year looming, the side has all the incentive it needs to bring their best this Friday.  Counteracting this however is the carrot of a 3-1 start dangling in front of the Lions.  Voss is likely to fill his players’ minds with jungle analogies and allusions of pre-existing mental scarring on our part, but in the end the winner will be the team who wants it the most right here, right now.

Both teams have a lot to gain from this match and would be well aware of what is at stake.  Brisbane have the chance to get their season off to a flying start, whilst Collingwood are faced with the prospect of an increasingly steep uphill battle should they lose.

Here’s hoping the worst case scenario – which is gradually becoming a reality – makes us that much more desperate.

Teams: Collingwood Vs. Geelong (Round 3, 2009)

Collingwood

B: Cox / Prestigiacomo / Shaw
HB: O’Brien / N. Brown / Maxwell
C: Clarke / Didak / Thomas
HF: Beams / Cloke / Medhurst
F: Anthony / L. Brown / O’Bree
Foll: Fraser / Lockyer / Pendlebury
INT: Davis / Johnson / Swan / Dick
EMG: Corrie / Rocca / Toovey

IN: Dale Thomas
OUT: Alan Toovey (Omitted)

Geelong

B: Mackie / Scarlett / Milburn
HB: Corey / Taylor / Rooke
C: Bartel / Enright / Ling
HF: Kelly / Mooney / Stokes
F: Chapman / Hawkins / S. Johnson
Foll: Blake / Selwood / Ablett
INT: West / Byrnes / Varcoe / Wojcinski
EMG: Gamble / D. Johnson / Lonergan

IN: Trent West, Shannon Byrnes, Matthew Stokes.
OUT: Brad Ottens (Knee), Simon Hogan (General Soreness), Ryan Gamble (Omitted).

After a reasonably good performance in the second half of last week’s match against Melbourne, the selection committee have opted to make just the one change ahead of our game against Geelong.  Dale Thomas will be welcomed back this week after missing round two with a bout of gastro.

Alan Toovey makes way for Daisy and I can already hear the cheers from some circles within our supporter base.  I was reasonably impressed with Toovey’s pre-season and don’t think he disgraced himself in the first two rounds, but it was the right decision to make as whilst Toovey is honest down back he doesn’t offer nearly enough the other way.

Thomas in for Toovey is a significant upgrade, whilst we have opted to continue with the Leigh Brown experiment and let Fraser shoulder the majority of the ruck.  Fraser was excellent last week, but Blake – whilst not being a world beater – should offer more resistance.  We’ll get to further test the theory that Fraser performs at his best when going it alone.

Dayne Beams has retained his spot after an impressive debut and it will be interesting to see how he goes against the benchmark.  In our NAB Cup defeat, Beams – whilst statistically quiet – didn’t look daunted by the occasion or the opposition.  With more game time expected this time around, supporters and the coaching staff will get a chance to really see what this kid is made of.

Brad Dick is the player I’m most interested in at the moment, as he only worked his way into the match against Melbourne once it was done and dusted.  With that said, he provided good forward pressure in the first half despite not getting his hands on the ball.  With pressure undoubtedly shaping as the key word for tomorrow night’s encounter, Brad Dick will be called upon to harass Geelong’s defenders mercilessly.

Rocca has been named as an emergency, so there is still the chance of a late change to shake things up.  I’m not sure as to whether I would want to see Rocca brought in – considering you would expect him to be underdone – but his presence alone would make him a huge inclusion.  I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

GO PIES!

Preview: Collingwood Vs. Geelong (Round 3, 2009)

With the nightmare that was the NAB Cup Grand Final still fresh in our memories, the Pies will face the Cats once more in what is – in the scheme of things – a much more important game.  Geelong accounted for our boys in devastating fashion less than a month ago, putting paid to speculation that we had their number in the process.

This Thursday night will be an entirely different prospect however, as the season proper demands a lot more than a glorified exhibition match.

I don’t think too many would argue that Geelong are clearly a class above on paper, but our respective sides have resided at opposite ends of the talent spectrum in the past and the results have been surprising to say the least.  However, that is about as much spin as I’m prepared to put on the intangible element of our game; because if we’re to be victorious on Thursday night it will be the fundamentals that we must get perfect.

We all took some solace out of our performance against Geelong last year, even though the history books will show that at the end of the season we fell back a few pegs from our near grand final appearance in 2007.  Personally, I think most of what came out of that game can be scrapped at this point — it’s a whole new season.

What is critical for the team to remember however was that it was sheer application from start to finish that got us over the line in such impressive fashion.  If we wish to repeat our efforts from last year, then we’ll have to put together four quarters of uncompromising football.  If we lapse for any given period of time, we will pay a considerable price as seen in the second quarter of our most recent encounter with the Cats.

Unlike our opponents in the past two weeks, a slow-start would see Geelong put the game out of reach quick smart.  We witnessed Melbourne put our feet to the fire in the first term after we virtually handed them the centre corridor; it’s safe to say that Geelong would bypass such formalities and simply set us alight if we extend the same courtesy this week.

Come Thursday night, the first quarter will be absolutely crucial.  We must impose ourselves on the contest from the get go and strive to apply some scoreboard pressure early.  Geelong are a quality side and will keep coming, but if we can do some damage early it will throw a wrench in the works of Geelong’s preferred game.  If Geelong are made accountable and enough pressure  is applied, the natural flair in Geelong’s creative ball movement could make way for some second guessing.

The unfortunate injury to Ottens has perhaps made life a little easier for Collingwood; but regardless of whether Josh is provided with genuine back-up in the ruck, he will still need to replicate his excellent performance against Melbourne for us to reap any rewards from the absence of Ottens.  It goes without saying that we’ll also have to be a lot more competitive in the centre, as we’ve struggled to win clearances against quality midfields.

Our forward structure has concerned me over the past couple of weeks, for there have been considerable periods of play where we have looked uncertain heading forward.  We are suffering from only having one key target at the moment in Cloke, as Jack is still learning his trade and does his best work on the lead when given space — a rare luxury in the modern game.

Admittedly, our forward line has suffered due to Medhurst being underdone along with Didak and Davis working more up field, but we’ll need to get these players dangerous closer to goal to discourage Geelong’s defenders from providing options and drive going forward.  If we can apply more defensive pressure within our forward line and stifle Geelong’s movement out of defence, scoring opportunities will present themselves in turn.

Getting over the line against Geelong will require a supreme team effort.  Whilst both sides sport match winners, ours rely considerably on those around them and could be classified as fleeting, where as Geelong’s are ever-present.  It’s becoming accepted that you’re not going to tag Ablett out of a match, so every player will have to work on getting the better – or at least breaking even – with their direct opponent to balance the ledger.

I’m not confident on the result, but I expect us to take it to them and put in a much better showing.  We have a lot of pride to win back from our previous outing against Geelong and a win this Thursday night would provide that and more.

We dropped a game we should have won against Adelaide, I hope the boys are viewing this as a chance to make up for it.

Teams: Collingwood Vs. Melbourne (Round 2, 2009)

Collingwood

B: Cox / Prestigiacomo / Shaw
HB: O’Brien / N. Brown / Maxwell
C: Clarke / Didak / Toovey
HF: Thomas / Cloke / Medhurst
F: Anthony / L. Brown / O’Bree
Foll: Fraser / Lockyer / Pendlebury
IC: Davis / Johnson / Dick / Swan
EMG: Beams / Goldsack / Corrie

IN: Heath Shaw, Brad Dick, Leigh Brown.
OUT: Ben Reid, Tyson Goldsack, Chris Bryan (All Omitted).

Melbourne

B: McDonald / Warnock / Rivers
HB: Frawley / Johnson / Moloney
C: Jetta / Cheney / Bartram
HF: Petterd / Miller / McLean
F: Sylvia / Martin / Davey
Foll: Spencer / Bruce / Green
INT: Bennell / Jones / Morton / Bate
EMG: Dunn / Meesen / Newton

IN: Colin Sylvia, Stefan Martin.
OUT: Simon Buckley (Groin), Colin Garland (Foot).

The teams are in and once again the Beams obsessed Collingwood faithful will have to wait a little longer before seeing the young lad strut his stuff in the real thing.  Whilst I understand the enthusiasm that surrounds new draftees – which have understandably been heightened by some exciting early glimpses – there is no need to rush the likes of Beams and Sidebottom into the side despite our disappointing start.

What will please supporters is the return of Heath Shaw and Brad Dick.  Heath Shaw will improve our side greatly, especially teaming up with Cox coming out of defence.  Brad Dick is highly rated within the club and it was never going to be long before we got to see him again at senior level.  With Davis looking to spend more time in the middle, hopefully Dick can give us a spark around the forward line — especially when entering the forward 50 as Dick’s foot skills are his most talked about attribute.

The interesting selection this week is that of Leigh Brown, mostly because he has been selected at the expense of our secondary ruckman Chris Bryan.  Obviously, we would be looking for Leroy to be our back-up in the ruck on Saturday and it’ll be interesting to see how this pans out.  Overlooking both Wood and Bryan is sure to send a message to both players, who may have fallen into a false sense of security that at least one of them was going to be a sure selection each week.

Personally, I’m a fan of the decision to leave both Wood and Bryan on the sidelines.  Leigh Brown is arguably more mobile than both and based on the respective efforts of Wood and Bryan around the ground over previous weeks; Brown surely couldn’t be any worse.  The most important aspect about the decision is the message that it sends; that Wood and Bryan aren’t simply competing against one another for senior selection.

I’ll admit that I’m a little worried about retaining both Toovey and Johnson for this match, as our foot skills are a continual problem and both players fall amongst the usual suspects.  I can understand keeping Johnson, as he is considered a senior player and it appears that they want to give him an opportunity early on to redeem himself — I just hope we know when to cut our losses if faced with more mediocre performances.

Toovey put in some good performances during the pre-season and is the sort of player who Malthouse favours.  In fairness, one player out of Goldsack, Cox and Toovey was going to be chopped and I think they picked the right one based on exposed form so far this year.  Goldsack will undoubtedly return at some stage, but needs to find some sustained form.  After a forgettable opening round, Toovey would want to impress this weekend as he would be amongst the most vulnerable players currently within the side.

All in all, three changes sounds about right to me.  Whilst our opening round loss was disappointing and the outrage expressed by some was somewhat predictable  considering there is always an extra amount of expectation and emotion invested into the first game of the year; the fact is we only lost by four points and the first quarter was essentially a write off.  At these early stages, making dramatic changes would only serve to unsettle whatever team balance we managed to piece together in the last three quarters of our round one clash.

Besides, getting to see Brad Dick again after such a lengthy absence is virtually the same as unveiling a new draftee.  I’m excited to see how he goes and hopefully we’ll get to see some more of his memorable celebrations!

GO PIES!

Preview: Collingwood Vs. Melbourne (Round 2, 2009)

Well, we haven’t started the season in a fashion that we had all hoped and even expected, but it’s early days yet as we face a rebuilding Melbourne in the second round.  We will enter this game as favourites once more and I can only speak for myself, but I’m growing increasingly nervous about entering games as favourites given our past few seasons.

Despite this anxiety, we should comfortably account for Melbourne if we are in fact serious about making an impact this year.  On paper, we sport a better list and the form guide over the last year is a no brainer.  All the same, we struggled to put Melbourne away last year and that was at a point in the season when it was apparent that the ship had already sailed on Melbourne’s chances.

What we face this weekend is a Melbourne side still sporting early season enthusiasm and as such, they’ll be determined to shake up the general consensus of where they stand in the AFL food chain in 2009.  Because of this, it’s important that the players and coaches are mindful not to underestimate Melbourne — who despite being awarded the most recent wooden spoon and being in the midst of a rebuilding phase, still sport some class within their list.

The likes of Cameron Bruce and Brad Green are always dangerous and if left unchecked, can alter the complexion of a match in a hurry.  With quality players in McLean, Moloney and McDonald providing the grunt; the Melbourne midfield is nothing to scoff at.

Where Melbourne tends to fall down is its forward line, since the retirement of Neitz and with Robertson battling injury, they have struggled to find forward targets along with the resulting structure.  I rate the likes of Matthew Bate, however he is the sort of player that we should be able to account for.

One area of concern for Collingwood would be our lack of a specialist defender who can handle the zippy smalls.  With Melbourne blooding both Jetta and Bennell last week with reasonable success and Davey being already established; there is always the risk of one of these smalls slipping under the radar and causing some headaches.

Whilst we can’t underestimate the Melbourne faces we are already familiar with, it’s equally important that we don’t underestimate their fresher faces.  The likes of Cheney and Petterd have been impressive during the pre-season, whilst Melbourne’s other young players in Bartram, Buckley, Garland and Frawley all look to have bright futures ahead.

After Rocca kicked six against Old Scotch last weekend, there has been a lot of talk about his chances against Melbourne.  Whilst we all look forward to seeing Rocca back, I’m not so sure we need to rush him in if the medical staff think he could do with a few more hit-outs at a lesser standard.  We can’t read too much into a six goal performance against an amateur side; but with that said if the people in the know do give Rocca the all clear, then he’ll be a certain starter and the likes of Cloke and Anthony could very well dominate as the burden is lifted.

Heath Shaw is a likely – and most welcome – inclusion, as he seems to be over the minor hamstring injury he suffered in the NAB Cup.  We got the team selection all wrong last week, as we carried too many flankers who are either too defensive to provide adequate rebound, or simply too skill deficient.  The return of Heath Shaw should make a significant improvement in this area.

There was a general consensus amongst supporters over the off-season that we couldn’t have Toovey, Goldsack and Cox all within the same side; especially considering that Maxwell is a lock as captain.  After the game against Adelaide, this consensus looks to have been proven correct, so I would expect that one of these players would make way for Shaw this week.  Cox should be safe, as I considered him one of our best against Adelaide, whereas both Toovey and Goldsack left a bit to be desired.

We must be determined around the stoppages as Moloney, McDonald and McLean aren’t going to relinquish the ball without a fight.  If we can break even in the clearances, you would be confident that we have superior players around the field – particularly up forward – to get a better return than Melbourne for our opportunities.

Importantly, I don’t want to see any players left unchecked should they start showing signs of dominance.  I’m still filthy over McLeod being left to run riot and don’t think I could stomach a repeat of that glaring oversight.  We were guilty of similar negligence at times last year, as Daniel Wells did a number on us the second time we played North.  Quite simply, there is no shame in admitting a small defeat to one particular player — if they look to be in that sort of mood, shut them down!

On a side note, I’m glad that Collingwood has opted not to take our displeasure with the umpiring any further.  As I mentioned in my match review, whilst the umpiring was poor there were plenty of reasons for the team to face up to the mirror.  Dancing with the AFL in regards to the standard of umpiring would have only served as a distraction during preparation for Melbourne.  Instead, I hope the players are taking full responsibility for the loss and are determined to make amends heading forward.

As disappointing as last week was, I’ve been able to find some peace after the dust has settled.  We simply played poorly, not just in the first quarter but also for patches throughout the entire game.  A few of our players were well below their usual standard, whilst we saw some further good signs from the likes of Cox, Anthony and Thomas.  Our performance against Adelaide was clearly not an indication of our potential best form; so hopefully it can act as a catalyst for us to reach and maintain that level after an early kick-in-the-pants.

I’m taking nothing for granted this year, but we simply must win this one and win it well.