VFL Report: Collingwood Vs. Bendigo (Round 3, 2009)

The Scores

Collingwood: 3.4 / 7.6 / 9.6 / 13.11 [89]
Bendigo: 1.2 / 6.3 / 6.9 / 6.10 [46]

Goals

Collingwood: Bennell 3, Francis 2, Dick 2, Rounds, Sidebottom, Corrie, Frost, Bryan, Stanley.
Bendigo: Slattery 2, Neagle 2, German, Magin.

I usually do a more comprehensive review and player report for VFL matches, but I was only able to watch one half of the match this week before having to dash back down the Northern Highway at half-time.  With that in mind, the following player report will consist of observations from the first half alone.

Chris Bryan: Didn’t get too involved in the first half, although would have made the highlight reel for a big pack mark in the second quarter.  Continued to be played as a permanent forward, so I’m starting to wonder whether Bryan will figure in senior ruck considerations.  Having Bryan as a focal point at VFL level allows our up-and-coming smalls an opportunity to shine; whilst also taking some pressure off of Dawes.

Chris Dawes: Got involved in the first quarter, but unfortunately not in the manner that we would ideally like to see.  Most of his contribution was done at ground level rather than on the lead or in the contested marking stakes — let alone on the scoreboard.  He was barely spotted in the second quarter, but after worrying repors during our pre-season hitouts regarding his mental application, I would have to say over the last three weeks he has continued to try hard and put in without dropping his bundle.

Luke Rounds: Showed some very good signs in the first half.  He started on a forward flank and got busy.  He presented well a few times and was rewarded once or twice, but his work at ground level and defensively was the highlight.  Got a bit of the ball and kicked a lovely goal from right on 50 metres in the second quarter.  He came to us being noted for having a lot of pace and a fair bit of polish, both these attributes have been showcased but I will add that he also doesn’t mind the rough stuff.

Jarrad Blight: The player I was most looking forward to seeing yesterday, being that he hasn’t had a run in the VFL yet this season.  Was very pleased with what I saw in the first half.  Played across half-back and displayed a good ability to read the play coming in, chopping off a couple of Bendigo’s forward thrusts.

I made a point to watch him when not in possession or near the play, and he positions himself well to provide an option for the switch, or a get out of jail option to a nearby team mate in possession.  He got a fair bit of the ball in the first half and whilst he had a few fumbles, we could safely attribute these to rust and early jitters.  Has some springs in his heels, taking a very nice mark over Bellchambers of all people.  Both Blight and Rounds have shown good signs early, they could do with a year in the VFL whilst bulking up and learning the finer points — but I’m reasonably confident at the moment about their future prospects.

Tristan Francis: Goes about his business in a very honest manner, but that’s not to say he is a battler.  His burst of pace over the first few steps was present again yesterday, getting him out of trouble a few times.  Whilst his foot skills aren’t particularly noteworthy, they’re fairly sound as he seems to play within his limits.  Shapes as a player who we could get some good service out of in the future if he continues with his current progress and maybe manages to go up a notch or two.

Jaryd Blair: I have to admit I didn’t notice him much in the first half bar a couple of instances.  In those cases, he showed his good awareness and evasive ability in traffic.  Has the knack and good awareness- similar to Sidebottom – of stopping on a dime and sidestepping to avoid a tackler coming from any direction.  Hasn’t been as prominent as his first outing in the VFL over the last fortnight, but we’ll see how he comes on throughout the year.

Cameron Wood: I was really pleased with Wood’s game last week in a losing side and I was happy with what I saw in the first half against Bendigo.  His tap work wasn’t too convincing, although the wind caused problems particularly at boundary throw ins.  He has the ability to be a very good tap ruck man, which was on display last week when he got some extremely good hit outs.  What pleased me the most yesterday was his effort around the ground to provide an option and get involved, which has been a big step up from some of his passenger performances during the NAB Cup.

Lachlan Keeffe: Can’t say that I saw a whole lot of Keeffe during the first half, but the bits I did see I was happy with.  He’s still learning the trade and at times that point is very evident, but over the last three weeks I’ve seen a ruckman who loves to play the big man role.  He’s got a good size on him considering he’s still early in his development, but once he fills out look out — we may have found the ruckman who we’ve sorely missed for the last decade.

Danny Stanley: Started on the ball this week (along with Francis and Sidebottom) and spent a fair bit of the first half pushing forward to expose his opponent in the air — something he is quite good at.  Managed to snare a goal in the first half after out positioning his opponent in the goal square.  Whilst he hasn’t been as prominent as he has been in the past so far this season, his second, third and fourth efforts are a real feature.  I wouldn’t say he has done enough over the last three weeks to demand a senior call-up (which admittedly can be said about a few who have been called up) but if we had to replace O’Bree at any point then Stanley for me is the only real candidate.

Steele Sidebottom: Got a fair bit of the ball in the first quarter and was quieter in the second.  His exceptional reading of the play and positioning was again on show, but I’m almost entirely of the mind that the reports about elite foot skills were premature.  He doesn’t burn the ball at all – quite the contrary – but he uses it more conservatively over a 5-30 metre radius.  A very efficient and clever player and it’ll be a little while yet before we get a clearer picture of what primary position he’s going to fill at senior level; as he has the scope to step into a few.

Brad Dick: I was tough on Brad Dick last week despite the four goals he kicked, as he wasn’t involved in the game for the most part.  It was the complete opposite in the first half yesterday, where he seemed to be everywhere.  Laid some very good tackles (and was rightfully rewarded) and linked up all over the ground.  Kicked two goals for the half, one of which was a set shot from outside 50 into the wind after being knocked silly in a marking contest.  Fantastic first half, I would have rated him as BOG up until half-time, although with that said I would prefer him to notch up a few more performances like yesterday before coming back into the senior side.

Anthony Corrie: He was Collingwood enemy #1 for the fans who got down to Visy Park in round one, and rightfully so.  He put on one of the most selfish and mediocre displays that I’ve witnessed first hand, but to his credit he has improved upon this over the last two weeks.  The traits are still there, but he has improved somewhat in this regard and yesterday showed a willingness to put his body on the line in a few instances, as opposed to floating on the open wing for the easy release.  At this point, I’m pretty much resigned to him being nothing more than depth, which was probably always going to be the case.

Ben Reid: His best performance so far for the year.  He got a fair bit of the ball in the first quarter and used it well, managing to find targets despite the difficult conditions.  The best part of his game was on show in the second quarter and it all came down to defence.  He’s managed to amass relatively impressive stats the last couple of weeks but people are more worried about his ability as a defender.  Yesterday he showed excellent signs, I must have counted about three or four genuine spoils that either went to our advantage or killed any further contest, all within the second quarter.  Fear not, he’s progressing quite well.

Toby Thoolen: Still yet to show any notable improvement, unless something happened in the second half that I missed.

Kevin Dyas: Last week was his first game back after tearing his hamstring off the bone and being laid up for a while — understandably he struggled to find his feet.  Yesterday, he looked better and got involved more.  I’ll be waiting until later in the year before really assessing him given his injury and background.

Sharrod Wellingham: Has been one of the more disappointing players for me so far this year, as I was expecting quite a bit more from him.  He works hard and demands the ball, but can often fall victim to bad decision making or overestimating his own ability.  Wellingham is talented no doubt, but to a point.  If he can learn to play within his current boundaries a bit more and get some rough edges ironed out, he’ll be one of the first in line for a call-up.  Has been played mostly across half-back this season, so it looks like they’re trying to improve his defensive side and concentration — mixed results so far.

Johnny Bennell: Always looks lively and you can’t miss him with those boots, but unfortunately I didn’t get to see his best efforts yesterday.  Chased diligently in the first half but didn’t manage to get on the end of the ball too often up until half-time.  He ended up our leading goal kicker though, so his fortunes obviously changed.  I’ll get a better look at him this week.

Scott Reed: Didn’t get too much of it in the first half and the times he did it was evident that he longs for a bit more freedom, as he enjoys to run and carry.  He got carved up in defence last week, but it’s always a steep curve when you’re learning a defender’s trade whilst being undersized.  I got a closer look at him yesterday, being situated near the Collingwood bench and his slight frame became even more apparent.  He’ll have a bit to offer once he develops physically, but it’ll be interesting to see what we have in mind with all the utility types we’ve amassed over recent years.

Once again, all these observations were taken from the first half alone and based on how the game panned out I would have missed out on a bit; but given most people don’t get the opportunity to see our VFL side play I figured something is better than nothing.

VFL Player Report: Round 2, 2009

ROUND 2: COLLINGWOOD VS. WILLIAMSTOWN

Chris Bryan: Was played as a permanent forward and persevered all day, looking like our only viable target in the third quarter.  Suffered from having poor delivery for a majority of the day and with Williamstown dominating the play, he wasn’t provided with a lot of opportunities.  Could have ended the day with four goals or more had delivery been better and had he kicked a fraction straighter on a few long set shots.

Chris Dawes: There has been a notable improvement in his work ethic, as he seems more determined and most importantly invested in the game.  His hands were a little better this week, as he held onto just about every mark that came his way when he was in the box seat — most of which were chest marks on the lead where he was closely checked.  His highlight came in the third, where he showed some good agility to get around his man after being tucked against the boundary, snapping truly whilst being pressured by a player on either side.  His second efforts were good and he looks to get team mates involved; which was a rare quality yesterday.

Brad Dick: Ending the day with four goals, most would think he had a good day at the office.  He was lively early, but rarely sighted thereafter.  I’m a little concerned about his disposal, as we’ve heard so much about how good his foot skills are but I’m yet to really see them on display.  For some perspective, over the course of the entire game I would say that Dick’s direct involvement probably amounted to less than a quarter’s worth of football.

Danny Stanley: Always applied himself, although yesterday wouldn’t be a day for him to remember.  He wasn’t provided a lot of time on the ball, although probably got a bit more than last week.  Out of our players who got a run through the middle, he was our most convincing when winning the ball, a highlight being a bustling centre clearance and bullet pass to a leading Chris Bryan — unfortunately these moments were few and far between.

Ryan Cook: A day to forget for Cook as he fell back into bad habits.  His kicking was haphazard and hopeful at best and he didn’t really impose himself in any contested situations — which was made even worse considering it was a day where we needed our more developed players to lead by example.  Looked unsure when in possession and having pressure applied, he shouldn’t trouble the selectors this week.

Cameron Wood: I thought Wood improved a lot upon last week and went a long way to silencing those who say he just isn’t interested.  He won some very good taps in the ruck that went to clear advantage, on more than one occasion he got it down to a player on the move for a clean take away.  He pushed back in defence often and held some good marks, although he could still do with having slightly stronger hands.  The positive was he read the flight of the ball well and took just about every mark with his arms fully extended, leaving the opposition no alternative but to chop.

Lachlan Keeffe: He’s obviously still a way off before coming into senior consideration, but I’m liking the early signs.  He won a few good taps and has a dip, although was largely ineffectual around the ground.  The most promising thing about Keeffe is his size and attitude, once he fills out completely he’ll have the body and mindset to impose himself on more contests.

Ben Reid: Was a bit better this week than last, which I suppose is all we can ask for while we try to turn him into a CHB.  He was opposed to Ayce Cordy for a large portion of the game and prevented him from having any real impact; which is a credit to Reid considering Williamstown’s dominance.  Used the ball fairly well and spotted up targets coming out of defence, although his complete lack of a right side – either by foot or hand – is a bit of a concern.  Took some very good marks across the half-back line, a few them being contested.

Scott Reed: His day started brilliantly with a nice running goal from 40+ out, but it turned into a nightmare soon after.  Reed was carved up by his direct opponent; he stood Matthew Little in the second half and Little ended the day with four goals.  Our lack of pressure up field meant that our defenders got exposed quite badly and our lack of options down back meant a lot of responsibility was lumped onto our most inexperienced shoulders.  He was again tentative in a few situations, but that can hopefully be corrected with further physical development.

Anthony Corrie: He was better than last week, which isn’t saying much considering how bad he was in round one.  He did play a slightly more team oriented game and rather than just picking up touches on the empty far wing, he worked down back to try and help mop up.  He is still susceptible to brain fades and acts of selfishness; but these facets weren’t quite as prominent yesterday.  I have doubts over whether we can ever expect reliable disposal from him, although I hope he proves me wrong.

Toby Thoolen: Was a bit more involved than he was last week, but once again he probably only did one or two convincing things.  Had a few opportunities to really influence a contest in the air, where he could have not only spoiled but either marked or smashed the ball out of the hot zone, yet resorted to what I could only describe as a tentative, dinky palm down of sorts.  He also has a long load up on his kick, is aware of it and as such has a tendency to panic when not gifted space.

Tristan Francis: Was given a run through the middle and spent a fair bit of time down back.  Didn’t have any real impact in the middle, but worked hard down back.  He has a nice burst of pace which he uses well to get out of trouble, managing to get free a few times on a day when we were more often than not getting caught.  It was a day where it was hard to judge any of the younger guys too critically, as there was no adequate support from team mates all day long.

Jarryd Blair: Much like Francis, he has a real dip and managed to get his hands on the ball in the middle a fair bit early on, but wasn’t as effective as last week.  His confidence may have suffered a little when the umpires had a whistle happy period in the second and pinged him a few times for apparent high fend-offs.  Couldn’t fault his application and could have ended the day with a goal after missing narrowly on the run.

Sharrod Wellingham: Got a fair bit of the ball but did next to nothing with it.  I’m a little concerned with Wellingham as two weeks in a row he has been a passenger at VFL level; but this week there weren’t any glimpses of his talent.  A player in his position needed to impose himself a lot more on the contest yesterday, but he seemed content to just rack up meaningless stats.

Kevin Dyas: Wasn’t expecting much and that was understandably the result.  Pretty much went unnoticed with a single contested mark down back in junk time being the only instance where he made it apparent he was actually out there.  Not going to be hard on him though after an extended lay-off, so I wouldn’t be expecting anything from him until later in the year when he hopefully finds his feet.

Steele Sidebottom: A reasonably good performance given the context of the match.  He worked fairly hard and once again showed his ability to read the play by getting to good positions, but wasn’t afforded as much space as last week and with nobody working too hard for one another, his game suffered.  The biggest positive was that he was one of the rare players out there who tried to make his touches count.  With that said, I think some people may have gotten a little carried away early with describing his kicking as elite.  He does use the ball efficiently, but looks to operate over short distances for the most part.

Brent Macaffer: Continued to play a roaming role, spending a lot of time up the ground.  Similar to Sidebottom, he made a deliberate attempt to use the ball to the team’s advantage.  His application is admirable, as it seems we’re trying to develop Macaffer’s all-round game.  It’ll be a little while yet before we get a clearer indication as to what he’ll offer heading forward, but for two weeks in a row he has worked hard and been clean with the ball.

Luke Rounds: It was always going to be a tough day for anyone playing across the half-back line, where Rounds spent a lot of his time.  I didn’t notice Rounds a whole lot yesterday, but he did have a few good passages where his pace was on display.  One instance he gathered the ball and put space between him and his man very quickly, then delivered the ball perfectly for Dawes on the wing.  There’s a bit to like about him early on, think of Barham minus the maniacal tenacity and ball-winning ability but with added polish.

Related Articles: [VFL Review Round 2]

VFL Review: Collingwood Vs. Williamstown (Round 2, 2009)

The Scores

Collingwood: 4.0 / 6.2 / 10.6 / 11.9 [75]
Williamstown: 1.3 / 7.7 / 15.8 / 20.11 [131]

Goals: Dick 4, Bryan 2, Dawes 2, Corrie, Reed, Hunt.

The 10th Letter’s Best: Wood / Reid / Macaffer / Sidebottom

Things were looking good early but soon deteriorated as any semblance of teamwork went out the window and made way for sloppy individual play.  Whilst Collingwood put on a poor display both with the ball and without it, Williamstown played a committed brand of team football and the scoreboard reflected their dominance after quarter time.

We snagged the first two goals of the match after Brad Dick crumbed one off the pack in the goal square early on, followed shortly by Scott Reed kicking truly on the run from 45 metres out.  Williamstown worked their way back into the contest, with the ball spending a lot of time in their half of the ground for the next 10 minutes.

Ben Reid stood up well in defence, taking some good grabs and using the ball well.  In one passage, he marked strongly in front of his man and then picked out Macaffer with a perfect 50 metre pass down field.  Despite Williamstown owning the play, we withstood and managed to add two more goals for the quarter through Brad Dick and Chris Bryan, who was set-up nicely by Chris Dawes.

The second quarter started positively also, with Collingwood looking the better early on.  Brad Dick kicked his third from 40 out directly in front and when Corrie converted an opportunistic goal we looked in a comfortable position.  From that point on however, it was all Williamstown as they seized control of every position and proceeded to dominate.

Former Magpie Chris Egan was prominent in getting the Seagulls back into the contest, snapping two very good goals from tight angles.  As for Collingwood, we simply looked incapable of doing anything good with the ball and a lot of our players were ambling around at half-pace, placing the Williamstown ball carriers under minimal pressure.

Williamstown dominated the remainder of the second quarter and whilst benefiting from some dubious free kicks, they were simply showing more desperation and applying more pressure and were in turn rewarded more often.  At the half-time break, Williamstown had snatched an 11 point lead.

The second half played out much like the last 15 minutes before half-time.  Williamstown were simply a much better outfit and their forward line carved up our defenders, with perhaps only Reid and Francis looking somewhat serviceable.  Our midfield was well beaten at the clearances and in most stoppage situations and as a result our defenders were exposed.

Williamstown kicked eight goals for the quarter, whilst we managed to add four through Dawes, Bryan and Hunt.  Trailing by 32 points heading into the last, the game became a mere formality with the only question being the eventual deficit.  Brad Dick snapped another crumbing goal to take his total to four for the day and despite how good that might read to a stat observer, he was rarely in the contest over the course of the day.

The difference was simply team ethic, Collingwood played like a collection of individuals with no common goal.  Our players either blazed away with the ball, didn’t work hard enough to provide an option or simply ignored options when available in vain efforts to get noticed.  When not in possession, we placed minimal pressure on Williamstown and they made us pay as a result.

The end result isn’t a clear indication of the talent we have coming through, as no player is bound to stand out when the side functions as it did yesterday.  There were positive glimpses from a few of our players, most notable being Reid, Macaffer, Sidebottom and some improvement from the likes of Wood and Dawes.  Chris Bryan always gives his all and provides a contest, but playing as a permanent forward meant that he fell victim to Williamstown’s dominance further up field.

As for the players I’ve listed in our best, I would not read too much into that either.  I would say after yesterday’s performance, nobody staked a genuine claim for the senior side.  The players I have listed were the ones who I believed showed some team ethic and at least worked to be involved throughout the course of the match, as opposed to when it suited them.  In a game like yesterday where it was hard to find any clear stand-outs, you can only reward players who at least show some application.

In the end, I was disappointed with the way our side operated collectively but in some ways it’s to be expected when you have a side filled with players trying to stake a claim.  On the other hand, I was impressed with the way Williamstown played.  They obviously have some talent from the Western Bulldogs doing the rounds – particularly one Guy O’Keefe who carved us up – but regardless they played like a team with pride for the jumper.

In closing, I’d like to make a special mention to the Williamstown supporters.  It was good to see a gathering of vocal Seagulls supporters wearing the blue and gold — suburban football still has a heartbeat.

Related Articles: [VFL Player Report Round 2]

VFL Player Report: Round 1, 2009

ROUND 1: COLLINGWOOD VS. GEELONG

Anthony Rocca: Pebbles was a focal point up forward and kicked our first two goals for the match, finishing up with three goals and a few misses.  The most pleasing thing was how he moved, he had a few passages where he was at full tilt or having to change direction quickly and he pulled up fine.  Will be in serious consideration for next week against Brisbane.

Chris Bryan: Played the majority of the match as a permanent forward and contested well, ending the match with three goals.  If we were looking to bring in some support for Josh next week, Bryan is the player who currently looks the most likely.

Steele Sidebottom: Very impressed with the way this kid goes about it.  He started a little slowly, but when he was involved he was decisive.  Steele really came into the match in the second half, where his football brain was on full display.  He knows where and when to run and despite having question marks over his pace, he regularly bought himself time and space with a shimmy or side step.

Jaxson Barham: You’ll never have to question Jaxson’s application, as he just keeps going and going.  Clocked up most of his minutes within the middle and competed well, giving us a spark with his explosive pace and work rate.  Was one of our best and combined well with the likes of Cook and Blair throughout the middle of the ground.

Ryan Cook: If I had to pick a best on ground, I’d lean towards Ryan Cook.  He was excellent today and improved upon his decision making and disposal.  Whilst he was a bit disappointing during the NAB Cup, the good glimpses he showed in those games was on display today.  He has become stronger over the pre-season and was prepared to do the hard stuff today; which he did well.

John McCarthy: Was our clear best on ground in the first half before coming off with what some believe to be a niggle in the knee he had operated on during the off-season.  McCarthy was outstanding in the first half, winning the ball convincingly and using it well when the rest of the team was burning it more often than not.  He certainly looked like an AFL player doing the rounds in the VFL.  Once he’s fit, he’ll just about be an automatic inclusion.

Jarryd Blair: Was just about the player who impressed me the most.  Showed a willingness from the get go to put his head over the ball and do the hard yards.  He was amongst it from the beginning, but really came into the game during the third and final terms when we reigned supreme in the middle; thanks largely to his efforts.  There will always be doubts because of his size, but as far as ability and application goes he’s checking all the right boxes.

Tristan Francis: A really competitive kid, he did some good work across the half-back line and for stints through the middle.  His tackling is a highlight and he also has a bit of mongrel about him, not to mention a good burst of pace when required.  He tends not to stand out too much, but is showing very good signs for a rookie listed player.

Cameron Wood: Contested well in the ruck without being out-and-out convincing.  Showed some good signs around the ground as he seemed to lift his work rate a bit more; being rewarded with a nice goal at the end of the third quarter.  Still has to work a bit harder around the ground, but today was an improvement on his previous efforts.

Lachlan Keeffe: Today was my first chance to get a look at the kid I’ve heard so much about over the pre-season.  Keeffe shared the ruck duties with Wood throughout the match and competed well, winning a few nice taps and putting them to advantage.  Gathered the ball at ground level amid congestion quite well on a few occassions and showed good second efforts.  He’s definitely ahead of where we would have expected him to be at this point.

Anthony Corrie: A disappointing game for Corrie and his frustration was evident on several occassions.  Some people have described him as selfish, but I think he’s just feeling pressure to impress at a new club.  It’s not helping his chances though, as he tends to try and do too much and either gets himself into trouble or burns the ball.  A forgettable day for Anthony, the only silver lining being a long running goal.

Danny Stanley: Was played across the half-forward line for most of the day and wasn’t as involved as he normally is.  Despite this, he’s simply a ferocious player who has an impact on the contest more often than not when the ball is in his vicinity.  His ability overhead was on show but much like others, his kicking for goal let him down as he could have ended the day with a couple.

Luke Rounds: Impressive showing from the young lad, as all the attributes outlined in his draft report were on show.  Has some real zip and some polish to boot.  Had a few forgettable disposals, but made up for them with some memorable ones.  Rounds finished the game with two goals, one which was a gift and the other which was probably goal of the day.

Brent Macaffer: Did most of his work further up field today and was good, perhaps starting to prove that he can offer more than just being a lead-and-mark forward.  Could have realistically finished the day with two or more goals, but didn’t have his kicking boots on.  One thing I noticed today about Macaffer is that he reads the ball well off the pack, as he sharked a few contests flawlessly but just couldn’t finish it off.

Ben Reid: Was solid in defence early and then much like McCarthy disappeared after half-time with a niggle.  He manages to find the ball in defence but can still let himself down when in congestion.  His positioning to provide an escape option for team mates is good and he should be persevered with in this role for a few weeks yet — despite the fact that I’m still more comfortable with him as a lead-up forward.

Toby Thoolen: Not sold on this kid, as he was out bodied too easilly a couple of times.  Physically and athletically, there is a fair bit to like about him, but at the moment he still doesn’t do anything convincingly as far as football goes.  Thankfully he’s on the rookie list and has two years to show some development, as he’s still very much a project.

Tyson Goldsack: I thought Tyson was good today, especially in the early stages.  As you would expect he was our most convincing defender and acted as the general in the back line.  Was beaten on a few occasions and faded as the game wore on, but did more good than bad.

Alan Toovey: Not much to say about Toovey based on today.  He did a couple of good things defensively but was rarely sighted for the most part.  Was given a run in the middle during the third term but had little impact.

Scott Reed: The first few pieces of play he was involved in were forgettable, but to his credit he persevered and was actually quite good in the second half.  He looked tentative in a few early contests and copped a bit of a spray from the fans for not going in hard, but he took the game on in the second and gave us some drive heading forward.  At the end of the day, he made amends for any errors and finished up ahead.  He’s still very much a work in progress but I’m reasonably confident he’ll come on.

Sharrod Wellingham: I expect players like Sharrod to be prominent at VFL level at this stage, but today he didn’t really stand out.  It’s becoming a little bit familiar with Sharrod, where he will do some awesome things and then just look like he’s going through the motions for the rest of the time.  I’m still expecting him to play at least 10 games this year based on natural talent alone, but he’ll need to step it up a bit.

Chris Dawes: He worked hard throughout the day providing pressure up forward and stuck some good tackles.  Showed some good positioning and body work on several occassions, but came unstuck quite a few times by not taking the mark.  Kicked three goals in the final term, but two of those were gifted to him at the back of the pack.  Bit of a mixed bag as I was reasonably happy with his endeavour, but he needs to have stronger hands more regularly.

Related Articles: [VFL Review: Round 1]

VFL Review: Collingwood Vs. Geelong (Round 1, 2009)

The Scores

Collingwood: 2.5 / 4.7 / 8.13 / 13.21 [99]
Geelong: 3.1 / 6.4 / 8.5 / 11.8 [74]

Goals: Rocca 3, Bryan 3, Dawes 3, Rounds 2, Corrie, Wood.

The 10th Letter’s Best: Cook / McCarthy / Blair / Goldsack / Barham

The conditions were perfect at Visy Park as our VFL side kicked off their season; but despite such perfect weather we picked up where the seniors left off by being wasteful in front of goal.  Fortunately, after trailing throughout the first half we managed to come away with the win through sheer quantity.  With 15 more scoring shots than the opposition, the Pies ran out 25 point winners.

We gained ascendancy early in the first quarter with Rocca kicking the first two for the match — a sight that brought smiles to all Magpie fans in attendance.  We were scrappy for the remainder of the quarter, with McCarthy being a stand-out whilst Goldsack did a good job acting as the general in defence.  Geelong pegged the lead back and ended the quarter a couple of points in front.

The second quarter was much like the first, with Collingwood struggling to move the ball with any purpose.  Too many of our players would get drawn to the ball and/or contest and weren’t working hard to provide effective options once we had won possession.  Geelong on the other hand did a better job of spreading and carrying the ball forward.

J-Mac continued with his good work, but unfortunately we wouldn’t see him again after the main break.  Even though McCarthy only played a half of football, I’ve still named him amongst the best because he was without a doubt best on ground up until half time.  J-Mac was clean and strong, highlighted by one passage where he gathered the ball in congestion and steamrolled through a pack of players to push the ball forward.

By the end of the half, Geelong had stretched their lead to nine points.  The first half was marred with some particularly baffling umpiring — so much so that the usually subdued VFL crowd was becoming gradually more animated.

From the third quarter onwards, Collingwood held sway with only our bad kicking keeping Geelong in the contest.  Ryan Cook put in a fantastic performance, playing tough in the clenches whilst also showing plenty of poise when required.  Barham put in a typical performance, providing us with some dash whilst Blair was throwing himself under as many packs as possible.

Steele Sidebottom – who was relatively quiet in the first half despite doing a couple of good things – worked his way into the match.  His only noticeable blunder was a sprayed left foot shot on goal, but he just knows how to find the football and keeps a cool head when he does.

Another first year player in Luke Rounds impressed during the third quarter.  Much like Barham, Rounds provided us with some explosive pace through the middle of the ground.  The highlight of the quarter came when Rounds was instrumental during a series of handballs, managing to also get on the end of the sequence to snap truly off his left foot at nearly full pace.

Rocca and Bryan were focal points up forward as Wood and Keeffe handled the ruck work.  Rocca kicked his third and final goal for the match, but was rested for most of the final quarter.  At the end of what was a dominant yet inaccurate third quarter, Collingwood held an 8 point lead at the final break.

We maintained our dominance in the final quarter but due to poor kicking never really put the game beyond doubt.  We went with our terrier squad in the centre for the final term, with Blair, Barham and Sidebottom starting in the middle.  Every bounce played out the same, the ball would come to ground and a frenzy of action would ensue; with either a centre clearance for Collingwood or a well-tackled Geelong player being the result.

We peppered the goals for the majority, adding 5.8 for the quarter.  Dawes kicked three for the quarter, but admittedly two of those were point blank gifts as the ball spilled out the back of a contest.

There was a lot to be pleased about from our newest additions in the second half, with Sidebottom, Rounds, Francis and Blair all being impressive.  Francis is a real competitor and has a bit of mongrel about him; they stay tackled when he gets his hands on them.  Blair was instrumental in our second half, winning a lot of contests or free-kicks by getting in and under and putting his head over the ball.  He uses the ball fairly well, but does have a tendency to let himself down when he either rushes or gets a little lazy with his kicking.

The most pleasing moment of the final term – perhaps even the game – was when Rocca gathered a loose ball at full tilt, continued to move at full steam and delivered truly on his left foot to Dawes.  It was a good fitness test for Pebbles and he passed in flying colours.  As the siren sounded, Collingwood ran out 25 point winners and booked themselves in for some much needed goal kicking practice with the rest of our list over the next week.

Related Articles: [VFL Player Report: Round 1]

Victoria Park: Home Sweet Home

It was a sad day when Collingwood played their last game at Victoria Park.  It was an even sadder day when we closed the doors completely and moved to the Lexus Centre.  I never doubted the wisdom in the move, there was a clear advantage to the Lexus Centre; with its state of the art training facilities and the benefits such amenities would bring. 

Nonetheless, it was still difficult.  Being a Collingwood supporter since birth and coming from a long line of Collingwood supporters, my childhood was full of fond memories of Victoria Park.  From the crowded platforms at Victoria Park station to handing the footballs back to our beloved players during the pre-game warmup at the scoreboard end.  Victoria Park was – and still is – Collingwood’s spiritual home.

Before I was old enough for my parents to comfortably take me to games, my Nan – who grew up in Collingwood – enthralled me with stories of the black and white army marching past her house to and from Victoria Park.  If she was unable to attend the match herself, she was always well aware of the result by the demeanour of the masses as they returned from the infamous inner-city stadium.

Infamous is probably one of the best words to attach to Victoria Park.  It was the heart of everything Collingwood; the soul of the most proud and passionate sporting club in Australia.  Opposition fans and players alike came to fear the venue; Victoria Park was our territory and we never prided ourselves on hospitality.  Even with this in mind, it was a sad day for opposition fans as well when Victoria Park was abandoned; it well and truly had etched a spot of its own in the proud history of our sport.

A football hasn’t been kicked by the black-and-white in an organised game of football at Victoria Park since 1999 — but that is now set to change. 

Heritage Victoria has saved Victoria Park from demolition at the hands of Yarra Council after a long and bitter battle that has lasted almost a decade.  What is even better is that the 2009 VFL fixture has recently been released and – wait for it - Collingwood’s reserves side has been scheduled to play three games at Victoria Park towards the end of the VFL season.

This also isn’t the end, as Gary Pert has alluded to working towards the idea of Collingwood making Victoria Park its VFL home ground once more; moving the VFL faction of our club well away from the enemy territory of Visy Park.

This is some of the best news I’ve heard in a while and compliments the push to having a stand-alone VFL side perfectly.  With a move like this, a void has been filled within the hearts of all Collingwood fans and I would expect to see the attendance at Collingwood VFL games - particularly those played at Victoria Park – increase significantly. 

Welcome home Collingwood.

VFL Fixture 2009

Round 01:Vs. Geelong – Visy Park – 11/04/2009 (2:00pm)
Round 02:Vs. Williamstown – Visy Park – 18/04/2009 (2:00pm)
Round 03: Vs. Bendigo - Queen Elizabeth Oval – 26/04/2009 (2:00pm)
Round 04: Vs. North Ballarat - Northern Oval – 02/05/2009 (1:10pm)
Round 05: Vs. Box Hill – Visy Park – 10/05/2009 (2:00pm)
Round 06: Vs. Coburg - ABD Group Stadium – 16/05/2009 (2:00pm)
Round 07: Bye
Round 08: Vs. Northern Bullants – Visy Park – 30/05/2009 (2:00pm)
Round 09: Vs. Port Melbourne – Visy Park – 07/06/2009 (2:00pm)
Round 10: Vs. Werribee - Barter Card Oval – 13/06/2009 (2:00pm)
Round 11: Vs. North Ballarat – Visy Park – 28/06/2009 (2:00pm)
Round 12: Vs. Frankston - Frankston Park – 05/07/2009 (2:00pm)
Round 13: Vs. Sandringham - Trevor Barker Beach Oval – 12/07/2009 (2:00pm)
Round 14: Vs. Casey Scorpions – Victoria Park – 18/07/2009 (1:00pm)
Round 15: Bye
Round 16: Vs. Northern Bullants – NAB Oval – 02/08/2009 (2:00pm)
Round 17: Vs. Werribee – Victoria Park – 09/08/2009 (2:00pm)
Round 18: Vs. Williamstown – Burbank Oval – 16/08/2009 (2:00pm)
Round 19: Vs. Frankston – Victoria Park – 22/08/2009 (2:00pm)
Round 20: Vs. Geelong – Skilled Stadium – 29/08/2009 (9:40am)