Since publishing his first report on Nick's Bulletin Board in early 2005, DaVe86 has become a weekly favourite among the passionate online Magpie Army receiving thousands of views for each article.
The articles are lengthy and have been published in their entirety as the club did not want to hinder DaVe86's creativity during the writing process.
The views expressed in DaVe86's previews are solely of the author and do not reflect the views of the Collingwood Football Club.
The 2013 premiership season is well and truly underway. Round two plays host to a number of big matches, but none more so than the ultimate grudge match between Collingwood and Carlton at the MCG this Sunday at 3:20pm.
Externally, the build-up will be focused squarely on the coaching showdown between former Collingwood premiership coach Mick Malthouse and his deputy Nathan Buckley who will coach against each other for the first time since Malthouse's famous defection to Carlton. Nonetheless, this preview will focus purely on the game and put to one side the hysterics that the media will deliver us this week.
Collingwood is coming off a brilliant victory over North Melbourne in round one. The victory was made so remarkable by the fact that as many as nine first choice players were unavailable for selection, with Dayne Beams and Heath Shaw pulling out on game day. What was most impressive for the Magpies was the fact that it was not only the champion players who responded to this challenge, but also the fringe players who grabbed their opportunity with both hands.
Guys like Josh Thomas, Jack Frost, Sam Dwyer, Marty Clarke, Ben Sinclair, Jamie Elliott and Jordan Russell all performed roles. The new pairing of Travis Cloke and Quinten Lynch up forward also had immediate impact with Cloke kicking four goals and Lynch two. Two injuries during the game to Ben Johnson and Ben Reid saw the Magpies fade late and just manage to hang on for a gusty win.
Turning the focus onto Carlton, and a first round loss to Richmond may have put a bit of pressure on the side this round. With such a tough opening draw, the Blues do not want to start the season with two losses. Despite the defeat, the Blues will be pleased with their second half which saw them stage a remarkable comeback to nearly pinch a miracle victory. Chris Yarran had an opportunity in the dying minutes to kick the winning goal but missed.
Although it was a loss, it was also a clear message to the AFL that Carlton remains a dangerous team to stop when it has momentum. It also displayed terrific fitness to run out the game so strongly. This is contrary to Collingwood who crawled across the line in its opening game.
Recent History
Carlton and Collingwood met on two occasions last year with the Blues proving too strong on both occasions, winning by 60 and 23 points respectively. Eddie Betts kicked nine goals across the two games while Chris Judd polled the three votes in both contests. Carlton totally opened up Collingwood through the middle, was dominant at the stoppages and had far too much footspeed.
At the Selection Table
Starting with the Magpies, and it is going to be a very interesting week at the selection table with so many first choice players on the fringe of selection. It will concern Buckley that the side ran out of legs last week which could be as a result of having so many young players in the side. On the other hand, all the young players performed solidly and the flat finish could also be attributed to the fact that Collingwood was one player short on the interchange following two injuries during the match.
Dayne Beams and Heath Shaw were both late withdrawals last week and Shaw (who missed due to illness), at least, should return. Dale Thomas was a strong contributor in the VFL practice match last Thursday and will be staking his claim for a senior call-up. However, Buckley may opt to give Thomas another run in the VFL before he is available for selection. The same may also apply for Andrew Krakouer who also played in the VFL practice match last week.
Paul Seedsman and Clinton Young are also in a race to be available for selection. Buckley has voiced his desire to take a cautious approach and has also stated that he will not be making too many changes as it is dangerous to have too many underdone players in the one squad. Alex Fasolo, Alan Didak and Luke Ball are all yet to play any level of football so far this year although Fasolo and Didak are nearing a return as they have been listed as 'test' on the club's injury list.
Turning attention onto Carlton and the Blues were dealt an enormous blow this week with both Eddie Betts and Shaun Hampson ruled out of this week's clash. Betts in particular has been dominant against Collingwood in the past and will be sorely missed. Hampson was also super impressive with his marking and will leave a hole in a forward line already missing Jarrad Waite.
However, Carlton has more than adequate replacements to fill the void. Robert Warnock seems the logical replacement for Shaun Hampson, which would also allow Matthew Kreuzer to spend more time forward. On the other hand, Kreuzer rucked beautifully last week and Malthouse may opt to select Sam Rowe for his first game. Rowe is a 198cm forward with the capacity to assist in the ruck if needed, while Levi Casboult can also offer assistance in this area. Jeremy Laidler may also push for selection which could come at the expense of young Brad Bootsma. Malthouse may also look to the strength of Tom Bell to add a bit of aggression to the forward line.
Mitch Robinson appears to have no ill-effects from the concussion he received last round and looks set to play. Former Magpie Heath Scotland will miss again through suspension.
Focus on Collingwood
Collingwood definitely displayed a more attacking game-style in the opening round. Although it still utilised the boundary, it was also far more willing to attack through the corridor and it provided Cloke with a number of one out opportunities. Harry O'Brien looked very comfortable in his new role as a wingman and was one of Collingwood's best afield. He adds unpredictability to the midfield.
The most pleasing thing from a Collingwood supporter's perspective was the intense forward pressure and also the tackling intensity all over the field. The defensive pressure was so strong and forced the Kangaroos into countless turnovers. In fact, Collingwood kicked the majority of its score from turnovers.
Travis Cloke and Quinten Lynch - This combination worked beautifully for the Magpies. Cloke has stated that it will take a bit of time for the two to truly work in harmony together, however it was so pleasing to see how they made space for each other and the fact that both were genuine goal scoring targets. All early indications seem as if Lynch is going to be a terrific recruit for the Magpies.
Ben Sinclair and Jamie Elliott - In the absence of Krakouer, Fasolo, Thomas and Didak, the burden has fallen on Sinclair and Elliot to play the small forward roles. Although neither had high disposals, both were incredible in terms of the forward pressure they applied. Sinclair in particular had eight tackles, while Elliot laid some really bone crunching tackles to keep the ball in the Collingwood forward half. The concern however is that neither are having an impact on the scoreboard. Both are fighting for their position considering the depth of talent to return to the forward line but nonetheless, if they are able to display the same level of intensity week and in week out, then the goals should start coming as a reward.
Steele Sidebottom - After a quiet end to the year in 2012, Sidebottom started the 2013 season with a near best on ground performance. He kicked three goals and had 21 disposals. It seemed as if Steele spent much more time up forward which was pleasing to see because he is so clever around goals and is such a natural crumber. With stars like Thomas, Ball and Beams still to return to the side in the middle, Sidebottom is going to be such a luxury in the forward line and should become a consistent goal scorer in season 2013.
Scott Pendlebury and Dane Swan - It is hard to give enough praise for the efforts of these two last Sunday. With so much experience out of the side, Scott and Dane really lifted to the challenge and led the midfield. They had 61 disposals and two goals between them. Swan's last quarter in particular was fantastic with a brilliant mark and goal, and then a match saving mark late in the quarter. Pendlebury dominated from start to finish and won the Jason McCartney Medal as best on ground. Expect Andrew Carrazzo to play a tight tag on one of these two on Sunday.
Alan Toovey - I really thought he was an unsung hero of the win against North Melbourne and still remains the most underrated player on the list. Although Lindsay Thomas kicked four goals, Toovey really shut him down after quarter time. He also played on a variety of opponents and kept them all quiet. He won every 50-50 contest and also generated a lot of rebound off half back. Expect him to get the big job on one of Carlton's small forwards such as Jeff Garlett this week.
Focus on Carlton
It was the first real chance to see how Mick Malthouse would structure the Carlton line-up in the 2013 season. We saw a lot of old Mick Malthouse traits in the sense that the Blues did play the boundary line for the majority of the game until they opened up the play in the last quarter. We also saw a typical setup of two key forwards, with one who could play as back-up ruckman.
On the other hand, he threw a few curveballs in as well. Marc Murphy played the majority of the first half as a half forward flanker. Yarran also spent the majority of his time as a forward. Andrew Walker on the other hand was asked to play down back in a key defensive role, despite the fact that he has trained most of the pre-season as a forward.
It will be interesting to see whether Malthouse elects to play Walker and play two genuine ruckmen, or bring in Sam Rowe to keep the same structure. If he elects to play both, then it might be Casboult who misses out as it is hard to see the Blues play such a tall line-up.
Chris Yarran - As alluded to above, Yarran played the majority of his game against Richmond as a forward and nearly tore the game apart last round. In the absence of Eddie Betts, Yarran may be asked to play forward again. On the one hand, Buckley may not mind this as Yarran was so influential running off half back against Collingwood in 2012. Yarran's move to the forward line may be a ploy to have him play alongside Betts and Garlett to produce one of the quickest and talented forward lines in the competition. Yarran had a terrible year with injury last year and was never 100 per cent fit. He had a terrific pre-season and could be set for a breakout year.
Matthew Kreuzer - I thought his game last week was terrific. Although Ivan Maric probably took the points for the ruck on the night, Kreuzer's tap work was still very sharp and he made his 20 hitouts count. Most importantly, he went forward and kicked two goals. He was also super impressive below his knees and he seems to have regained his agility following his knee reconstruction two years ago. He seems to relish the opportunity to ruck for long periods and roam through the middle, but he also provides a strong target up forward. He may be on the verge of really establishing himself as the premier ruckman of the game as there are very few that possess the all-round ability that he does.
Michael Jamison - Jamison had a tough night at the office last week but ultimately did a pretty good job on Jack Riewoldt. He is so important to the Carlton structure as the defence looks undermanned without him. He seems to have put the injury concerns behind him which have plagued him throughout his career. He will get the big job on the in-form Travis Cloke which could prove the most pivotal match-up of the game.
Chris Judd - Despite a limited pre-season, Judd was instrumental against Richmond last week and nearly single-handedly got his side across the line. His two last quarter goals were inspiring, and he made the most of the majority of his 27 disposals. He will be better for the run and will get more match fit with every game he plays. You also get the impression that Judd will relish the fact that he is no longer captain and does not have that weight on his shoulders anymore. Judd polled all six votes against Collingwood last year, so is clearly the man Collingwood need to shut down the most. Without a designated tagger, the Magpies will struggle to curtail his influence again.
Bryce Gibbs - He was probably Carlton's best player in round one with 34 possessions. He was literally everywhere and made the most of every disposal. Malthouse has unleashed Gibbs into the midfield this year and he looks set to really establish himself as a premier player in the competition. The Blues love the footy in his hands. Considering he plays more of an outside game, you would think the Magpies would pay close attention to him to prevent him any space to work. He is a very damaging player if giving time to use the footy.
The Wrap Up
Bragging rights are up for grabs and there will be nowhere to hide for the loser in front of an estimated crowd of 80,000 people.
Collingwood will be on a high after its victory over North Melbourne but ultimately is still very undermanned through the middle and up forward. The same could said about Carlton.
Collingwood needs to shut down Carlton's run and apply the same tackling pressure as it did last week. Carlton on the other hand needs to match Collingwood's intensity and get first use through the middle. The Blues still have the edge for footspeed through the middle, but are still lacking a key forward target. If a forward presents on the night, then the likes of Garlett can prove a handful.
This has been a game all Collingwood and Carlton fans have had diarised since the fixture was released. It should be an absolute cracker.
Pies by 15
By David Natoli
Aka DaVe86
