The Result
Collingwood 12.13 (85)
West Coast 12.10 (82)
Goals - Cloke 5, Beams 3, Fasolo 2, Blair 2
Disposals - Swan 38, Beams 34, Sidebottom 25, Buckley 22, Maxwell 21, Shaw 21, Thomas 21
It took solid contributions from all 22 players to help Collingwood to get over a strong West Coast Eagles outfit by three points at the MCG on Saturday evening. Both sides will have left the match with plenty to be happy with, and similarly much to ponder as they swapped the ascendency on several occasions throughout the game.
Click here to watch the CTV highlights.
Collingwood made the early running, kicking the first three goals of the match but twice appeared as if they were about to be overrun by a West Coast side that never conceded an inch. It took a goal from Dayne Beams to wrench back the lead with seven minutes to play, leaving Collingwood supporters in a hot sweat as the Eagles threatened in the dying stages.
Bucks’ take
“It was a game of momentum - either ours or theirs," Buckley said. "I think that's what happens when you play good sides. I don't think we were great at being able to halt momentum when the Eagles had it, and, to be honest, we might not have maximised ours.” - Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley.
Hear more from Bucks in his post match press conference.
Over the fence
“We are stronger as a group. (But) we have to get better. We want to be one of the elite teams in the competition and to do that, we still think we've got to improve. Margins in games mean nothing if you're not learning from it and improving for your next game, and every game after that.” - West Coast coach John Worsfold.
Read the match report here.
Billy Elliott
Fourth gamer Jamie Elliott etched his name into the hearts of Collingwood supporters thanks to his outstanding final quarter performance. The 19-year-old had been impressive in his first three matches at senior level but it was in the final term against the ladder leaders that he showed his true colours. Elliott held several strong marks, including a screamer on the MCC Members wing, and used the ball with a sense of poise and surety that bellied his stature as one of Collingwood’s least experienced players. He belongs.
The powerhouse
The sight of Travis Cloke in full throttle must have furrowed the brows of coaches across the league. Pitted against two of the best key defenders in the game in Eric Mackenzie and Darren Glass, Cloke managed to kick five goals in the first three quarters to set up Collingwood’s 15 point lead at the final change.
View the best photos from Collingwood's three point win.
But it was not just his goal kicking that caught the eye. Some of Cloke’s contested marking was excellent, be it above his head or on the chest. In further good news, he has booted 7.1 in the past fortnight.
Taking on the twin towers
With a ruck duo boasting Dean Cox and Nic Naitanui, the Eagles are certain to win more than they lose. But Darren Jolly is no slouch. The 30-year-old was charged with the imposing task of taking on the agile pair for 87 per cent of the match, getting occasional relief from part-time ruckman Chris Dawes. He performed well, too, not only winning 23 hitouts (six less than Cox and eight more than NicNat) but also finding 16 possessions and four marks.
The medical room
Nathan Buckley was glad to tell the media at the MCG that no players had sustained any major injuries during the win. Key defender Chris Tarrant was a late withdrawal due to general soreness and was replaced in the selected side by Tom Young.
The goal rush runs dry
After kicking 23 and 17 goals in its past two matches, Collingwood found majors hard to come by against the Eagles. Although 12 goals were enough to register a winning score, the Magpies had only four individual goal scorers. The last time Collingwood had so few players contribute in front of goal was against Adelaide in round 21, 2010, when only Leigh Brown (two goals), Dale Thomas (two), Travis Cloke (one) and Alan Didak (one) were able to convert in front of the big sticks. Interestingly, the Magpies were able to win both matches despite the lack of spread.
Watch the CTV highlights, including the tense final minutes, here.
Consider this
Time for a random, meaningless stat. Nick Maxwell has conceded more free kicks (10) than he’s won (nine) so far this year. The only other season he’s fallen on the wrong side of the ledger was 2010. Perhaps it’s not so meaningless.
What does it mean?
- Saturday was the sixth time Jarryd Blair has gathered 20 or more disposals in a match for the season. To measure his improvement in 2012, Blair reached the same total in his 22nd match for the season last year.
- Dayne Beams watch: The Queenslander has had more than 30 disposals in his last four games and in seven of his last right. And he’s now averaging more than a goal a game (71 in 70 since round two, 2009).
- Alan Toovey slid back into the team with little fanfare but picked up where he left off, laying a game high eight tackles to draw level with Scott Pendlebury on 51 tackles for the season.
VFL
Collingwood was left to rue a second quarter lapse that allowed the Coburg Tigers to set up a 26-point victory in round 13 of the VFL season. The Tigers had seven more scoring shots in the second quarter but were unable to put the Pies away. Collingwood drew within eight points early in the final quarter, but the home side eventually began to convert in front of goal to record a 26 point victory. Irishman Caolan Mooney was the story of the day as far as Collingwood was concerned, kicking his side’s first five goals of the match.
Looking ahead…
The challenges keep coming. This time it’s Fremantle at the MCG on Saturday afternoon in the 1:45pm timeslot. The Dockers have won only one of their past six against the Magpies and haven’t defeated them at the MCG since round 15, 2006. But the move of Ross Lyon over to the west will mean that Fremantle has a strong knowledge of how to tackle the Pies at their home ground, making for an intriguing contest.
