Click here to watch The Weekend That Was - with Alan Richardson - on CTV
Development manager Alan Richardson praised the players for the way they were able to exert considerable scoreboard pressure on the Swans early.
Speaking on CTV’s weekly match review show The Weekend That Was at the Lexus Centre on Monday, Richardson emphasised the significance of Collingwood’s tackling and pressure in the six-goal-to-one first term, and indeed the entire game.
“To have, I think it was almost double their tackle count by the end of the game, in a game where you also get more of the ball, is really impressive,” Richardson said.
“Testament to our forwards, early in the game, to the pressure the boys put on, probably typified by Paul Medhurst’s effort, was just outstanding, and I think really set the scene.”
While Sydney got back into the game with a six-goal-to-two second quarter, the fast start by the Magpies meant the black and white maintained the ascendancy with a 10-point lead at the main break, and proved crucial in the end result.
“I think scoreboard pressure is really, really important. A really experienced team in Sydney, their expectations would’ve been massive after the performance they’d had the previous week against Hawthorn.
“We really wanted to make sure the crowd was a factor, and the only way to do that is to put a bit of pressure on early. It was certainly part of the plan, as it is always to get off to a good start. We were really pleased with the way the boys started.”
Collingwood’s outstanding intensity, which resulted in the team recording an astonishing 68 effective tackles to Sydney’s 37, even though Sydney is regarded as one of the best tackling sides in the league, was obviously a feature.
Also noteworthy was the ability of young players, particularly the five who hadn’t previously played in a final in Travis Cloke, Martin Clarke, Harry O’Brien, Scott Pendlebury and Tyson Goldsack, to each have a significant impact on the contest.
As development manager, Richardson had plenty to do with preparing the young players for the rigours of September football, and he explained some of the messages that were passed on.
“Just making them understand they don’t have to do anything, or be any different to what they’ve been all year.
“That is, Goldsack, Thomas, Pendlebury, Clarke, have been really good and played really good footy against good teams all year.
“The game doesn’t change. There’s no doubt there’s a little bit more intensity earlier in the game, then it’s very similar to a normal game.
“There is a little bit more pressure on outcomes like shots for goal. We just gave them enough belief that they’re good enough to keep doing what they’ve been doing and you’ll stand yourself in good stead, and certainly do the right thing by the team.
“We were really pleased with the way all those boys went about their games.”
After Saturday night’s win, the attention quickly turned to the semi-final opponent West Coast, who the club is now very much focused on.
“We’re really excited, we’re not listening to this injured Eagles bit, we know they’re a quality side, but we’ve played pretty well in Perth. We got beaten, not by a great margin, earlier in the year.
“We think we match up pretty well against teams that play one-on-one, as we saw against Sydney. We really give ourselves a chance if we play to our potential.”
Richardson also assessed the performances of Anthony Rocca, Sean Rusling, Scott Pendlebury and Nick Maxwell, so be sure to watch The Weekend That Was, including match highlights, by clicking on the link at the top of this article.
