AFL Round 12 – Collingwood vs Melbourne Match Preview.

Collingwood won’t play finals this year, that much is clear now. That’s a stark reality considering the very public preseason expectations of the Magpies. The aim was finals, it was supposed to be the pass mark this season yet after 11 rounds the Pies sit with a 4-7 win/loss record. The dam wall burst open on Sunday at the M.C.G. when Collingwood were completely and utterly destroyed by Port Adelaide to the tune of 67 points. The Power aren’t even a top rated team, yet they toyed with the Magpies for most of the game, scoring some of the easiest goals you’ll ever see at this level. The problems exist for the Magpies on so many levels. Their defense is leaking big scores, the midfield while still breaking even most weeks can’t dominate, and their forward line has been ravaged by injury. It leaves the Pies with a makeshift lineup going into the Queen’s Birthday holiday matchup against Melbourne this week.

The Demons themselves sit one win and one spot on the ladder above Collingwood. It’s probably leaves Melbourne about on par with preseason expectations. They could be sitting a lot better though, with 3 losses in their last 4 games undoing some of the good early season work. These two have faced off already this season, with Melbourne taking a 35 point win over Collingwood back in round 4. In that win for the Demons, Jack Watts starred with 4 goals while Viney, Bugg and Jones gained almost 100 possessions between them. It was one of the more dominant Melbourne performances in recent memory. This game will be the 16^th season in a row that the Pies and Demons have met on the Queen’s Birthday Monday holiday, with Melbourne not saluting on this day since 2007. The Dees will start favourites in this one though as they seem to possess a side in form and healthier at the moment.

COLLINGWOOD PREVIEW

Where to now for the Magpies? Do they put the cue in the rack and get games into the kids? Or do they persist with selecting the absolute best 22 based on form and performance each week? I dare say it’s the latter, at least for a few more rounds. There are some positives for Collingwood during these tough times. The ruck combination of Mason Cox and Brodie Grundy seems to be working well and together they dominated the hitouts last week. The midfield is still performing quite well also with Pendlebury, Sidebottom, Crisp and Treloar carrying the team most weeks. Down back Ben Reid and Jeremy Howe have formed a strong partnership and seem to be holding together a rather makeshift Pies defense under extreme pressure. That’s about it though. There wasn’t much to write home about out of the big loss to Port really so it’s a matter of looking forward, rather than looking back.

Going into this game against the Demons the Pies will look to get back to the consistency of effort that had seen them win 2 of their last 3 games before the capitulation last Sunday. They seem to have got through the game relatively unscathed with ex Demon Jeremy Howe the major concern with abductor and knee injuries. When Howe went down in the first term it looked like it may have been season over for him, but after several minutes off the ground he came back on and played the game out. That’s a bonus for the Pies as Howe has been very good down back the last few weeks. Outside of the 22 selected on Sunday there are numerous players who are pushing their claim for selection. The VFL Magpies had yet another big win, this time over Werribee, and the likes of Phillips, Aish, Williams, Witts, Goldsack and Marsh will all consider themselves a chance of promotion. Of them the most interesting player is Tom Phillips. The first year midfielder has excelled at VFL level in recent times and gathered 33 disposals and 3 goals on Saturday. The most impressive part of Phillips’ game is his accurate ball use, something that the senior side is screaming out for. You’d think he will make his senior debut on Monday, maybe at the expense of a fellow youngster in Crocker or Goodyear.

Whatever the final 22 is (we won’t know till Saturday night) the Pies effort has to be more consistent if they are to be any chance on Monday. Their game plan relies on it, heck most teams do, but it seems Collingwood more than anyone else relies on a high intensity of effort or they fall away quite quickly. If the Pies can bring that higher level of effort and intensity on Monday they can win this game.

MELBOURNE PREVIEW

Melbourne are somewhat of a strange team to assess. They are still a work in progress with all planning leading towards the coaching handover at seasons end from Roos to Goodwin. Melbourne hasn’t played finals since 2007 (the last time they defeated the Pies on QB too) and since that year haven’t finished above 12^th on the ladder at seasons’ end. So for the Demons to be sitting 11^th halfway through this season shows that maybe, just maybe there is finally on field improvement. Four weeks back they were in an even better position after the win over the Suns left them with a 4-3 record. The last four games haven’t been as impressive as those first few but the Demons playing group will take confidence from their last performance against the Pies. That win was arguably the Dees best performance of the season.

If Melbourne have a distinct area of strength it has to be their midfield. Even with Jack Viney out injured for this game the Dees central core is still strong, led by maybe the most dominant ruckman in the game today, Max Gawn. Only the Eagles average more hitouts a game than Melbourne and the majority of those hitouts come from Gawn (he has 457, the next best is 30 at the club). Gawn gives first service to a talented group that includes Vince, Jones, Tyson, Kent, Petracca and Trengove. Melbourne rank in the top 3 for clearances and contested possessions showing just how strong this midfield is at the moment. They face off on Monday against a Collingwood midfield that ranks last, dead last for clearances in the AFL. A lot of that is down to the ruck too, with youngster Brodie Grundy still learning his craft, and the inexperienced Mason Cox backing him up. The Dees will look to use Gawn’s skills to their advantage and dominate in the middle.

From an area of strength to the weakest are on the ground for Melbourne, the defense. It’s still a work in progress but the Dees backline does struggle to stop teams from scoring. This defense has conceded scores of 135, 114 and 121 in 3 of their last 4 losses, and that has to be of major concern to coach Paul Roos. The reliance on Tom McDonald is massive, he’s one of the better key position defenders in the AFL for sure, but has very little consistent support around him. Frost, Hunt, Wagner and Bugg seem to be the popular choices at the moment to give that support but it’s not working out so well. The good news for Melbourne is they run into a decimated Collingwood forward line. The Pies will be missing Moore, Fasolo, Elliott and Swan on Monday all who would start in any teams attack. McDonald may not even be given the task on the out of form Travis Cloke as Port used smaller and more mobile defenders to expose his lack of pace. If there’s one week that the Demons defense can perform well, it’s this one.

The Demons forward line on paper looks quite strong and it is delivering on it’s promise most weeks. This Melbourne attack ranks 7^th for total points despite only having the 9^th most inside 50 entries through 11 rounds. Jesse Hogan and Jack Watts have been the two focus points for Melbourne in 2016 and they are on target to kick 100 goals combined. Watts destroyed the Pies in the first game and he and Hogan, as well as the supporting cast of small and medium options, will come against a weakened Pies backline. Injury has also hit the Collingwood defense with several first choice options out at the moment. Where the Pies look to struggle also is with small forwards and this is where Garlett, Stretch and Hunt can do some damage. Of course the Dees also have 2010 Collingwood premiership player Chris Dawes who has just returned from injury, to provide another headache for a struggling Pies backline.

On paper Melbourne should win this game. Their squad is talented enough in the middle and up forward to cause enough problems for a struggling Pies team. To do that though they will have to snap out of the little funk they are in. Their form from the first 7 games would win this game, and the hope will be that with Dawes, Trengove and a few others having a few runs under their belts now, the Dees consistency of effort and production will increase. There shouldn’t be too many changes at selection with Ben Kennedy and Cam Pederson the two most likely to come in. Kennedy, another ex Magpie, started the season well but had a shocker against Port two weeks back. This is a game an improving Melbourne really should win, so it’s a good test to see just how far they’ve come.

TIP

Melbourne hasn’t defeated Collingwood twice in one season since 1988, so they have a chance to create some history on Monday. To do so they will have to play better than they have the past few weeks. They have shown glimpses in the past two losses of the form that got them to a positive win/loss record after 7 games but haven’t been able to produce it for four quarters. The Pies are the same. They have been good at times but were over run late by the Dogs and were insipid at times against Port. Using Port as a form guide there’s not a lot in this game really. Both teams kicked terribly at goal in heavy losses to the Power but were never really in the contest.

You would expect a better effort from both clubs this week though, with the Demons big day always bringing out a rise in performance, even if they haven’t won one of these QB games since 2007. The Pies though have bounced back well after big losses this year, and with the return of a few experienced heads likely, I can see Collingwood getting the better of Melbourne in a close game.

PIES BY 9 POINTS.

VFL

In what seems to be an annual fixture now, Collingwood’s VFL side will venture out to Casey on Saturday to take on Melbourne’s VFL affiliate, the Scorpions. Start time is 2.10pm and the game will be shown live on Channel 7 for Melbourne and surrounding areas viewers.

AFL Round 4 – Collingwood vs Melbourne Match Preview.

There is trouble a foot at Collingwood. On Saturday afternoon at the M.C.G. the biggest sporting club in the land performed terribly, there’s no way of sugar coating it. Matching up against a team they were expected to defeat, St Kilda, Collingwood lacked the level of intensity and execution that is needed to perform at the top level. The Magpies third quarter in particular was bordering on pathetic, allowing the Saints to absolutely dominate for the first 20 minutes after half time. That was the game gone, no chance of coming back when you’re playing with as little effort and skill as this Magpies outfit is at the moment. Ultimately the Saints won by 29 points and relegated Collingwood to the bottom 5 of the ladder after 3 rounds, with a 1-2 win/loss record and a lowly percentage of 68.05.

The silver lining, if there is one, is that it’s still early in the season and that means there’s plenty of chances coming up to rectify the performances of the first three weeks. I say the first three weeks because even the win over Richmond in round 2 isn’t looking all that good, after the Tigers were pushed aside by the Crows around the same time the Pies were laying down against St Kilda. This weekend brings the first opportunity of redemption, a matchup versus one of the Pies oldest foes, Melbourne at the M.C.G. The Demons have plenty of problems of their own, with only win one out of their first 3 games. On form though Melbourne should start favourite for this game.

COLLINGWOOD PREVIEW

First to the positives, the very few positives out of the loss to St Kilda. Taylor Adams endured and gathered 28 disposals and a goal, leading the Magpies midfield brigade. Brodie Grundy showed why he is the clear number one ruckman at the club gathering 16 possessions and matching Tom Hickey in hitouts. Across half back Tom Langdon, Adam Oxley and Brayden Maynard used the ball well and gave the Pies some drive that led to a total of 90 points on the scoreboard. After that there wasn’t much to write home about really.

There were more negatives than positives of course, but the major ones included Collingwood’s inability to defend at both ends. Collingwood could neither hold the ball inside their offensive zone or repel the ball once it entered the Saints forward line. The Magpies are last, dead last for time allowed in the defensive area of the ground, showing that quite simply they are allowing their opposition to move the ball far too easily. It’s harsh to single out individuals but Ben Sinclair, Tyson Goldsack and Jarryd Blair had 5 tackles between them, FIVE. Come on now, these are three of the more defensively minded players at the club yet they couldn’t average 2 tackles each over 120 minutes, something stinks there. One of the major issues is ball use also, with more than half of the 22 who played on Saturday failing to achieve a 70% disposal efficiency rate. That is highlighted by the Magpies defensive half turning the ball over more then any other team except for the struggling Fremantle Dockers are three rounds.

Coming into the game versus the Demons the Pies have has lost another key player, with Marley Williams going down with a foot injury that will keep him out for up to a month. Thankfully there’s a few players returning, with Steele Sidebottom available after serving his two match suspension, Travis Varcoe fully recovered from a hamstring injury and Alan Toovey dominated in the VFL game on Sunday. Those 3 players alone bring experience and a guaranteed effort, something this Magpies team was missing on Saturday. There are other options for coach Nathan Buckley and his assistants to consider too. In that VFL game, a strong win over Port Melbourne to start the regular season, Jesse White, Jack Frost, Brent Macaffer, Rupert Wills and Mason Cox all impressed. Cox is the interesting one there, the American behemoth could well come in and assist Brodie Grundy given the matchup against Max Gawn, one of, of not the most in form ruckman in the AFL. Cox has shown more propensity to play forward than any other ruckman on the Collingwood list, and could well make his senior debut this Saturday.

It may well be what Collingwood needs too, a few new names in the senior side to kick start what has been a woeful start to the 2016 season. Varcoe, Sidebottom, Toovey, Cox and maybe Wills would add a freshness to a side that has looked stale of late. This is still a very winnable game for Collingwood, on talent they should win really but they will have to bring a proper four quarter effort or risk losing to another up and coming team.

MELBOURNE PREVIEW

Coming into season 2016 Melbourne were looking to continue their push up the ladder after an encouraging 2015 campaign. After finishing in the bottom four in three consecutive years the Demons climbed to 13^th at the end of last season, only one spot behind their opponents this weekend. So far this year, after three rounds the Dees may well be described as the Jekyll and Hyde of the AFL. They started with an encouraging come from behind win over the GWS Giants, before a dismal performance saw them lose to a weakened Essendon outfit. Then last week they played their best game of the season, at least offensively, when they pushed North Melbourne to the limit, only to go down by 5 points. In that game Melbourne came from 7 goals down early on score 20.11.131, but their lack of a defensive structure saw them unable to hold the Roos out late. It was a better display than the week before though, that’s for sure.

Did Melbourne turn a corner last week against North Melbourne? For the past few seasons under Paul Roos the Dees have been the lowest scoring side in the AFL. Yet last week they went bang, maybe because it was the only way to get back from 7 goals down against a good side in North Melbourne, but still they may have unlocked something. You get the feeling they won’t hold back against a struggling Collingwood side either, so their forward line’s ability to convert their inside 50’s will be interesting to watch. Last season the Demons were in the bottom half for scores per insider 50, but against North they scored nearly 50% of the time, a big improvement. That improvement might just come from their small forwards too with Garlett, Kennedy and Kent all capable of scoring. The Magpies defense is depleted also which should make it easier for the Dees to score once inside forward 50.

The Melbourne midfield took a blow after the North loss with Bernie Vince suspended for one game for an elbow to the neck of an opposition player. It’s an even bigger blow given the 30 possession, 3 goal, best on ground performance Vince had versus the Pies late last season. The Demons won that game quite easily (by 37 points) and ended a losing streak to the Magpies that went back to 2007. There’s still plenty of talent in the middle with Angus Brayhsaw the likely replacement for Vince. The likes of Jones (times 2), Tyson, Oliver, Viney and Brayshaw show you why the Dees have been impressive in the clearances so far in 2016. The Magpies midfield, is still performing at a decent level, more so than it’s defense anyway, so that central grouping will have to be on their game to get first hands on the ball.

The Demons backline might be their weakest part of the ground but is well protected most weeks by a defensive mindset from the whole team. Tom McDonald, Lynden Dunn and ex Pie Heritier Lumumba lead the way down back and do a creditable job. What Melbourne seems to lack though is real drive out of defense with the likes of Jetta, Salem, Bugg and Lumumba having the potential to drive them forward but not being effective most weeks. The good news is Collingwod’s retention rate inside their forward 50 has been woeful so far this season, which means the Dees should be able to clear it out of the backline easily. The matchups that may worry this defense are clear, with Travis Cloke and Alex Fasolo being the only two Magpie forwards you really have to worry about at the moment. McDonald should get Cloke while the rest will rotate through Fasolo with Dunn maybe getting first crack.

Melbourne can win this game, that’s pretty clear to see given their form and relatively small injury list. They way they played against North Melbourne last week would be enough to push this measly Collingwood outfit aside if the Magpies don’t improve on their recent output. At selection the Melbourne coaching staff have some choices with their VFL side having a massive win to open the regular season. Petracca, Brayshaw, Neal-Bullen, Weideman, McDonald and Garlett are all pushing for inclusion in this game and should be able to cover the absence of Bernie Vince for this week. It’s a game Melbourne will believe they can win and back home at the MCG (all be it a Collingwood home game) the Dees will be looking to repeat the effort of last year and defeat their old foes once again.

TEAMS

Collingwood
B: Ben Sinclair, Nathan Brown, Tom Langdon
HB: Tyson Goldsack, Ben Reid, Alan Toovey
C: Adam Oxley, Adam Treloar, Steele Sidebottom
HF: Travis Varcoe, Darcy Moore, Jordan De Goey
F: Alex Fasolo, Travis Cloke, Jeremy Howe
Foll: Brodie Grundy, Scott Pendlebury, Taylor Adams
Int (from): Brent Macaffer, Jarryd Blair, James Aish, Levi Greenwood, Jack Crisp, Matthew Goodyear, Mason Cox

IN: Mason Cox, Brent Macaffer, Steele Sidebottom, Alan Toovey, Travis Varcoe
OUT: Brayden Maynard (hamstring), Marley Williams (foot)
NEW: Mason Cox (25, Oklahoma State University)

Round four: Melbourne team

B: Neville Jetta, Tom McDonald, Tomas Bugg

HB: Lynden Dunn, Heritier Lumumba, Christian Salem

C: James Harmes, Dom Tyson, Clayton Oliver

HF: Jack Watts, Sam Frost, Matt Jones

F: Dean Kent, Jesse Hogan, Ben Kennedy

Foll: Max Gawn, Nathan Jones, Jack Viney

I/C (from): Angus Brayshaw, Billy Stretch, Cameron Pedersen, Jayden Hunt, Alex Neal-Bullen, Jeff Garlett, Josh Wagner

In: Garlett, Pedersen, Neal-Bullen, Brayshaw, Hunt

Out: Bernie Vince (suspension), Aaron vandenBerg (ankle)

New: Hunt

TIP

If you’re assessing this game on form, injury lists and matchups Melbourne win, sorry but they do. Collingwood’s form over the first three weeks wouldn’t beat anyone at the moment, well except for Richmond, and how ludicrous does that make them look. There is a potential there though for this Magpies team to simply out perform the Demons if they, for lack of a better term, turn up. Melbourne are still a developing team, they don’t win too many out of turn and aren’t a finals threat, that much is clear. The Pies should win this game, but I have little confidence in either team really.

MAGPIES BY 3 POINTS.

AFL Round 18 – Collingwood vs Melbourne Match Preview.

For the first time since 2005 the Collingwood football club has lost five games in row. It’s been a disastrous stretch for the biggest sporting club in the land. All seemed rosy at the Westpac centre when the Magpies entered their mid season bye with 8 wins and 3 losses. Five weeks later and it’s all fallen apart. A mixture of injuries, form slumps, inaccuracy in front of goal and quality opposition has merged to create the perfect storm against the Pies. It now leaves them with an 8-8 win/loss record and now in danger of missing the finals for a second consecutive season.

There is hope for Collingwood as the draw gets easier, at least for the next two weeks. On Saturday they host Melbourne back at the MCG, a ground the Pies have only played once at in the past 7 weeks. The Demons have had another season to forget, currently sitting in 15^th place on the ladder with 5 wins out of 16 games. The Dees are also ugly to watch at the moment, they can’t score and that has led to some poor games of late. The two sides did meet earlier in the season in the traditional Queen’s birthday fixture. Despite Melbourne threatening at times in that game the Magpies ran away with a 25 point win. Once again there is an added edge to this game with ex Magpies Chris Dawes and Heritier Lumumba running out for Melbourne now. This really is a game Collingwood should be winning to keep their faint finals hopes alive.

PREVIOUS FORM

Collingwood’s form has gradually got worse throughout the 5 game losing streak. It started off with respectable losses to Fremantle and Hawthorn but it’s got worse after that. The loss to Port Adelaide was a real let down for the club, especially considering the type of season Port are having. Then came the loss to the Eagles, in a performance that may well have been the worst of the Pies season so far. That left them needing to beat the Bulldogs last week to avoid their worst losing streak in 10 years. They didn’t, and realistically they never looked like winning despite getting within striking distance in the final term. Just about the only positive out of that loss to the Dogs was the performance of third gamer Darcy Moore who kicked 4 second half goals (5 in total) to give a taste of what he has to offer in the future.

Melbourne went in the mid season break with a bit of hope. They’d pushed Collingwood and should have beaten St Kilda, and then had done what for years was impossible, defeat Geelong on their home ground. Since then though it hasn’t been pretty, with the only win in the last 4 games coming against the worst side in the competition at the moment, the Brisbane Lions. Last week’s loss to St Kilda was probably a season low for the Dees. Considering just a few weeks earlier they went so close to defeating the Saints at Etihad Stadium, most thought they would put up a fight versus the Saints back at the MCG. They didn’t, they were poor, as they went down to the Saints by 37 points. There weren’t many positives for Melbourne fans to see with only Grimes, Viney and Watts playing above expectations.

COLLINGWOOD PREVIEW

It’s now or never for Collingwood, another loss this week and their finals hopes will be dead in the water. The last 5 weeks have thrown up some great contests and a few poor performances yet absolutely zero return for any effort. Of course now there’s the obvious comparisons to last season where the Pies went 8-3 in the first half of the year then 3-8 in the second half. But it’s a different Collingwood team this season, last year was ripped apart by injuries and off field problems, with several players clearly not happy with their situation at the club. This year, even after 5 consecutive losses, and despite some crucial injuries, the group seems more tight knit then ever under Nathan Buckley. It’s not showing up in the results though, and that has to change soon or the Pies will miss the finals for the second season in a row.

There are some positives though leading into this clash with Taylor Adams certain to return after serving a two week suspension. Collingwood’s VFL side also had another strong win and out of that game the likes of Sam Dwyer, Clinton Young, Paul Seedsman, Matthew Scharenberg and Jonathan Marsh will all be seeking promotion to the seniors. It does seem though that the long awaited return of Ben Reid will have to wait one more week at least despite the all Australian playing a full game in the VFL win. Travis Cloke and Jamie Elliott are also unavailable once again. Who goes out of the side is as much a debate as who comes in with several Magpies struggling with form throughout the recent losing streak. Jarryd Blair has been used as the substitution of a few occasions and that;s usually a sign that he’s on the verge of being omitted. Adam Oxley, Jarrod Witts, Jesse White and Alan Toovey are also struggling at the moment so there may be 3-4 changes.

The Magpies should win this game though, they disposed of Melbourne relatively easily last time around and there’s little doubt that the Demons are an easier team to beat now then they were then. It’s all about attitude and effort for the Pies and if they bring a high level of intensity they should end their losing streak at five.

OPPOSITION ANALYSIS

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It’s been another tough season for the Demons. There have been signs of improvement though. Melbourne finished 17^th in each of the past two years yet this season they are likely to improve at least a few positions on the ladder. Their fans demand more and rightfully so given the recent history of this once proud football club. Of course there’s been positive signs from some of the young talent they have with Brayshaw, Hogan, Tyson, Viney, Neal-Bullen and Gawn showing signs that they will form the basis of this side going forward. Melbourne showed only a few weeks back that they are capable of an upset and their fans would love nothing more then to beat one of their old enemies on Saturday.

The Melbourne forward line has plenty of talent but the ball simply isn’t getting down there. The Demons forwards are the least supplied in the AFL, averaging 16 less inside forward 50 entries then the leagues’ best side, Hawthorn. It’s a pity because as mentioned there is talent on this forward line. Led by the emerging superstar that is Jesse Hogan and the very good off season recruit in Jeff Garlett this is the one are of the ground where Melbourne can do some damage. This season’s output does drop off after those two but with Dawes, Watts and Vandenburg in attack also it has the potential to be an area of strength if they can get the ball there more often. The Magpies defense has been strong this season though so the Dees will need to figure out how to get the ball inside 50 more then what they have been doing.

The Demons midfield should be there are of strength really, with names like Jones, Vince, Cross, Brayshaw, Tyson, Grimes, Lumumba and Viney. But it is struggling and has been for most of the season. While they rank a respectable 9^th for contested possessions it’s in the middle where the problems really are. Melbourne are the 14^th best team at winning the clearances, and quite simply that shows why their forward line has been so under supplied this season. They run into a Pies midfield that is as good as anyone in the competition at winning the contested ball, and better then the Demons at the clearances. If there is one area that the Demons may be able to dominate it’s in the ruck with Max Gawn really coming into his own in recent weeks and the option to include Mark Jamar if deemed necessary.

The Melbourne backline has been weakened off late with the loss of the likes of Rivers and Frawley through free agency. Jeremy Howe has made the move down back in many games this year and is starting to show he can play down there for sure. He’s helping out the likes of Dunn, McDonald, Garland and Jetta and with time this backline could develop into something strong. At the moment though senior coach Paul Roos is relying on a team defensive mentality to keep games closer then they would be other wise. The positive for the Dees is that Collingwood is missing their best two forwards at the moment, Cloke and Elliott. Just maybe the restrictive brand of football the Demons are playing will be able to keep them in this game long enough.

The Demons list looks better then it did at this time last season but the results still aren’t coming through. They would see this game as an opportunity to repay the faith their fans have shown in them and defeat one of their greatest rivals. To do that though they will have to figure out a way to get the ball insider their forward zone and score. That all starts with the midfield and against a Pies midfield that hasn’t been great of late they may be able to make this a contest.

TIP

Collingwood go into this game as favourites despite Melbourne winning more games in the last 5 weeks then the Pies. That favouritism is based on talent and potential more then form but the Demons will think they are a chance here. In the first matchup between the two this season it was Melbourne who looked the most impressive side for a lot of the game until the stronger Pies got on top late. The only chance the Dees have to win this game is to get an early lead and hold on.

Realistically though, even with the recent losing streak this Collingwood team should win this game. The absence of Cloke, Reid, Broomhead and Elliott doesn’t help but if they can regain their form from a few weeks back they’ll come away with a comfortable win.

MAGPIES BY 23 POINTS

AFL Round 10 – Collingwood vs Melbourne Match Preview.

39 points down, staring at a third defeat in four weeks, that’s where the Collingwood Football Club found itself on Sunday afternoon at the MCG. It was one of those sliding door moments, does this young team really deserve the tag of future contenders or had it just won a few games due to an easy draw. 30 minutes later and we had an answer, and it was emphatic. In a stunning third quarter performance the Magpies booted nine goals to nothing to turn that half time deficit into a 14 point lead at the last break. The 43,452 in attendance roared their delight also and you may have been forgiven for thinking the stadium was full at times in that third quarter. The Pies went on to win the game by 17 points and in doing so set themselves up for a real shot at finals in season 2015. This weekend the Magpies run into one of their oldest rivals, Melbourne. The Melbourne/Collingwood rivalry reached it’s heights in the 50’s and 60’s when the two met in 5 grand finals and a number of other finals in the most successful period in the Demons history. The only Magpies premiership over the Demons, 1958, is renowned as one of the greatest upsets in Australian footballing history as the Demons failed to win four premierships in a row and match the immortal Collingwood team of 1927-1930. It was in that season that the home and away record for an AFL/VFL game was also broken when the Pies and Dees met in front of over 99,000 people at the MCG. That day was the Queen’s Birthday holiday and although the two clubs met on that day several times after it wasn’t until the 2001 season that the fixture became permanent. So on Monday, the Queens birthday holiday, Melbourne will host Collingwood in a round 10 matchup of the 2015 AFL season. It’s the biggest day of the year for the Demons with the club perennially missing the finals although the Demons have failed to win a game on this day since 2007. There was a heart stopping draw in season 2010 but apart from that the Pies have dominated this holiday fixture. Once again Collingwood will go in as favourites for this game and rightfully so.

PREVIOUS FORM

Last week’s stunning comeback was key to Collingwood’s chances in season 2015. Not only did it move them to a 6-3 win/loss record but it also relegated one of their challengers for a spot in the final 8 to a 4-5 record. The previous three weeks hadn’t been that impressive before that amazing comeback versus the Kangaroos. The Pies were dominated by the Cats for the best part of 3 quarters and then lost a heart breaker to Richmond the following week. Even the win against the Suns, despite the large final margin has it’s difficulties. Then last Sunday happened and everything looks rosy but in reality this is a Collingwood team that is yet to play four quarters of quality football in one game so far this season. They may get away with inconsistency again this week against a Demons team struggling to find any predictable effort or result. If the Magpies are inconsistent then Melbourne is on another level. They’ve shown in patches they can play very good football with wins of quality teams like the Bulldogs and Tigers. Yet in their 9 game so far they’ve also put together some of the worst performances of any AFL side so far this season, and last weekend was no different. Half way through the second term the Demons held a 24 point lead against a previously struggling Port Adelaide outfit. In the latter part of that second quarter the Power dominated though and from then on took control of the game in just about every facet. In fact from that point on Melbourne only managed 2 goals for the rest of the game as Port ran out 61 point victors. It has to be a massive concern for coach Paul Roos that this disintegration of his team on match days is happening on a regular basis now.

COLLINGWOOD PREVIEW

Collingwood are sitting pretty at 6-3 but it oh so could have been different if not for that second half comeback versus North Melbourne. As it stands though they are placed 4^th on the AFL ladder and can look to improve even further this weekend against Melbourne. For once the injury list at Collingwood is shorter and less talented then most other clubs in the AFL. The likes of Ben Reid, Levi Greenwood, Clinton Young and Ben Kennedy are all close to being available for senior selection after recent setbacks. The Pies VFL side is going well too, with a plethora of AFL listed players representing them they’ve now won 4 games in a row and are giving coach Nathan Buckley and the selection committee some head aches indeed. Tom Broomhead and Kennedy were the stand outs last week in the VFL and both will almost certainly be in the squad of 25 named on Thursday night. But they’ll find it hard to break into a senior 22 that looked so good in that second half last week that it’s going to be hard to omit anyone at all. Jamie Elliott’s second half was nothing short of astounding as for the second week in a row he kicked 5 goals after the main break. Alex Fasolo, Steele Sidebottom and Alan Toovey are also back in the seniors and look as safe as houses to keep their spots. Fasolo is a strange case, as former skipper Nick Maxwell said during the week “this kid could be anything” yet only a few weeks back he was omitted for poor form. He provides much needed foot skills though and along with Elliott could form one of the most dangerous small forward pairings in the game. It’s that forward line that is still a work in progress but when it clicks the Magpies look like a top team indeed. This Monday against the Demons there won’t be too many changes you’d assume with no injuries reported out of last week’s win. There are some sore bodies around the Westpac Centre though but the 8 day break should allow them to heal in time for this Queen’s birthday match up. Tim Broomhead almost has to come in and it may be someone like Adam Oxley who makes way. The Pies final selection will almost definitely put onto the field the strongest and fittest 22 they have possessed so far in 2015 and that’s an ominous thought indeed for the Demons.

OPPOSITION ANALYSIS

Melbourne started this season pretty well and after 4 rounds sat with 2 wins and 2 losses. For a club tipped once again to finish in the bottom 4 on the ladder it was a promising start indeed. Since then though a mixture of a tough draw and some glaringly obvious poor performances has seen them only win one of their last five games. That win was impressive however as the Dees dominated an in form Bulldogs outfit to win by 39 points at the MCG. That’s what must be frustrating too for everyone involved with the club, that they can produce an effort like that yet around it perform well below that level. This is a huge game for the Melbourne football club though, it’s almost certain to be their biggest home attendance of the year and the Pies are still seen as many as their main rival. They will need to play a lot better though then last week if they are to even get close to the Magpies.

Melbourne’s backline and their defensive structures are holding up quite well considering the beating they’ve taken in the midfield at times. The Dees have only conceded 100 points in 4 of their 9 games so far so they can defend it seems. The three main talls down back are Lyden Dunn, Tom McDonald an Colin Garland and they are doing a respectable job so far this season. Jeremy Howe has also spent time down back this year but has probably spent just as much time forward. The Demons actually rebound the ball out of their defensive zone pretty well too as they are currently ranked 6^th for rebound 50’s. There’s always room for improvement but the Melbourne backline by far isn’t a problem. The Melbourne midfield is struggling, especially when it comes to clearances. They rank 17^th for centre clearances and 14^th for total clearances. That is a little bit of a shock when you have the likes of Dom Tyson, Bernie Vince, Nathan Jones, Daniel Cross and Aaron Vandenberg. Yes the supporting cast in that central core is still young and developing but to be so down the list when it comes to clearances has to be a concern for them. If there’s one area that the Dees may be able to take advantage of it’s in the ruck though with Melbourne ranked marginally higher then the Pies for hitouts per week. Just like the Pies they have developing young rucks with Gawn and Spencer assisting the experienced Mark Jamar. If the Demons are to pressure the Pies at all they will have to win more clearances then they have been so far this season.

The Demons forward line is the most under developed part of the ground at the moment with Jesse Hogan showing that more then anyone else. Hogan is the buzz player at Melbourne at the moment and for a second year player is doing well averaging 2 goals a game. The problem is only new recruit Jeff Garlett is matching that output and only one more player after that, Cameron Pederson, is averaging more then a goal a game. Yes they’ve had injuries with ex Magpie Chris Dawes missing games but the forward sector for the Demons is an area that needs work. They run into a Pies backline that has looked vulnerable the last 4 weeks with some big scores in short patches kicked against them. With the midfield struggling this forward line will need to find a way to be very efficient or risk making the task near on impossible for Melbourne. On their day this Demons outfit has shown it can match it with teams around Collingwood’s level of talent but like the Pies inconsistency has been a massive problem. Apart from that Bulldogs win the last 5 weeks have been quite poor with a couple of absolute shockers thrown in. The Dees may not have won this game since 2007 but they usually play above their talent level on this day so they may make a match of this after all.

TEAMS

Collingwood

B: Tom Langdon, Nathan Brown, Marley Williams

HB: Alan Toovey, Jack Frost, Tyson Goldsack C: Travis Varcoe, Dane Swan, Paul Seedsman

HF: Jamie Elliott, Jesse White, Steele Sidebottom

F: Alex Fasolo, Travis Cloke, Jarryd Blair Foll: Brodie Grundy, Jack Crisp, Scott Pendlebury

Int (from): Sam Dwyer, Ben Kennedy, Jarrod Witts, Tim Broomhead, Jordan De Goey, Brayden Maynard, Adam Oxley

IN: Tim Broomhead, Sam Dwyer, Ben Kennedy, Brayden Maynard.

OUT: Taylor Adams (toe)

NEW: Brayden Maynard (18, Sandringham U18)

Melbourne team: round 10

B: Colin Garland, Tom McDonald, Jack Fitzpatrick

HB: Jeremy Howe, Lynden Dunn, Neville Jetta

C: Daniel Cross, Aaron vandenBerg, Heritier Lumumba

HF: Ben Newton, Cam Pedersen, Jack Viney

F: Jeff Garlett, Jesse Hogan, Aidan Riley

FOLL: Max Gawn, Nathan Jones, Bernie Vince I/C (from): Jack Watts, Jimmy Toumpas, Angus Brayshaw, Viv Michie, Jack Grimes, Jake Spencer, Matt Jones

IN: Max Gawn, Aidan Riley, Viv Michie, Ben Newton

OUT: Rohan Bail

TIP

With a Monday fixture it’s always harder to guess at what the final line-ups will be but with only a handful of players injured at each club it makes the task easier. The Demons will be hoping that Chris Dawes and Dom Tyson pass fitness tests to strengthen a team that has struggled in recent weeks. They are back at the MCG though where they undoubtedly play their best football but Collingwood would say the same thing. There has been a spanner thrown in the works though with Magpies coach Nathan Buckley having hamstring surgery on Wednesday and he’s actually in doubt for Monday’s game. Even without Buckley though the manner in which the Pies dismantled a very good side in North Melbourne last week in that second half shows that they are the better of these two sides and should notch up a rather comfortable victory here.

MAGPIES BY 32 POINTS.

AFL Round 12 – Collingwood vs Melbourne Match Preview.

 

Collingwood and Melbourne once had the fiercest and most contested of any domestic sporting rivalry in Australia. During the 1950’s and 1960’s the Magpies and Demons regularly met in finals and Grand Finals although at the time the Demons came out on top more times than not. But since the 1964 Grand Final, which coincidentally happens to be Melbourne’s last premiership win, the two great clubs have only met in two minor finals. Since 2001 though the two have been involved in an annual contest on the Queen’s Birthday public holiday. It was on the Monday holiday that the AFL/VFL home and away record attendance was set in 1958 (99,346). The Monday clash in June has been well attended too with regular crowds over 70,000 and only two crowds below 60,000 since 2001. It’s a nice way to pay some respect to the old rivalry that exists between these two clubs.

Once again this Monday the two will go head to head in the annual clash at the MCG. For the first time in several years Melbourne are a chance of winning the game too as under new coach Paul Roos there has been a marked improvement in form and performance. The Demons started the 2014 season poorly with three straight losses but since then have managed to win 3 of their last 7 games. It’s not only the fact they’ve won a few games that has impressed many though, it’s the way they are playing. Roos has them playing a more defensive brand of footy and apart from the round 2 loss to the Eagles they haven’t conceded 100 points at all to an opposition team. It’s an improvement that was badly needed after several poor years. Collingwood is also performing above the level that most experts considered it would in 2014. It sits inside the top 4 after 11 games with a 7 and 3 win/loss record. They are realistically a chance of staying or improving upon that position in the final 11 home and away games too.

 

COLLINGWOOD PREVIEW

It’s been an inconsistent start to the year for the Magpies but as we approach the half way mark of the home and away series they do sit inside the top 4 on the ladder. With only 3 losses in 10 games you would think everything is going well but one of those losses, just a few games back against Adelaide, still burns the Magpies faithful as it was clearly one that got away. Since that loss the Pies have scraped home against a struggling West Coast at the MCG and then destroyed a poor St Kilda outfit that is as uncompetitive as anyone in the competition at the moment. It leaves the Magpies form as sort of unknown, yes they’ve been winning but not at a consistent rate and manner so this game in itself may give us a true guide to Collingwood’s form.

The win over St Kilda was impressive in that it was the first time this season that the Pies have been ruthless in the last quarter and smashed a side off the park. The 86 point win came with plenty of positives with Travis Cloke finally finding some form with 5 goals and the Magpies backline continuing to restrict sides to low scores. There were two negatives out of the game though with the inspirational ex captain Nick Maxwell injuring his calf early on (he will miss 3-4 weeks) and Steele Sidebottom copping a 3 match ban for a stupid and ill advised bump early in the game. Those two players will be missed over the next few weeks but there’s a few handy names ready to return on Monday for the Pies. Dane Swan, Luke Ball and Brodie Grundy all didn’t take their place against the Saints but are said to be 100% right to return against the Demons. Also returning this week is the super talented Ben Reid, all be it through the VFL. Reid is so important to the Pies chances of doing some damage in the finals so a lot of eyes will be on Casey fields in Melbourne’s outer suburbs this Saturday.

With Swan, Ball and Grundy almost certain to return and Maxwell and Sidebottom definite outs for this game, selection really isn’t that hard for coach Nathan Buckley, with only one choice to be made. Taylor Adams is probably the most likely unlucky player although another youngster like Langdon or Witts might be given a week off also. No matter what the final selection is for this game it’s a match that the Pies should be winning, especially if they want to get one of those vital top 4 positions come finals time.

 

OPPOSITON ANALYSIS

Melbourne came into season 2014 with renewed hope after the appointment of premiership coach Paul Roos. For the first time in a long time the Demons had a coach they could rely on, a coach who would teach their young list how to play the modern game and more importantly how to defend. Early on the signs weren’t good with three straight losses to start the season but a record of 3 wins and 4 losses in the last 7 games has given the Dees fans hope for the first time in a long time. The loss last week to Port Adelaide of indicative of that future hope, with the huge outsiders taking the lead in the last quarter before Port’s class won out in the end by 20 points. It was a performance Roos and the coaching staff would have been proud off with plenty of positives coming out of it in many areas.

Despite sitting 15^th on the ladder the Demons defense is ranked 9^th in the AFL when it comes to points conceded. Yes the game style of Paul Roos has something to do with that but their defensive unit has improved from the version that ran out last year. One of the strange things is they have done with with star defender James Frawley not playing down back for large periods of games. This has left Terlich, Garland, McDonald, Grimes and Dunn as the main stay defenders and so far in 2014 they have done pretty well. Of course they will be tested by a Collingwood offence who in the last two weeks has been very efficient and accurate when going forward. Most of the focus goes to Travis Cloke but it’s been Jamie Elliott who has scored consistently in 2014. He sits 9^th on the AFL’s goal kicking tally and he will have to be restricted for the Demons to have any chance of winning.

Nathan Jones and Chris Dawes have lead the Dees from the front this year.

When most think of Melbourne they think of a young and inexperienced team that is developing both on and off the field to improve long term. If there’s one area they don’t lack for experience it’s their midfield with the likes of Nathan Jones, Bernie Vince, Mark Jamar and Daniel Cross protecting and assisting the young midfielders. The midfield hasn’t been performing overly well though as it ranks in the bottom four in regards to clearances and centre clearances. The shock is that they don’t rank much lower than the Magpies star studded midfield does in these categories. In fact last week was one of the few times this season that the Pies have won the clearances in a game, which gives the Dees midfield grouping some help. Melbourne should win the ruck contests too with Mark Jamar having plenty of years and games in hand over the Pies two youngsters Grundy and Witts. The midfield is where most games are won and lost and this week bodes to be no different.

If the Demons have an apparent weakness it’s their forward line. At the start of the season most Demons fans thought they’d have a tall forward set up of Dawes, Hogan and Clark, but with injury to Hogan and a forced retirement for Clark, Dawes has been left alone as the lone consistent tall forward. Coach Paul Roos has tried several different players up forward to fill the hole but Dawes is still the only player averaging over one goal a game after 10 completed matches. The move of James Frawley forward has worked at times but 9 goals in 9 games isn’t a significant return, even if he’s playing a defensive forward role at times too. Jay Kennedy-Harris and midfielder Dom Tyson look dangerous at times too up forward but it’s no shock that the Dees have the lowest total score in the AFL going into this game. They do run into a Pies backline that has been weakened though, with Nathan Brown out for the year and now Nick Maxwell missing, if ever the Melbourne forward line was going to post a decent score it would be this week.

This is a massive game for Melbourne, losing in a respectable manner only gets praise for a short period, and they simply have to start winning games to be considered an improving team. It’s the clubs’ biggest fixture of the year too with a national TV audience and the largest club in the land bringing more interest than normal to a Melbourne match. How that correlates to performance is hard to know as the Dees have been smashed in the last two Queen’s birthday games by the Pies. One would think that their form will keep up though and they will push the Magpies a long way in this game, or at least believe they can.

 

TEAMS

COLLINGWOOD
B Tom Langdon, Jack Frost, Alan Toovey
HB Marley Williams, Lachlan Keeffe, Tyson Goldsack
C Dane Swan, Brent Macaffer, Heritier Lumumba
HF Alex Fasolo, Jesse White, Jarryd Blair
F Luke Ball, Travis Cloke, Jamie Elliott
FOL Jarrod Witts, Dayne Beams, Scott Pendlebury
I/C Sam Dwyer, Brodie Grundy, Taylor Adams, Clinton Young, Josh Thomas, Tim Broomhead, Paul Seedsman

IN Dane Swan, Luke Ball, Sam Dwyer, Brodie Grundy, Tim Broomhead
OUT Steele Sidebottom (Suspension), Nick Maxwell (Calf)

MELBOURNE

B: Colin Garland, Lynden Dunn, Neville Jetta
HB: Jack Grimes, Tom McDonald, Jeremy Howe
C: Daniel Cross, Dom Tyson, Bernie Vince
HF: Rohan Bail, James Frawley, Matt Jones
F: Cam Pedersen, Chris Dawes, Jack Watts
FOLL: Mark Jamar, Nathan Jones, Jack Viney
I/C (from): Max Gawn, Jay Kennedy-Harris, Dean Terlich, Aidan Riley, Christian Salem, Jimmy Toumpas, Jordie McKenzie

In: Dawes, Riley, McKenzie

 

TIP

Collingwood are unpredictable I believe with recent results showing that on their day they can destroy sides yet the Adelaide and West Coast games show they do struggle from time to time. To win this game the Demons will have to start well, defend in an effective manner like they have on most occasions this year but more importantly find a way to score. It’s there that I see a massive problem for Melbourne, yes the Pies backline is weakened but it still has a strong core group that has performed well in recent matches.

I can’t see anything other than a Magpies win here, the return of Swan, Ball and Grundy covers the loss of Maxwell and Sidebottom and the Pies should improve to an 8-3 record with a solid win on the Monday holiday.

 

MAGPIES BY 22 POINTS.

 

VFL

After yet another week off, this time for the interstate game, the Collingwood VFL side returns to action against Casey out at Casey fields. The game starts at 2pm on Saturday and sees the return of Ben Reid after months out through injury.

 

AFL Round 11 – Collingwood vs Melbourne Match Preview – Queen’s Birthday.

Consecutive wins, that’s what the Collingwood Football club are after this week as they prepare to face the struggling Melbourne Football Club at the MCG in their annual Queen’s birthday clash. You see the Magpies have gone on a pattern of rotating wins and losses since winning the first two games of the season, and have a great chance to start a winning streak on Monday. Many are also looking at this game as a chance for the Magpies to lift their percentage, which is at a dangerously low level at the moment (97.2) in comparison to the other sides fighting to play finals in 2013. Melbourne have had a woeful season so far, there’s no nicer or more honest way to put it as their only win has come over the win less GWS Giants and even that was an arduous task. Of course as always seems to happen all the pressure has been placed firmly and squarely on their head coach, Mark Neeld, but one has to believe there are deeper problems at the once proud club than just one man sitting in the senior coaches chair. Either way it’s an opportunity for the Magpies on a few different levels to raise both their confidence and their chances of resurrecting a season that has been slightly disappointing itself so far.

PREVIOUS FORM

Chris Dawes was impressive for Melbourne last week.

The Demons have had the season from hell so far this year with injuries to key players and poor form and performance from many and it continued on last week when they lost yet another game by a large margin, this time to Hawthorn by a margin of 95 points. Usually if a team loses a game by 95 points it’s something out of the ordinary but it has become the norm for Melbourne so far in 2013. The Demons had only notched up one goal by half time and despite winning the third quarter by about 2 goals they were never in touch of the Hawks who themselves looked to be in second gear for most of the match, and rightfully so. If there were a positive out of the game for the Dees it came in the form of ex Magpies premiership player Chris Dawes who played his best game for his new club so far, gathering 21 possessions and 12 marks in an impressive performance considering how badly his team was beaten. As always Nathan Jones and James Frawley gave their all and made some impact but overall it was yet another terrible day for the Melbourne Football Club.

Collingwood themselves were struggling a little leading into last Friday’s night game up in Brisbane against the Lions and the club and their fans knew a much needed performance was required against an under manned Lions team and that’s what the Magpies delivered early as they flew out of the bocks with a 5 goal to 1 first quarter, and a 9 goal to 2 first half to set up a rather easy 49 point win. Some Pies fans were frustrated that their side didn’t go on with it in the second half but a win of this margin was really what the doctor ordered and the Pies can now look forward to starting a much needed winning streak for the first time in 2013. There were plenty of stars on the night but the form of developing half back/wingman Paul Seedsman bought a smile to the faces of everyone at Collingwood as he played just about his best game ever for the Pies as he ran hard, used the ball well and set up plenty of scoring opportunities. Darren Jolly and Dane Swan were also back to their best after being heavily criticised during the week and Heath Shaw returned and played a strong defensive role that showed that he is willing to work hard, despite what some media reports suggested. It was a win the Pies needed and will give them confidence going into the Queen’s birthday clash.

COLLINGWOOD PREVIEW

It’s been a frustrating season for Magpies fans so far in 2013 as their team just can’t seem to put two good weeks together in a row and the last two weeks have been no exception with a poor performance against the reigning premiers Sydney then an improved showing last week, all be it against a weakened Brisbane outfit. Injuries of course have been a massive part of the problem with the list of players missing plenty of games including stars like Dayne Beams, Dale Thomas, Alan Didak, Ben Johnson, Clinton Young, Alex Fasolo, Nick Maxwell, Lachlan Keeffe and Luke Ball. Slowly though the injury problem is getting a little better though with Didak and Ball back in the senior side and Keeffe and Young probably available for selection after the bye in a few weeks. The return of Ball though has made the biggest impact so far allowing the remaining midfielders who were working so hard to cover the absences to get a few more “easy possessions” than they previously were. In Ball the Magpies have one of the best contested ball winners in the competition and he has been sorely missed, that’s for sure. Alan Didak returned for his first senior game of 2013 last week but he had to do so after half time due to being the sub for the game against the Lions. He made an impact when he did come on but it will be interesting to see how the Magpie favourite does in a full game on Monday.

At selection this week Collingwood will have the option to include Sam Dwyer and Jordan Russell who missed last week with minor setbacks and they may also consider a few who performed very well in the VFL win at Preston with Jarrod Witts and Jackson Paine leading the way in the reserves side third win in a row. Witts was the star of that game late when he took a diving mark 30 metres out with the team trailing by a few points, went back and calmly slotted the match winning goal in one of the best moments of the young man’s career so far. There are a lot of hopes pinned on the likes of Witts, Broomhead, Grundy and Paine for the future and they showed last week that the future sure is bright at Collingwood.

The Magpies will win this match but selection will give a mindset into how serious the coaching panel are in boosting the teams struggling percentage against a team that at the moment is non competitive.

OPPOSITION ANALYSIS

It really has been a terrible year for the Demons so far in just about every form and facet and leading to this game there isn’t much hope for either the immediate future (a win here) or the rest of the season. The pressure on head coach Mark Neeld has been intense and despite the club board deciding to continue with him for at least one more week the media presence that has surrounded Neeld’s future surely can’t be an assistance for the club. This match is usually the show piece game for the Demons but this year it may see it’s lowest crowd in many a year as the lack of interest in attending Melbourne games has increased as time has gone on. Playing Collingwood always seems to lift the Demons and maybe this may be the catalyst for a season best performance, although there’s plenty to point to yet another thumping for the men in red and blue.

If the Demons possess a strength, and that’s a big if on current form it has to be their forward line, as even in the absence of Mitch Clark it still has some dangerous players inside the forward zone. Led by ex Pie Chris Dawes and the ever exciting Jeremy Howe this forward line should be doing more damage than it is but of course the supply has been poor for the majority of the season so far. Aaron Davey should also make this forward set up even more effective but most weeks there’s a sense of inevitability that he is just playing out his time at the Demons before leaving for a chance to play in finals before his career is finished. David Rodan has added some bite to the Dees midfield and forward line and should do so again. At the moment Collingwood are allowing teams to score at a high rate when they get the ball insider their forward 50 and if the Demons midfield can just provide a few more opportunities for these forwards than they may be able to post a respectable score on Monday.

The Melbourne midfield has been terrible so far in 2013, there’s no way in hiding it either. They rank last for contested possessions and third last for clearances and centre clearances. Co Captains Nathan Jones and Jack Trengove lead the way in the midfield but they really are lacking for support, with only the likes of McKenzie, Matt Jones and Rodan as reliable assistance the Demons must be said to have the weakest and smallest midfield rotation group of any club in the competition maybe apart from the also uncompetitive GWS Giants. If there is a positive for the Dees in the middle it is their ruckman with Mark Jamar and most likely Max Gawn (played very well in the VFL last week) putting up a strong contest against Darren Jolly and whomever the Magpies select as their second ruckman. Jamar has seen to be struggling a little this year but Melbourne ranks 6^th for hitouts in 2013 so they must be doing something right in there. Ex Geelong player Shannon Byrnes may return from injury to bolster this midfield but you really can’t see how they will be able to compete with the talented Collingwood midfield, even with the absences the Magpies are facing at the moment.

The Demons backline has been under extreme pressure all year as a continuous bombardment of opposition forward 50 entries has basically made their job next to impossible and it will only get harder this Monday as their best defender, James Frawley, has suffered a hamstring injury and will not be back for several weeks. Youngster Tom McDonald may come in to give some relief but the backline that will run out for the Demons on Monday looks incapable of holding a Collingwood forward line that will welcome back Travis Cloke and most likely Jarrod Witts. Dunn, Terlich, Watts, Pedersen and Garland, along with McDonald will be asked to restrict the Magpies scoring as much as possible but even though the Melbourne backline does have some talent, the amount of inside 50’s that the Pies are likely to generate is almost certain to ensure that the Pies will just continue to notch up scores as the game goes on. Jack Watts against the Pies down back will be interesting if Neeld persists with him down there, as Watts has a rather colourful past against the Magpies including his debut which is one game he will never forget, probably for the wrong reasons.

It seems like once again Melbourne will front up to the MCG on Monday and expect to face another beating but this day has seen some strange results like a few years back when the Dees drew with the Magpies despite the Pies being a premiership contending team that season. It is the show case day for the Melbourne Football Club and if ever this side was going to put up a better effort and display than it has been this will be the day. The loss of Frawley is a blow though, especially against a well rested Cloke and unless the Demons midfield can lift it’s performance and output this once again will be an ugly result in an ugly year for the oldest club in the AFL.

TEAMS

Collingwood
B: Nathan Brown, Ben Reid, Harry O’Brien
HB: Heath Shaw, Nick Maxwell, Marley Williams
C: Steele Sidebottom, Brent Macaffer, Luke Ball
HF: Jamie Elliott, Quinten Lynch, Dane Swan
F: Ben Kennedy, Travis Cloke, Alan Didak
Foll: Darren Jolly, Scott Pendlebury, Jarryd Blair
Int (from): Marty Clarke, Josh Thomas, Ben Sinclair, Jackson Paine, Kyle Martin, Paul Seedsman, Adam Oxley

IN: Travis Cloke, Adam Oxley, Jackson Paine, Ben Sinclair
OUT: Andrew Krakouer (omitted)

NEW: Adam Oxley (20, Redland QLD)

Round 11 Melbourne team

B: Lynden Dunn, Cameron Pedersen, Dean Terlich
HB: Colin Garland, Tom McDonald, Joel Macdonald
C: Jack Trengove, Colin Sylvia, Michael Evans
HF: Jeremy Howe, Jack Fitzpatrick, Jack Watts
F: David Rodan, Chris Dawes, Aaron Davey
FOLL: Mark Jamar, Matt Jones, Nathan Jones
I/C (from): Jordie McKenzie, Sam Blease, James Sellar, Dean Kent, Luke Tapscott, Max Gawn, Rohan Bail
IN: Colin Sylvia, James Sellar, Sam Blease, Max Gawn, Tom McDonald
OUT: James Frawley (hamstring), James Strauss

TIP

Collingwood will win this game, there is almost no doubt about that so the only decision then is to decide how much they may win it by. Some will say the Pies should be trying to really push hard on Monday for a 100 point plus win, but in the current form and with the injury concerns the Magpies have I can see this being a little closer than most are expecting, the Pies will still win comfortably though.

PIES BY 75.

 

AFL NAB Cup Round 2 Preview

After a successful start to the NAB Cup pre season competition, Collingwood gets a rare pre season home game this weekend, against the Melbourne Demons at Etihad Stadium on Saturday Night (7.40pm start time). Two weeks ago Collingwood won two tight battles against the Western Bulldogs and the Western Sydney Giants in the West of Sydney to come out of round one of the NAB Cup as one of only 3 undefeated teams. And this week they field their strongest team yet of the competition, with many returning stars to beef up the young talent that was on show in Sydney a few weeks ago.

In that tri series matchup Collingwood debuted plenty of young talent, with the likes of Witts, Paine, Keefe, Ceglar, Mooney, Hartley, Seedsman, Williams and a few other showing plenty of promising signs for the future. This was shown no more then by Jackson Paine (pictured left) in the final game when he goaled from 45 metres out on the boundary, on the run, which would ultimately get the Pies home against the Giants. We will see plenty more young talent throughout the NAB cup wearing black and white, and a few of those will be on show this weekend, with each side able to make 7 changes to their playing squad at half time. That means if the clubs chooses to use both subs in the first half, they could play 29 players this weekend.

 This weekend, Collingwood welcomes back some very big names, with Travis Cloke debuting for the year, along with Nick Maxwell, Scott Pendlebury and the long awaited return of Irishman Marty Clarke. Clarke, after two seasons back home in Ireland playing for his beloved County Down, has returned to Australia, and by all reports still possesses the attributes that made his first stint in the AFL so successful, those being his amazing endurance and speed off the mark. Also making their first appearances for the pre season are Kirk Ugle, who won the game with 2 late quarter goals in the ill fated (re Krakouer Injury) VFL practice match last weekend down in Geelong, another Irishman in Paul Cribbin, who is now in his second season at the club, and Luke Rounds, who has had a bad run with injuries over the past few years, but when fit has been around the edges of senior selection.

 How seriously Collingwood treat this match depends a lot on the draw that the AFL have seen fit to grant the Pies this pre season. After a first up interstate trip, all be it with a break afterwards, we are now expected to back up again in just six days after this weekends matchup and travel to Adelaide to take on the Crows in what is looming as a semi final type clash to see who qualifies for the NAB Cup final the following week. Now opposition fans will cry foul about the supposed fact that Collingwood don’t travel as often as other sides, but this is the pre season and the draw just seems to be a bit harsh, especially for a premiership contending team. Anyway, it is what it is, and Rodney Eade stated during the week that the club had prepared it’s selection policy with one eye on this weekends game against Melbourne, and one eye on the game 6 days later in Adelaide.

Opposition Analysis.

The opposition this week is the Melbourne Football Club, who are always talked up by the press to be the big improver, but unluckily for them they seem to be going through a Collingwood like run of injuries leading into this weekend. Last weekend, on a wet Saturday Night at the Gold Coast Suns home ground, the Demons narrowly lost to the Suns in their opening game, before keeping their pre season final hopes alive by defeating Brisbane in a low scoring battle. It wasn’t a bad result at all for Melbourne, and Mark Neeld coaching the Dees for the first time would have been happy with their attack on the ball, as to judges skills on a night like that would have been a futile exercise. You would think this might become a trademark of the new Demons under Neeld, effort before execution, at least in the short term until they get their full compliment of players back on the park. The biggest joy that Melbourne fans would have got out of last weekends matches was Mitch Clark showing that he will finally give them that contested marking tall forward that they have been crying out for so long. No matter how he arrived at Melbourne during trade week, he will be a great pick up for the Demons to compliment their young and developing forward line.

The big news around Melbourne this week though happened on the training track, when during a full on physical session, new captain Jack Grimes went down clutching his shoulder. At first glance, there were worries that the new skipper had broken a collarbone or done significant damage to his shoulder, but after scans were completed over the following days, the news wasn’t as bad as first expected, and Grimes will be back at training in 2-3 weeks time. That would be music to Dees fans ears, as they’re run of injuries at the moment would put any clubs list in a shadow, and some of the names on that list include Trengove, Spencer, Gawn, Tapscott, Jurrah, Moloney, Morton and Strauss, and that’s not even the total of it.

Teams;

COLLINGWOOD
1. Alex Fasolo,  5. Nick Maxwell, 9. Martin Clarke, 10. Scott Pendlebury, 12.    Luke Ball, 13. Dale Thomas, 14. Luke Rounds, 18. Darren Jolly, 20. Ben Reid, 21. Sharrod Wellingham, 22. Steele Sidebottom, 23. Lachlan Keeffe, 25. Tom Young, 27. Simon Buckley, 28. Ben Sinclair, 29. Jonathan Ceglar, 31. Chris Dawes, 32. Travis Cloke, 33. Jackson Paine, 34. Alan Toovey, 36. Dane Swan, 37. Kirk Ugle, 38. Peter Yagmoor. 39. Heath Shaw, 46. Marley Williams, 47. Michael Hartley, 48. Caolan Mooney, 49. Paul Cribbin, 50. Shae McNamara

MELBOURNE
2. Nathan Jones, 4. Jack Watts, 5. Jordan Gysberts, 6. Matthew Bate, 7. Jamie Bennell, 8. James Frawley, 12. Colin Sylvia, 14. Lynden Dunn, 15. Ricky Petterd, 17. Sam Blease, 18. Brad Green, 20. Colin Garland, 21. Lucas Cook, 25.Tom McDonald, 26. Daniel Nicholson, 28. Joel MacDonald, 30. James Sellar, 34. Stefan Martin, 36. Aaron Davey, 38. JeremyHowe, 40. Mark Jamar, 41. Troy Davis, 44. Rohan Bail, 45. Kelvin Lawrence, 46. Josh Tynan, 47. Tom Couch, 48. Jack Fitzpatrick, 49. James Magner, 50. Jai Sheahan

Form;

NAB CUP ROUND ONE

Collingwood 4.2.26 defeated Western Bulldogs 3.1.19

Collingwood 5.5.35 defeated GWS Giants 5.2.32

Melbourne 3.5.23 lost to Gold Coast Suns 4.2.26

Melbourne 2.1.13 defeated Brisbane 1.4.10

You can’t read much into the first round form, but both teams would have been relatively happy with their performances and endeavour considering the rather weak lists both teams fielded interstate.

Player Focus

Kirk Ugle

When Kirk Ugle was recruited with pick 60 in the 2010 AFL national draft by Collingwood, many experts looked at each other and said “who”. But Derek Hine rarely misses the mark, even with his later picks, and in Ugle he saw a player, who despite being one of the smallest on an AFL list at 172cm, had an x factor about him that could not be ignored. His pace at the pre draft state screening was one of the main reasons why he was selected, but also he showed plenty playing for WA in the under 18 national championships.

In Kirk’s first season at Collingwood, he showed plenty of promise early, debuting in the NAB Cup where he kicked several miraculous goals, but when the VFL season started a small injury setback seemed to slightly derail his season, although he fought back well playing 16 games for the VFL side, and also been picked as an emergency on at least one occasion for the strong senior side.

Come the first round of the NAB Cup and many Pies fans were disappointed not to see the man wearing 37 out there running around in Western Sydney, but he made up for any lack of on ground time by becoming the virtual match winner for the VFL side against Geelong last week, when he kicked 2 special last quarter goals to get the side up by a point. Kirk has something special, and it’s not beyond expectations that he will make his senior debut within the first half of the season, but for now Collingwood supporters will be happy to catch a glimpse of him this Saturday Night.

Tip.

With the injury list mounting at both teams, and with Collingwood leaving several fit players out in prepartion for a 6 day break, this game well be decided by who wants to go the hardest, for the longest. In the end though, the class of Collingwood’s midfield and forwards should see them prevail in a high scoring game at Etihad stadium on Saturday Night.

Pies by 22.