AFL Round 23 – Collingwood vs Essendon Match Preview.

As the 2015 AFL home and away season draws to and end this weekend, it’s hard not to reflect on what might have been for the Collingwood Football Club. After winning eight of their first 11 games it seemed as if finals were a certainty. Fate though intervened, and a mixture of injuries, drops in individual form and a tough draw meant that the Magpies have only won 2 of their last 10 games. They will miss the finals for the second successive season, something that hasn’t occurred since the 2004 and 2005 seasons. Some say the Magpies are too young, others criticize the coaching staff or the players as simply not meeting the standards set for them. Whatever the truth actually is two consecutive failures to play finals means the pressure will be on the Pies from every angle next season.

There’s still one more game to be played though, and it’s against another team that has failed to reach it’s expectations for 2015, Essendon. On Sunday at the MCG, arguably the two biggest drawing teams in the AFL will play out a rather meaningless game in front of a crowd of around 40,000. Of course the Bombers have had their own problems over the past few seasons, mainly off field, that have effected their on field output. While Collingwood at least gave the finals a shake for most of the year, Essendon were never really in contention and now sit in a club equaling worst 15^th position. Yep, that’s right a loss this weekend and Essendon will finish as low as they ever have in their club’s history (in 2006 they also finished 15^th). So maybe there is something on the line, for the Pies there’s pride, and for Essendon there’s a chance to avoid becoming the equal worst side in their long and storied existence.

PREVIOUS FORM

Collingwood’s form had been woeful up to last week. In the previous 9 games they’d only managed to defeat one team, and that was lowly Carlton. Last week though something clicked and the Magpies played like they hadn’t in a long time. Against Geelong at the MCG the Pies burst out of the blocks and hurt the Cats where it counted, on the scoreboard. To be fair the opposition didn’t give up much of a fight but the men in black and white played at a high intensity for four quarters. It was an impressive performance, more so as star forward Travis Cloke pulled up sore in the pre game warm up and didn’t play. Then Dane Swan was subbed out at half time with a season ending knee injury. It was the best performance Collingwood had produced in at least 6 weeks.

The Bombers’ form looks terrible on face value. They sit in 15^th position on the ladder and have lost their last 7 games. Okay it’s bad, it’s very bad, and of course that really bad stretch of form led to the departure of senior coach James Hird. Matthew Egan has taken over and the past few weeks under a new boss have been better, with some competitive performances. The 27 point loss to an in form Richmond wasn’t even that bad, although the wet conditions did keep the scores close. In that game Paul Chapman said his farewells to the football world while young Irishman Conor Mckenna made his debut. A few Bombers performed well with Cale Hooker, Michael Hurley and Dyson Heppell leading the way. It’s been a long season for Essendon and they look as though they’ll be happy that it’s about to end.

COLLINGWOOD PREVIEW

Before last week’s win over Geelong the Magpies had been copping a lot of negative heat from the press regarding yet another poor second half to a season. That was well deserved too, for although this Collingwood team seems more advanced then last season’s they aren’t going to win any more games. In fact the Pies have to win this game against Essendon just to match their 2014 win tally of 11 games. There have been plenty of positives in 2015 for Collingwood fans though. The introduction and continued development of a number of young players shows that the future is bright. Jordan De Goey may well be the shining light of the lot so far, with the young Pie showing just how much potential he has with 25 disposals in the win over the Cats. De Goey, along with the likes of Moore, Scharenberg, Maynard, Langdon, Grundy, Broomhead, Marsh and Crisp form the base as to which the next great Collingwood team will be built on. For now though it’s another season past without finals and something that will have to be remedied next year.

Leading into this game the Pies do have a few new injury concerns with Dane Swan and Ben Sinclair certain to miss through injury. Travis Cloke, a late withdrawal last week is also likely to miss with hamstring soreness. Jesse White came in for Cloke last week and will keep his spot. Alan Toovey will be available to return after a week off from all football and should walk straight back into the 22. Of the 22 who played last week other then Swan and Sinclair the Pies may think about dropping Marsh or Scharenberg back to the VFL. Talking about the VFL, the Magpies reserves side booked their place in the finals with a scrappy win over Port Melbourne last week. Ben Kennedy, Adam Oxley, Jarrod Witts and Paul Seedsman will all think they are a chance based on their efforts in that win. It’s the final chance for some of the Magpies players to impress the club and for some their future may well be on the line.

OPPOSITION ANALYSIS

It’s been another tough season for the Essendon Football Club with the ASADA/WADA investigation still hanging over their heads. Whether that’s had an immense effect on the playing group is debatable but in the end it has claimed some victims, with James Hird the latest one. The Bombers legend was unceremoniously dumped as senior coach a few weeks back and plenty of their fans weren’t happy about the way it was handled. On the field it hasn’t been much better with 7 losses in a row and a long injury list. Essendon lead the league for players used this season (41, tied for most with the Gold Coast Suns) which shows just how much turmoil they’ve had in 2015. That may have benefits long term though with plenty of young and promising players getting an opportunity at senior level that they otherwise might not have had.

It’s hard to find a real area of strength for Essendon at the moment but their back line is definitely the closest thing to that at the moment. Michael Hurley and Jake Carlisle have held together a defense that has been under extreme pressure this season. Michael Hibberd and Mark Baguley have also been main stays of a defensive structure that ranks second for rebounds from defensive 50. There is obviously talk around regarding Carlisle and his future but this is one area of the ground that has held up rather well. They match up this week against a Pie forward line almost certain to be without two of their best options, Cloke and Swan.

The Essendon midfield has had a tough time of it this year. The absence of Jobe Watson for most of the season would hurt any central group. In his absence Dyson Heppell has stood up though and is leading the club in both contested possessions and clearances by a long way. Heppell is a star now and will only get better in the future. The problem is after him the only consistent backup has come from Goddard, Howlett and Stanton. David Zaharakis has had a poor season and it’s hurt the effectiveness of this midfield for sure. The Bombers rank in the bottom 4 in most categories in the middle and it’s something that needs fixing for sure.

The Essendon forward line is still a work in progress. Joe Daniher is the future star of which they will build their attack around and in just his third season he will win the club’s goal kicking award easily. Once you look past Daniher though the problems show up straight away. Not one other player on the entire list averages one goal a game, a damning stat for any AFL side. Cale Hooker has shown in patches that he can play well up forward (3 goals last week) but he lacks the consistency at the moment. If there’s an area the Bombers have to improve in the most it has to be their forward line.

The Bombers season is just petering out really, even with the little on field boost they received with a change of senior coach. Nothing would make their fans happier though then to end a miserable season with a win over one of their biggest rivals. It’s not impossible either, with Essendon’s best pushing sides at time and of course defeating the Hawks earlier on in the season. There may be a good news story yet though with Dustin Fletcher a chance to play in what would be a farewell game. How motivated this group is knowing this is the end of their 2015 ride may well determine if they can push, or even defeat Collingwood on Sunday.

TIP

Collingwood go into this game in better shape then the Bombers both in terms of form and available players. The loss of Cloke and Swan does hurt but the Pies forward line found a way to score without either of them last weekend. Essendon may well have one good effort in them yet but if they perform the way they have in most of the last 7 games they will lose by a decent margin here.

I expect this game to be free flowing (weather permitting) as the two proud clubs try to finish off the season with a good show for their fans. Collingwood should win and that’s exactly what I expect them to do. The Pies midfield should dominate this game from start to finish and prove the difference in this dead rubber.

MAGPIES BY 22 POINTS.

VFL FINAL

On Saturday the VFL Magpies will play an elimination final versus Werribee at North Port Oval. The VFL Pies finished the season in 6^th place and go into the game in good form.

AFL Round 9 – Collingwood vs North Melbourne Match Preview.

Collingwood and North Melbourne came into the 2015 AFL season with different objectives. For the Magpies it was to be another year of rebuilding, with only a slight possibility of finals football. For the Kangaroos though the target was loftier. After winning two finals last season before losing in the preliminary final to the Swans, it seems as if the club thought they were on the verge of being genuine premiership contenders. Adding the likes of Jarrad Waite, Shaun Higgins and Nick Dal Santo (12 months prior) to the list shows that clearly. They now have one of the oldest senior lists in the AFL and really should be challenging for a premiership this season. Something has gone wrong though so far this year, yes they’ve had their fair share of injuries, but they have been nigh on uncompetitive against any top side that they’ve run into. It’s a situation that has to improve rapidly or North Melbourne will have wasted another season with an aging list.

This weekend Collingwood and North Melbourne meet at the M.C.G. in an important round 9 fixture. Strangely enough this will be the first of only 2 games that North will play at the home of football in the regular season, although winning 2 finals at the M.C.G last year shows they play well there. Collingwood call it home though, and the Pies are ticking along nicely with a 5-3 win loss record after 8 games. It could be argued that the Pies haven’t beaten anyone of any quality yet but 5 wins is a nice cache to have this time of year. The Kangaroos sit a game back in 12^th position with a 4-4 record and a much lower percentage then the Pies. The recent history between these two clubs is rather one sided, with North Melbourne winning just 2 of the last 8 meetings. The Kangaroos will start favourites in this one though purely based on the maturity of their list.

PREVIOUS FORM

The Magpies have been inconsistent so far in 2015. They started the season well with only one loss in their first 5 games but then played their worst game of the year vs Geelong. After that loss to the Cats they then fell in a close game to the Tigers, a result that may come back to bite them at seasons end. Last week though Collingwood got back on track with a thumping 69 point win over the hapless Suns on the Gold Coast. The return of Steele Sidebottom straight away proved fruitful as the Pies second best midfielder racked up 32 disposals on his return. It allowed captain Scott Pendlebury to play more forward and he relished the role with 3 goals of his own. The best sign for the Pies though was the return to form of elite small forward Jamie Elliott. Before the Suns game Elliott was only averaging a goal a game but he burst back with 5 second half goals last week. It was a win the Pies needed especially ahead of a tougher stretch of games.

North Melbourne has had a tougher draw to start the season then the Pies but some of their performances have been poor really. Apart from a close loss to Port all of the Kangaroos losses have come from big margins, with an averaging losing margin of 73 points in those other 3 losses. There have been bright moments too though, with hard fought wins over Geelong and Essendon being the highlights of the season so far. Last week though North were insipid, all be it against the form side of the competition Fremantle. The Roos do have a decent sized injury list but to lose by 83 points really does show signs of something else fundamentally being wrong. North will be hoping that Ben Brown returns from injury this weekend but apart from that there’s not a lot of help coming for a side that desired a high finish.

COLLINGWOOD PREVIEW

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Collingwood came out of the Suns game pretty well really. Steele Sidebottom got through his first game since breaking his thumb in round 1, Scott Pendlebury starred in his 200^th and Jamie Elliott returned to form in a big way. The only injury concern was for Jack Frost who copped a knee to the hamstring and was subbed off during the third quarter. Early indications are that the Magpies key defender will get up for Sunday’s game but he will have to pass a fitness test. So will Alan Toovey, with the crowd favourite missing the trip to the Gold Coast with a knee injury. The Magpies are still without several key players due to injury but that list is getting shorter. Ben Reid, Levi Greenwood and Brent MaCaffer are the only best 22 players missing this week and so it’s probably the best position Collingwood have been in injury wise since early last season.

The problem for the Pies is consistency. More so consistency of effort over a four quarter period each week. For in the last 3 games, 2 of which they lost, they allowed the opposition to absolutely dominate for one period of the game. Versus the Cats it was the first quarter, against Richmond it was an 8 goal second quarter against, and even last week against the struggling Suns the Pies allowed the Gold Coast to dominate a 15 minute period before half time. They simply can’t afford to repeat that this Sunday against North Melbourne or they will lose the game.

Selection this week for the Pies doesn’t seem to be that difficult. The Magpies VFL team had a bye last weekend so not many from that level will push for promotion. The final changes will revolve around the fitness of Alan Toovey and Jack Frost. If both are declared right to go then it will probably be out of Tim Broomhead and Jordan De Goey for the unlucky omission to make way for Toovey. It does make the Magpies stronger though, Toovey and Frost are both reliable defenders and Toovey has developed into maybe the best one on one defender for his size in the league. Collingwood will set themselves for this game, it’s their first big challenge since the failure against the Cats and they’ll want to show the AFL world that they can match it with more mature sides.

OPPOSITION ANALYSIS

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North Melbourne came into season 2015 hoping to challenge for a top 4 spot, but with a tougher draw and some key injuries they are well off that mark at the moment. That’s not to say it’s all doom and gloom for the Roos so far this season. Their 2 strong wins over Geelong and Essendon in recent weeks has shown that on their day this outfit can perform at a very high level. They have a mature list, one of the oldest in the AFL and this week they run into one of the youngest. That alone won’t win the game though, so the Roos will have to perform to their full potential to move to 5-4 for the season.

The Kangaroos midfield is struggling at the moment. The absence of Wells, Dal Santo and the loss of Greenwood from last season sees North having a central grouping that simply isn’t as good as last season. After 8 rounds they rank 15^th for contested possessions, 16^th for clearances and 10^th for centre clearances. That paints a dark picture for a club renowned for winning the hard ball. There is hope though especially when you have Todd Goldstein in the ruck. Goldstein is averaging a staggering 38.5 hitouts a game this season along with 14 possessions. If he’s not the best ruckman in the league he’s damn close to it. That’s where the Roos will look to dominate the Pies too, with youngsters Witts and Grundy up against the star that is Goldstein. Collingwood are missing ex North player Levi Greenwood which does weaken them a little in the middle but last week’s return of Sidebottom makes it a formidable central grouping indeed for North to overcome.

The North Melbourne forward line looks dangerous when you see it on paper but something isn’t quite translating to game day. The recruitment of Shaun Higgins and Jarrad Waite was supposed to increase the forward efficiency of the Roos yet after 8 games it’s still a work in progress. Ben Brown has been a great find though and they will be hoping their second most effective forward will pass a fitness test later in the week. If Brown doesn’t come up though it will be left to Higgins, Waite, Petrie and the enigmatic Lindsay Thomas to put the score on the board. Majak Daw may also be a chance to play his first senior game of the year after a strong performance in the VFL last week. They do run into a Pies backline that hasn’t been as effective over the last few weeks as it was to begin the season. Giving up 100 points against the Tigers and Cats showed that the Magpies defense is exploitable if you have the tools to do so.

The Kangaroos backline is struggling if you look at the points against in the 4 losses so far. But that doesn’t tell the whole story. With North being dominated at times in the middle it’s placed unfair pressure on a defensive set up that is missing Nathan Grima. With names like Tarrant, Hansen, Thompson and Firrito they still possess enough talent to restrict most forward lines given a fair run from the middle. They are rated higher when it comes to ball movement out of the backline with a marginally higher average (9^th in the league) compared to the Magpies (12^th). The Magpies forward line, not unlike the current North version, is a little dysfunctional, with reliance on Cloke and Elliott to do most of the scoring. The absence of Ben Reid will help the Kangaroos defense cope with a Pies forward line that needs assistance from it’s midfield to be efficient.

North Melbourne go into this crucial matchup a little under done and not in great form but they will still start favourites. That’s basically because they are the more mature team and at this stage should be more consistent then the younger Magpies outfit. At selection they have some decision to make with the likes of Daw, Mullet, Black and Turner all pushing for promotion through the VFL. It is a vitally important game for the Kangaroos season. If they fall to 4-5 so early on in the season with a poor percentage along with it, they face losing touch with the top 6, let alone the top 4.

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, Taylor Adams, Scott Pendlebury
Int (from): Sam Dwyer, Jarrod Witts, Jonathon Marsh, Jack Crisp, Tim Broomhead, Jordan De Goey, Adam Oxley

IN: Sam Dwyer, Jonathon Marsh, Alan Toovey
OUT: Nil
NEW: Jonathon Marsh (19, East Fremantle)

North Melbourne

Backs L.Hansen 6 S.Thompson 16 M.Firrito 11
Half Backs S.Atley 18 R.Tarrant 25 J.Macmillan 34
Centreline S.Wright 19 B.Harvey 29 S.Gibson 43
Half Forwards S.Higgins 4 B.Brown 50 R.Bastinac 3
Forwards L.Thomas 12 D.Petrie 20 R.Nahas 28
Followers T.Goldstein 22 B.Cunnington 10 J.Ziebell 7
Interchange From A.Swallow 9 T.Dumont 14 L.McDonald 21 J.Waite 30 M.Daw 38 K.Turner 40 S.McMahon 42

In: A.Swallow , S.McMahon , M.Daw , B.Brown , K.Turner
Out: B.Jacobs (Omitted) , M.Wood (Omitted)

TIP

North Melbourne should be wining games like this. The Pies are still in a rebuilding mode and are wildly inconsistent during games. Where North give Collingwood a chance though is with their own current inability to show any consistent level of high performance. The absence of Wells, Swallow, Dal Santo, Grima and most likely Brown also brings the Pies right into a game that previously they wouldn’t have been in.

I can see this game being close at the end, the sides do match up so well given the circumstances. Both have had 8 day breaks coming back from gruelling interstate trips. Both have several key injured players and both have shown a liking to the M.C.G. What it might come down to is the contested possessions in the last quarter and in that is an area of dominance for Collingwood which should see them win a tight battle.

MAGPIES BY 5 POINTS.

AFL Round 8 – Collingwood vs Gold Coast Match Preview.

What has happened to the Gold Coast Suns? That’s the question that everyone is asking right now. Rewind to round 16 last season and the Suns were on the verge of playing in their first finals series in their fourth year in the competition. They had fought their way to an 8-6 win loss record and were hosting the struggling Collingwood Magpies at home in front of what would turn out to be their biggest crowd yet. Since that July night at Metricon Stadium it’s been nothing short of a disaster for the Suns. They have played 14 games and only won two, with one win coming over the wooden spoon winning Saints last season, and the other against cross town rivals the Lions 3 weeks ago. They did defeat the Magpies that night but lost captain and club superstar Gary Ablett for the rest of the season, with a shoulder injury that has lingered into season 2015. They also failed to make the finals finishing 12^th. There’s more to the story then just losing one player though, they sacked their coach, Guy McKenna, there were off season drug problems, the injury list is longer then it’s ever been and this season there’s plenty of off field problems too. Simply put the Suns are a mess at the moment and need to turn it around quickly or face losing all hope for season 2015.

This Saturday they host their nemesis from that fateful July night, Collingwood. The Magpies aren’t exactly sailing along freely either with back to back losses. The Pies find themselves sitting inside the top 8 with a 4-3 record while the struggling Suns sit in 17^th position with a 1-7 record with only percentage keeping them off the bottom. These 2 clubs do share one thing in common at the moment and that’s a long and talented injury list. This game is crucial for both teams, Collingwood needs the win to keep themselves ahead of a chasing pack while the Suns need a win to give their fans some hope for the rest of the season.

PREVIOUS FORM

Only two weeks ago Collingwood were seemingly cruising, having started the season with a 4-1 record. The last two weeks though the absence of some best 22 players has started to take it’s toll as the Pies have given up losses to Geelong and Richmond. The 5 point loss to Richmond would hurt most though, as it was a game the Pies led several times, even in the final 5 minutes. The Tigers kicked the most crucial 2 goals of the game late on though and despite a goal on the siren it was a tough loss for the men in black and white. It leaves them precariously placed in 7^th, with only a superior percentage keeping them in the top 8 for now.

The Gold Coast Suns have been woeful this season, it’s not hard to say that at all. They started the season with losses to lowly Melbourne and St Kilda and it hasn’t got much better from there. They’ve had their moments still though with a hard fought loss to Geelong away from home a big win over the Lions in the first Q Clash of the season. Those 2 games have papered over the cracks though, there’s massive problems at the Suns under new coach Rodney Eade and they may have reached a new low last week with the 92 point drubbing by the Eagles in Perth. The Suns showed no fight, little effort and were destroyed by a middle of the road side. They will have to respond this week as after Collingwood they face last year’s grand finalists back to back so a loss to the Pies will most likely see them start the season with a 1-9 record.

COLLINGWOOD PREVIEW

The loss to the Tigers was unexpected by most involved with Collingwood yet in hindsight it wasn’t a huge surprise. Collingwood got beaten in the midfield when it counted and with the likes of Sidebottom, Greenwood, Reid, Macaffer, Ramsay, Thomas and Young missing through injury it wasn’t such a bad effort after all. Losing reliable defender Alan Toovey during the game hurt too and it seems unlikely that Collingwood will regain any of the above names for this Saturday’s trip north. There have been positives for the Pies though so far in season 2015. The form of young ruckman Brodie Grundy has been extraordinary for a third year ruckman really. The recruit of the year so far for the Pies is one of the unlikeliest too, ex Brisbane Lion Jack Crisp has played every game and has a healthy average of 19 possessions, 5 tackles and a goal per game to show for it.

This week against the Suns the Pies will be hoping Jackson Ramsay and Steele Sidebottom will pass fitness tests but at the moment it seems unlikely that both will play. The VFL Magpies did have another good win though hanging on against Richmond’s VFL outfit for a 3 point win at Punt Road Oval on Sunday. Out of that game Ben Kennedy, Alex Fasolo, Corey Gault and Jonathan Marsh will push for selection with Marsh a chance to debut as a replacement for the injured Toovey. This is an absolute must win game for Collingwood, with a tough game to come against North Melbourne next week they can’t afford to lose 3 in a row. The Magpies effort against the Tigers was good, apart from the second quarter, and if they can replicate that against the Suns they should come away with a win.

OPPOSITION ANALYSIS

The only way is up for the Suns really, that’s the train of thought they have to be taking into this weekend’s clash with the Pies. Their performance against the Eagles last Sunday was as bad as anyone has played so far in season 2015. Considering the game was played in wet and slippery conditions to almost lose by 100 points is unforgivable really. It did seem as if coach Rodney Eade did almost by pass the game though virtually resting several players from the longest trip in football. This week the Suns will hope to regain several players off their long injury list but with plenty still weeks away from returning, including Gary Ablett, most of the improvement will have to come from those that played in Perth.

If the Suns have a strength it’s the midfield. Even without Gary Ablett, Jaeger O’Meara and David Swallow the Suns still rank in the top 3 in the league for centre clearances and contested possessions. The loss of those 3 mentioned players has hurt them on the outside though as shown by the Suns possessing the worst disposal efficiency of anyone in the AFL. They can win the ball though, with the likes of Prestia, Rischitelli, Hallahan, Stanley and Bennell helping to put the Suns near the top in contested possessions. The ruck isn’t really as settled with Tom Nicholls out performing Zac Smith so far this season to the point where Smith may be dropped to make way for a youngster like Wright or Brooksby. They do face a Collingwood midfield though which is weakened also so this is one area the Suns may be able to win on the day.

The Gold Coast backline has been under extreme pressure so far this season and it’s held up quite well considering the level of inexperience in defense, especially when it comes to key position defenders. Last week Henry Schade and Jack Leslie started as the key defenders and they had a total of 4 games between them. With injuries to several key position players throughout the Suns list it really has left their backline severely weakened. They still have good run and carry out of defense with Harbrow, Kolodjashnij, Lonergan, McKenzie and Broughton using their pace and skill. Of course they run head long into Travis Cloke this week and with Rory Thompson unlikely to play whether the young Suns defense can restrict Cloke, Jesse White and Jamie Elliott may well decide this game.

The Suns forward line is still a work in progress but it is dangerous in it’s own way. Led by Tom Lynch (who missed last week but should return vs the Pies) and Charlie Dixon it possesses enough talent to trouble most defenses. The absence of Sam Day and Jack Martin does restrict their ability to really be efficient but it’s still a decent enough attack. The problem that the Suns has is that they really haven’t had enough help for their key position forwards so far in 2015. Brandon Matera hasn’t started the year well and outside of Matera and the 2 talls no one averages more then a goal a game this season for the Gold Coast Suns. This week they will face a slightly weakened Magpies defense with Jackson Ramsay, Ben Reid and Alan Toovey all likely to miss. At home you’d expect the Suns to get their fair share of inside 50’s it’s just a matter of whether they can worry the Pies defense enough.

The Suns have been severely hit by injuries so far in 2015 but it does seem as if they will get a few players back this week and in the coming weeks. The problem is that may be too late. This is a real must win game for the Gold Coast if they are even to be a chance of matching last year’s final ladder position, let alone improving on it. A loss here and it won’t matter when those injured players are returning as no one is making an impact after a 1-7 start to the season. They will pray that the likes of Malceski, Thompson, Lynch, Saad and Martin all come back earlier then expected but it’s very unlikely that all of those named will return. They do get a slight chance against a Pies outfit that is also injury hit especially in regards to talented players. The Suns simply have to show some fight here, it’s not so much about winning and losing now but more about showing the football world that they do care and do have a bright future indeed.

TEAMS

Collingwood
B: Tom Langdon, Nathan Brown, Marley Williams
HB: Adam Oxley, Jack Frost, Tyson Goldsack
C: Travis Varcoe, Dane Swan, Paul Seedsman
HF: Jamie Elliott, Jesse White, Steele Sidebottom
F: Jarryd Blair, Travis Cloke, Alex Fasolo
Foll: Brodie Grundy, Taylor Adams, Scott Pendlebury
Int: Jarrod Witts, Tim Broomhead, Jack Crisp, Jordan De Goey
Emg: Sam Dwyer, Jonathon Marsh, Brayden Maynard

IN: Alex Fasolo, Steele Sidebottom
OUT: Alan Toovey (jarred knee), Patrick Karnezis (omitted)

Milestone: Scott Pendlebury (200 AFL games)

Gold Coast
B: Adam Saad, Henry Schade, Kade Kolodjashnij
HB: Jarrod Harbrow, Jack Leslie, Jesse Lonergan
C: Andrew Raines, Dion Prestia, Alex Sexton
HF: Aaron Hall, Tom J. Lynch, Harley Bennell
F: Danny Stanley, Charlie Dixon, Touk Miller
Foll: Tom Nicholls, Michael Rischitelli, Mitch Hallahan
Int: Luke Russell, Trent McKenzie, Brandon Matera, Sean Lemmens
Emg: Andrew Boston, Keegan Brooksby, Greg Broughton

IN: Adam Saad, Tom J. Lynch, Luke Russell
OUT: Matt Shaw (Omitted), Zac Smith (Omitted), Greg Broughton (Omitted)

TIP

Both teams are banged up leading into this game so that evens the injury ledger out a fair bit. On form Collingwood should win, they’ve been competitive while losing against better teams then the Suns. Gold Coast are back home though, where they undoubtedly play their best football so by no means will this game be easy for the Magpies.

The return of Steele Sidebottom makes this top a lot easier now with Collingwood short favourites to win and that’s exactly what they should do.

MAGPIES BY 28 POINTS.

CONGRATULATIONS SCOTT PENDLEBURY 200 GAMES

Collingwood captain Scott Pendlebury will play his 200^th AFL this Saturday on the Gold Coast. Pendlebury, who is widely known as one of the best midfielders in the AFL has moulded himself into a strong leader also. To reach his 200^th game at the age of 27 shows his reliability and durability over time. He is a champion player and loved by all Magpies fans alike. Congratulations Scott.

AFL Round 6 – Collingwood vs Geelong Match Preview.

Collingwood and Geelong, when they’ve clashed over the past decade there has always been a lot on the line, and on Friday night at the MCG the two will clash in a vital round 6 fixture. The Magpies have started 2015 in fine fashion, winning 4 of their first 5 games to somewhat surprisingly sit in second spot on the ladder. The Cats haven’t had as good a start to the season but losses to the Hawks, Dockers and Kangaroos, three preliminary finalists from last season, can almost be excused. The Cats bounced back to form with a strong win over the Tigers last week setting up the best Friday night fixture of the season so far.

Of course these two have a lot of recent history that stems back to 2007. Collingwood and Geelong played in 3 preliminary finals and a grand final in a four year period, with the Cats coming out on top in all but one game, the 2010 preliminary final. The biggest clash of course was the 2011 Grand Final, a game where the Magpies led early but the fitter Cats ran over the top to record their 3^rd premiership win in 5 seasons. Since that Grand Final the two have played 4 times in total with Collingwood winning 3 and Geelong winning the sole matchup last season.

PREVIOUS FORM

Coming into this game Collingwood couldn’t be in much better form, and their fans are close to delirium after two big wins over arch rivals Essendon and Carlton. The first off those wins came as somewhat of a shock to most as the Pies dominated the second half against the Bombers on ANZAC day to record their most impressive win in a long time. The win over Carlton was expected, but the manner in which Collingwood absolutely dominated for all four quarters couldn’t go unnoticed. The most impressive part of the Pies start to the season has been their young defensive unit though, which is currently only slightly trailing the experienced Fremantle defense for total points conceded. The Magpies are now a tough team to score against.

Geelong has had a tough draw, there’s no other way of saying it. The one concern was the manner of their losses though, with heavy defeats to Fremantle, North Melbourne and Hawthorn. The Cats needed a win last week and they got it, defeating another struggling team in Richmond with relative ease. The final margin of 9 points wasn’t a true indication of the game as Geelong led for the entire match and should have won by more. Mitch Duncan and Tom Hawkins led the way for the Cats and for the first time this season their backline held up pretty well. It was a crucial win for Geelong that may well put their season back on track.

COLLINGWOOD PREVIEW

No one expected this, Collingwood to have an opportunity to start the season with a 5-1 record. Well when I say no one I mean anyone who isn’t a Pies fan or involved with the club. Internally Collingwood knew what it had, a very good young list with some super elite talent at the top. That elite talent is showing through already with Scott Pendlebury, Travis Cloke, Dane Swan, Jamie Elliott and the absent Steele Sidebottom the base to grow off. As mentioned above though the defense is the reason that this side is 4-1 to start the season. Even in their “off week”, the loss to the Crows that young, inexperienced backline didn’t concede 100 points. Led by Nathan Brown, Alan Toovey and Tyson Goldsack, the Pies defense is as good as any going around at the moment. Jack Frost, Tom Langdon, Adam Oxley, Jackson Ramsay and Marley Williams are the youngsters who have injected toughness, accountability and drive that simply hasn’t existed for a while in the black and white jumper. It’s this defense that can take the Pies far, and this defense that will be relied upon against a dangerous Geelong forward line.

At first it seemed the Pies came through game vs Carlton with a clean bill of health but Jackson Ramsay and Paul Seedsman are unavailable this week after picking up minor injuries in that win. There was good news though with the Magpies VFL side had a stunning win over the reigning premiers Footscray on Saturday, with Jordan De Goey, Jarrod Witts, Brenden Abbott and Jonathon Marsh all pushing for senior selection with top performances. De Goey and Marsh were both brilliant in the win, and both are showing great signs for the future. At selection Collingwood through a shock out with Tony Armstrong promoted off the rookie list to come into the side alongside youngsters Jarrod Witts and Tom Broomhead. Corey Gault was omitted with Paul Seedsman and Jackson Ramsay out because of those injuries. It’s a positive time to be at Collingwood with youngsters re-committing long term, the latest being Tom Langdon and Jamie Elliott for 3 more years each. That clearly shows this group believes they can achieve something big, and while this is just the early stages, exciting times are ahead for the biggest club in the land.

OPPOSITION ANALYSIS

It’s hard to judge how good the 2015 version of Geelong is. Yes, they aren’t up there with the top echelon of teams, as shown by their three losses this season. But their two wins have come against decent opposition still. This Friday night might be the fairest gauge of the Geelong Cats so far in 2015. In comparison to the Pies they will have a longer injury list although both teams will field several youngsters in their endeavours to rebuild while remaining competitive. The Cats will look to welcome back a few players who have missed games with Stokes, Clark, Mackie and Cockatoo all in contention to return to the seniors. The loss of James Kelly will hurt a Cats side already missing several experienced players though.

The Cats have a problem, and it’s their midfield. They ranked bottom of the league for contested possessions and 15^th for clearances, something previously unheard of in the recent great era of that football club. Only Joel Selwood is really still pulling his weight in the middle, and it’s an area they will have to improve upon if they are to beat the Magpies this Friday. They have some talent, Guthrie, Caddy and Duncan but the absence of some of the stars of years’ past is hurting them right now. Against a Pies midfield that is leading the league in contested possessions the Cats will have to figure something out fast or risk being dominated in this area. The ruck is also a concern for the Cats with Simpson and Blicavs struggling to take control in any game so far this year.

Geelong’s defense is still pretty strong, despite giving up some big scores in a few of their games this season. Led by Taylor, Lonergan, Rivers and Enright this defensive unit is still capable of shutting even elite forwards down, as seen against the Tigers for the first three quarters last week. The Magpies forward line is still a work in progress, with Elliott and Cloke the only truly dangerous forwards. The Cats will back themselves to be able to contain the Pies forwards, but their may be questions about how Geelong clears it out of defense against a Magpies team which is creating so much pressure. This may well be where the game is won or lost, if the Cats can rebound the ball out of the Pies offensive zone they will gain a huge advantage there.

If there’s one area that the Cats can dominate the Magpies they will believe it will be their forward line. Especially if Mitch Clark and Rhys Stanley are fit and ready to return the Geelong forward set up looks very dangerous indeed. The young Pies defense has been in great form so far this season but matched up against the likes of Hawkins, Clark, Stanley, Motlop, Walker, Johnson and Stokes it will face it’s biggest test of the season to date. Geelong does have a selection quandary on their hands if Clark and Stanley are both fit but it’s a positive quandary for once. This is the area of the ground that for the Cats to win this game they will have to dominated for sure.

The Cats are wounded, they are missing several key names and lost a few more over the weekend past. With the absence of Kelly, Bartel, Vardy, Menzel, Mackie, McIntosh and Smedts it leaves the Cats almost being forced to play inexperienced players, something the Pies know all too well from last season. Geelong still has plenty of talent though, especially when it comes to key position players and that’s where they will be hoping to gain an advantage on Friday night. They will have to play better then they have at any point this season though to come out on top.

TEAMS

TIP

The Magpies are clearly in better form then Geelong and most things point to a Collingwood victory on Friday night. Collingwood’s team defense at the moment is the envy of a lot of teams and although Geelong’s backline looks strong on paper it has struggled at times this season. Geelong still possess the talent to win a game like this but for them everything will have to go right. Final selection was surprising from both teams yet it doesn’t change my tip, Pies to move to 5-1.

MAGPIES BY 17 POINTS.