AFL Round 2 – Collingwood vs Richmond Match Preview.

203 days, that’s how long Collingwood supporters had waited to see their team play a game for premiership points. The wait had been long, but leading into round 1 of the 2016 AFL season the hopes were high for the Magpie army as they headed to Sydney to play the Swans. Just minutes into the game though and it was clear that something wasn’t right, as the Swans ran rampant over the lethargic looking Magpie team. By half time the margin had blown out to 62 points and all those pre season hopes and dreams had been shattered in 60 minutes of football. Something had to be wrong, surely? There was no way that this talented young Collingwood team would simply perform this poorly in the first game of a home and away season. There were off field distractions leading into the game, including a damaging illicit drugs story published on Thursday, but to see the Magpies perform at such a low level was a shock to all.

Luckily though for Collingwood, there is a second chance. In fact they’ll get plenty of other chances to make up for that mess in Sydney. It starts on Friday night, at the Pies home ground, the Melbourne Cricket Ground (M.C.G.), when a huge crowd will be in attendance to see Collingwood host Richmond in what is more than just your normal round 2 matchup. The Tigers came into the season hoping to improve on a decent 2015 where they finished fifth on the ladder but were then beaten by North Melbourne in the first elimination final. They started the season on a bright enough note with a 9 point win over Carlton but they too will believe they can improve significantly.

The two sides met twice last season, with Richmond coming away winners on both occasions. In round seven the Tigers won a thriller by 5 points, and in the second meeting later in the season the Tigers ended any faint Magpies hopes of playing finals with a 91 point thrashing at the M.C.G.

COLLINGWOOD PREVIEW

The only way is up from here, surely that’s the approach that Collingwood has to take leading into this game. They have to write off round 1 and start again because there were oh so few positives out of that performance. One positive was Adam Treloar though, with the Pies star recruit showing why they went after him so hard with a club best effort that resulted in 34 possessions and a goal. That was about it though, in fact things would only get worse for the Pies as the night went on. First aging superstar Dane Swan went down with a major leg injury in the first quarter, one that he requires surgery and it’s unlikely we will see the tattooed star again in 2016, if ever. Then in the third term vice captain and up to then the Pies best player, Steele Sidebottom, laid a heavy bump to the head of Sydney’s Dan Hanneberry, that has resulted in a 2 week suspension for the Pies midfielder. Also in doubt out of the Swans game are Jarrod Witts (hand), Nathan Brown (hamstring) and Marley Williams (knee).

That means there will be changes to the 22 that faced off against Sydney, even if coach Nathan Buckley said he would like to back the players in for this game. The good news is there’s some depth at Collingwood for a change. In a VFL practice match on Saturday at Olympic Park several Pies players put their hand up for selection. James Aish was the standout, with a strong performance from the middle which included several classy goals. Also impressive were Ben Reid, Brodie Grundy, Jonathan Marsh and Jeremy Howe. It would make no sense not to include at least 4 of those mentioned players in the side to face Richmond.

Howe and Aish are the interesting ones here, new recruits to the club who had injury setbacks in the off season but look raring to go now. Howe would provide cover for the missing Elliott and Swan while Aish is almost a spitting image of the suspended Steele Sidebottom, at least in the way he plays his football. Add in All Australian centre half back Ben Reid and the most perplexing omission from round 1, Brodie Grundy and this Magpies team doesn’t look so bad after all.

The effort has to improve though or else it won’t matter how much talent the Magpies have out on the field on Friday night. That effort in Sydney simply wasn’t good enough, and despite any off field issues that may be effecting the player group it’s time to put up or shut up as they say.

RICHMOND PREVIEW

The Richmond Football Club are always one of the more intriguing stories during an AFL season and this version is no different. After finishing 5^th at the end of the home and away rounds last season, the Tigers were expected to win their first final with many even talking about a premiership tilt. Alas they fell at the first hurdle against North Melbourne and the rest is history. The Tigers started season 2016 with high expectations with reaching a top four spot a realistic aim. The opening round win over Carlton wasn’t pretty but eventually they got the job done, and with that 9 point win Richmond will look to improve upon that against the Pies.

Richmond’s defense is one of the most under rated in the AFL. In season 2015 it was in that group at the top of the ladder that conceded less than 1600 total points for the season. Only 5 sides managed that and coincidentally they were the top 5 on the ladder leading into the finals. The Tigers backline is led by Alex Rance who is ably assisted in the key position defender roles by David Astbury and Dylan Grimes. Rance is undoubtedly one of the best rebounding key defenders in the AFL although he has had trouble with Pies key forward Travis Cloke over the years. Richmond also have the ability to create scoring opportunities out of their defense with Houli, Vlastuin and Rance creating drive that can turn defense into attack very quickly.

The Richmond midfield is full of big names yet at times doesn’t perform to a level that it should. Last season they only ranked middle of the road for clearances and pressure differential, two of the more important statistical categories for midfields. With names like Martin, Cotchin, Deledio, Edwards, Ellis, Miles and Lambert they really should be better than that. The ruck area has been one they have struggled in over recent seasons. They were down in the bottom third of the competition in terms of total hitouts in 2015, although of course the Magpies were down there too. You can see why the Tigers wanted Adam Treloar so badly, but for now they will have to do with the addition of Connor Menadue who was impressive versus the Blues and looks to have taken that next step.

The Tigers forward line has had a heavy reliance on one man for a number of years now, that man being Jack Riewoldt. While Jack has held up his end of the bargain only Tyrone Vickery is really starting to give him solid support. No one else at the club managed to break the 30 goal barrier in season 2015. Richmond will try different players up forward as the season goes on but this week are likely to give Lloyd, Rioli and Griffiths the role of assisting Riewoldt and Vickery. The Magpies backline actually held up okay against a barrage of inside 50’s last week so they will be confident of restricting Richmond if they do dominate through the middle.

The Tigers list isn’t much healthier than the Pies really going into this round 2 matchup. They will go in without Deledio, Edwards, Conca and Yarran who all would be playing if they were fit. Edwards is one who can’t take a trick, looking on his game early versus the Blues before suffering a hand injury that may keep him out for a few weeks. The Tigers though will expect to win this game against a weakened and under pressure Magpies outfit.

TEAMS;

Collingwood

FB: Jack Frost, Nathan Brown, Tom Langdon
HB: Jackson Ramsay, Ben Reid, Marley Williams
C: James Aish, Adam Treloar, Levi Greenwood
HF: Jarryd Blair, Darcy Moore, Jordan De Goey
FF: Alex Fasolo, Travis Cloke, Corey Gault
Foll: Brodie Grundy, Scott Pendlebury, Taylor Adams
Int: Brent Macaffer, Jack Crisp, Ben Sinclair, Adam Oxley
Emg: Matthew Goodyear, Alan Toovey, Jeremy Howe

IN: James Aish, Brodie Grundy, Adam Oxley, Ben Reid
OUT: Dane Swan (foot), Jarrod Witts (hand), Steele Sidebottom (suspension), Brayden Maynard (omitted)
NEW: James Aish (20, Brisbane)

RICHMOND

B: Astbury, Rance, Grimes
HB: Vlastuin, Houli, B. Ellis
C: Griffiths, C. Ellis, McIntosh
HF: Lambert, Martin, Short
F: Riewoldt, Lloyd, Vickery
R: Hampson, Townsend, Cotchin
IC: Grigg, Menadue, Miles, Hunt
Em: Lennon, A. Moore, Chaplin

In: Grigg, Hunt, Short
Out: Edwards (inj – hand), Rioli (inj – leg), Morris

TIP

Richmond will start this game as favourites but with the injuries (and suspensions) to both teams this game is by no means a forgone conclusion. I expect it to be similar to the first time these two met in 2015 when the Tigers came away with a narrow 5 point win. Surely this talented young Magpies team won’t lay down and die like they did against the Swans once again.

From a Richmond perspective they will believe they have significant improvement in them after a less than impressive win over Carlton in round 1. Most will tip the Tigers to win this game based on the probable selected 22’s but I’ve got a feeling, and that’s about there is at the moment, that Collingwood will bounce back and produce a fighting win over one of their biggest rivals. Either way I expect it to be a thriller.

MAGPIES BY 4 POINTS.

AFL Round 2 – Collingwood vs Adelaide Match Preview.

After such a long wait, round 1 of the 2015 AFL premiership season has been completed. After the nine games had been played it became apparent that once again Hawthorn stood out from the pack, with several other teams clambering to be in a group behind them. After just one round of games the most impressive performance was from the Adelaide Crows, who on Sunday absolutely destroyed North Melbourne in the statement performance of the opening weekend. The Crows, a side that missed the finals the past two seasons, jumped out of the blocks with a 12 goal to 3 first half to all but secure the win by the long break. Under new coach Phillip Walsh it was an impressive performance that really put the Crows name up there as a finals contender.

This Saturday, the Crows travel to Melbourne to play another round one winner, Collingwood, at Etihad Stadium in the twilight time slot. The Magpies win may not have been as impressive as the Crows opener, but an interstate win against the Brisbane Lions, by 12 points, gave the biggest club in the land a nice start to the season also. Like the Crows the Pies led by a large margin just after half time, until the home team came roaring home in one of the games of the round. With both clubs having a win under their belts already, a win here is more of an opportunity then a necessity, with the winner certain to find themselves in the upper echelon of the ladder.

Adelaide and Collingwood clashed twice last season with the Crows coming away victors in both games. The first was a 21 point win at the fortress that is Adelaide Oval early in the season, a game that had some controversy regarding the volume of the siren. The second clash, later in the season, resulted in a 16 point win for the Crows at the M.C.G. when superstar Patrick Dangerfield took over late and ensured an away win. This weekend’s game is a real opportunity for two sides who weren’t rated that highly to start the season on a perfect note with a 2-0 record.

PREVIOUS FORM

With only one proper round completed there’s not much form to go on but what there is seems impressive from both teams. The Crows big win at home against North Melbourne was the perfect way to start the season under their new senior coach. After an initial period of jousting the Crows took the game over half way through the first quarter and never looked back. The speed and accuracy of the ball movement from the home team was as proficient as any teams’ throughout round 1. The most promising sign for Adelaide though was how the forward line functioned, with Taylor Walker booting 6 goals, Eddie Betts getting 4 goals and Josh Jenkins putting 3v majors on the board. Of course the poor effort from the Kangaroos made it a little easier for the Crows but the domination could not be ignored by any future opponents.

Collingwood ventured up to Brisbane as under dogs last Saturday night and started the season on fire, at one point holding a 53 point lead. The Lions charged late as the Pies tired in the humidity but they couldn’t get within single figures as Collingwood notched a 12 point win. The loss of Steele Sidebottom (broken thumb) in game was the only negative for the Magpies on the night as they showed quicker ball movement and better accuracy, something which was similar to the Crows. Pendlebury, Swan and Sidebottom lead from the front although the 31 possession game from Taylor Adams showed he is ready to take that next step and dominate at this level. It wasn’t a perfect night for tall forwards yet Travis Cloke and Jesse White had 10 shots at goal between them, something that shows this Pies forward line will be dangerous in 2015. It was a great start to the season for a club under a lot of media pressure.

COLLINGWOOD PREVIEW

The Magpies came into 2015 with a lot of external pressure on them. The media had already placed senior coach Nathan Buckley high on the ladder of coaches in danger of getting the sack, yet half way through the third quarter last week all was going rosy for the Pies. The loss of Steele Sidebottom with a broken thumb put a dampener on the win, as did the 30 minute period where the Lions kicked 7 goals in a row. The final 8-10 minutes would have pleased Buckley as the Pies repelled attack after attack from the home team and held on for the two goal win. Young ruckman Brodie Grundy was one of the Pies best in those first 3 quarters, but with little support he tired late and he may need more support this week against the Crows. The midfield won the battle in those first 2 and ½ quarters with the usual suspects leading the way. The increase in output from Adams and Blair also added to that early midfield dominance with Blair named by the club as their best contributor on the night. It was a performance that most media judges didn’t expect and one that raised the hopes of the Magpies returning to the finals in 2015.

The loss of Sidebottom and the unavailability of Greenwood and Reid means that Collingwood go into this game nowhere near full strength. Their is capable back up though with Sam Dwyer, Tim Broomhead, Ben Kennedy, Paul Seedsman, Nathan Freeman and Jonathon Marsh all impressing in the VFL on Saturday. The coaching staff will look at the midfield as the area that needs assistance against the Crows so Dwyer, Broomhead, Kennedy and Freeman will come into contention. Watching the VFL is an experience itself these days at Collingwood with so many future stars running around, with Darcy Moore obviously the biggest interest for most. This weekend should see the experienced duo of Ben Reid and Jarrod Witts return with Matt Scharenberg and Clinton Young close to returning too. It shows the young talent the Magpies have on their list and the improvement that lays within. Against the Crows though the Pies will have to make do, and although they will go in under full strength if they apply that intense pressure that is their trademark they can push the Crows and even pull of an upset.

OPPOSITION ANALYSIS

The Crows entered season 2015 with a new found sense of hope after switching senior coaches in the off season. Out went Brenton Sanderson, who only 2 seasons back had got them within a kick of a grand final, and in came Phillip Walsh, who had worked with the juggernaut that is Port Adelaide for the past few seasons. Adelaide started last season with a 4-7 win loss record, and despite flying home to only miss the finals by one game a coaching change came. Straight away it’s given the playing group a boost with Walsh wanting the group to play a fast flowing, aggressive form of football. The size of the Adelaide Oval playing field was used to full effect versus the Kangaroos as the Crows ran wild for the best part of four quarters. The Crows really do look like a team that will return to the finals after 2 seasons out.

The Crows midfield is stacked with talent and is an obvious area of strength. Contract disputes with stars Dangerfield and Sloane may be some distraction later in the year but early on those two were as good as anyone against North. Their midfield really is deep with Dangerfield, Sloane, Douglas (a game high 31 possessions last week), McKay, Henderson and Eliis-Yeoman making it a really strong group. Add the returning Nathan Van Berlo and the small forwards who play as mids when the ball comes forward and this is a formidable central core. They are well serviced in the ruck too by Sam Jacobs with Josh Jenkins helping the man they call “Sauce” out. The Pies midfield will be weakened this week due to injury so this is the area the Crows will look to dominate in.

Taylor Walker was dominant in round one.

The Adelaide forward line is starting to come together nicely, as show by the fact that James Podsiadly can’t get a game. Taylor Walker started the season on fire last week, and with the likes of Betts, Jenkins, Lynch and Cameron helping him out scoring once they get the ball forward won’t be a problem for the Crows. They meet a Collingwood backline this week that is also weakened by injury with Ben Reid the real missing piece for the Magpies The Crows will look to stretch the Pies relatively young defense and with Walker fit and firing it’s going to be a real test for the Magpies for sure.

The Crows backline on paper may appear to be a weakness as shown by being the 11^th ranked defense in 2014. They do possess one of the best young defenders in the AFL though in Daniel Talia who is likely to face off with Travis Cloke on Saturday. Other youngsters Luke Brown and Kyle Hartigan make up the key defenders for Adelaide and will have to be on their game against a dangerous Magpies forward line. Where the Crows will try and exploit Collingwood is with their ball movement and run out of the defensive zone, and teams in the past have dominated the Magpies in that area. This may well be the one part of the ground though that the Pies will look to get on top and pressure the Crows into mistakes.

The Adelaide Crows are still a work in process but if round 1 was anything to go by that work is coming along quite well. Of course they have to travel this week but surely they would see it as a real opportunity to test their new found confidence. The Crows won’t make many changes to the 22 that played against the Kangaroos because as they say “it it ain’t broke don’t fix it”. Adelaide will start this game as favourite but know that beating Collingwood in Melbourne won’t be easy, and they will have to play near their best to start the season with a 2-0 record.

TEAMS

Collingwood
B: Alan Toovey, Nathan Brown, Ben Sinclair
HB: Tom Langdon, Jack Frost, Jackson Ramsay
C: Travis Varcoe, Dane Swan, Jack Crisp
HF: Jamie Elliott, Jesse White, Tim Broomhead
F: Alex Fasolo, Travis Cloke, Jarryd Blair
Foll: Brodie Grundy, Taylor Adams, Scott Pendlebury
Int: Tyson Goldsack, Marley Williams, Paul Seedsman, Adam Oxley
Emg: Sam Dwyer, Patrick Karnezis, Corey Gault

IN: Tim Broomhead, Paul Seedsman
OUT: Steele Sidebottom (thumb), Jordan De Goey (omitted)

TIP

Adelaide will enter this game as clear favourites and most so called experts will tip them to get over the line on Saturday. Collingwood though seem to have developed a game plan that relies more on attack and pressure of the ball carrier then the personnel named on the field. The Crows ability to win the midfield battle will decide this game, if they can get on top for longer periods then the Lions were able to, they will win.

However if Collingwood is able to break even, or even dominate as they did against the Lions for almost 3 quarters, their forward line is good enough to put a score on the board. Being under the roof at Etihad conditions don’t suit or hinder either team but being at home for the first time should be a distinct advantage for the Pies. Ultimately it comes down to who will play at a higher intensity for longer and with a confidence boosting win under their belts, I believe Collingwood can get the win here.

MAGPIES BY 5 POINTS.

AFL Round 3 – Collingwood vs Geelong Match Preview.

 

Collingwood vs Geelong, MCG, Saturday night, this is huge. After 2 rather indifferent rounds to start the 2014 AFL premiership season these two great clubs will meet in a crucial matchup this weekend. If recent clashes are anything to go by this should be one hell of a battle too. The only time they met last year the Pies won a classic by only 6 points, in what was one of the games of the year. In fact the Magpies have won all 3 of the regular season fixtures since the 2011 Grand Final where Geelong won it’s 3^rd flag in just 5 seasons, defeating Collingwood on that day. Of course, apart from that season decider there’s also been 3 recent preliminary final clashes, with the Cats holding a 2-1 advantage in those 3 games. The most famous of those games was the 2007 preliminary final when the underdog Magpies almost shocked the AFL world but just fell short.

Whenever these sides meet you are guaranteed of a high quality game between two proud and strong football teams.                                                                                                                                                                                                     

PREVIOUS FORM

.Geelong has taken care of business as expected in the first two weeks, defeating the Crows at home and then last week overcoming the Lions in humid and wet conditions in Brisbane. Both wins weren’t stunning by any means but at no time did you really feel like they were in any danger either, as they went about disposing of their opposition in a typical Geelong like manner. The usual suspects have led the way for the Cats with Selwood, Johnson, Mackie and Bartel all in the best players in the first two games. What would have impressed coach Chris Scott though is the return to form of Varcoe and Caddy, who both had injury interrupted seasons last year but have performed very well in the first two rounds. The Cats haven’t changed too much since last year, but their youngsters are continuing to improve and their experienced stars are still performing, so they are a top four contender once again.

The Cats won last week in Brisbane

Collingwood copped a heap of negative pressure from fans and the media after their round one collapse against the Dockers, and rightfully so, and were always going to be closely watched to see how they bounced back against the Swans in round 2. The Magpies started poorly though, trailing the Swans by four goals early in the second quarter, which left the biggest club in Australia on the precipice of a disastrous 0-2 start to the season. But up stepped the new captain, Scott Pendlebury, and the old one, Nick Maxwell to lead the Pies out of oblivion and towards another stunning win on their favourite home away from home, the Olympic Stadium in Sydney. Other great contributors on the night included Dayne Beams, Jamie Elliott, Brent Macaffer and young ruckman Brodie Grundy. The most impressive Pies player of the night was Jack Frost though, who in just his fourth game managed to restrict Sydney’s gun recruit, Lance Franklin, to just two goals. It was a win the Magpies badly needed, and one that they can now use as a standard to perform by from now on.

COLLINGWOOD PREVIEW

After a stunning come from behind win like the Magpies just had, you’d think everything would be looking up at the most famous club in Australia, but yet again injuries have reared their ugly head. The most prominent of course was Nathan Brown’s shoulder injury, which at one stage looked like keeping him out for most of this season, but the prognosis isn’t that bad with 4-5 weeks the reported length of his absence. His injury was a blow to an already depleted Pies defense and then came the news that just about the only remaining fit small defender, Ben Sinclair, had suffered a hamstring injury and would miss the next 2-3 weeks as well. It doesn’t leave too many defensive options for coach Nathan Buckley with Lachie Keeffe the obvious replacement for Brown, but not much after that. Alex Fasolo has been trialled down back in the few VFL hitouts he’s had over the past few weeks, but he impressed more as a forward in the round 1 win for the VFL side. Of course there’s Goldsack or Lumumba who can play a defensive role but that robs the Magpies of the option of using them in more attacking positions. It’s a headache indeed.

The positives are that within that side that won in the VFL on Saturday there were several senior players who will be available for selection over the coming weeks. Fasolo impressed, as did Ben Kennedy, Kyle Martin, Peter Yagmoor and Josh Thomas, although the latter probably needs one more run under his belt before returning to the seniors. There are options for the Pies coaching staff, just not of a defensive nature, which is the biggest concern at the moment.

OPPOSITION ANALYSIS.

It seems that over the past few seasons, every time the so called experts do their pre season ladder predictions, Geelong is a side that is tipped to slide due to an aging list. Yet every season the Cats prove them wrong, continuing to not only make the top 8 but going oh so close to making another grand final, as they did last year. This season the Cats have already continued their well trodden plan of blooding young players before most believe they’d be ready, and so far it has worked. It helps when you have some of the absolute stars of the competition around I guess, but the Cats have been able to stabilise and continually improve their list while other clubs have fallen away. Despite going into this game with several key players out injured or suspended Geelong will still field a very strong 22 with very few weaknesses.

Geelong’s backline for years has been a strong defensive unit that could stand up against any set of forwards, and this current line up isn’t much different. Led by multiple All Australian Harry Taylor who is ably assisted by Tom Lonergan and now Jarryd Rivers, the Cats defensive talls have enough talent to cover any key positions forwards. Then you add names like Kelly, Mackie and Varcoe and you get an understanding of just how strong this area of the ground is for Geelong. In the past Taylor and Lonergan have been able to restrict the output of Travis Cloke, although they will have the added task of covering Jesse White this year. It’s just a pity Ben Reid isn’t playing because then we would have seen some very interesting match up choices indeed.

Joel Selwood leads the way in the Cats midfield.

The Cats midfield is as strong as any in the competition, although there was a question over their ruck ability in the past few seasons. Thankfully for them, Hamish McIntosh is finally fit after missing all of last year and he will be their number one ruck for the foreseeable future, with support from youngster Dawson Simpson. Of course the midfielders of the Cats are led by the ever dominant club captain Joel Selwood, who is next to unstoppable really, all you can do is hope to restrict his output on the day. This midfield group isn’t as strong or as deep as it used to be, but with Johnson, Varcoe, Stokes, Guthrie and Caddy included in the group it’s still very strong. It may not possess as many big names as the Pies star studded midfield, so it will be interesting to see how they go on Saturday night at the stoppages.

The Cats forward line has undergone several changes in the past few seasons but Tom Hawkins has always remained as the main focus inside 50. This season Mitch Brown, after several years toiling in the VFL, seems to have been given the chance to snatch the second tall spot and has impressed so far in 2014. Of course with the likes of Johnson, Bartel, Stokes, Duncan and Murdoch all rotating through the forward zone too it makes for a very strong and effective forward set up. The Cats managed 18 goals in their first game and even got close to breaking the 100 point barrier in the rain against the Lions, so there’s little doubt about their ability to put the score on the board. That goes double when you look at who won’t be playing in the Pies defense, with Reid, Brown, Williams, Sinclair and Seedsman all unavailable this weekend. It’s the are of the ground the Cats should dominate, if they can get it in their often enough of course.

While their recent record against the Magpies isn’t that good, the Cats will go into this game very confident of a win after two impressive performances to start the season. This is their first real test of the year though, so it’s still a little bit unknown as to how well they are going, and the absence of Hunt and Enright might really make this a close game. To win the Cats will have to at least break even in the midfield, as they should have the more efficient forward line on the night. Odds are it will be another tight battle between two tight teams so the 6 day break after playing the Lions may come into it late on.

TEAMS.

Collingwood
B: Heritier Lumumba, Jack Frost, Nick Maxwell
HB: Alan Toovey, Lachlan Keeffe, Tom Langdon
C: Alex Fasolo, Dane Swan, Clinton Young
HF: Scott Pendlebury, Jesse White, Brent Macaffer
F: Jamie Elliott, Travis Cloke, Sam Dwyer
Foll: Brodie Grundy, Luke Ball, Dayne Beams
Int: Tyson Goldsack, Jarryd Blair, Taylor Adams, Steele Sidebottom
Emg: Ben Kennedy, Marty Clarke, Jarrod Witts

IN: Alex Fasolo, Lachlan Keeffe
OUT: Nathan Brown (shoulder), Ben Sinclair (hamstring)

Cats side:
B: Rivers, Taylor, Guthrie
HB: Mackie, Lonergan, Enright
C: Kelly, Caddy, Duncan
HF: Stokes, Brown, McCarthy
F: Varcoe, Hawkins, Johnson
R: McIntosh, Bartel, Selwood
IC: Burbury, Blicavs, Horlin-Smith, Murdoch
EMG: Bews, Sheringham, Simpson

TIP.

Although Collingwood have won all 3 regular season matchups since that 2011 Grand Final loss, the Cats are by no means an easy team to beat. It may be a case of the Pies matching up well against Geelong, or even just meeting them at the right team of the season. This may be one of those cases too, as the Cats are 2-0, and won’t be absolutely desperate to notch another win this weekend. The Pies however will see it as an opportunity to get their season fully back on track after that terrible start.

The selections for both teams are fairly predictable, with very little that either side can bring in that would massively effect the result. The loss of Brown and Sinclair for the Pies is somewhat cancelled out by the loss of Enright and Hunt for the Cats and that should ensure a very close game. The 6 day break may be the determining factor here, especially given it was also hot and humid in Brisbane last Sunday. So because of that, I’m tipping Collingwood to go to a 2-1 record with a come from behind win over the Cats in front of a big crowd.

PIES BY 9 POINTS.

 

AFL Round 2 – Sydney vs Collingwood Match Preview.

 “Woeful”, “soft”, “bruise free footy”, these are just some of the words that were used to describe the performance of the Collingwood and Sydney football clubs in round 1 of the 2014 AFL premiership season. Coming into the season the Magpies and Swans were supposed to be top four contenders, they were supposed to be ready to perform at a level that would see them push to the upper rungs of the ladder, but after just one round they face off in a game that could well be season defining. The loser of this game goes to an 0-2 record to start the season, and history shows that very few sides have ever managed to finish top 4 after such a poor start.

The way the two sides played last week was just so unlike what we have come to expect over the past few seasons. The Swans basically laid down and let their cross town rivals, GWS, run all over them in the final quarter while Collingwood were insipid in their intensity and ball use for the final 3 quarters against Fremantle. The Magpies sit on the bottom of the ladder for the first time since 2005 and Sydney aren’t too far above them.

Yet there is hope, the winner of this game will get to a record of 1 win and 1 loss which will probably see them positioned back in the top eight after 2 rounds. Of course there’s the flip side, the loser, especially if it’s Collingwood with a very poor percentage, will find themselves well off the pace far too early in the season. It’s a crucial game for both clubs and like recent contests between the two, it will be fierce and willing.

PREVIOUS FORM

It was a tough first up game for Lance Franklin and for Sydney.

There’s not much form to go on after just one game but of course what there is doesn’t read well for either team. The Swans looked like they would get a win over the Giants for most of the game, until the final quarter when the upstarts from the Western suburbs hit the front and ran away with the game. The Swans may well want to write the game off as a weird one, especially after a 25 minute weather delay due to lightning at quarter time, but the simple facts are that they were run over too easily by a team that most considered to be a wooden spoon contender. There were almost no positives for Sydney out of the game, they were beaten in almost all statistical categories and not one player managed a high of 25 possessions. The performance of gun recruit Lance Franklin topped the pile of woe off nicely, with only 7 possessions and 2 scoring shots, although some of the blame for that has to go to his team mates delivery. It was just so un-Swans like, and you’d expect better from them this weekend.

Collingwood’s performance against Fremantle in the season opener was so bad that some have written off the Magpies after just one game. The Pies started well, actually leading at quarter time, but from then on the Dockers dominated the game as they ran away with a 70 point win. As much as Fremantle were brutal and efficient, the Magpies were the opposite, lacking intensity at times and their ball use was just embarrassing. Unlike the Swans at least the Magpies won some statistical categories though, with a slight edge in contested possessions, tackles and clearances, not that it translated to any advantage on the scoreboard. There weren’t many positives from the game for Collingwood but one was Tom Langdon who on debut had 24 possessions and looked very poised and in control as part of an under siege backline. The Pies will look forward to the return of several best 22 players this week but not all missing stars will be returning just yet.

COLLINGWOOD PREVIEW

The Magpies faithful would have gone into the season with so much hope and belief, yet when the selected side was announced against the Dockers it was obvious that it was going to be a task to compete due to having 6-7 of their best players out. The absence of the likes of Reid, White, Fasolo, Dwyer, Blair and Thomas meant that it wasn’t a shock that Collingwood lost to the Dockers, but the margin of that loss was the surprise. The Pies will be hoping to include several of those names in this weeks team versus the Swans, with Jesse White already confirmed as being a certain starter against his old side., Several listed players had a run in a VFL practice match last Saturday and all got through without any injury concerns. Fasolo, Keeffe, Blair and Thomas impressed the most along with Kennedy and Goldsack (who both played against the Dockers).

Whatever the final selection is for the Pies it’s more the way the side approaches the game, and then executes that will determine if it can notch it’s first win of the 2014 campaign. Against Fremantle Collingwood’s ball use wasn’t just bad, it was horrid, and the hope is that with the inclusion of some best 22 players that it will improve, but those players will have to be committed to the battle.

Jesse White and Alex Fasolo are almost certain to be inclusions this weekend.

Against Sydney the Pies have a really good recent record, especially at ANZ Stadium, in fact you can say that the only time Sydney defeats Collingwood at the Olympic Stadium is in a season that they win the flag. To win this week the Magpies coaching staff will have to design a forward structure that is a lot more effective than the one that went out against Fremantle, because having the likes of Goldsack, Witts and Macaffer as your main support for Travis Cloke simply wont cut it. The inclusion of White will help, but then there’s the question of who else supports the forwards. Alex Fasolo has been played off back in the pre season games he has played, and in training, so he may not play forward again, which leaves Cloke once again with very little significant support. This may well be where the game is won or lost, because with wet conditions forecast whether or not you convert chances in front of goal will decide if you win or lose. Sydney’s defense is good enough to go close to replicating what the Fremantle defense did to a similar forward line, so there would want to be a different plan in place this week or Collingwood may lose again.

It is a huge game for the Magpies though, and you’d expect them to fight hard for four quarters, regardless of what other factors are in play on the night.

OPPOSITION ANALYSIS.

The Sydney Swans, where do you start? Coming into season 2014 some tipped them to win the flag, most tipped them to make the top four and be a serious contender, while a select few thought that Lance Franklin would be a bad influence on a tight knit group and they’d go backwards. So far the latter opinion is correct, but it’s so hard to read anything into one rather weird game of football. One thing is certain, on paper the Swans outfit still looks very strong, and although they will go into this game without Adam Goodes and Kurt Tippett, they still have talent on every line.

In past season’s, while not having the most recognisable names, the Swans defense has been as effective and as stringent as any backline group in the AFL. Yet in round 1 it failed dismally when put under pressure, and the loss of LRT (Lewis Roberts-Thomson) during the game meant that the Swans defense leaked goals late like it hadn’t in the past. LRT is unlikely play against the Pies this week either it seems leaving that defense looking weaker once again. The good news for the Swans is of course that the Pies forward line won’t be at full strength either, so the likes of Richards, Grundy, Smith and Malceski should still be able to manage to defend better than they did against the Giants. It probably is one area of the ground that the Magpies could exploit the Swans, but without Ben Reid to do so this area may not be where the game is decided.

Dan Hanneberry is as tough a midfielder as there is in the AFL at the moment.

The Swans midfield is as tough and hard as they come in the AFL, and that’s not a shock when you have names like Kennedy, McVeigh, Jack (a chance to return from injury), Hannebery and Mitchell, but in a similar vein to the Collingwood midfield it does lack real pace and line breakers to break open the game. With wet conditions forecast this may suit both midfield’s’ but surprisingly the Swans don’t have a great record in the wet, as shown against GWS in round 1. Sydney will be hoping Jack can get up for his first game of the year, because the Pies also have a ton of hard, tough talent in the midfield, but also lack real class on the outside of the packs. The Magpies had a better round 1 in the middle than the Swans but their ball use compared to Sydney’s was woeful, so that will be an interesting aspect to keep an eye on early in this game. The final piece of the midfield is the rucks, and usually Sydney would dominate this area against a young and inexperienced Brodie Grundy, but with Shane Mumford leaving it might be more even that it was last season.

The Swans forward line should be their biggest strength, but with the absence of Kurt Tippett and Adam Goodes it’s not as strong as it could be. The biggest paid recruit in AFL history, Lance Franklin along with Sam Reid (yes, Ben’s brother) are therefore left as the key position players to carry the burden. If the Swans had Goodes and Tippett they would stretch a Pies defense that struggled against Fremantle and is also missing several key players in Ben Reid and Marley Williams. Franklin has a great record against the Pies, but that was in a team that just about always dominated the matchups, so it will be interesting to see if he can translate that dominance to his new club. The Swans do have a few small forwards who are dangerous though, with Jetta, McGlynn and Rohan all capable of kicking multiple goals, and this is one area that the Pies backline has struggled in in recent years, restricting small/medium forwards. It’s the area of the ground of greatest concern for Collingwood, and Sydney will look to exploit it for sure.

The Swans, even without a few injured stars, still posses a list of players that is well and truly capable of performing like a top four team. After what happened against GWS in round 1, they are in a similar position to Collingwood though, and that is not really knowing just how well they are going to go in season 2014. The return of Kieran Jack should help, but one player isn’t going to improve them as much as they need to from that Giants game. It will be the attitude of the Swans, and the Magpies that ultimately determines this game you would assume, well that and ball use because both teams were pretty poor in that area in round 1.

Statistical Comparison (Round 1 – 2014)

Category	Collingwood	Sydney
Clearances	38	37
Interchanges	117	94
Tackles	83	76
Contested possessions	145	158
Scoring accuracy	24.00%	41.00%
Hit outs	25	37
Total stoppages	48	64

TEAMS.

Collingwood
B: Alan Toovey, Jack Frost, Nick Maxwell
HB: Heritier Lumumba, Nathan Brown, Ben Sinclair
C: Steele Sidebottom, Dane Swan, Clinton Young
HF: Taylor Adams, Travis Cloke, Brent Macaffer
F: Jarrod Witts, Jesse White, Jarryd Blair
Foll: Brodie Grundy, Scott Pendlebury, Dayne Beams
Int: Tyson Goldsack, Luke Ball, Jamie Elliott, Tom Langdon
Emg: Sam Dwyer, Ben Kennedy, Lachlan Keeffe

IN: Jarryd Blair, Jesse White
OUT: Marty Clarke, Ben Kennedy

TIP.

When deciding on a result for any game between these two, form is almost irrelevant, and especially in this case when there’s not much exposed form to go off. The Swans and Pies were both ordinary in round 1, so you’d expect both to come out fired up and breathing fire early on. The forecast is for showers every day leading into the game in Sydney, so that alone should ensure the scores stay close. The probable inclusions of Jack for Sydney and White, Fasolo and Keeffe for the Pies makes this an even harder game to tip, as it seems that as far as injuries go the clubs are pretty level in severity at the moment.

The history of clashes at this stadium between these two heavily favours the Magpies and along with a few key inclusions I believe Collingwood will surely perform better than they did against Fremantle. Added motivation should also come from having the club captain, Nick Maxwell, play his 200^th AFL game and that factor alone should be enough to see the Pies get home in a close one.

PIES BY 11 POINTS.

Congratulations Nick Maxwell, 200 games.

This game against Sydney marks the 200^th time that Collingwood’s All Australian, Premiership winning, Premiership captain Nick Maxwell will run out for the Magpies. He’s clearly one of the greatest leaders in this club’s history and should be congratulated on reaching such a milestone.

VFL

The 2014 VFL season gets under way this weekend and Collingwood’s VFL team has a home game to start versus North Ballarat. The game starts at 1pm at Victoria Park and is sure to feature some of the future stars of the Magpies list, as well as a few senior and rookie listed players pushing for promotion. This season the VFL Pies list has been strengthened with the inclusions of some strong state level players like Matt Suckling and the return of Tom Couch. Collingwood’s VFL team has been tipped to finish top four and contest for the VFL premiership, so they will be well worth checking out in 2014.

AFL ROUND 2 – Collingwood vs Carlton Match Preview.

IT DOESN’T GET ANY BIGGER THAN THIS, as the most intense rivalry in Australian domestic sport adds another chapter to it’s history when Carlton and Collingwood face off in their round 2 clash at the MCG on Sunday. The rivalry between these two great clubs is the stuff of legend, dating all the way back to the early years of the then VFL competition, but to find the source of the hatred you have to look no further than the 1910 VFL Grand Final, the first time these two met in a season decider. The game was a tight fought contest, but just after three quarter time a massive brawl broke out involving up to 30 players and support staff, and while the umpire eventually calmed the situation, and the game continued, what happened in the aftermath (the Pies won the flag by 14 points) was to become the beginning of the greatest and most fervent rivalry in Australian sport.

After the game, the VFL tribunal suspended two players from each team for the entirety of the 1911 season, only for Collingwood to protest that a “lesser” player, Richard Daykin, had been one of the instigators and not their star player Tom Baxter. The VFL believed Collingwood and Daykin was given the punishment that was originally handed out to Baxter. This infuriated the Blues, as they protested that the player who had started the brawl had black hair (as Baxter did) while Daykin had red hair, and they were incensed further when Daykin promptly retired after the 1910 season while Baxter went on and played the following season.

Players fly for the ball during the infamous 1970 Grand Final.

There have been many other Collingwood vs Carlton battles that have become part of football folklore over the years, like the home and away fixture in 1938 where Collingwood star Harry Collier was suspended for the rest of the season for punching a Carlton player after a game at Victoria Park, which was then followed by Carlton winning the Grand Final over the Pies. Probably the most famous matchup in the history of the two clubs was a little more recent when in the 1970 VFL Grand Final Collingwood led Carlton by 44 points at half time, only for the Ron Barassi coached Blues’ to produce the most stunning turnaround in Grand Final history and steal a 10 point win that damaged the fabric of the Collingwood Football Club for many years to come.

 This season however, the rivalry has for the first time in a while had some added spice introduced to it, with ex Collingwood premiership coach Mick Malthouse coming out of semi retirement to become Carlton’s head coach in 2013. Malthouse’s departure from Collingwood was an acrimonious affair, as during the 2009 season a succession plan was put in place by the Pies to have club champion Nathan Buckley take over as senior coach at the end of 2011, and Malthouse would then become the Director of Coaching at the club. Despite winning the 2010 premiership, and then coming close in the 2011 Grand Final but losing after a disastrous last quarter performance, Malthouse then decided he didn’t want to be at the club any more and turned down the role and instead took what most thought would be an extended break from coaching.

Malthouse’s return will be the major talking point of the week but when all is said and done come Sunday there is a game to play, and the players are the ones who will ultimately decide the outcome.

PREVIOUS ROUND  FORM.

 Carlton began their 2013 home and away season with their traditional Thursday night natch up against Richmond at the MCG, and over 81,000 people turned up for what was to be an epic encounter. The Blues struggled early as the young, fast and hungrier Tigers leapt out to a 42 point lead in the third quarter, only for Carlton to close the margin to under a goal leading into the last few minutes. Carlton’s enigmatic running star Chris Yarran had two guilt edge chances late on to give the Blues the lead, and probably the win but he missed both as Richmond held on for a vital 5 point victory. The usual suspects starred for Carlton with Judd, Gibbs, Kreuzer and Betts among their best.

Three days later Collingwood turned up at Etihad Stadium to face a fellow finalist from last year, North Melbourne, and as Nathan Buckley said he must have “kicked a black cat” or “walked under a ladder” because just about everything continued to go wrong for his team in the lead up to the game. Dayne Beams sustained a quad injury at training the day before and Heath Shaw came down with a case of food poisoning only moments before the team ran out, which meant Jack Frost and Josh Thomas were both bought in for their senior debuts. The bad luck continued during the game for the Pies with another running defender Ben Johnson being subbed off at half time for a severe corked leg, while Ben Reid was knocked out and received some severe cuts to his mouth in a controversial incident involving Lindsay Thomas in the third quarter. Yet despite all those setbacks, Collingwood built a six goal lead approaching the mid point of the last quarter, and held on grimly for a gutsy, hard fought 16 point win that was a massive confidence booster for the whole club.

COLLINGWOOD PREVIEW

The Magpies would have been ecstatic with their backs against the wall type win in round one as they came away with a victory over North Melbourne without many of their best 22 players, and it seems as if they won’t get too many back this week either. The only players in contention to return for Collingwood seem to be Dale Thomas, Dayne Beams and Heath Shaw, with Shaw the only one guaranteed to play on Sunday. In the absence of those missing players though, plenty of young and new Pies stood up and pressed their claims for a regular spot in the team. Josh Thomas made his debut after 3 terrible seasons of injury, and showed why he was retained as he won 7 clearances in the first half which was a game high at the time. Jack Frost was given the responsibility of restricting one of North’s three tall forwards and he was every bit as effective as his experienced fellow defenders in a remarkable debut performance. Sam Dwyer, also a rookie promotion, and also playing his first senior game of AFL football came on as the sub in the second half and gave the Pies a much needed running boost as his team mates tired around him.

What these players add, as well as the experienced recruits Quinten Lynch and Jordan Russell is depth that Collingwood hasn’t seen since 2010, when ultimately they came away with the prize at the end of the season. During the win against North Melbourne what was also evident was that the pressure on the opposition ball carrier was back to that manic level that was league leading, and league destroying 3 years ago. Players like Sinclair, Elliott, Dwyer, Blair, Maxwell, Toovey, Pendlebury, Goldsack and Clarke placed such immense pressure on the North Melbourn midfield that they couldn’t get clean possessions away, and against an equally attacking side like Carlton the Magpies pressure will have to be at it’s highest intensity once again.

Collingwood’s midfield is usually it’s greatest strength, and while it’s ability to win the contested ball was tested last week, the return of Beams and Thomas should add to an already impressive list of names. One player that Carlton have never had to deal with in black and white stripes is Quinten Lynch though, and the ex Eagle showed last week that he and Travis Cloke are going to be a fearsome pairing up forward, especially against any side that does not have two high quality genuine defenders, like Carlton and North Melbourne. The Pies will be confident of knocking off the old foe after losing twice to them last year, but the final selection may provide the best guide as to how confident the players, coaches and fans are on Sunday of a Magpie win.

OPPOSITION ANALYSIS.

Carlton entered 2013 with promise and hope of improvement on their poor final ladder position of 10^th last season, and most of that hope had to do with one man coming to the club, new head coach Mick Malthouse. And despite a first up loss most of that hope and promise would still exist in the hearts and minds of their fans, especially leading into a game against the old enemy, a team they defeated twice last season in such convincing fashion. Carlton’s first round loss set it back a bit but their performance in the second half showed that when they get their game going they can be a hard team to contain, and there’s little doubt that this week Malthouse himself would have changed the game plan just a little bit to allow for the Blues to play to their strengths, rather than the weaknesses that plagued them early on against the Tigers.

Chris Judd is still one of the best midfielders in the AFL.

Carlton’s midfield is it’s strength, there is no hiding that at all, and when you have names like Judd, Gibbs, Murphy, Simpson, Carrazzo, Robinson and Simpson rotating through your midfield set up you really can’t do anything else but build your team around this talent, rather than take the focus off it. Yet last week they were beaten clearly in the clearances and contested possession statistical categories, especially early on as a younger, hungrier and more aggressive Tigers midfield tore them to bits in the second and third quarters. A midfield area that Carlton would have been quite happy with in round 1, and an area they will look to dominate against the Pies is their ruck department, with Warnock likely to come in this week and assist Kreuzer up against Darren Jolly and his part time assistant Quinten Lynch. Carlton last year against the Pies dominated in the midfield and with the Pies still likely to be without at least one top class midfielder (Luke Ball) Carlton will look to dominate this area again, or else they will struggle as other areas of the ground reveal.

The Carlton forward line has been the bane of Carlton for a while, with Eddie Betts by far their most reliable forward, and that in itself is a problem as small forwards do struggle to score in finals football usually (Betts will be missing this week with a broken jaw). The other problem the Blues have had up forward is getting their best tall forward, Jarrad Waite, on the ground on a regular basis, as shown once again to start this season with Waite likely to miss at least the first three games. That’s not to say that Carlton have trouble scoring, it’s almost the opposite, as when they are on their midfielders and small forwards move the ball so fast that the forward line is usually fairly open and this allows for their midfielders to add goals to the score board also. This weekend though Carlton will have a rather temporary feel to their forward line with no Waite or Betts, they will rely on Walker, Kreuzer, Garlett and their rotating midfielders to kick the majority of their score, and against a Collingwood midfield that was back to it’s restrictive best last week (especially in the first 3 ½ quarters) it’s hard to see Carlton kicking a winning score against the Pies.

Carlton’s backline is under rated I believe, yes it’s not full of All Australian or absolute elite class defenders but it seems to get the job done more often than not, as shown last week when they held the ever dangerous Jack Riewoldt goal less. And while Carlton’s points against average was very high last season, I believe that has more to do with their overly attacking game plan than it does their talent. Obviously Mick Malthouse is a defensive first coach too, so there’s almost no doubt the 2013 Blues backline will be better than last season. They have three fairly capable tall defenders in Jamison, Duigan and Henderson and if Laidler comes in for Bootsma this week as expected, they will have the height to cover the Magpie talls of Cloke, Lynch, MaCaffer and Goldsack, especially if the respective round one matchups are anything to go by. The problem Carlton might have had is if the Pies had their full compliment of first choice small forwards available, but with no Didak, Fasolo or Krakouer this weekend, Carlton will face a less offensive small forward brigade, and that will no doubt make it easier for their small/medium defenders to restrict the Pies smalls from having an impact on the scoreboard. An area where Carlton destroyed Collingwood last year was with their run off half back, and to a large extent that was down to one man, Chris Yarran, and apart from his two possible game winning misses in round one Yarran showed he will be just as dangerous this season, especially against the Pies.

Carlton have the talent and game style to defeat Collingwood, we saw that twice last year, but the loss of Betts and Hampson, and the absence of Waite will hurt the Blues more than the Collingwood absences will hurt the Pies you’d suspect. The Blues though, with their new head coach will still be confident of making a run at Collingwood here, and if their midfield can improve on it’s efforts of last week against the Tigers they may be able to gain control of the game and test the Magpies game winning ability with still several of their own stars missing.

TEAMS;

Collingwood
B: Nathan Brown, Nick Maxwell, Ben Reid
HB: Alan Toovey, Heath Shaw, Harry O’Brien
C: Steele Sidebottom, Dane Swan, Paul Seedsman
HF: Jamie Elliott, Travis Cloke, Quinten Lynch
F: Ben Sinclair, Tyson Goldsack, Sam Dwyer
Foll: Darren Jolly, Scott Pendlebury, Jarryd Blair
Int: Marty Clarke, Ben Johnson, Brent Macaffer, Jordan Russell
Emg: Josh Thomas, Jack Frost, Ben Kennedy

IN: Paul Seedsman, Heath Shaw
OUT: Jack Frost (omitted), Josh Thomas (omitted)

Milestone: Scott Pendlebury (150 senior games)

Carlton
B: Chris Yarran, Michael Jamison, Lachie Henderson
HB: Zac Tuohy, Dennis Armfield, Bryce Gibbs
C: Kade Simpson, Andrew Carrazzo, Mitch Robinson
HF: Chris Judd, Andrew Walker, Jeff Garlett
F: Tom Bell, Levi Casboult, Sam Rowe
Foll: Matthew Kreuzer, Marc Murphy, Brock McLean
Int (from): Josh Bootsma, Jeremy Laidler,  Kane Lucas, Marcus Davies
Emg: Dylan Buckley, Nick Duigan, Simon White

IN: Sam Rowe, Jeremy Laidler, Marcus Davies, Tom Bell
OUT: Eddie Betts (jaw), Shaun Hampson (appendix), Nick Duigan (omitted), Aaron Joseph (omitted)

New: Sam Rowe (25, Norwood)

 

TIP.

This is s a true rivalry game, and no matter what the players say during the week, or the coaches try and sell us about this just being another game, everyone involved knows how big this matchup is each year, and the Malthouse factor takes it up another level altogether. The start will be intense, and it will be interesting to see how the younger Magpies who performed so well last week will perform on the big stage that is the MCG in front of a probable crowd of near 90,000. Carlton will have their own youngsters and inexperienced players out there though, and the absence of three of their stars has to make it more difficult for a side still trying to figure out their new coach to win at the highest level against a top class opponent.

Ben Reid should play this week despite suffering sever cuts to his mouth last week.

Carlton should have won last week, and with what happened Collingwood probably should have lost with so few players on the bench in the final quarter, but in the end the results were the ones that were earned and deserved, and that’s usually what happens in modern day AFL football, that the side that works harder, for longer will endure in the end. A lot will depend on who actually plays for Collingwood though, with Thomas (Dale not Josh), Beams, Shaw, Reid, Young and Johnson all not certain to take their place due to injury, and everyone one of those names would make Collingwood just a little bit better with each individual inclusion.

Collingwood will approach this game though as if they should win it, and they should, they are the better team, even on paper at this stage, and if they do get a few stars back they will firm even more in betting for Sunday’s game. The weather is forecast to be fine and warm, which on face value may favour Carlton but the Magpies have a great record at the MCG, and on a perfect day for football they should be able to overcome a Blues side that is yet to fully realise just how good it might be, and how to play it’s best football under it’s new coach. The final margin will be close however as I can’t see either team running away with a big victory.

PIES BY 11 POINTS.

MILESTONE

Congratulations to Scott Pendlebury who this weekend will play his 150^th AFL game.