Toast Round 24 = Collingwood 82-76 Melbourne

[BigVic]

2019 we entered the final round 5th with a close win over Essendon to make top 4. West Coast 24 hours later sh*t the bed vs Hawthorn at home in their final game to finish 5th which enabled us a 4th placed finish

Last night played out like this scenario. Miracles do happen

 

[Hardas]

Biggest plus for us by far was Jordy's game.

 

[Exambolor]

Membery is the one who should go. A great back up, but no point of difference.

Disagree. He's probably been our most accurate kick at goal in recent times

 

[Granit1962]

Seeing the emotion from Fly and the players on the bench when the siren sounded gave me a real sense that we can still do some damage in September.

They were ecstatic before they knew we had sealed the double chance! Imagine how they reacted when they heard Port had got over the line!

Finally, some good fortune leaning our way. Feels we have been out of luck since the Gold Coast game.

 

[Granit1962]

Disagree. He's probably been our most accurate kick at goal in recent times

Good point re accuracy, that is his one wood. Just an opinion, however, the 3 M’s are destabilizing our fwd set up and Membery offers less than McStay and Mihocek. What Membery offers every where else apart from good goal kicking accuracy, is not enough in comparison to the other

 

[Drought Break]

I’d be surprised if McStay and Lipinski survive that performance

Both were really really poor. At crucial moments too

Agree but they won’t. Getting to late now to drop underperforming players as we haven’t tried alternatives if we have any. Both should have been dropped a month ago to earn there way back in.

 

[Venkman]

Think we need to go back to the previous model of grinding out wins with forward pressure. Teams have just worked us out flood back and hitting on transition. This is where the extra talls forward just isn't working, need Hill back or play with some more hustle there. The positives is just the ball we get down there but questions on converting and a defense that doesn't look too quick on the counter.... All isn't lost, but need some tactical innovation or it's over. We've lost the same way every time.

 

[MoreMoore]

Surprised more hasn't been said about the performance of the Goat last night.
Was at the game and he seemed to be the rock in defence, clunked some high marks and was easily the best backman.

He was great last night
Just put him at full back and leave him there
I don’t know why we keep looking elsewhere for a cheap FB
We already have one
Billy’s kick to Beau last night was awesome
Good vision and good skills

 

[ThePhantom777]

 

[gappa]

Can someone tell me please, what is “selection integrity”?

 

[foreigner]

Most Saints have conceded was way back in Round 1 against the Crows which was 135, even then it was 65 points the difference. Since losing to us, they have only conceded one 100-plus score (Geelong).

Barring them already being on the off-season beers or literally deciding to lose by as Tarks said an "all-timer" just to spite us, I don't think it's realistically conceivable they lose by enough to give GWS fourth.

Given the proven fact that the AFL is conspiring to make us top 4, this is not going to happen

 

[soreplums]

Mihocek is horribly out of form and McStay is a bog average player who has his moments but they are getting further and further apart.
Not sure there's an answer to the marking forwards problem.

My answer would be to kick low daisy cutters along the ground and tell McStay and Checkers to knock everyone out of the way so Jamie, Lippa and Beau can feast on the ground ball scraps

 

[BigVic]

2 weeks to get everything right before our first final

 

[foreigner]

Roan huge. Beautiful kick to McStay so he could kick the last goal.

That kick showed when we kick towards someone other than May or Gawn, we can mark and score. But we kept on pumping it to them all day except for a few occasions. We have been doing this for most of the last few weeks.

 

[Lockyer24]

Great effort to find the line last night. Great to see De Goey and Long come back to us.

We need to find our edge though.

Forward line - I’m convinced our Elliott as the focal point gameplan is no longer a winner.

Elliott needs to draw a tall defender and suck them up the ground or out of the way. He needs to be a selfless role in finals. If he gets a smaller player, that’s when he can creep closer to goal.

Having a taller defender stand in front of him and zone off has not looked good to me for a while.

We need to go traditional up forward with McStay or Cox. Mihocek is barely holding on for mine.

Hoping Daics and De Goey can go full bore now.

Defense is just not quite as resilient without Howe. Teams are scoring as much as us with less entries. This is a fix I’m not sure we can find through personnel. Another shuffle is required

 

[Hardas]

My answer would be to kick low daisy cutters along the ground and tell McStay and Checkers to knock everyone out of the way so Jamie, Lippa and Beau can feast on the ground ball scraps

Kicking high to Gawn almost put me into an early grave...

 

[magpie_marty]

Come back Bobby we need you!

 

[magpies42]

Can someone tell me please, what is “selection integrity”?

It’s when you select people on merit rather than nonsense

 

[domus]

I thought Lipinski was ok. McStay is well off, I think probably needs to be played out of the goal square…we’ve been throwing him back and in the ruck.

We'd have to play Cox and McStay if you want him anchored in the goalsquare.

 

[cakewalk_1]

You don't believe form can change dramatically when the finals come around? I've seen it many times. I saw it in 2023. Our game got the staggers when we stagnated in that twilight zone for a few weeks. The run and dare had stopped, we lost four of our last six games (I think) then looked like a different team in the qualifying final against Geelong. We were electric and went so close to knocking off the eventual premiers who slaughtered the swans in the GF.

I do believe, look there is always a chance. However being that the game last night and watching other games leading up to R24 (Adelaide game an exception) we have been average. Even our win against Richmond was ordinary.

 

[Cousin of Daicos]

We'd have to play Cox and McStay if you want him anchored in the goalsquare.

I’d be ok with Cox coming in for Mihocek

Checkers has been off for a little bit and now is probably got a wrist injury to deal with

Cox and McStay could really give us a different offensive look. Especially with stoppages inside 50

McStay could take the hit out with Cox and Cameron both patrolling the 50 arc to chip off any get out kicks

 

[BigVic]

Maynard is all class on and off the field

 

[gappa]

It’s when you select people on merit rather than nonsense

So does that mean people think that the coaches are selecting players based on nonsense?

 

[BillyElliott]

And what a tackle from Darcy

 

[LuckyLee]

His last 4 games (combined)

8 marks
15 kicks
12 handballs

Let’s be honest, none of our MMM trio are in great form but McStay has been the worst of them over the past month or two.

McStay’s woeful miss in the goal square last night was the stuff of nightmares. Could have turned and grubbered it through. Should have given the handpass to Checkers running past. Did neither and instead tried to snap it and was smothered. Seems to have lost all confidence, energy & speed. At least Cox is tall……