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- Jul 15, 2014
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It’s the battle of the wounded contenders on Saturday, with both teams vying for a coveted top four spot that will be crucial come September. Collingwood is coming off a magnificent win over in Perth against the highly rated Eagles side, while the Giants are coming off a poor defeat to a much healthier Tigers outfit. If there is one thing these two sides have in common over the past five years, is the injury crisis that seems to haunt both clubs. Neither of these sides ever seem to healthy, preventing everyone from seeing their full potential.
The last time these two sides met was in the semifinal. While not the most inspiring match, the Magpies managed to push through a persistent Giants side. The Magpies enjoy a pretty good record against GWS, despite the Giants being the superior side in the past few years, the Magpies matchup well against the Giants, either winning, or at least being competitive.
Collingwood
Coming into the game on Friday night in Perth, the pessimism amongst Magpie fans was high, with many bracing for a crushing defeat. However, while looking like they were going to be defeated, the Magpies managed to rally in a stunning turnaround in the final quarter, running out winners by a solitary point. The increase in effort is going to please Buckley, with the teams run and taking the game on showing a dramatic improvement. Mihocek and Cox were very good for the Magpies, showing that if those two perform, they are able to bring the scoring power that the Magpies need to win games. A major positive about the win is getting rid of the itch that is the West Coast Eagles. Many had begun to think that the Magpies didn’t have what it took to beat the Eagles, and that they had the mental edge on the Magpies. However, the Magpies put that theory to bed. Despite the win, the injuries continued to pile on, with key backman Darcy Moore injuring his hamstring, Jamie Elliott falling victim to soreness, and Greenwood missing out with a shoulder injury. Captain Pendlebury may also miss with a broken finger.
The area in which the Magpies most improved on the weekend. Was the ability to get the ball inside-50. In the two weeks prior to the game, the Magpies had struggled to get the ball inside-50, partly due to the lack of courage to take the game on, and the poor transition from half back. This was corrected on the weekend, and the results were positive.
The man to watch is Ben Crocker. After the match last week, Crocker received universal criticism for his performance. However, due to injuries, Crocker has been gifted a lifeline. Crocker needs to improve in a number of areas if he’s to have any hope of retaining his spot, this includes his speed, attack on the ball, and his kicking for goal.
GWS
A couple of weeks ago, the Giants looked in good shape for a critical top four spot. However, injuries have once again hit the team, and now the top four spot looks in grave danger of slipping away. If the Giants lose this, and the Lions and Tigers continue their winning form, then the top four spot is pretty much gone. Stephen Coniglio is the latest Giant to fall to injury, with the gun midfielder injuring his knee. Coniglio joins the talented injury list for the Giants, including the likes of Patton, Ward, and Josh Kelly. While they Giants were gallant, they simply couldn’t get the job done against the Tigers, and the poor record at the MCG continues to build. An area in which the Giants have struggled mightily in their past month is their inside-50 conversion. Since round 12, the Giants score on only 38% of the inside-50’s, the lowest in the competition. Their scoring off the marking intercepts has also dropped dramatically. If they are to win, the Giants need to return to that dominant center clearance game, as well as their forwards producing more.
The man to watch this week is Jeremy Cameron. After a blistering start to the season, Cameron has somewhat hit a hurdle, struggling to dominate the forward line like he was able to in the early rounds of this season. Cameron will most likely be matched up against Roughead, who has taken some major scalps against some of the best forwards in the league. If Cameron is able to beat Roughead, it will go a long way in boosting their chances of winning.
Head to Head odds
Collingwood: $1.85
Giants: $1.95
Changes
Giants
IN
Jeremy Finlayson, Jake Stein, Shane Mumford
OUT
Stephen Coniglio (Injured), Adam Kennedy (Omitted), Matt Buntine (Omitted)
Collingwood
IN
Jeremy Howe, Taylor Adams, Travis Varcoe, Flynn Appleby
OUT
Darcy Moore (Injured), Jamie Elliott (Injured), John Noble (Injured), Levi Greenwood (Injured)
TV
Live of Channel Seven, Only in N.S.W
Live on Fox Footy, Commercial Free
Radio
Triple M
3AW
ABC
SEN
IPTV
AFL Live Pass
Foxtel Now
WatchAFL
Kayo Sports
The run home…
So, it’s the pointy end of the season, and it’s necessary to see what a loss or win means for Collingwood. The ladder predictor will assume that all the other favorites win.
If Collingwood wins...
Collingwood remains second, can drop to third if the Lions win by a big margin.
If Collingwood loses...
They go down to fourth.
Tip
Both teams have key injuries, the Giants are in some poor form. Combined with Collingwood’s good record against the Giants, and a reinvigorated team, should lead to Collingwood snatching a crucial win.
Magpies by 3 points.
The last time these two sides met was in the semifinal. While not the most inspiring match, the Magpies managed to push through a persistent Giants side. The Magpies enjoy a pretty good record against GWS, despite the Giants being the superior side in the past few years, the Magpies matchup well against the Giants, either winning, or at least being competitive.
Collingwood
Coming into the game on Friday night in Perth, the pessimism amongst Magpie fans was high, with many bracing for a crushing defeat. However, while looking like they were going to be defeated, the Magpies managed to rally in a stunning turnaround in the final quarter, running out winners by a solitary point. The increase in effort is going to please Buckley, with the teams run and taking the game on showing a dramatic improvement. Mihocek and Cox were very good for the Magpies, showing that if those two perform, they are able to bring the scoring power that the Magpies need to win games. A major positive about the win is getting rid of the itch that is the West Coast Eagles. Many had begun to think that the Magpies didn’t have what it took to beat the Eagles, and that they had the mental edge on the Magpies. However, the Magpies put that theory to bed. Despite the win, the injuries continued to pile on, with key backman Darcy Moore injuring his hamstring, Jamie Elliott falling victim to soreness, and Greenwood missing out with a shoulder injury. Captain Pendlebury may also miss with a broken finger.
The area in which the Magpies most improved on the weekend. Was the ability to get the ball inside-50. In the two weeks prior to the game, the Magpies had struggled to get the ball inside-50, partly due to the lack of courage to take the game on, and the poor transition from half back. This was corrected on the weekend, and the results were positive.
The man to watch is Ben Crocker. After the match last week, Crocker received universal criticism for his performance. However, due to injuries, Crocker has been gifted a lifeline. Crocker needs to improve in a number of areas if he’s to have any hope of retaining his spot, this includes his speed, attack on the ball, and his kicking for goal.
GWS
A couple of weeks ago, the Giants looked in good shape for a critical top four spot. However, injuries have once again hit the team, and now the top four spot looks in grave danger of slipping away. If the Giants lose this, and the Lions and Tigers continue their winning form, then the top four spot is pretty much gone. Stephen Coniglio is the latest Giant to fall to injury, with the gun midfielder injuring his knee. Coniglio joins the talented injury list for the Giants, including the likes of Patton, Ward, and Josh Kelly. While they Giants were gallant, they simply couldn’t get the job done against the Tigers, and the poor record at the MCG continues to build. An area in which the Giants have struggled mightily in their past month is their inside-50 conversion. Since round 12, the Giants score on only 38% of the inside-50’s, the lowest in the competition. Their scoring off the marking intercepts has also dropped dramatically. If they are to win, the Giants need to return to that dominant center clearance game, as well as their forwards producing more.
The man to watch this week is Jeremy Cameron. After a blistering start to the season, Cameron has somewhat hit a hurdle, struggling to dominate the forward line like he was able to in the early rounds of this season. Cameron will most likely be matched up against Roughead, who has taken some major scalps against some of the best forwards in the league. If Cameron is able to beat Roughead, it will go a long way in boosting their chances of winning.
Head to Head odds
Collingwood: $1.85
Giants: $1.95
Changes
Giants
IN
Jeremy Finlayson, Jake Stein, Shane Mumford
OUT
Stephen Coniglio (Injured), Adam Kennedy (Omitted), Matt Buntine (Omitted)
Collingwood
IN
Jeremy Howe, Taylor Adams, Travis Varcoe, Flynn Appleby
OUT
Darcy Moore (Injured), Jamie Elliott (Injured), John Noble (Injured), Levi Greenwood (Injured)
TV
Live of Channel Seven, Only in N.S.W
Live on Fox Footy, Commercial Free
Radio
Triple M
3AW
ABC
SEN
IPTV
AFL Live Pass
Foxtel Now
WatchAFL
Kayo Sports
The run home…
So, it’s the pointy end of the season, and it’s necessary to see what a loss or win means for Collingwood. The ladder predictor will assume that all the other favorites win.
If Collingwood wins...
Collingwood remains second, can drop to third if the Lions win by a big margin.
If Collingwood loses...
They go down to fourth.
Tip
Both teams have key injuries, the Giants are in some poor form. Combined with Collingwood’s good record against the Giants, and a reinvigorated team, should lead to Collingwood snatching a crucial win.
Magpies by 3 points.
