Game Day Collingwood v Melbourne Practice Match

Jul 21, 2008
25,888
32,446
Melbourne
AFL Club
Collingwood
Oliver didn't play. Harmes is no.4.

Melksham, May and others mentioned are not ''spuds''.
Can't see why any of you (Collingwood or Melbourne) can be bothered arguing about respective missing players and consequent team strength. Melbourne were the better team on the day with more purposeful forward entry and some strong tall forwards. It was a good hit out and fun to watch and I hardly cared that we lost considering there was nothing at stake. I really enjoyed seeing a real game of footy again! Beautiful day and a relaxed crowd, and though there was a bit of loud banter flying about, it was all very good natured and just treated as a bit of a laugh.
 

Mongo Ming

Intergalactic Despot
Sep 10, 2016
2,489
6,705
AFL Club
Collingwood
Can't see why any of you (Collingwood or Melbourne) can be bothered arguing about respective missing players and consequent team strength. Melbourne were the better team on the day with more purposeful forward entry and some strong tall forwards. It was a good hit out and fun to watch and I hardly cared that we lost considering there was nothing at stake. I really enjoyed seeing a real game of footy again! Beautiful day and a relaxed crowd, and though there was a bit of loud banter flying about, it was all very good natured and just treated as a bit of a laugh.
It’s called passion. Passion I tells ya!!

But yeah thought they deserved the win and no injuries the highlight.

Just warming up the engine for the inevitable bickering come season proper.
 
Preuss beat him pretty soundly in defence when on him. Preuss is feckin huge. Thought Roughy was decent chopping out in the ruck though.
Yeah, he is huge, so big hard to get one over him. Perhaps someone close to his own size will be a better view. But I thought he did what he could given the opposition.
 
There's no need to bicker about who was and wasn't on the park today, or the quality of those who were or weren't there. The season approaches, there were no injuries, we're all winners.

Almost. We're all winners if Pendles, Sidey, Varcoe & Stevo get through AFLX unscathed tonight.
 
There's no need to bicker about who was and wasn't on the park today, or the quality of those who were or weren't there. The season approaches, there were no injuries, we're all winners.

Clubs would not care about the Score/Result of game
 
Almost. We're all winners if Pendles, Sidey, Varcoe & Stevo get through AFLX unscathed tonight.

It's about the only possible thing that could prompt me to watch AFLX, to make sure that those blokes emerge without drama.
 
Got down to the ground and watched pretty much the whole game. Cracking weather and a great crowd turnout. Possibly a bigger crowd than the final training session before the granny.

Things I noticed:

Score was indicative of the way both teams played. Dees looked sharper but also had nearly a complete best 22 lineup. We were missing at least 6 of our best 10. They were better in the air and cleaner in disposal, our pressure was better.

Sier is gonna slay this year. Standout in an undermanned Pies midfield

Mayne was our best on from my vantage point (and I’m usually a harsh judge on his output). Was in everything with his head over the ball and v good disposal. Had a q3 purple patch.

Wills didn’t do too much but has lost so much weight he looks like a different person! Laid one trademark Wills bodyslam tackle.

AT looks back to full fitness and TA looks like a beast.

Gawn toweled up Lynch.

IQ had all his little brothers and his mum looked after by the club in their own private tent sitting w Tarks. He didn’t come on til H2 and did two plays that got the faithful gasping. Can see he’s still biting off a bit more than he can chew but he’s gonna be a steal.

Reid tried hard but isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed. Hopefully insurance and not best 22 this year.

Daics and Cal Brown looked fitter and were decent.

Moore made a few errors but took a couple of nice contested grabs.

Langdon picked up where last season left off. Contested marking beast and our best defender today for mine (though with a couple of iffy Langers pressure disposals).

Checkers extremely quiet.

Maynard looking as fit as I’ve seen him and was good 1v1 today.

And finally.... Beammmmssooo!!!
Soo good to have him back. Has lost absolutely nothing and kicked two lovely clutch goals on the run from 50 as is his forte. He’s gonna be unbelievable for us and worth every trade penny.

Enjoy the weekend dudes/ettes!

Thanks for the report, interesting its almost the opposite of what most people have posted.
 

Mongo Ming

Intergalactic Despot
Sep 10, 2016
2,489
6,705
AFL Club
Collingwood
Thanks for the report, interesting its almost the opposite of what most people have posted.
I find the side of the ground you’re on is a big factor re that. It’s hard to see what’s happening over the other side of the ground there at the Holden centre if yr at ground level sometimes. I was yarra river side

I guess the truth lies somewhere in between:)
 
Just want to thank the Melbourne Football Club for there live stream of the game from our training facility,
I urge our media department to get on the front foot and do the same perhaps in regards to our VFL team?
And i know this falls on dead ears,
But are we not the biggest sporting club in Australia?
 
Coaches would be very happy with the Beams game. He looked terrific. Adams had a fine second half, but his kicking.....!!!
Aish, Greenwood and Langdon played well back. Maynard did a lot of the kick-ins and was pretty good all day.
Lynch did pretty well in the middle I thought, especially early. Good to see his hard work paying off.

Our forwards were pretty hopeless I thought. Elliott kicked 2 early, and Reid two later in the game. Reid was up and about but his kicking was rubbish. For Elliott to play and see out a game was terrific.

Sier is so strong. A few occasions today he just stood in the tackle to handpass. That's all he did though. Saw him get a free and boot it 50 metres, but was otherwise quiet. Daics doesn't get enough of the ball, a smart user though. Did some nice things I thought.

Wills, the Browns, Murphy and Mihocek gave us very little.

Agree with all that,
I hate to say it but i worry where Ben Reid will fit in.
 
Oct 6, 2004
10,332
11,361
Melbourne
AFL Club
Collingwood
Other Teams
collingwood
Definitely a few cobwebs blowed out.

Reid's kicking was horrible, but fair to say he has had a managed pre-season and hasn't played in a long time. We know he is typically a good kick, and his set shot kicking was good.

For me he is ahead of Mihocek from r1. He is just more of a genuine 2nd tall and offers better aeriel support when Cox goes into the ruck.

We are going to be a very tall team with Moore, Roughead, Cox and Grundy all over 200cm and capable of playing ruck. But all are so athletic and play multiple positions, so it works.

Skills were sloppy, but it was the first practice match, so not overly concerned. Glad to get through unscathed.

Melbourne had a lot of players out as well, but thought the intensity of both sides was higher than what I expected from a practice match. It was definitely a better warm-up than we would have got playing an intra.

We have some serious depth at the moment. Going to be really hard finalizing a best 22. Guys like Aish, Greenwood, Thomas, Mayne, Roughead, Reid, Mihocek, Wills and Sier are all right on the fringe and I reckon only half those guys get in.
 
Jul 13, 2007
1,266
1,340
Elwood
AFL Club
Collingwood
Definitely a few cobwebs blowed out.

Reid's kicking was horrible, but fair to say he has had a managed pre-season and hasn't played in a long time. We know he is typically a good kick, and his set shot kicking was good.

For me he is ahead of Mihocek from r1. He is just more of a genuine 2nd tall and offers better aeriel support when Cox goes into the ruck.

We are going to be a very tall team with Moore, Roughead, Cox and Grundy all over 200cm and capable of playing ruck. But all are so athletic and play multiple positions, so it works.

Skills were sloppy, but it was the first practice match, so not overly concerned. Glad to get through unscathed.

Melbourne had a lot of players out as well, but thought the intensity of both sides was higher than what I expected from a practice match. It was definitely a better warm-up than we would have got playing an intra.

We have some serious depth at the moment. Going to be really hard finalizing a best 22. Guys like Aish, Greenwood, Thomas, Mayne, Roughead, Reid, Mihocek, Wills and Sier are all right on the fringe and I reckon only half those guys get in.
There is no way in the world Reid is ahead of Mihocek for the simple reason Mihocek is more mobile than Reid. Compounding that if you play Reid and Roughead in the same side we are too slow and top heavy. Our depth is an illusion just like it was in 2010. We need to find our best 22 which is a combination of skill, speed and experience. You can afford one or two slow players in your ideal side, but if you have too many, you tip over the edge.
 

Hannabal

Club Legend
Feb 21, 2010
1,735
393
High on a hill
AFL Club
Melbourne
Other Teams
Franger Banger
Absolutely, need I remind you DeGoey ran rings around Oliver and the rest of the Melbourne midfield on Queensbday and he only spends patches there
Now's the the time nor place. Create a poll if you like.

Oliver is a better midfielder than any of those three players. And at 21 he's only going to get better.
 
Back