Game Day Round 1 vs. Sydney, MCG, 7:40pm Fri 15/03

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Maggie5 said:
Good for you.
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I'm not asking for sympathy or pats on the back. I merely responded to your post about what you needed to do to get to the ground on time.

All of us have different lifestyles, live in different parts of the state. The club has said what time it's happening & we will do whatever we have to, to get there if we want to see the unfurling.

I just asked if this commentary deserved it's own thread. That's all.
 

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Pretty confident about this game, as long as we can kick a bit straighter

Sydney are our bunnies, especially at home, and I don't see this going any different

Would love to see AJ (Apathetic Journeyman) out, but I feel like they'll give him an extra week

If rumours are correct, can't wait to see Howe back, he's another level headed and confidence boosting presence out there
 
sideswipe said:
Might post some more about the flag unfurling, just to keep you interested. Did you know that it was traditionally done by the President's wife? Big Al changed that in 1990 when he arranged for Jock McHale Jr to do it. Another tradition lost to the game.
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That trivia is awesome. But it’s not whingeing, so no whinges from me.
 
foreigner said:
Really? Tell that to Jamie Elliott
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My response was to your post alluding to AJ being the difference between winning and losing. And you want him dropped because you feel he’ll cost us the game against the Swans.
That’s just wrong.
And just as wrong as playing Elliot in a scenario where he’s had a prolonged run of poor form. In the hope he could win us a game off his own boot, because he’s done so in the past.
 
TW Sherrin said:
6.16pm is a joke on supporters.


another example of the club forgetting and/or ignoring its core.
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I think this was brought about by all the noise around living in the past, premiership hangover and celebrating too much. Added to the fact that we lost last week giving more credence to these narratives the club seems to have decided to make the flag unfurling ceremony as low key as possible.
 
No SPIN said:
My response was to your post alluding to AJ being the difference between winning and losing. And you want him dropped because you feel he’ll cost us the game against the Swans.
That’s just wrong.
And just as wrong as playing Elliot in the event of a prolonged a run of poor form, in the hope he could win us a game off his own boot, because he’s done so in the past.
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Read my post again, I didn't say AJ was the difference between winning and losing - what I said was we have to prioritise selecting players that we believe would lead to a team win - not prioritize giving someone an extended run just for the sake of it.
 
foreigner said:
Read my post again, I didn't say AJ was the difference between winning and losing - what I said was we have to prioritise selecting players that we believe would lead to a team win - not prioritize giving someone an extended run just for the sake of it.
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It not an extended run for the sake of it.
Its purpose is to give AJ continuity so that he can gain a decent opportunity to prove himself.
Dropping players after one game is just nonsensical- it’s a lose lose for player and club.
 

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Apex36 said:
Does the lack of impact against Richmond not count for some reason? Does him displaying the same old lack of intensity not count because it’s a new season?
I’d like to see Reef be given the opportunity that AJ has been over the past few years rather than being the occasional sub and then dropped.
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I’d have gone with McInnes instead of Johnson against GWS, but given the coaches opted for Johnson, he deserves the same consideration as anyone in the team. I didn’t think his game against the Tigers lacked intensity, just lacked scoreboard impact.
 
foreigner said:
I think this was brought about by all the noise around living in the past, premiership hangover and celebrating too much. Added to the fact that we lost last week giving more credence to these narratives the club seems to have decided to make the flag unfurling ceremony as low key as possible.
Click to expand...
If true, that's ridiculous. The club needs to grow a set.

Who gives a s**t what people outside of the club think about how we're celebrating.

We're allowed to celebrate and enjoy what we achieved. Once the unfurling ceremony is done, then we look to a new season ahead as we strive to go back to back.

If you can't celebrate your achievements, what's the point of being invested in the sport?
 

FRIDAY NIGHT SPOTLIGHT​

COLLINGWOOD

It’s not panic stations for the reigning premiers after an opening round loss to Greater Western Sydney last weekend.

However, there are some players on notice and areas that need to change.

Let’s not forget that the Magpies were missing two hugely important players from their back line in Jeremy Howe and Nathan Murphy, while they are still learning to live without the injured and structurally important Dan McStay in attack.

There is a ‘watch this space’ on the experienced campaigners Scott Pendlebury and Steele Sidebottom, who worked into the game against the Giants but were off the boil early.

The pair are 36 and 33 respectively and despite being ultra-professional, sometimes the game can catch up with you and very quickly.

I’m not concerned about them just yet, but if they are still struggling in 4-6 weeks then coach Craig McRae will have some hard decisions to make.


SOFT DEFENCE

Let’s just say it — Collingwood’s defenders were soft, and lacked physicality last week.

Talk about easy to play against.

There’s no doubt the loss to the Giants would have been strongly reviewed and many of the poor efforts would have been called out.

GWS took 13 marks inside-50 for the night, many of which could and should have at least been neutralised.

Brayden Maynard allowing Jesse Hogan to have an unimpeded run at the footy was incomprehensible and summed up the issues.

The Magpies lacked hardness and body contact — which is essential as a defender.

Captain Darcy Moore was too indecisive, half-back’s Will Hoskin-Elliott, Oleg Markov and Isaac Quaynor played too assertive in their positioning and the Collingwood midfielders were not quick enough to fold back and fill pockets of space which the Giants ended up using.

It takes team synergy to form a rock solid defence and that was severely lacking.

If the Magpies are to stand a chance against Sydney this week, they’ll need to be a lot better defensively.

FORWARD WOES

Ash Johnson has been gifted a prime opportunity up forward on the back of Dan McStay’s knee injury.

But he didn’t look like he wanted to take it in a two-disposal display last weekend.

The 26-year-old — who is in his fourth season at Collingwood — is a flamboyant and skilful player who knows where the goals are.

But has he got the mental fortitude to play as a key forward at AFL level, knowing that good defenders will always be attached to his hip?

Johnson is never going to be your No. 1 target in attack, but he must lift his workrate and get to more contests if he wants to get a regular senior game.

Similar can be said about Mason Cox.

The Magpies’ forward 50 entries lacked purpose and poise last week, which didn’t help the forwards.

Only one of the side’s 11 goals came from a mark inside-50.

Finding a better balance between going fast or slow in attack will need drastic improvement this week against a strong defensive set-up in Sydney.


SYDNEY ​

The Swans are as much a contender as anyone in this year’s premiership race.

Why?

They have great team balance, they have strong leaders in all three areas of the ground and they showed in opening round that they can get the job done with some stars on the sidelines.

Luke Parker, Callum Mills and Taylor Adams are all missing, but the likes of Isaac Heeney, Errol Gulden, James Rowbottom and Tom Papley stepped up in the middle against Melbourne.

I had thought the Demons would have the upper hand in the onball battle entering the match, but that wasn’t the case.

The Swans are a serious team who should only become better when that trio of stars return.

GAME-CHANGER

Stoppages were a clear weakness for Sydney last year.

The Swans ranked 17th for clearance differential, 14th for points from clearances differential and 14th for contested possession differential.

Any midfield group is only as good as the ruckman at the centre of it and Sydney’s recruitment of Brodie Grundy looks set to be a game-changer.

The former Demon set the barometer around clearances and contested ball last week and took former teammate Max Gawn to the cleaners in the process.

His new teammates at the Swans rode on Grundy’s coat-tails and the side could have dominated the scores from stoppages count if not for some poor accuracy of 4.7 (31).

It was a template game in his new colours for two-time All-Australian Grundy, who played with some real aggression.

He had 15 contested possessions among his 23 disposals for the night, as well as laying six tackles, recording 33 hitouts and gathering nine clearances of his own.

If Grundy keeps up that sort of form, he will be by far the best recruit of the year and the Swans will be sitting pretty come September.



WONDERFUL WEAPONS

Beware, Collingwood.

If you snooze on Tom Papley, you lose.

Given the missing midfielders, Papley spent more time up the field for the Swans last week to great effect and will almost certainly to do the same against the Magpies.

He’s a player with an infectious energy who can get his team going and set up goals if he’s not kicking them himself.

Papley logged 12 inside-50s, nine score involvements and one goal from his 20 disposals against Melbourne.

Strong communication between the Collingwood midfielders and forwards will be essential when Papley spits forward after starting at centre bounce.

If it’s not top-notch, he’ll get off the chain once again.

Sydney also has a serious weapon at the other end of the ground who needs to be curtailed in Nick Blakey.

I love watching Blakey play.

He has got better in his one-on-one battles and he attacks the game and executes going forward.

Opposition teams will be putting a lot of time and effort into him this year.

KEY MATCH-UPS

Darcy Cameron and Mason Cox v Brodie Grundy and Hayden McLean

This ruck battle will have a big bearing on the result of the game. Grundy was dominant last week and McLean is the perfect back-up for him as a player who can also go forward and kick a goal. Cameron and Cox will have their work cut out trying to nullify their impact.

Isaac Heeney v Jordan De Goey and Jack Crisp

Heeney started the season in fine form through the midfield and the Magpies will need to give him some attention. A hot and cold combination of De Goey and Crisp could work. De Goey can challenge Heeney head-to-head by looking to push forward in general play and hitting the scoreboard, while Crisp could be used as a cooler if Heeney’s outstanding form of last week is replicated.

Jamie Elliott v Dane Rampe

Great players don’t play two bad games in a row. Connor Idun had the better of Elliott last week. The Magpies ace is likely to get a very experienced defender in Rampe on Friday night and he needs to step up. Could he be the point of difference for Collingwood and kick a bag of goals?

Tom Papley v John Noble or Isaac Quaynor

Brent Daniels proved last week that small forwards can hurt the Magpies if they are given the leg rope to do so. Daniels kicked four goals for the Giants and Papley is capable of similar impact this week. When he’s forward, Papley must be tightly checked and physically challenged by the Collingwood defenders. He can’t be allowed time and space as he can convert opportunities in a number of ways.
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Timmy from Thomastown said:
I reckon Howe will sit out another week. Regardless I’d be keeping Dean in the 22 if possible, we were lacking a third tall defender last week so maybe even consider Frampton for extra height.

Agree Macrae to replace Noble but perhaps in the 22 with mccrreery sub.

None of this is important though and the selectors will be way to busy negotiating the flag unfurling time to worry about trivial details like our team lineup.
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They said they'd be naming Howe, but it would also depend on how he pulled up today after the main session yesterday. Which hardly makes sense... I mean, I get maybe they probably did match committee yesterday, but you don't have to submit teams until today anyway 🤷

I'd say if he's named tonight he's 100% playing.
 
PonsfordMagpie said:
If true, that's ridiculous. The club needs to grow a set.

Who gives a s**t what people outside of the club think about how we're celebrating.

We're allowed to celebrate and enjoy what we achieved. Once the unfurling ceremony is done, then we look to a new season ahead as we strive to go back to back.

If you can't celebrate your achievements, what's the point of being invested in the sport?
Click to expand...
I agree. It's the world we live in mate, where everyone has their own theory and opinion of anything and everything plus it's quite easy to go public with it. It's what gets 'likes', 'views' and 'ads' for monetary gain.
 
foreigner said:
I think this was brought about by all the noise around living in the past, premiership hangover and celebrating too much. Added to the fact that we lost last week giving more credence to these narratives the club seems to have decided to make the flag unfurling ceremony as low key as possible.
Click to expand...
Except it is not going to be low key. This has been planned for at least the last month or so. 16 cups out on the ground. No asterisks!
 
sideswipe said:
Except it is not going to be low key. This has been planned for at least the last month or so. 16 cups out on the ground. No asterisks!
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But with potentially empty stands wouldn't it?
 
PonsfordMagpie said:
If true, that's ridiculous. The club needs to grow a set.

Who gives a s**t what people outside of the club think about how we're celebrating.

We're allowed to celebrate and enjoy what we achieved. Once the unfurling ceremony is done, then we look to a new season ahead as we strive to go back to back.

If you can't celebrate your achievements, what's the point of being invested in the sport?
Click to expand...
B****y well said.
 
foreigner said:
I think this was brought about by all the noise around living in the past, premiership hangover and celebrating too much. Added to the fact that we lost last week giving more credence to these narratives the club seems to have decided to make the flag unfurling ceremony as low key as possible.
Click to expand...


you maybe right and that's an indictment on management.
 
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