Notes from the game: 2015 Round 11 GWS

Notes from the game: 2015 Round 11 GWS

After a fluctuating, fairly even game, the Pies record a substantial win as the Giants lose one soldier after another.

Team            Q1      Q2      Q3      Q4      Final 
Collingwood     4.3     8.6     10.10   18.11   119
GWS Giants      2.3     5.9     7.11    11.11   77

It's hard to put my finger on it but this game was very low key. There were strange moments. In the first quarter especially, and at some other times, it was like Collingwood had no defence: at such times GWS had two or three unmarked players in their F50 as Collingwood defenders were caught way upfield. When they had momentum, GWS managed to move the ball very quickly from one end of the ground to the other. I think we had to scrap a little harder.

It was not a game I will be drawn to in the future.

Witts did an excellent job on Mumford at centre bounces where Mumford was less able to use his bulk. Around the ground, Mumford often got away with pushing Witts off the ball, something I thought was illegal. Williams was again up and about. Cloke couldn't quite match 7 straight from last week but finished with 5.2 which is still not a bad day at the office. Jesse White showed a bit of what the recruiters must have seen in him. It has taken a while.

Adams had a good game; so did Crisp - who rarely puts a foot wrong. I liked Elliott's game.

14:17 on the clock in the third quarter, there's a little passage of play which augurs a bright future. I noticed it at the game, confirmed it on the replay. Near the boundary at half back, Pendles and Varcoe are 2-on-1 against a Giant. Pendles spoils, Varcoe picks up and runs forward. You can only tell on the replay that there are more opposition players ahead of Varcoe by a tell-tale shadow. At the game it was obvious. At 14:15, Varcoe looks alone. He had already turned towards the boundary, shaping to handpass towards an as-yet invisible Pendlebury. The point is that he knows instinctively that Pendlebury will be in that place at that time (and, I dare say, that Pendlebury, as a left-footer, will be in a better position to release). 14:14 Pendles has received the ball, there are two opponents in the picture, and the captain duly kicks long to Elliott who marks (and receives the benefit of a down-field free).

The play between Varcoe and Pendlebury speaks to how quickly Varcoe has developed an understanding of the Collingwood style of play. Earlier in the season, Varcoe was often a spectator. In the last couple of games (maybe more) he has become a really useful player.

15:58 in the last quarter, Pendlebury has just kicked a goal to put the Pies 5 goals up and, in the stands, we finally breathed a sigh of relief. At this stage, GWS had lost two defenders including their full back. Cloke would end up with four goals in the final quarter.

Brown (7 marks) was consistently good all afternoon and comprehensively eclipsed Cameron. Frosty might have been a bit exposed early in the game. Oxley showed he is just as good a mark in the forward line as he is in defence; he kicked the goal.

Collingwood got to an 8-goal lead before GWS, now down to 18 men having lost Mumford (!) and Coniglio, sprang back to life. After a few goals in each direction, Collingwood finished 7 goals ahead.

Reservations

If you just looked at the scores you'd think we had a good win. But...

GWS did not make the most of its opportunities. Will Hoskin-Elliott was the worst offender managing 4 behinds and one out of bounds from 5 shots. On another day, they might have done better.

Cloke kicked 5.2 - generally admirable, but is this the new face of Cloke? Or will he revert to type in the next game or two? Further, Cloke has been known to perform miracles when marking, but is it possible that those efforts mean he's used up chips, there are fewer chips left for the shot and that's why he's so inaccurate? (I don't know.) If so, there's a cloud over the last 4 of his five goals because they came when GWS had lost their key defenders.

Not only did GWS end with no players on the bench, subsequently we have learnt that they have lost Mumford for the rest of the year with an ankle and three other players for several weeks at least.

The wrap

We keep looking for a sign. Every time we seem to have one, it crumbles before our eyes. We beat Essendon after they'd beaten Hawthorn. Where are they now? Bottom 6. We were on a mini-streak of wins. We then lost to Geelong and Richmond. This game was supposed to be indicative: fourth vs fifth. As long as the Giants retained their troops, they were competitive. We really only won the game in the last quarter.

Next we have bye; then we have several challenges starting with Freo in Perth. Last year we were also 8-3. What does the second half of the season hold?

Sources, Notes, Footnotes, References

http://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/ft_match_statistics?mid=6058