Geelong v Collingwood Quarters 0.3.1 19 Q1 0.3.1 19 Quarters 1.9.39 66 Q2 0.6.3 39 Quarters 1.12.5 86 Q3 0.17.5 107 Quarters 2.16.9 123 Q4 0.21.5 131
Anyone who turned off, disillusioned at half time could be forgiven. The build-up included the assertion that Geelong were flag favourites for 2016, a claim that I found preposterous. Geelong hadn't made the finals in 2015. What was the basis of such a rating? It seems Dangerfield doesn't need a team around him: he can win, not just matches, but the Grand Final all by himself. Why, he's better than either of the Abletts (pére or fils)!
Be that as it may, Collingwood got off to a good start. Four minutes in Varcoe ran down Dangerfield and won himself a free. How different from last year where I bagged Varcoe in the first NAB game for looking lazy. Perhaps the pundits reassessed Dangerfield's invincibility. A few minutes later, Varcoe's chip was marked by Fasolo 20m out for a goal. I'm not sure what the thinking was behind playing Fasolo in defence last year. To these aging eyes, he seems well suited to the forward line. He is an accurate shot for goal though he did spray his third attempt.
Geelong replied with a goal from a contentious holding-the-ball decision. But, at the other end, Fasolo was given a free for an almost identical play. The commentators applauded the consistency while still marvelling at the little time the player was given to dispose.
Early on, according to one source1, "Collingwood's big American Mason Cox has a challenge on his hands with Harry Taylor playing on him tonight." Apparently that calculation omitted to factor in Cox's height. He simply stood tall behind Taylor and outreached him.
Cox was impressive early, kicking 2 goals in Q2, though he disappeared later (he might have been subbed out). He also showed how agile he could be for a 211cm beanpole, roving a pack to snap truly.
Jesse White looked totally out of sorts throughout the night. His snap in the first quarter sprayed out on the full. He was sometimes seen at half back. Perhaps the brains trust believe that he can be used as a defender. I know it's early days, but he looked clumsy and lumbering; he was supposed to be athletic. With all the potential tall forwards available to the Pies, he might struggle to get a game.
Geelong got the next goal. Fasolo sprayed the next shot, but the forward line was certainly getting opportunities. The Cats finally gained the lead 19 minutes into the quarter. With 15 seconds left, Fasolo handpasses to Grundy for a goal. Scores level at the first break. For most of the quarter, Geelong had played catch-up.
Grundy started the second goal with another snap but hit the post. White's snap also brought up a minor. Geelong took a little longer to get going but scored a goal. Geelong also missed easy chances.
De Goey, matched up on Dangerfield, played well, racked up a reasonable number of possessions and did some really classy things.
When I finally saw Frost, I realised how much of the game had not involved him.
Fasolo kept marking and goaling, finishing with 5 and several genuine assists. It was a standout performance.
From the middle of the second quarter, the Pies went to sleep. At half time, they were down 39-66 and not looking very promising. Had you stopped watching then, you would have missed perhaps the best quarter since 2011.
Having missed all of last year, Macaffer came on for the first time and within 30 seconds demonstrated his freakish skills with a snap from a crowd. The Cats replied. Then Corey Gault showed his agility, kicking a goal off the ground after the ball spilt. Swan reprised Andy Krakouer for a snap; Greenwood snapped; Blair marked a pass from Swan for a goal; Gault marked a Broomhead pass - and the Pies had regained the lead; Gault then marked a Fasolo pass; Swan again; Sidebottom snapped out of a crowd; Mackie had a brain fade handpassing directly to Witts in the goal square (!) for Collingwood's 9th unanswered.
But the quarter was not yet over. Vardy goaled for the Cats; Fasolo gave Swan his third. Collingwood had turned a 27-point deficit into a 27-point lead. Then, 32 minutes into the quarter Jesse White made an unforgivable error of judgement, centring the ball from the back pocket to Blair (!) surrounded by 3 or 4 Cats: Dangerfield marked and goaled after the siren, breaking the symmetry of Collingwood's lead. 107-86.
The final quarter started well enough, with goals to Blair, Fasolo and Fasolo pushing the lead to 37 and the turnaround to 60; but Geelong kicked 5 of the last 6 super/goals. The Pies had kicked 0.4.0 to 1.4.4 for the quarter to end up winning by a mere 8 points. You'd have taken that result going in, but it was disappointing to think that Collingwood had taken the foot off. Perhaps Geelong lifted; I don't know.
It was a game of swings. The Pies kicked 3 in a row (in the middle of the second quarter); then the Cats kicked 5 unanswered. In the third quarter, Collingwood kicked 11 goals, 9 unanswered. That was some quarter! Collingwood owned the first half of the last quarter, Geelong the remainder.
Unsurprisingly, both teams were a little rusty and made some egregious errors (eg Mackie, White), but I think the Pies probably gave away a few more idiocies than the Cats. Both teams had significant outs but commentators suggested that the Cats were nearer full strength. You'd be mad to draw too many conclusions, especially looking at Collingwood's returns in the second halves of the last two seasons, but ...
The wrap
As I said, it was a ripper game with a thrilling third quarter. If Collingwood can put in such a quarter every few matches, then - win, lose or draw - they'll be worth watching this year.
Sources, Notes, Footnotes, References
[1] http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-match-centre/live-nab-challenge-afl-geelong-cats-v-collingwood-magpies-20160226-gn4yfu.html
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