Team Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final West Coast 6.4 8.8 10.12 18.16 124 Collingwood 1.1 4.3 8.5 9.8 62
I thought the Pies lost this game in the first quarter. Daicos may have said, "The more I practise, the luckier I get," but I really felt that the Pies were more than a bit unlucky. On the other hand, West Coast missed shots that they were expected to nail.
I thought Grundy was at first overawed by Naitanui: he seemed to try too hard, jumped too early or gave away frees and let NicNat have his way. However, after quarter time, he lifted his game considerably. As a consequence, Collingwood clawed its way back into the game during the middle quarters. They got to within 10 points late in the third quarter, but conceded a couple late. They were still rated a chance at the start of the last quarter but two Collingwood players in a row slipped over, the Eagles pounced and the flood gates opened.
Collingwood players did a lot of slipping over. I didn't notice Eagles slipping so maybe the Pies were doing something wrong. The slips were expensive.
The Pies did not help their cause. In Malthouse days, they were almost never allowed to kick it into the centre of the ground. That might have been a bit excessive. But such kicks must be weighed carefully. Is the intended recipient in the clear? Is he prepared to be a recipient? (Or is he looking or running the other way, for instance?) Will a miscalculation prove expensive?
NicNat's palming to his team mates is exceptional. You'd like to think that Grundy might have learnt a few things from watching him from up close.
Wellingham's first goal was far from a certainty off the boot.
I thought Lecras's free was unfair. I understand that umpires are instructed to penalise contact to the head, but to my eyes, Reid reaches to intercept the ball and makes contact with it before Lecras runs into Reid's arm. I don't doubt that it hurt Lecras, but injuries occur in football all the time. Surely this was just an unfortunate accident.
Soon after Howe took a great mark and was legged as he went back. He should have got 50m (even if the legging was every bit as much of an accident as Reid's). However, Sidebottom's kick was sheer gaffe. He's 35m out unmanned: he should have slotted a goal. It is such little moments that turn games. The ball was swept away to end with Kennedy, who should have goaled.
Lecras's first goal was from further out and, taking a cruel bounce, even luckier than Wellingham's. I won't say that Lecras's second goal was lucky, but it was pretty amazing, Daicosesque even. And you could probably blame it on Collingwood ineptitude.
To my eyes, in the ruck contest, NicNat got away with a huge shove fair in the middle of Cox's back. His resultant goal on the left was all class.
Positives
Significantly, the players were much more switched on than in the games against St Kilda and Melbourne. There was intensity.
Grundy's recovery in the middle of the game was pleasing.
Mason Cox shows that he is an accurate kick for goal, cool under pressure and competent in the ruck. He can only get better.
Moore doesn't get much of the ball, but he does kick goals (2).
Collingwood have unearthed a number of players who can take the team forward: Treloar, Smith, Crisp, Adams, Maynard, Oxley, De Goey (probably a few I've missed).
Negatives
Collingwood is constantly being exposed. When they have the ball, they have free players all over the ground. Collingwood players are impotent to stop opponents. When we have the ball every Collingwood player upfield has 2 opponents. Or so it seems. This is the fundamental of all team sports: synergy - how to make 1 + 1 result in more than 2. We used to be able to do it. We used to run and spread; and overlap. Now our opponents do it. An answer is needed if we are to avoid languishing at the foot of the ladder. More importantly, Collingwood is not going to be watchable if they can't sort this out.
The wrap
Collingwood played some pretty good footy for a half against Essendon. They kicked 7 goals to 4 in the middle of this game. The Pies have a lot of work ahead of them. They need to play 4 quarter, not 2; and they need to play better by playing as a team.
Sources, Notes, Footnotes, References
http://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/ft_match_statistics?mid=6225
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