Notes from the game: 2016 Round 20 Richmond

Just when you thought it was safe to come back to the footy, ...

Team            Q1      Q2      Q3      Q4      Final
Richmond        3.0     7.3     10.7    14.8    92
Collingwood     5.2     6.3     8.7     11.11   77

The match in a moment

Collingwood kicked the first 4 goals, then was outscored 7 goals to 14.

The game

The game reminded me a lot of the Round 7 game against Richmond last year. Pies kick the first 4 goals; this supporter feels sorry for Richmond - then watches in disbelief as the opponents overrun Collingwood.

The wrap

There is a fundamental malaise at Collingwood. They do not play good consistent footy. If you were a betting person, you'd be well advised not to trust them. The Pies went into this match as favourites, possibly in part because Richmond had been in the news all week for all the wrong reasons.

Although Collingwood can sometimes produce good patches, I don't think they have played well for an entire game. I'm reminded of the Collingwood from maybe the middle Noughties when their strategy seemed to be to seduce opponents into playing as badly as they were playing - or maybe just a bit worse. Sure, you can win a few games like that, but they look dreadful.

For the supporters it means they are never a sure thing - either to win or to lose when it's expected. That brings some joy (last week), but lots of frustration (this week).

As for more solid success - not for a long time, possibly not during Buckley's tenure. Surely the thinking would be that the team's demonstrated ability to win some games indicates that the cattle are adequate.

Sources, Notes, Footnotes, References

http://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/ft_match_statistics?mid=6334