Team Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final Geelong 3.1 5.4 8.7 11.12 78 Collingwood 3.5 7.9 13.12 15.17 107
The build-up (1)
Many years ago, perhaps 2006, I went to a performance by CLOC at the Alexander Theatre in Monash University. My memory suggests I saw Singin' in the Rain, but what evidence I could find tends to refute that.
- Hey, Bogan! You seem to have got confused. This is supposed to be about football, not a theatre review.
What?! Yeah. You're right. Just stick with me for a couple of sentences. I'm sure I have a point to make.
It must have been during a stage in my life when I wasn't as addicted to footy as I am now. Perhaps, as recently, I had become disillusioned with my team. When I got back to the car, I turned on the radio to get the score in the Geelong-Collingwood game that was played while I was in the theatre. The news was nearing the end; all I was able to determine was that one of the teams had won by over 100 points. Perhaps it was R8 May 20 2006, final score:
Collingwood 6.0 12.3 18.10 22.14 (146) Geelong 2.1 2.4 3.6 6.8 (44)
The point is that at this stage I was none the wiser. In my mind it was equally likely that Collingwood had won by 100 points or lost by that margin.
Now that's not usual. Such lop-sided matches are usually predictable: the good team beats the bad team by that sort of margin. But it's not out of the ordinary for matches between Collingwood and Geelong over many years.
2008 R9, Geelong were the reigning premiers sitting at the top of the ladder, Collingwood just 7th. Against form, Collingwood had a night out and won by 86 points. On the other hand, 2011 R24 Collingwood was so far ahead of the rest of the league they were in a class of their own. Geelong by 96.
And let's not forget 2010 PF. Collingwood led by 80-odd points in the third quarter before taking the foot off the pedal.
Even last year, Collingwood, in the category of deplorable, kicked 7 goals in the first quarter while holding Geelong goalless and held on to win by 24 points.
The build-up (2)
Going into this game, the odds were stacked heavily against Collingwood. It sat 13th with a win-loss record of 1-4. The only team the Pies had beaten was Sydney (by a solitary point), a team which had not yet won a game (still hasn't). Geelong on the other hand was one of 3 teams who had not yet lost a game. And Collingwood was coming off a 5-day break. Further, Geelong had won each of its last quarters. Geelong had scored well north of 100 points in every game they played; Collingwood hadn't come close, it's highest score a mere 86.
On the other hand, especially during the game, the question was asked: just whom had Geelong beaten? None of the teams in the top eight.
The game
In many ways, the game was like the previous games this year: except for a while around three-quarter time, we had more behinds than goals.
It certainly wasn't a pretty game and only had some excitement because the fans wondered how the Pies would screw up this week. In the end, Geelong screwed up worse than the Pies.
Geelong kicked the first goal of Q1 (within a minute), answered by two classic Collingwood behinds. We eventually caught up and overtook them. That set the pattern. In Q2, Geelong kicked the first goal (within a couple of minutes) answered yet again by a behind. This time we stretched the lead by half time. Geelong kicked the first goal of Q3 after both sides had scored minors. This was by far our best quarter (6.3-3.4). The mould was broken in Q4 when Treloar kicked our first goal, a streak of 7 goals to 1 across the break. Geelong had finally fulfilled a promise, outscoring us in the last quarter.
Both sides were pretty inaccurate, kicking more behinds than goals. Geelong looked far from menacing at every stage of the game. Collingwood maintained a steady stream of clangers, but persisted long enough to kick a winning score. For the first time it exceeded 100 points; it kept Geelong to 78.
As far as I can recall, Collingwood's goals usually required some heroics; there was no time when the ball was swept smoothly from somewhere on the ground all the way to goal. Perhaps Pendlebury's goal in the first quarter (but he kicked from at least 40 out) and Fasolo's later from even further out.
Josh Smith was equal-third in disposals and equal game-high for marks with 9. He started like a house on fire. Tom Phillips didn't have a bad game kicking 1.1 (Smith is a defender while Phillips is more of a mid) - but I still cannot fathom why Smith was dropped last week.
The wrap
The fans probably think we've turned the corner. They'll come out in huge numbers to the Carlton game (many for other reasons - it's Collingwood's 125 anniversary match and is being pumped up by the marketing department). But let's be a little realistic: the teams have both won 2 from 6 and sit 12th and 14th. They may be evenly matched, but I don't think it will be a high-class game.
If this game showed anything, it was that we have some champions in our team. But we knew that; everyone knew that. What's supposed to happen is that they come together to achieve even more and become a great team, perhaps even a champion team.
Sources, Notes, Footnotes, References
http://www.finalsiren.com/PreviousGames.asp?PrevTeam1ID=14&PrevTeam2ID=3&Team1ID=3&Team2ID=4
http://afltables.com/afl/stats/games/2006/040920060520.html
http://www.afl.com.au/ladder
http://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/ft_match_statistics?mid=9359
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