Round 4 - Northern Blues vs Collingwood at Preston City Oval

[MagpieBat]

2:00pm this Saturday at Cramer Street.

Blues: 11th (0 wins, 2 losses, 1 bye, 83.23%)
Collingwood: 12th (0 wins, 2 losses, 1 bye, 71.64%)

Broadcast:
Internet - LiveChat on collingwoodfc.com.au

Last time they met:
Round 10, 2011 at Victoria Park
Collingwood 12.11.83, def by
Northern Bullants 19.15.129

Team:
B Riddle Gault Young
HB Sundberg Brown Rounds
C Buckley Seedsman Yagmoor
HF Cribbin Witts Johnson
F Paine Didak K. Pendlebury
R McNamara M. Williams Ugle
Int Hahn Wallace Ferraro Mooney Seccull Boland Ceglar Hellier Cathcart


What's better than beating Carlton? Well, beating their reserves brigade in the same round can't be that far down the list. The name may have changed, but the enemy remains the same. The club formerly known as Preston and bearing the old nickname of the bullants has been replaced with a new team wearing the familiar old colours of our most hated enemy.

Both teams, however, have had almost identical starts to the year. The newly re-christened Northen Blues went down to Coburg in the opening round by 13 points, before ceding a 23-point three quarter time lead to lose at the hands of Williamstown by 14 points. Last week saw them take a holiday with a bye.

Collingwood, likewise, has started off the season with a bye, before ceding matches to Geelong and North Ballarat through inaccuracy and wasted opportunities. Early wins are the building blocks of a successful season, and both sides will be looking to finally add four premiership points to their columns this Saturday.

Going into this game, the team formerly known as the Bullants can quite rightly hold the claim as favourites: since Collingwood recommenced its team in the VFL in 2008, Carlton's reserve feeder side has won 7 out of 8 encounters, including a 51-point flogging of Collingwood in the 2010 Elimination Final. But the loss of key players (including their captain, Adam Iacobucci) have hurt the Blues, a fact that the Magpies young ranks can take comfort in.

The track record of the opposition and the current state of Collingwood's playing depth lead me to prepare for yet another loss. But I don't ever go against my beloved Magpies, even if it costs me a tip. The current weakness of the Blues reserves side comparable to the rest of the competition, however, gives me hope.

Tip: Pies by 6 points.

Over to you...

[Fire Up]

how much is it to go watch pies as the away team (with membership)

also if you get there before 2pm go to the preston market get something to eat then head over road to the ground. parking could be hard to find as market will open till 3pm. try the side streets and cramers hotel car parks.

otherwise train would be the best option get off at preston station (epping line) and then its a 3 min walk from station

[Dave The Man]

I be Heading Down and Hopefully we can smash the Scum Reserves

[Fire Up]

pies vfl team for the blues game.

Collingwood
B Riddle Gault Young
HB Sundberg Brown Rounds
C Buckley Seedsman Yagmoor
HF Cribbin Witts Johnson
F Paine Didak K. Pendlebury
R McNamara M. Williams Ugle
Int Hahn Wallace Ferraro Mooney Seccull
Boland Ceglar Hellier Cathcart

i saw the blues coach today he was running along the footpath up here in my neck of the woods). so i ran with him for a bit and i tryed to get inside info off him. he gave me doughnuts (nothing)

[Jezza]

I'm happy to see Didak finally back in the side.

[jackcass]

Woods promotion means the team isn't quite so top heavy, looks a bit better balanced.

[swoop42]

Still no Elliott?

Not on the injury list but hasn't been sighted in well over a month.

[Culprit]

More balanced this week, Bolland has to play as he kicks goals.

[MagpieBat]

He's baaaaacck!

Also good to see the return of Sundberg to bolster our midfield. Paine returning to the moagoos will also give us some better marking power up forward.

Team is now in the OP.

[MagpieBat]

Northern Scum side:

B Russell Dirago Heyne
HB Gianfagna Watson McInnes
C Lincoln McLean Lambert
HF Marcon Thornton Bransgrove
F Collins Rowe Kerr
R Warnock Joseph Ellard
Int Jenkins Biffin Benbow* Soncin Toman Thomas Meese McCann T. Wilson

[Big T]

Brock McLean what a great pickup for the Blues VFL he was

[Dave The Man]

Brock McLean what a great pickup for the Blues VFL he was

all he cost was a 1st Round Pick

[woftam]

Just had a look at our injury list.

Josh Thomas - Foot - Indefinite

[jackcass]

Collingwood
B Riddle Gault Young
HB Sundberg Brown Rounds
C Buckley Seedsman Yagmoor
HF Cribbin Witts Johnson
F Paine Didak K. Pendlebury
R McNamara M. Williams Ugle
Int Hahn Wallace Ferraro Mooney Seccull
Boland Ceglar Hellier Cathcart

Gee, with Reid's injury shame Hartley isn't having a run. Would love Brown to have a blinder. Will Gault actually play at FB? Interesting to see how Ceglar goes against Warnock. Hopefully Dids get through unscathed and Johnno continues his progress. Love Williams to have another good game and continue to push for senior selection.

[MagpieBat]

Final team is in:

B Riddle Gault Young
HB Wallace Brown Rounds
C Buckley Seedsman Yagmoor
HF Cribbin Ceglar Johnson
F Paine Didak K. Pendlebury
R McNamara M. Williams Ugle
Int Ferraro Mooney Hellier Cathcart

Didak, Johnson and Brown to play...

Mooney also back on deck, obviously that strain of the neck wasn't so bad after all...