Post Match. Pies smoke Dees. All comments.

[Pies2016]

Just got to the 4minite mark of the 3rd quarter replay. How good was that Darcy Cameron goal from the pocket. Set shot masterpiece. How good is Darcy Cameron 2024!

Agree, Cameron has had a phenomenal season to date. The only time the Dees got a bit of a run on was when Frampton went into the ruck ( second half of the third quarter ) Im not knocking Frampton, he played his role in the forward line. He took McDonald most of the day and that allowed either W H E or Krueger some space while May was minding the other one.

[neil]

Since no one has mentioned it how good was Sideys mark
Pity about the kick

[Jezza]

^ Brilliant mark. Probably the best mark of his career.

https://www.collingwoodfc.com.au/video/ ... 8003621001

[Kingston Lucas Tuck]

[pietillidie]

Brilliant! I couldn't watch, but by geez I'm looking forward to the catch up. For a big man, the Kreugmeister has an arrow of a left foot. How good was it to see him on the park.

Looking at the numbers, some big games from senior names such as Crispy, Bruzzy, Joshy boy, Howey, Lippa, Darcy C and the Hosk. By geez Harrison is a proper, natural footballer, and great to see Fin get some clearances to help Nicky boy and Crispy.

Sounds like Nicky didn't get much protection, but that's fine in a win with others picking up the slack because it means the tag helped mess with the opponent's efforts. How bad was his shin?

A perfectly timed win with the break and returnees. It's a good sign when a team knows when a win matters more than usual in context, I reckon.

[Woods Of Ypres]

massive win which re-ignites our season

Nick will be OK for next game according to McRae (corked shin)

We should get back De Goey, Pendles, Checkers for Gold Coast game
plus Diamond Joe

Carl, Ess, Geelong all have byes this week.
We could move into 2nd on Sunday night

I reckon top 4 finish is still on the table for us

[think positive]

We have smoked the dees...

yep!

[Jezza]

Fly's presser

Last week after the Dogs loss you said you would learn a lot about this group in terms of being able to respond and they did today.

"Yeah, I'm really proud of the coaches and I just said that to the players how they put in front of the group early in the week what we needed to do. We had a 10-day break, which is huge at this time of the year to get some energy around some things. Our coaches set this game up really well. Most of the things we planned for we got in terms of from the opposition around clearances and other parts of the game that we knew we had to be on for. In particularly, Hayden Skipworth is incredible for our young players. We've got a young midfield against some really hardened players. I know Petracca being out hurts a lot for them, but Gawn, Oliver and Viney are exceptional midfield players and we beat them in that area today which is really hard to do. I'm just really proud of our coaches today".

Do you feel the team has taken another step forward in their growth after Nick Daicos' influence was nullified today?

"You have method and you have system and you hope the talent takes you above those things and Nick [Daicos] has taken us to new levels at centre bounces and other parts. He got tagged heavily and then got a corky in his shin so he'll be fine. It's up to others to step up. Jack Crisp has had an amazing month amongst others".

Is Nick Daicos in doubt for the North Melbourne match?

"I wouldn't have thought so, no. If I'm listening to his words, he said 'I'll be fine'".

Brayden Maynard played a very good game particularly after all the fallout from last year's final and the emotion around that. What did you speak to him and the group about going into this match?

"Just being really grateful for what we have here. An opportunity to play on this day. It's a bigger meaning for some. He's had a lot going on this week. I won't share the details of it, but off the field it's been really hard for him so I'm sure he wanted to put on a good performance for the stuff that's been happening outside here. He's a proud man and he played exceptionally well, and we love him".

When you say stuff going on off-field, what do you mean?

"I'll leave it. It's unfortunate what's happened in his private life, but I'll leave it at that".

With his on-field, did you have to discuss with Maynard in terms of controlling his aggression because you would have expected the crowd and the opposition to come at him?

"Yeah, and that's what we want the whole group to be. We knew that there'd be a response. They're [Melbourne] a proud group. I know watching them from afar, you go 'jeez, I'm worried by what's coming'. You just knew there would be a response. All week, I didn't want to overplay it but we had to be ready for what's coming. On a rebound, go back to their DNA, around contest and those parts. I'm proud of us for staying in that moment and to absorb it and to accept what was coming and then to still play our way. It was a real pleasing start. You need to start well against a team that wants to come out breathing fire".

Do you think the crowd reaction was over the top? He was copping boos pretty much the whole game?

"I thought they were cheers, mate. I only heard cheers".

You say your a system-based team, but how much better is the system when you have a target like Nathan Kreuger?

"It was important wasn't it. It was a really big game for him. He hasn't played much footy Kreugs in the last...it's been over 400 days since he played last but he hasn't played much footy. He's been in and out. No continuity and I know one thing you'll get from Kreugs is effort and we were really pleased with that. We had good system going forward. I think we had 8 or 9 individual goal kickers. We've kicked 14 goals, and we've been averaging about 12 [goals] so parts of our system looked well connected I thought. Going inside 50 when we were slowed up, we scored well from those phases. Kreugs played his role really well".

So many times when the game was in the balance, Melbourne would successfully find a Collingwood player in the clear with a turnover pass. How much of that is your system, discipline and pressure and how much of that is playing a team low on confidence?

"It's hard to measure that. We can only look at what we're trying to do. You can see there was a real energy for them to go through the corridor so we tried to coach around 'field the corridor.' When you get a little bit behind on the scoreboard and we're a little bit the same, it's 'let's take more risk'. With risk comes opportunity to turnover if we're ready for those things. I go back to my opening comments about what the coaches had set up for the players we knew this would come at some stage with the way they wanted to move the ball so we trained it all week and there it is and at three quarter time it's 'hey hey, here it comes again, be ready'. It's hard to measure".

Can you let us into the "three little pigs" theme?

"Haha, how did you get that? If you're going to come huff and puff and try to blow your house down. That was it. Three little pigs. We just wanted to make sure our house was made of bricks today and we went to work not on what Melbourne were going to do, it was about how we would protect our house and keep it in order".

Harvey Harrison looks like he took another step forward in his development?

"Yeah, he's finding AFL footy fun at the moment and he's living in that in his 11th game. He didn't perform at the level he has been last week, and he's a proud guy as well. He gets to work and he's an important player isn't he at the minute? Kicking goals for us".

Steele Sidebottom had another solid performance. He really enjoyed the occasion.

"Yeah, I'm not sure if I've ever seen Steele get off the ground like that. He couldn't quite kick the goal from outside 50. We're pleased for Steele who's been working hard in his craft. We still think there's a little bit of life in those legs".

How symbolic was it that Jack Crisp frequently went up against Clayton Oliver and put him under pressure and had him do undisciplined things at times?

"Crispy is one of the best defensive players in the comp right now. His pressure around the ball has been enormous. His running on top of the ground and breaking out at centre bounces. He's at the height of his game. He had a slow start to the season. No coincidence that our team has started to play a bit better because of his performances".

The impact of Jeremy Howe especially in the first five minutes with that amazing smother on Bayley Fritsch when Melbourne had two free players, which then led to a Collingwood goal.

"I thought for as good as we were, they [Melbourne] didn't take their chances early. I don't want to undersell that we had everything on our own plate today, but there were some missed opportunities early in the game that could have tipped the scoreboard in a different way so we had to fight through that. There's a patch in the second quarter where they [Melbourne] dominated territory and we held our nerve and didn't get scored against, and we then got a couple late which helped us. The scoreboard might not be a true reflection of how tight it was at times".

The impact of Jeremy Howe seemed to be integral. How did you see it?

"He was super today. We're looking at our forward line and going 'can we get Howie forward', but then there's a cost down back. I thought it was one of his best games of the year for sure".

In your mind, what is the Collingwood house. What is that structure made of?

"We went to work on our system, our defensive system. How we defend the ground. How we set up certain phases of the game. We look at contest and the balance around those things and then some of our DNA stuff is attached to that. Nothing extraordinary".

You've got a well-documented long injury list, how pleased are you with your team to be able to withstand it and thrive on it?

"Today was a significant outcome. We've been working towards swimming against the current and I've said that before with our injury list. There's no one coming back next week. This same group has had opportunities. We've been fighting. Maybe not quite good enough here and there in the last few games, but today was a better four quarter performance from some of those younger guys and our senior guys kept the glue together a little bit more. It's been a tough period for us. We're getting through it and it's nice to get some nourishment today which we didn't get last week".

https://www.afl.com.au/video/1149709/fu ... 8009371001

[Nearly]

Charlie Dean is an AFL level player.

[RudeBoy]

Charlie Dean is an AFL level player.

He is improving as he grows in confidence with each game under his belt. I initially was worried that he seemed a tad slow, but I think this is deceptive. He's a strong lad, decent overhead, with good kicking skills. If he can at least maintain his current form, he could well cement a permanent spot in our defence for the next 6 yrs or so.

[dalyc]

^ Cox is a big game player. Come the finals I’d be staggered if he was fit and not selected.

[think positive]

How bloody good is it to have choices!

[Kingston Lucas Tuck]

Poor old Hodgey ….he’s got a Collingwood complex . Just read his take on the match , the bare bones of which is “ Melbourne should have..” ( this and that ) …and won .
This is becoming a common theme .
Envy is a curse . Sadly for you mate the crowd that outweighed the hoots for Maynard yesterday with cheers and made the MCG stands shake with the “Krooog “ growl for a 24 yr old ‘novice’ , never backed you as their own and never will.
SEN ( Gellett and Mottram) predicted 4 certainties and got 3 right ( Nick 30+ possessions , Gawn to dominate and both Sgt Shultz and Kossie P to score a goal)
An unusual set of predictions .
Nick was quelled and went off but even with limited touches , he still scored and that left foot pass to HH for a goal was worth bottling
Gawn was wonderful in the ruck but our mids dominated
Kossie played well and had a few unlucky posters . At times he or Fritch had 2 opponents because of the decision to shadow Nick
Sgt is still finding his way . He falls over a lot for a small man and needs to both run much more and dispose more sharply . When either he, Oleg or IQ get the ball it’s like their respective thought processes go into “freeze mode” .
At the opposite extreme Howe, Josh and Nick and Darcy Moore immediately see the potential opportunities ahead, while Noble, Crisp and Maynard run their full distance and opponents ahead are uncertain exactly where their man is or are in a quandry about what space to take up .

[the fuzz]

Geez, Maynard was good yesterday.
Melbourne wish they had 1/10 of his heart.

[Mr Miyagi]

^15 of ours were Premiership players. Equal with the amount of Premiership players Melbourne ran out with.

I was having a dig at the supporters calling us a VFL quality side