Pre-Match: Pies v. Port - All comments please.

[Donny]

Can we win this one ?

Let's hear why.

C'morrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrnnnnn Maggies !!

[SweatyPie]

We will win cause Taz will be 'fighting fit' !!

[labrooy]

Port always have trouble beating us. They should be fired up with a strong chance of top spot on the ladder if they win. However without Tredrea to contend with our backline looks a lot stronger. If MM can take Chad Cornes out of play by putting someone on him to lead to the opposite flank all the time then a lot of their strikepower will be gone.

Lets face it, MCG, big crowd, they are going to think its a final!!

I think we can win, even with our weakened team. Pies by 16 points.

[Johnson#26]

Apart from Brisbane, we are the best side to match up on Port. Lets hit them with every thing, and see Chocko shake! We have the wood over them and they know it...they know what they're in for. King to kick 5 - hes the sort of player to hurt Port.

I really want a win. It would make the season worthwhile. We would take something out of 2004. I think that its time for Big Billy Morrison. He will catch Port by surprise and just try something new. Even Heath Shaw. As Mick said during Grand Final week last year, the players with the eye of the tiger will get a go. I think Hetah and Billy have that and deserve a go. Give Mullins another go, ditto Shacks. I'd also like to see Crowy get another go. Play Lockyer as a rover all day, and see what he can do, as he hasn't done it since 2002. Jonno gets P.Burgoine, lets kill him once more! Cole on Pickett, or Wanganeen when he goes forward. Early on we need, in cricket terms - early wickets - that is to target Port players and make them hurt. Get the crowd into it an hit them hard. Burnsy and Dutchy off the square running right through to see who they can collect. Drop Lokan, as he hasn't given us anything for a long time. Lonie has a good history against Port, and I'd like to see him on Chad Cornes, as Cornes is loose and Lonie is almost guarreneed 2 goals.

Collingwood by 12 points! Go Get 'Em!

[labrooy]

"Big Billy Morrison" played reserves for Willi last week. I would think it highly unlikely he would get that much of a promotion.

[Johnson#26]

I still like the idea. It would throw Ports plans out of the water.

[Triple C]

Everyone's saying that we got the wood over them, but that's only in finals. I can't remember the exact stats but we've only beaten them twice in regular season matches, and one of those was in their first ever AFL match.

[peter_pies4ever]

Our record against Port is 4-7. We have won 2 from 5 at night against them. Will Dane Swan get a call up this week, he played well kicking 3 goals on the weekend? He was unlucky to get dropped awhile back. We need to make a much better start than last week if we are a chance of winning this game. We were smashed in the ruck 1st quarter last week and that's where we need to get on top early.

[JLC]

We tend to beat Port in games of significance. This game is fairly insignifcant to us so they will probably win. We have nothing to prove as we have already shown in two finals against them that when it matters we deliver the goods.

Let Port finish on top of the ladder for the third year running and miss out on making the Grand Final yet again.

jlc

[Johnson#26]

The whisper is that Chad Cornes is going to be rested. Nothing certain as yet...

[stik35]

Let Port finish on top of the ladder for the third year running and miss out on making the Grand Final yet again.
jlc

But you have to admit it would be fun to beat them, give their confidence a bit of a shake and therefore have a hand in their eventual demise.

CHOKERS!

[Joel]

I hope we smash 'em.

Tredrea probably won't play, so that is good. Not sure what else to say at this stage, so I will leave it at that for now.

[piedys]

Time to line up the wheelie bins again for another kickin'...

dyso

[Johnson#26]

Flashback: Collingwood vs Port Adelaide

Collingwood and Port Adelaide have fought some amazing battles since the Power’s first league appearance in 1997. And when both sides were scheduled to meet in round one of ’97 at Victoria Park, chaos hit when the crowd was deemed too large to fit into the venue. The AFL moved the game to the MCG, where it would most likely be able to fit in the massive crowd of 51,883. Port, led out onto the hallowed turf by stand in skipper Brayden Lyle copped loud boos and jeers from the Collingwood fans. The Pies were led onto the field by skipper Gavin Brown, and were about to set themselves for a huge season – one in which they hoped they would make the finals for the first time since 1994. The Magpie banner read: Power Blackout, as they moved onto the ground. The game was also significant as it was Anthony Rocca’s first official game in the Black and White. Anthony, the younger brother of full forward Saverio, had become homesick in Sydney, and was controversially traded back to Melbourne.

The first goal of the game went to forward pocket Stephen Patterson, who swooped on a loose ball and rammed home the first goal of 1997. Patterson, a former South Australian, also scored the next two goals, and sent Power coach John Cahill into frenzy. Finally, the Power broke through with Shayne Breuer, the former Geelong rover, scoring his piece of history with the Power’s first ever goal, which calmed the nerves. But Magpies speedster Paul Williams zoomed through the midfield for the quick reply. Collingwood was flying, and burnt Port in a fierce display of football. But with Collingwood playing with some much freedom and lack of care, it became inevitable that whenever the Power went forward, they’d have loose men. It showed, when former Blue Brent Heaver and ex-Eagle Shane Bond were loose up forward and converted, narrowing the gap. Sav Rocca regained the Pies composure when he marked and goaled, and when younger brother Anthony put through his first Collingwood goal, the Pies were on a roll. Sav ended the quarter on a high note, when he marked and goaled, scoring the Magpies 7th straight for the term. Williams starred for the Pies with 11 first term possessions while Brown gathered eight. For Port, Breuer was the major ball winner with seven disposals. Damien Monkhurst was also on top in the ruck, quelling Matthew Primus’ influence.

The second quarter began when Nathan Buckley, a former Port Magpie himself, took a fabulous mark on the head of Bond, and sending it up forward to the injury prone Lee Walker who gave it off to Williams for the first goal of the quarter. Scott Crow came up from defence to snag his first while Scott Russell, a former South Australian, nabbed the Pies 10th straight goal. Peter Burgoyne stopped the Pies run of consecutive goals when he scored the Power’s fifth. But Collingwood could not be stopped as Chris Curran put through the eleventh straight goal. Walker finally scored the Magpies’ first behind, much to the displeasure of the supporters. But they wouldn’t have to wait long before the next one was scored, as Robbie AhMat set up Russell for his second. Tragedy then struck for Walker, injured his knee just as he was displaying his best football. It would be his final AFL appearance. Collingwood’s smaller running players such as Buckley, Williams and Curran couldn’t be stopped as they stormed to a 39 point half time lead.

Port came out of the break with the first goal to big man Darrell Poole, who was come under scrutiny for his rugged play. Fabian Francis then goaled to cut the lead to only 27 points. But Collingwood had all the answers, with AhMat scoring the steadier. 1996 Margary Medallist goaled to keep Port in touch before Williams again struck for his third. Sav Rocca and then Curran goaled to end any sort of contest that was left in the match. Sav then got another before North Melbourne recruit John Barnett got the Pies 9th goal for the term. The Maggies were unstoppable, as Curran and Russell led the charge.

Sav Rocca again got an early goal to keep the tempo moving while Fabian Francis goaled for Port. Collingwood then lapsed into a point scoring bonanza, where as earlier on they couldn’t miss. Shots were sprayed all over the shop before Alex McDonald dobbed his first. Williams put through his fourth before soon to be Magpie Scott Cummings scored two. McDonald stopped the rot with his second, before Sav slammed through his 6th as the siren sounded. The Collingwood Magpies won by 79 points in a Power mauling. Williams, Buckley and Curran were the best for the Pies with Sav Rocca kicking six, while for Port, Francis, Dickie and Brown were best. At the seasons end, only one position separated the two sides, as they both fell just short of the final eight.

Score:
Collingwood: 26.10. (166)
Port Adelaide: 13. 9. (87)

Goals:
Collingwood:
S.Rocca 6; Williams 4; Patterson 3; McDonald, Curran, Crow, Russell, A.Rocca 2; AhMat, Barnett, Richardson.

Best:
Collingwood:
Williams, Buckley, Curran, Brown, Russell, Crosisca, S.Rocca, Patterson.

[themilleys]

In terms of the 4-7 head to head record, I think we should all take into account the amount of games that are played in Melbourne. This is the first year since 1999 that we have hosted a Port game in the regular season. Usually we play Port once a year and that game is played in SA.