Pre-Match: MAGPIES v Dees - All comments here.....

[collingwoodjoe]

This will be a desisive game for both teams I think, Collingwood will rightly consider itself finals contenders if it wins, and Melbourne will rightly think itself capable of winning finals footy type games.

A couple of thoughts; It will be a fairly moist track at the G on Monday. Collingwood will play a hard-tackling, stoppage-turnover, finals-pressure type game. We will have had 10 days off compared to Melbournes 8.

Buckley may or not play, Johnson will certaintly play, coming in for Egan you would think. I think the teams match up quite well, the question will be if our midfield can hassle and agitate Brad Green and Cameron Bruce the way it did Gary Ablett Jnr and Paul Chapman. With Johnson coming into the side I think we have a better team than the one that beat the cats, especially for that shut-down type stuff. Both forward lines are potent, but our backline is probably the better, so I don't think that either team deserves outright favouratism on class alone, it will really depend on which team turns up hungrier and harder.

I do think that we will have to play better football to beat Melbourne than we did against the Cats, Melbourne probably wont miss the number of goals and targets that Geelong did, even under pressure.

As always, if we fire, we can win, Pies by around 5 goals.

GO PIES!

[Brown26]

If he's even 1% chance to play I doubt Buckley wont be selected on Thursday night - you don't need to trim your team to 22 for a couple of days, and apart from the mind games of having him selected you'd have to give him every chance to prove himeslf. But since he's been training so well over the last couple of weeks I think the decision will have already been made - and I doubt he'll play.

I think our backline matches up very well against the Dees tall forwards - but we'll have to stop bruce and robertson on the ground to have any chance. We need to keep Melbourne to 15 goals or less really - Lockyer might have to bring out another great HBF performance this week. But I think our backline will do pretty well again this week.

Like against Geelong - where we had to (and did) rebound well out of our backline, we will struggle to have more inside 50's than Melbourne - so we have to use the ball better, and that's a tough ask. I can't see us winning more of the ball in the middle, so running it out of our backline cleanly and accurately will be a key yet again. Hopefully Travis Cloke can present as well as he did last week - hopefully more consistently - he's maturing nicely and this will be a test. Rivers is probably mobile enough to go with him, but can he out-mark Travis? Probably not. Nicholson - will he get a game? May even play CHF and put Miller in defence cause he'll be useless in the backline this week (hope the Dee's have a sense of humour and put him on Rusling ).

They'll definitly be worried about Travis Cloke, Cam Cloke and Russling - I think Bizzell might get Rus which will be interesting, who can they put on Cam Cloke? Will be interesting also. Wheatly will probably get Tarrant first, if Taz plays a blinder like in recent times, he wont last long, if Taz doesn't kick goals they'll probably leave Wheatly on him cause they don't have many other options. The smaller forwards will have to battle hard to keep the spilled ball in our forward line and kick a couple of oppourtunistic goals. They'll probably break even with the Dee's HBF.

I really hope Cam Cloke get's thrown up forwards a lot this game, and that will partly depend on Frasers fitness I s'pose, but he could have a real impact up there - there really isn't an opponent for him once Rivers takes C3 - Nicholson is too slow, and Bizzel will probably get Rusling, so he might be the difference in the end. The same goes for Fraser when he plays forwrads, although he hasn't been in much form recently, but if he can steal a couple of goals it will be very handy.

I can't see us winning in the middle, but then I didn't think we would do as well as we did last week either, or the week before, so if we can keep our intensity up, we're a chance. But if we don't break even in the midfield it'll be tough.

It's important for us to be there or there abouts at quarter time - prefferably in front - to keep the boys confident and put the doubts into the demons minds - if we don't get off to a good start it could be a long day.

I can't see us winning, certainly not easily, but I didn't think we'd win any of the last three, so let's just say GO PIES!!!

- Ben

[HAL]

Why the uncertain tone? I never noticed that similarity.

[PeterWH]

Regardless of whether Bucks plays or not,it will be a close tight game.I still recon that the PIES will win,BUT I forecast 20 points.
Even though we havent seen any rain up here for 3-5 months,has there been any over the MC|G and is there any forecast over the next few days.Ground should be in good shape regardless.
If the boys get out of the blocks fast on Monday,I recon it will be 'good night ' "D"'s

[magman29]

jonno in for egan ..select bucks if he"s right,play him off the bench as a shock trooper..woey or morro to go out. hope tarks can keep the good form going..russo looks the goods,bit soon to know but the boy could be a beauty..centre line a bit of a worry against dees but i have a feeling we"ll nail this mob...maggie win by 23 points...gggooooooo ppiiiesssssssss

[DaVe86]

I think everyone is also forgetting about one Jeff White. I did in my pre match review. He is probably the 3rd best ruckman giong around, is not in great form but has the ability to be very damaging. That said, josh is probably his perfect match up and cam cloke may be able to outmark him. Big test for josh i think if fit. Josh seems to me to be a very jeff white like player. Jeff white is averaging 21 hitouts a match, 3 marks and 10 kicks and is probably below average on all 3. Josh's mobility may worry white and white may be forced to be accountable. Melbourne's 2nd rate talls in jamar and paul johnson should be good matches for cam cloke. We probably match up well in the ruck. 21 hitouts as an average is a worry though. You'd think he'd get atleast 30 this round.

[Brown26]

we've been beaten in the ruck most (if not every) week. we;ve been doing ok the last three rounds - even though losing the ruck hit outs - I think we'll be beaten again but it won't really matter - it'll be up to the boys on teh ground to worry about where White hits it.

- ben

[HAL]

What do you do in your spare time?

[KYPREO]

Tough ask for our ruck division.

Cox, Everitt, King and White in four consequetive weeks! probably the four best rucks in the competition.

[KYPREO]

PLAYERS
Backs: M. Whelan A. Nicholson N. Brown
Half Backs: C. Bizzell R. Ferguson J. Rivers
Centre: B. Moloney C. Bruce P. Wheatley
Half Forwards: R. Robertson B. Miller B. Green
Forwards: A. Yze D. Neitz A. Davey
Followers: T. Johnstone, J. McDonald, J. White
Interchange: B. Holland, C. Sylvia, S. Godfrey, P. Johnson, C. Heffernan, B. McLean, G. Rigoni

Melbourne are pretty strong all over the ground. This will be tough.

Whelan - Didak
N.Brown - Rusling
Bizzell - Caracella
Ferguson - T.Cloke
Nicholson - Tarrant
Rivers - ? Lonie? perhaps

I think our forwards will have the better of this defence, but we need adequate supply.

Travis Cloke has been on some pretty experienced defenders lately (Croad, Hay, Harley) - he has towelled them all up. Ferguson is a courageous young player but 1-on-1 C3 might just go ballistic on him.

[Sultan of spin]

Bucks is back!, great news and I think he will play across half forward and have a run in the middle at some stage.

with no Benny Johnson Brodie is the obvious match uo for Johnstone, Brodie thrives on playin on these 'soft' outside players, he will be to strong in close and has the tank to run with him all day. He has murdered camporeale in recent seasons and I see johnstone as a similar type player.

I think our forward line is to fast and too good for their backline so if we get it in quick we should kick a big score.

The weather is a key factor, wet weather would assit our hard but sluggish midfield but it may also help their backilne against our fast leading key forwards.

With Bucks back pies by 41

[DaVe86]

[DaVe86]

2 brownlow medallists on the bench, would have to be a first

[Clokey]

Haha, would love to see them both running amuck in a Willy reserves game.

[collingwood forever]

does anyone know that the problem is with Johnson, I think C1,Loken and rowe will go