Post match - Pies punish Port. All comments.

[warburton lad]

A strong effort all things considered- a few things stood out for me:
* Harry O'Brien & Heath Shaws dash
* The second and third efforts made by Travis Cloke after some of his errors
* The ability of the forwards to dominate their opponents one out (they missed Wakelin & Brogan)
* Presti's game on Treadrea- awesome...

All we need to do at the present time is keep winning- a big win over the Blues is mandatory, but it will not come easy.

5 and 1 has a lovely ring to it.

Keep the faith Pie fans- Pendlebury and C.Cloke, Rusling and Rhys Shaw are not far off playing

Go Pies

[warburton lad]

[Joel]

Just wathcing the replay. That effort by Swanny in the 3rd qtr, where he took on two Port players, got the ball, handed it off, and then got it back, to finally delivery nicely to Taz was sensational! Beautiful work Swanny!!

[pietillidie]

Of Richards 8 creditted tap outs in the game there was one ripper....but thats about it. Unfortunately this is our biggest weakness in the link. 56 minutes for 3 kicks & 8 tap outs is not good enough. De Luca in his 1st game got 8 tap outs....as the season progresses this could be our achilles

When it comes to Rucking Richards and Fraser are very similar...

They're Good tap rucks and Fraser has the bonus of being able to go forward...

Therefore 1 tap ruckmen is enough in one side... Every week we get pushed around in the ruck (Hille was an example last week) and we need some bulk, someone that will crash and bash and when push comes to shove they can shove...

Richards isnt pulling his load around the ground, he looks slow and i cant see him standing up and taking a pack mark inside the forward or defensive 50...

I have been saying this for weeks...

CAMERON CLOKE must be in the team! hes not in bad form for willy, hes been kicking goals and actually doing stuff around the ground...

he has bulk, hes not slow, can take a mark inside 50 and can stand up and push and shove his way through...
not to mention he can kick the pill 60 - 70 yards and can go forward...

please put richards in the twos, let him regain some form around the ground and let him see what its like to push and shove someone not as big as him... let him have it his own way and it might give him some confidence...

Im not saying hes a bad ruck, im saying that atm hes not doing his job just at the minute and hes being intimidated and when it comes to Dean Cox in 2 weeks he has got no hope of keeping him quiet around the ground in the form hes in...

Once again we cant have 2 tap rucks we need 1 tap (fraser) and one big strong 1 (in Cam Cloke) that can intimidate

The combination has to be Fraser and C. Cloke

First, Fraser and Richards are nothing alike, although when Fraser plays poorly around the ground they can look similar in that the minimum any ruckman has to do is try to 'tap' the ball. Fraser is athletic and presents himself as an option, whereas Richards is a traditional ruckman who relies solely on intelligent body positioning around the ground, hoping the ball will come his way. Second, C.Cloke's form at Willy hasn't been consistent - from memory various Nicksters said he played very poorly in the game before this one.

Also, Richards has probably been perservered with because he has been out of action so long and technically he's a better ruckman than C2. The selection committee may well expect him to come good and when he does his best is better than C2's at this stage.

That being said, if C2 has another couple of good games at Willy and Richards doesn't step up then C2 will surely get a guernsey. However, Cox is more likely to smash the green C2 at the clearances than Richards. I understand your preference for C2 over Richards around the ground, but stats aren't everything if the guy is putting himself in the right spots defensively.

Interesting debate.

[ad4eva]

Yeah i know exactly what u mean...

What i should have said, i think what we need is a 'bully'...

someone that can throw his weight around and intimidate...

i respect the fact the Richards has been out of footy for a couple of years and no one comes back playing 100% straight away...

but IMO we need a 'bully' in the middle

[melliot]

Agree with AD4eva.

I also think C2 is a better option than Richards. Richards work against Hille was exposed and cost us a goal or more. I am very nervous when Richards rucks deep in defense. On the flip side C2 still has a very long way to go.

On another point. Despite us winning and playing really well, we seemed to be getting smashed in the centre. Maybe someone can show the clubs stats on this. Even in our 8 goal third term against Port, i rekon we lost the centre breaks. But it just rebounded straight of half Back.

[sherrife]

So can anyone give us a hand as to when the replay is on Fox Footy in NSW?

[ad4eva]

Agree with AD4eva.

I also think C2 is a better option than Richards. Richards work against Hille was exposed and cost us a goal or more. I am very nervous when Richards rucks deep in defense. On the flip side C2 still has a very long way to go.

On another point. Despite us winning and playing really well, we seemed to be getting smashed in the centre. Maybe someone can show the clubs stats on this. Even in our 8 goal third term against Port, i rekon we lost the centre breaks. But it just rebounded straight of half Back.

Yeah, C2 defenetly has a long way to go but i think not having him in my come back to bite us down the track... especially against a ruckman like Hille...

[leelee]

Great game by the boys... still a little concerned about big H (Harry O'Brien) he seems like he's in there and at it... yet needs some reasurrance that he can handball it to a player like jimmy clement so that the ball can get down the other end a smidge quicker... don't get me wrong... the bloke is awesome... just maybe needs a bit more confidence in his team mates... Presti did a nice job in the backline... spoiling all those marks... Little Tarks was everywhere he needed to be as per usual.... Buck... need i say more... CHAMPION! Taz and Rocca... Very nice...!!! Lones... nice to see the man back on form... it lifts the team when he boots one from the centre square!! O'Bree finally got credit where is was due... quick and accurate...
I have no reservation that we will smash the blues... these boys are level headed... know what they need to do and are very mature... They're a much more confidant team than what was rocked out last year... They should be proud...

I say the Blues are going down by at least 70 odd points... hopefully higher!

Cheers!

[HAL]

Thanks, leelee.

[loki04]

ive been saying it for weeks Cam in for Richards!

Richards 1/5 good games

Cam 3/4 good games Cam has been in better form and deserves a run whats the point of having depth if your not going to use it!

[Johnson#26]

Cam is not as dangerous as a tap ruckman - and his physical nature is in danger with the introduction of the second centre circle.

Richards is classier and more of your classical ruckman, he has been handy so far this year, and is the future.

[jimbeam]

Yes richards is going to be a very good tap ruckman no doubt, but even i can grasp the concept of richards vs cox? and cam could just charge him knees out all game and really make him hurt, cannon fodder style.. we are not going to beat cox. But having said that i think our future is with richards and fraser in the ruck. We should leave a few boys at home for subi..

Cam in for richards
Jase in for Presti
Yakka in for Burnsy
Pendles in for someone?

Just for one game.

[MK]

I hate to be negative when it comes to Collingwood and its players....Richards...He will never amount to a Ruckmen that we can count on in the clinches..he is a very good footballer to have got that far in his career...he's played a lot more games & is better than I will ever be..I can never see the Boy ( as Tommy Hafey would say) putting on the muscle or gaining the strenght in his legs to be anything but handy..that is handy. I think the game is moving on from the Beanpole ruckman that doesnt have the mobility to compensate for his lack of direct tap outs...the pure ruckmans role is overrated anyway. We've been roving to losing rucks for years. The big bodied ruckman who can take a mark and kick a goal at least can justify their minutes on the field. eg Lade on Sunday. When the tap to O'Bree or who ever works ...shit it looks good...but it's not often enough. Unless we can get a mobile, big bodied player to do the job I would prefer to include a player who is the ball magnet type in the squad of 22 who can at least contribute to the around ground play. Even if it is to sacrifice every tap out stat in the middle at centre bounces.

Yes..I know this might be controversial...& the GUNS may come out on this wesite in defence of this theory...but just think about it. To this point of time even the opposing Ruckmen have got him worked out in allowing Richards to do his stuff and then roving to his tap outs.
This has to be addressed while we are winning and are in front!

The only other big bodied potential player is Cam...Cloke....but he has his knockers as well..but at least he is big bodied and can do other things around the ground...

[melliot]

Yes richards is going to be a very good tap ruckman no doubt, but even i can grasp the concept of richards vs cox? and cam could just charge him knees out all game and really make him hurt, cannon fodder style.. we are not going to beat cox. But having said that i think our future is with richards and fraser in the ruck. We should leave a few boys at home for subi..

Cam in for richards
Jase in for Presti
Yakka in for Burnsy
Pendles in for someone?

Just for one game.

Jase for Presti... Your kidding!
Yakka for Burns.... dido!

These players may warrent selection but not for those guys! Only change this week will be Davis for Brodie IMO. Richards maybe for Cam. Does any one know how Cam went for Willi.