Post Match - Pies gallant vs Crows by not enough

[Two_Pies]

Was good to get the experience of Footy Park in a "Finals-like" pressure cooker game. Back again in a couple of weeks and possibly a few after that.

Agree with all the plaudits for the boys here. Was one that got away in the last 5 mins of the 3rd. Two goals in a row to them hard to buy back in a close game. Also good to see pressure and tackles !! Crows were forced into error prone situations. All good experience for the weeks ahead.

Well done boys and good luck.

[1eyedpie]

According to most reports I have read Collingwood lost Jason Cloke to injury in the second quarter. There was someone doing an excellent impersonation of C1 then as he played a great game in defense in the second half.

Journalist get paid good money to report on these games yet time and time again get basic facts wrong.

They also reported Thomas's injury was sustained flying for a mark when it was from being third man up in boundry throw in which nearly created a goal! Can't remember who muffed the the shot on goal but should have taken the opportunity that Thomas created!

[Culprit]

This was a do or die game. A chance to show everybody that they can win when its really needed akin to finals footy. I'm not into this we played alright considering.........We should not be rating this team as being better than us hence we did well coming close. May as well have lost by 100. Not happy. It was up for grabs and we let it slip when it counted.

Spot on. We lost when it counted.

[spoljar]

Great endevour from the boys and perhaps a bit unlucky in the end not to pinch it. However what an ugly game of footy to watch. At times it seemed as if the team that played the dummer footy (considering both were playing very dum footy) was going to lose the game. Hence some of the decision making from the team at the most crucial moments is what probably lost it for us.
When Tarrant went for goal on the last couple minutes, where was Fraser, Cloke and Rocca??? All I saw was Burns and Egan on the goaline! The amount of times we kicked to a 3 on 1 contest (as Adelaide did) made for one of the worst games of footy I have evey watched! It was just mostly kepings off for most of the night, so the possession count was irrelevant!

I think it would be fair to say that if we make the top 4, we are perhaps even with the top sides to win it, but if we finish from 5-8, we will be the best placed team in that range to win it!

[maggies2003]

bucks was terrible.. good bump though..
fraser selfish in front of goal...
presti, few spoils he normally nails.
maxwell needs a go at willy..

[DaVe86]

Was not a pretty game...but the positive was that we sustained the same level of pressure for 4 quarters and showed we are a fit side to maintain such a tight defence over a fantastic midfield for so long. You would think on the big MCG that our forwards would find more space. The crows forward line still seems a weakness to me.

Wouldve like to have seen Lonie have a stink up forward. He, Didak and Buckley across the Half FOrward line wouldve meant some long range shots at goal. Lonie and Didak each kicked a goal from outside 50. This perhaps couldve been a ploy we couldve exploited further.

If we maintain that intensity then we should win the next couple of games.

[westernpie]

bucks was terrible.. good bump though..
..

Hmmm! He missed a few goals ,but other than that he was in the action most of the night.
I think some people expect him to be performing like when he was 25,problem is that he is now pushing 35

[PeterWH]

Twas a good game excepting for a couple of umpiring mistakes....I am interested as to why in the last quarter,there was a 50 penalty given against us,why buscks didnt handball,guess he wasnt aware of who was close by and that Tarrant goal was a goal,as the Crows player was behind the line.That was two that the goal umpire got wrong......
Malcolm Blight & Anthony Hundson were up to their usual bias in the game...we all knew who they picked to win,it was plain......
All in all it was agood game,BUT it was one that got away,BUT it proves that Crows CAN BE BEATEN.....
Watch out FINALS

[couragous cloke]

Crows arent as good as everyone thinks! We can beat them.

And we will win our next 4 games, finish in the top 4 and beat them in the qualifying final. I can see it all unfolding !!

[Woods Of Ypres]

We didnt win many clearances, but our defence was tight and provided plenty of rebound. Imagine if Rocca had been firing... Ah well. Proud of the boys last nite. Loved Brodies hit on Roo

[RudeBoy]

Great to read all your comments, as I'm still overseas, and was unable to hear or watch the game. I'm much relieved to hear that Daisy is OK, and pleasantly surprised to discover that C1 did not go off with a hammy. From everyone's comments it seems to me that our only real weakness at the moment is the form of Pebbles (probably due to an injury) and to a lesser degree Taz. One thing's clear to me and that is, as good as we are, we will not be successful in September unless at least one of these guys performs near their best. Let's hope they can find form at the right time of the year.

[mudlark]

Travis Cloke needs to have a very hard look at himself. He pulled out of 2 contests that I saw last night and went for several"1 handed marks" which might suggest he lacks a bit of ticker as well as pace. He should take a leaf out of brother Jasons book and give his all, because without C1 we would have lost by 6 goals.And all the ppl praising up Presti because he looked upset should think about what Presti does and how he could possibly have missed that spoil at such a crucial time??I'm pissed of with him because that is bread and butter stuff for defenders.We lost the game and it was a shame to see our stars and leaders being so selfish in front of goal. 3rd spot went begging

[melliot]

Thought we got smashed in clearances in large patches. Crow missed some easy shots. Mind you, we missed 2 goals (Fraser should have handballed to Roc and Bux to Dids or Taz for open goals) in the 2nd. Kept thinking we'd be regretting those 2. in the end one of them would have been enough!

Happy with our effort. Think the dewy ground disadvantaged us more than them. Cos we have Taz, C3 and Roc down forward, which were nullified with the greasy ball. Also meant there were more stop plays, where the Crows are better than us (only just).

Just wish we snatched the 4 points somehow. Would had us up to 3rd. Instead we are now 6th. Should win every game from here and hopefully snatch top 4. Think 2nd is almost gone now.

Credit to Lonie who kept burton nullified. I've been a big critic of his second half of the season. Still not hard enough though.

C3 looks the goods to me. Just lacks some touch with his kicking. Is the all important 3rd tall option for us. Just needs to convert more.

Taz needs to put this week behind him and put his head down and work as hard as he eva has. We need him to lift to career best form and get confidence for the finals. Pebs is the same. If he has a niggle, we need to rest him.

You would think Bux might get a rest over one of the next two weeks.

Iles looked ok, besides some shabby kicking. Has great pace. Impressive pace at times.

Swan was good. Thomo show courage and skill. His spoil deep in the backline and 2nd effort on the ground was fantastic!

Clement dominated down back.

Brodie was below par. seemed to waste disposal too often for his usal self.

IMO We lost it cos a big forwards didn't fire.

First close finish for the season (from memory) pitty we couldn't pinch it.

[Robert Walls (not really)]

We played very ordinarily and lost to the so-called Premiership favourites by 4 points on their home turf.

[georgejason]

A few things learned last night/this week....

The Pies arent to far away from it and the events of this week might just be a turning point. We have a team that can play finals football-i.e mutliple styles of game and create a wining structure.

The players were outstanding in there workrate and fitness and while I have struggled to understand some of Malthouses moves and selections this year you can not fault his planning, strategy and the way he structure and executes the team on game day.

Chris Egan was loose as a defender and cost us a crucial goals last night. His one on one contests are not at the required level and his chasing is one paced. As a forward his soft sideways trotting like leads give us nothing-must lead harder and forward- both seeking the ball and to create space behind him. Was lax with his disposal skills and places fellow players under unneccesary pressure. In short to much slapping of players hands and not enough application and execution to his obvious talent.

We have a number of players who can and will get better with the run.

Anthony Rocca and Didak can carry us deep into the finals. There performances are the difference between us finishing 8-6 or 1-4th.

If you want to experience a whole new world..travel to Adelaide for a Pies game against the Crows!

The AFL wont allow the current brand of football to continue. Expect the playon backwards kick rule to be introduced. If I didnt love the Pies so much and am so desperate for one flag I wouldn't go. The football is boring.

If you want to sell papers and fill media space drum up a nothing story about two Collingwood footballers, take a sanctimonious stance before any police report/court case in a society where a presumption of innocence is meant to exist until proven guilty and write/talk reams about an incident most of you dont know about because you weren't there.

Josh Fraser is an enormously hard worker and gives his all.

The words "side by side we stick together" mean little to some people (and thats both sides to the "arguement"). Time for all of us to remember the foundations of our club and keep things in-house.

We must beat the Bombers next week. 12 wins and you play finals..we have had two years in the wilderness. Its time to return to where we rightly belong against our greatest foe. GO PIES!!