Pre Match. Collingwood v. Sydney - All comments

[melliot]

It will be hard to see our backline holding up. Davis, Hall, O'Keefe, O'Loughlin and co. Tough assignment for Wakes, Goldy, Stanely, Maxwell, and Tooves. Hmm we are skinny down there.

It will be our best win for the year by far if we can do it.

Then the following week we're up against the Hawks, who like the tiges last year, will have the advantage of the break and be able to set themselfs for us.

If we can win 1 of 2 with the backline so skinny, we'll have done really well.

then Saints and Cats. So very tough 4 games ahead. If we get 2 wins, I'll be satisfied. Its just a pity we don't hit these teams with a full squad.

[RudeBoy]

It will be hard to see our backline holding up. Davis, Hall, O'Keefe, O'Loughlin and co. Tough assignment for Wakes, Goldy, Stanely, Maxwell, and Tooves. Hmm we are skinny down there.

It will be our best win for the year by far if we can do it.

Then the following week we're up against the Hawks, who like the tiges last year, will have the advantage of the break and be able to set themselfs for us.

If we can win 1 of 2 with the backline so skinny, we'll have done really well.

then Saints and Cats. So very tough 4 games ahead. If we get 2 wins, I'll be satisfied. Its just a pity we don't hit these teams with a full squad.

I agree. Two weeks ago i'd have penciled this game down as a likely win, but with 5 of our best backmen now out injured, we are going to struggle to contain the swans' forwards. I still think we can win, but it will certainly be one of MMs greatest victories if our boys can achieve it. Sometimes we perform best with our backs to the wall.

[HieroHero]

this is the most imporant game of the year

[DaVe86]

I can't see us winning without at least one of Presti, O'Brien or Clement playing, our backline goes from a strength to a weakness.

Very good point...unless we can find a defender quickly we are in trouble. Wakelin just will not have the wheels to go with Hall or O'Loughlin. They will run him off his feet.

We need Clement on Hall, and maybe Maxwell on O'Loughlin. We can use Goldsack on O'keefe which is a fantastic matchup i think.

Wakelin can be used as the spare man, which will really strengthen us up, or on Everitt or Richards if they push forward. They are better matchups for him. But we lose a lot of versatility if Clement cant come back.

I doubt Maxwell will have what it takes to match Hall.

The key is going to be clearances. The Swans pride themselves in this area. If we let them get the jump, our inexperienced backline will fold.

That is why im hoping Guy Richards comes back in. He is a better tap ruckman, and is a good match against Jolly. Bryan lacks Richards expertise in tapwork. Fraser should be able to work Jolly and Everitt off their feet.

O'bree has been in poor touch over the last few weeks. We need him at his best. Burns has to keep his good clearance work up, whilst id expect Licuria to return for the Pies.

At the SCG i would give us no hope, but on a big Telstra Stadium i think the Swans generally struggle. That said, Rocca needs a marked improvement on his QB match, and Trav must convert. Im not sure if Crouch is available, but if he isnt Didak should have a big one. Didak is struggling a little bit to find match fitness, but has looked very dangerous for a month now. Hopefully with the break he comes out ready to rumble and kicks 3.

Medhurst has been a bit down on touch too. We need him to find the footy.

[stui magpie]

While looking at the backine mtchups, don't forget Goodes on the wing. From memory Lonie played on him the last few times and kept him quiet.

[jeff corfe]

Cox will be back, i dont however see this as a danger game..the pies will bounce back and be on their merry way once again



A pic of Coxy at yesterdays game at Burbank oval ... Ice blocks cox calm and under no pressure as he clears the ball out of defence yet again!!

[ad4eva]

Cox will be back, i dont however see this as a danger game..the pies will bounce back and be on their merry way once again

i dont think there is any danger game in the AFL these days, theres just no such think in which the way it is so evenly contested, and yes i find it hard not to see Coxy in the side

Forget the fact that its Sydney, in Sydney, i just think this game can really set up the season. As said before its the classic 8 point game. We win and we jump 8 points ahead of Sydney, we loose we fall behind them on percentage and ultimately are put back in the pack with Essendon, Western Bulldogs and co. Massive game in the context of the season.

[Captain_MyCaptain]

with next to no back line our ruck /Josh i guess/ must nullify Everrit and our midfield must win the ball, get it inside fifty and hopefully from there put enough scoreboard pressure on the Swans for us to hold them off.

[Piethagoras' Theorem]

I reckon we might just have Sydney's measure. Before turning it around last year we were desperately unlucky going down twice by a total of 7 pts with injury depleted sides.
I feel that Sydney is slowly on the decline where as we're in fact quite the opposite. Barry Hall is struggling, must be still carrying that knee injury and Kennely is a huge loss for them. Those two scenarios should help offset any perceived deficiencies we have with our backline.
We don't mind their choking style of play, we've absorbed it before and were talented enough to break through it.
Should be a tight game as both sides have plenty to play for, the question is who will desire it more, that will probably be the overriding factor

[Usurper]

It would be nice to have the backline on field, that we all know can beat the swans, but its not going to happen.

The press will laud the sydney forwards as champions regaining form, like robertson was congratulated when all they will be doing is playing against a vfl inexperienced backline, who haven't had a chance to play together much. And then will wonder what happened, next week, when they "lose form" and can't kick goals again.

I hold little hope we will take this game, because malthouse will let things simmer, cop the flogging, and let the backline get back to 100% instead of 75.

I expect a booming close to the season, once we have licked our wounds, and to slam every opponent down as we leapfrog into the finals!

Go pies!

[jackcass]

i dont however see this as a danger game..the pies will bounce back and be on their merry way once again

I seem to recall you saying the same thing about the game v Dees Joffa. I would say this is very much a 50/50 game, particularly with the type of game they play, history over the last couple of years, and our injuries.

[regan is true fullback]

Of the 5 overrated no-hopers who cost us our season last year - Melbourne, St Kilda, Footscray, Sinny and Freo, we have met 3 and won only one - we had a chance to put all five of them out of the finals and blew it.

The local scribe (Sydney Morning Herald) Richard Hinds is claiming that the Swans will make the top 4 starting with a win over our mob.

We have met them twice this year in practice games and lost out badly both times - time to take the angry pills and show the biased commentariat that we are are contender, not a bum.

I wish we hated them the way we hate Carlton and Brisbane - it would make life a lot easier

[DaVe86]

I hate them just as much. Atleast Carlton and Brisbane play attacking footy. I cannot stand watching a Sydney game, id rather turn on the soccer and watch a nil all draw.

[~Madness~]

I hate them just as much. Atleast Carlton and Brisbane play attacking footy. I cannot stand watching a Sydney game, id rather turn on the soccer and watch a nil all draw.

I recon they will go on the attack on Sat night because of our depleted backline. I recon they will try to exploit it. This might help us!

[jackcass]

I hate them just as much. Atleast Carlton and Brisbane play attacking footy. I cannot stand watching a Sydney game, id rather turn on the soccer and watch a nil all draw.

I recon they will go on the attack on Sat night because of our depleted backline. I recon they will try to exploit it. This might help us!

Good observation. It's not as if they don't have the forwards to play attacking footy and their mids certainly get enough of it to drive it in.

Key battle will be the midfield and the stappages. Hold our own there and we'll go a long way toward winning.