AFL

Melbourne
16.8.104
Collingwood
8.10.58
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AFL Live: Melbourne v Collingwood

The annual Queen's Birthday clash rolls around again. But this time there's a difference: the Demons are favourites.

The Demons
Having an influence: Max Gawn. Photo: Getty Images

Miserable Magpies, Rampant Demons

 

 All over. This is a big win for the Demons after quarter time Melbourne outscored Collingwood by six goals. Even in that first term though they actually played the better but poor kicking meant they did not hit the scoreboard in the satisfying way.

After quarter-time it was the Demons. Max Gawn was outstanding Vince was prolific, Bugg closed Sidebottom completely out of the game after quarter time, Dom Tyson through the middle of the ground maintained a consistent best and former Magpie Ben Kennedy was industrious and clever forward. 

Jesse Hogan was the best forward on the ground by a long way while Tom McDonald, outsized against the tall Collingwood forwards was good with ony a few of those moments when you wished he kicked the ball sooner and didn't run on with it.

As good as Melbourne were it was hard to escape the narrative of this game being about Collingwood. It's hard to escape the fact this game was lost at selection. Yes there wre those who could not be selected for injury (that list is long) but then there were those who were selected. 

Collingwood boldly went big and it didn't work. The tall forwards in Collingwood's forward line took too few marks and consequently when it hit the ground they could not put enough pressure on.

The two rucks - Grundy and Witts - were used to double team Gawn and had no impact in nullifying him. Their inability to mark the ball around the ground, to cover the ground and run meant Collingwood was playing one short. Cox had a quiet game and was ineffectual once the ball hit the ground. Jarryd Blair did a few things as a forward but in a game when more was going to fall to fewer for defensive pressure he didn't do enough.

As stated earlier it's difficult to conceive that Collingwood would have been worse if Travis Cloke played.

Pendlebury finished the game on the bench with his foot in ice after being stomped on the back of the foot.

He was still probably Collingwood's best but putting the obligatory number of players in Collingwood's bst list is misleading.

It is also worth recalling that the two successive heavy losses Collingwood has had have been against bottom eight teams.   

 

 

 

 

Final Siren: Melbourne wins by 46

All over the Magpies are Gawn.

 

rushed behind Collingwood

Melbourne by 46

Behind.

Cox missed set shot from 25 out directly in front. 40 seconds to go. 

Melbourne by 47

Goal Collingwood.

Mason Cox free kick for being brought down in the goal square in the marking contest. 

Melbourne by 48 

 

 

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Goal Melbourne 

Big Max Gawn. The cult hero for good reason, the big ruck took the mark went back and kicked the set shot 

Melbourne by 55

 Behind Melbourne 

Jones misses from 45 out on the run. 

Melbourne has had 130 more disposals than Collingwood. This margin could and should have been bigger 

Melb by 49 

Behind Petracca.

Roved off Hogan's hands and snapped a ball that flew just the wrong side of the post. 

Melbourne 48

 

Crowd of 60,158

 

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Behind Collingwood

Crisp set shot 

Melb by 47

Goal. Melbourne

Watts' second for the term

The demons took it end to end after it started in Collingwood's forward line with no pressure put on and Melbourne just sliced them apart with run through the corridor. Watts leading out of the goal square took uncontested mark.

This is blowing out now. Could easily end up 12 - 15 goal win yet  

Melbourne by 49  

Goal Melbourne

And to salt all Collingwood wounds it is former Magpie Ben Kennedy who has kicked the sealer.

Tom Bugg's job in closing down Sidebottom has been absolutely critical in this win. Sidebottom has only had 17 touches so far the same number as Bugg 

Melbourne by 43 

Goal Melbourne

Back to back goals and that was easy. Melbourne with all the overlapping run to find Watts alone in the goal square  

Melbourne by 37

 

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Goal Melbourne 

Kent kicks set shot from free kick against Maynard for too high.Both players went down low for the loose ball between them. Kent went lower and Maynard ended on top of him .

Melbourne by 31

 

 

Goal.

Collingwood gets the first of the last. White runs onto a ball after Marley Williams did well to win the ball at half back and get it forward quickly. Grundy alone forward accepted teh ball and ran into open goal.

Melbourne by 25 

THREE QUARTER TIME

Behind just before th siren and it's Melbourne by 31 points at the last break

Kent pushed his shot wide. Bernie Vince has been outstanding this quarter and set Kent up for the shot at goal. While Gawn was the best player in the second quarter in setting this up for Melbourne it was Vince in early and then in that term who made a certainty of Melbourne maintaining their lead.

Collingwood looks tall and ponderous. If or when the ball hits the ground in the forward line from the tall forwards not marking the ball then Melbourne hurries it out. There is very little forward pressure  - something Nathan Buckley has complained about in losses earlier this year - abut it is difficult to see how forward pressure would be better in this game with three tall forwards.  

It is doubtful Travis Cloke would have made this team significantly better but it is equally hard to think he would make them worse. The very tall players they have are also very slow. 

 

 

 

Goal Melbourne 

There is really only one forward playing in this game. Jesse Hogan. No other player looks a natural forward or remotely dangerous near goal.

Hogan just marked strongly for his third goal. In a low scoring game he has been pivotal. 

Collingwood had a lot of the field play for the first half of that quarter and could not score. Now the Demons are getting the pendulum swing of momentum and have hit the scoreboard.

This game is as good as over. Collingwood cannot score, the ball hit the ground when their tall forward drop it and Melbourne spirits it away. The Demons have numbers at contest after contest. They have more hunger at the fall of the ball and more options to spread.

Melbourne by 30

 

 

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3 comments

Match Tracker

Melbourne
Collingwood
Q1
2.4.16
4.4.28

    Melbourne Events

  • 1 mins - Goal, J.Viney
  • 5 mins - Rushed Behind
  • 7 mins - Behind, C.Dawes
  • 7 mins - Behind, B.Vince
  • 20 mins - Behind, J.Watts
  • 25 mins - Goal, D.Kent

    Melbourne and Collingwood Events

  • 8 mins - Behind, T.Varcoe
  • 9 mins - Goal, M.Cox
  • 13 mins - Behind, J.White
  • 17 mins - Behind, J.Marsh
  • 18 mins - Goal, B.Maynard
  • 21 mins - Goal, J.White
  • 27 mins - Behind, J.Witts
  • 29 mins - Goal, S.Sidebottom
Q2
9.6.60
5.4.34

    Melbourne Events

  • 2 mins - Goal, J.Trengove
  • 6 mins - Goal, J.Hogan
  • 8 mins - Goal, C.Petracca
  • 11 mins - Goal, M.Gawn
  • 14 mins - Goal, J.Hogan
  • 19 mins - Goal, D.Kent
  • 25 mins - Behind, M.Gawn
  • 28 mins - Goal, M.Gawn
  • 30 mins - Behind, N.Jones

    Melbourne and Collingwood Events

  • 5 mins - Goal, T.Varcoe
Q3
11.7.73
6.6.42

    Melbourne Events

  • 4 mins - Goal, N.Jones
  • 21 mins - Goal, J.Hogan
  • 27 mins - Behind, D.Kent

    Melbourne and Collingwood Events

  • 5 mins - Goal, L.Greenwood
  • 13 mins - Behind, T.Varcoe
  • 18 mins - Behind, J.Blair
Q4
16.8.104
8.10.58

    Melbourne Events

  • 5 mins - Goal, D.Kent
  • 7 mins - Goal, J.Watts
  • 8 mins - Goal, B.Kennedy
  • 11 mins - Goal, J.Watts
  • 19 mins - Behind, C.Petracca
  • 21 mins - Goal, M.Gawn

    Melbourne and Collingwood Events

  • 1 mins - Goal, B.Grundy
  • 16 mins - Behind, J.Crisp
  • 24 mins - Behind, T.Varcoe
  • 27 mins - Goal, M.Cox
  • 29 mins - Behind, M.Cox
  • 30 mins - Rushed Behind

Scorers

Melbourne
Collingwood
Goal Scorers Melbourne Collingwood
Goals and Behinds Gawn (3.1), Kent (3.1), Hogan (3.0), Watts (2.1), Jones (1.1), Petracca (1.1), Kennedy (1.0), Trengove (1.0), Viney (1.0), Dawes (0.1), Vince (0.1) Cox (2.1), Varcoe (1.3), White (1.1), Greenwood (1.0), Grundy (1.0), Maynard (1.0), Sidebottom (1.0), Blair (0.1), Crisp (0.1), Marsh (0.1), Witts (0.1)

Team Statistics

Melbourne
Collingwood

Statistics

Melbourne Collingwood
Goals 16 8
Behinds 8 10
Scoring shots 27 19
Goals/scoring shots 59 42
Disposals 470 344
MelbourneGoal Scorers
Players D K M H CP T FF FA HO CL
T.Bugg 21 7 3 14 8 8 1 1 0 1
C.Dawes 18 8 5 10 7 2 0 2 2 2
S.Frost 21 11 7 10 7 1 1 0 0 1
M.Gawn 27 14 6 13 6 3 1 1 31 4
J.Hogan 19 7 6 12 8 3 2 1 1 0
J.Hunt 13 4 3 9 5 1 0 2 0 2
N.Jetta 10 4 2 6 3 0 1 1 0 0
N.Jones 32 17 5 15 11 8 3 1 0 5
B.Kennedy 29 11 10 18 7 2 0 0 0 1
D.Kent 23 14 7 9 5 4 1 0 0 0
O.McDonald 18 8 4 10 6 2 0 2 0 0
T.McDonald 19 15 9 4 5 4 0 0 1 1
C.Oliver 16 3 0 13 10 8 0 3 1 5
C.Petracca 20 10 3 10 11 1 1 0 0 1
B.Stretch 18 2 2 16 7 1 0 0 0 2
J.Trengove 13 5 4 8 3 9 0 0 1 2
D.Tyson 29 13 7 16 8 9 1 0 3 2
A.Vandenberg 18 5 6 13 3 5 0 2 0 0
B.Vince 42 25 7 17 14 1 2 1 0 2
J.Viney 30 14 6 16 13 4 1 1 0 6
J.Wagner 16 8 6 8 2 4 0 1 0 0
J.Watts 18 14 9 4 5 2 0 1 1 3
CollingwoodGoal Scorers
Players D K M H CP T FF FA HO CL
J.Blair 18 7 2 11 6 5 0 2 0 1
M.Cox 5 5 3 0 6 2 2 0 1 0
J.Crisp 18 7 2 11 11 8 1 1 1 4
B.Crocker 7 5 3 2 3 2 0 0 0 0
J.De Goey 22 12 4 10 10 4 0 1 0 3
J.Frost 7 4 2 3 2 5 1 1 0 0
L.Greenwood 14 6 1 8 6 15 2 1 1 2
B.Grundy 15 7 4 8 12 3 0 0 22 1
J.Howe 18 10 3 8 7 1 0 0 0 1
J.Marsh 11 7 4 4 5 6 1 2 0 1
B.Maynard 16 13 7 3 4 4 1 2 0 0
S.Pendlebury 26 14 2 12 18 3 1 1 1 6
T.Phillips 15 7 3 8 8 5 1 1 0 1
B.Reid 14 11 6 3 6 0 1 0 0 1
S.Sidebottom 17 9 5 8 5 4 1 0 0 1
B.Sinclair 11 6 2 5 5 4 2 0 0 0
J.Smith 17 8 4 9 4 1 0 0 0 2
A.Treloar 31 11 2 20 12 4 1 1 0 7
T.Varcoe 16 11 6 5 3 3 1 0 0 0
J.White 19 15 6 4 10 2 2 0 0 0
M.Williams 19 7 0 12 6 2 0 0 0 0
J.Witts 8 4 3 4 4 2 2 2 10 2

Match Details

Melbourne
Collingwood
START TIME
3:20PM
WEATHER
Clear
VENUE
MCG
Umpires
Brent Wallace, Mathew Nicholls, Scott Jeffery