Collingwood take on St. Kilda
Collingwood v St. Kilda
MCG – 7:40PM – Saturday 4 July
St. Kilda will look to claim a major scalp in its fight for a top eight spot when they take on Collingwood at the MCG this Saturday.
It shapes as a must win game for both teams as September draws nearer, with a St. Kilda loss making it extremely difficult for the Saints to make the eight while Collingwood is under siege from West Coast in the battle for a top four position.
Collingwood look set to welcome back a host of key players such as Steele Sidebottom, Dale Thomas and Darren Jolly after have the previous week off against GWS. Sharrod Wellingham is also eligible to return after his infamous bump on Kade Simpson three weeks a go.
For St. Kilda, Farren Ray and Arryn Sippos will both in contention for selection, though spots will be limited after what was a dominant display against the Western Bulldogs. Unfortunately for the Saints, Adam Schnieder looks set to miss after an apparent hamstring injury.
It’s been two years since the famous drawn final between these two teams and both teams have changes dramatically. Both teams now contain new head coaches with Buckley coming in for the Pies and Watters taking over from Ross Lyon for the Saints.
While Collingwood maintain a similar structure to the Malthouse years, Watters brings a much different approach to St. Kilda than his predecessor.
The most notable difference Watters brings is an offensive streak that was very much lacking in St. Kilda’s three recent grand finals.
Watters and the St. Kilda team will be hoping their new found offensive potency will be the catalyst for the Saints finally conquering Collingwood and providing the Saints with the perfect step ladder to make an attack on the top 8.
Collingwood should still prove to be too strong however, though St. Kilda will still provide one hell of a contest.
Prediction: Collingwood by 8 points
