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- Jul 15, 2014
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Six months is a long time in football. At the end of round one, both Collingwood and West Coast had just suffered poor losses. For Collingwood, Buckley’s job was under immense pressure, as many thought he didn’t have what it took to lead the list that he had. For West Coast, many thought that the team was simply just a middle of the road team, good enough to make finals, but not able to compete with the big boys. After round one, if you said that Collingwood and the West Coast Eagles were playing in a Grand Final, you would be laughed at, yet these two sides are now playing for the ultimate prize. It’s quite unbelievable that these two sides are playing for a flag, yet here they are.
Both teams put on stunning performances last week, with each team surprising many fans and experts. Collingwood upset a very confident Richmond outfit, while West Coast were able to stop Melbourne’s unpredictable gameplay.
The Eagles and Collingwood last met only a month ago in a Qualifying Final, in which the Eagles ran out 16 point winners. In what was one of the games of the season, West Coast managed to grab ahold of the momentum in the final half of the last quarter and put the game to bed, giving the Magpies a heartbreaking loss. Sidebottom and Adams were brilliant for the Magpies, while Elliott Yeo and Josh Kennedy were great for the West Coast.
Collingwood
It’s quite unbelievable, it really is. In what was perhaps the biggest Preliminary Final upset since 1999, Collingwood stunned a supremely confident Richmond outfit, to come out 39 point winners. While Collingwood dominated the first half, Richmond made a charge in the second half, and to Collingwood’s credit, they managed to weather the storm, something that many sides have struggled to do against Richmond. Mason Cox put on one of the most iconic performances, marking every contested ball that came his way. Steele Sidebottom and Taylor Adams also played brilliantly, continuing their brilliant finals series.
If Collingwood are to win the premiership they need to be able to feed the ball to Cox like they did in the Preliminary Final. In the Qualifying Final, the Magpies were to often kicking it to where Cox was standing, not to where he was running. On Friday, the Magpies managed to kick it to space, and Cox was able to dominate.
The man to watch this week is Chris Mayne. Coming into the 2018 season, Mayne’s career was at the crossroads. Collingwood were heavily criticized by fans and the media for signing him for such a big deal. Collingwood clearly regretted the signing as well, offering Fremantle to trade for him. However, Mayne was professional throughout the whole ordeal, working on his fitness and skills in the off-season. In round six, he was gifted a spot in the side through various injuries to other players, and he has managed to retain his spot since. Mayne has played a variety of roles in the team, with perhaps his most pivotal role coming in the Qualifying Final. Jeremy McGovern was dominating the game in the first quarter, intercepting everything that came his way. Buckley made the decision to move Mayne into a tagging role on McGovern, and as a result it changed the whole dynamic of the game. It is unknown as to whether Buckley will give Mayne that assignment again, but the role he played in the Qualifying Final will make him a man to watch if McGovern does begin to dominate again.
West Coast
While not as much of a surprise as Collingwood making the Grand Final, not many predicted the West Coast would also make the Grand Final. The Eagles have had a stellar season, playing some brilliant exciting football on the way to their second Grand Final in four years. This season has not been without adversity for the Eagles, losing star ruckman Nic Naitanui to a knee injury, and also losing Gaff to suspension. However, they have managed to rally, and go into the Grand Final in red hot form. The Eagle’s performance in the Preliminary Final against an overwhelmed Melbourne was nothing short of sensational. Right from the first siren, the Eagles put immense pressure on the Demons, forcing Melbourne players to turnover the ball at crucial moments, which allowed West Coast to put the game beyond doubt by halftime. While slightly surprising, Simpson putting Hutchings on Oliver proved to be a masterstroke, stopping the star midfielder.
The Eagles are the highest kicking team in the competition, averaging 227.5 kicks a game. As a result, they also rely heavily on marking in order to advance the ball forward. This could be their downfall if the weather forecast is accurate. Currently in Melbourne, there is a high chance of rain during the game. This could prove critical, as the Eagles depend on their marking targets, and if it is wet, it’s going to be a lot more difficult to execute their game plan.
The man to watch for the Eagles is Elliott Yeo. Yeo was one of the many Eagles players who were quite poor for the Eagles back in the 2015 Grand Final. However, the midfielder has improved in leaps and bounds to become one of the elite midfielders in the entire competition. When the West Coast last played the Magpies in the Qualifying Final, Yeo was one of the best players on the ground. If Collingwood are to win, they will need to stop Yeo, or at least curb his influence.
Matchups to watch
Levi Greenwood vs Luke Shuey
Greenwood has put forth some brilliant tagging efforts this season, stopping the likes of Fyfe and Zorko. However, he put on perhaps his best tagging job last Friday, stopping the influential Dustin Martin. While Shuey may not be on the level of Martin, Greenwood will still have his work cut out for him, and if he does stop Shuey, it will go a long way to boosting the Magpies chances.
Tyson Goldsack vs Josh Kennedy
Goldsack didn’t have his best performance last week, being dominated by Jack Riewoldt, but he is still vital in stopping Josh Kennedy. These two also played on each other last time these two sides met. In his first game back, Goldsack put on a brave performance, but Kennedy took the points, playing a pivotal role in the Eagles win.
Jeremy McGovern vs Mason Cox
While they may not be in direct matchups with each other, the way these two play will be critical in determining the outcome of the Grand Final. If Cox is to have those free lanes that he was able enjoy last week, he will most likely prove to be the difference. However, if McGovern is able to cover those lanes, he will effectively nullify Cox, and take out a crucial Collingwood forward line asset.
Head to Head odds
Collingwood: $1.67
West Coast: $2.25
Changes
Collingwood
No change
West Coast
No Change
TV
Live on Channel 7, National. Coverage begins at 9:00AM.
Fox Footy is not showing the game, but pre-game coverage begins at 9:00AM.
Radio
3AW
ABC
MMM
SEN
IPTV
AFL Live Pass
7Plus
WatchAFL
Weather
14 °C / 56 °F
Chance of rain: 30%
Cloudy with a chance of showers.
Congratulations to Tom Phillips and Will Hoskin-Elliott
Coming to the club, no one really knew if Hoskin-Elliott would be able to fit into the Collingwood. However, he’s managed to play a vital role in the very important Collingwood forward line. He plays his 100th game in the Grand Final. Tom Phillips plays his 50th game in this Grand Final. Phillips had a fine start to the season, putting himself in All-Australian contention. While his form has dipped in the back half of the season, he is still a vital asset to this Collingwood team.
Tip
This is a real tough one to tip. The experts are torn, the betting market favors Collingwood, and many fans think the Eagles should win. This will be a tough battle, and if it does end up raining, Collingwood should be able to nullify Kennedy and Darling.
Collingwood by 3 points.
Both teams put on stunning performances last week, with each team surprising many fans and experts. Collingwood upset a very confident Richmond outfit, while West Coast were able to stop Melbourne’s unpredictable gameplay.
The Eagles and Collingwood last met only a month ago in a Qualifying Final, in which the Eagles ran out 16 point winners. In what was one of the games of the season, West Coast managed to grab ahold of the momentum in the final half of the last quarter and put the game to bed, giving the Magpies a heartbreaking loss. Sidebottom and Adams were brilliant for the Magpies, while Elliott Yeo and Josh Kennedy were great for the West Coast.
Collingwood
It’s quite unbelievable, it really is. In what was perhaps the biggest Preliminary Final upset since 1999, Collingwood stunned a supremely confident Richmond outfit, to come out 39 point winners. While Collingwood dominated the first half, Richmond made a charge in the second half, and to Collingwood’s credit, they managed to weather the storm, something that many sides have struggled to do against Richmond. Mason Cox put on one of the most iconic performances, marking every contested ball that came his way. Steele Sidebottom and Taylor Adams also played brilliantly, continuing their brilliant finals series.
If Collingwood are to win the premiership they need to be able to feed the ball to Cox like they did in the Preliminary Final. In the Qualifying Final, the Magpies were to often kicking it to where Cox was standing, not to where he was running. On Friday, the Magpies managed to kick it to space, and Cox was able to dominate.
The man to watch this week is Chris Mayne. Coming into the 2018 season, Mayne’s career was at the crossroads. Collingwood were heavily criticized by fans and the media for signing him for such a big deal. Collingwood clearly regretted the signing as well, offering Fremantle to trade for him. However, Mayne was professional throughout the whole ordeal, working on his fitness and skills in the off-season. In round six, he was gifted a spot in the side through various injuries to other players, and he has managed to retain his spot since. Mayne has played a variety of roles in the team, with perhaps his most pivotal role coming in the Qualifying Final. Jeremy McGovern was dominating the game in the first quarter, intercepting everything that came his way. Buckley made the decision to move Mayne into a tagging role on McGovern, and as a result it changed the whole dynamic of the game. It is unknown as to whether Buckley will give Mayne that assignment again, but the role he played in the Qualifying Final will make him a man to watch if McGovern does begin to dominate again.
West Coast
While not as much of a surprise as Collingwood making the Grand Final, not many predicted the West Coast would also make the Grand Final. The Eagles have had a stellar season, playing some brilliant exciting football on the way to their second Grand Final in four years. This season has not been without adversity for the Eagles, losing star ruckman Nic Naitanui to a knee injury, and also losing Gaff to suspension. However, they have managed to rally, and go into the Grand Final in red hot form. The Eagle’s performance in the Preliminary Final against an overwhelmed Melbourne was nothing short of sensational. Right from the first siren, the Eagles put immense pressure on the Demons, forcing Melbourne players to turnover the ball at crucial moments, which allowed West Coast to put the game beyond doubt by halftime. While slightly surprising, Simpson putting Hutchings on Oliver proved to be a masterstroke, stopping the star midfielder.
The Eagles are the highest kicking team in the competition, averaging 227.5 kicks a game. As a result, they also rely heavily on marking in order to advance the ball forward. This could be their downfall if the weather forecast is accurate. Currently in Melbourne, there is a high chance of rain during the game. This could prove critical, as the Eagles depend on their marking targets, and if it is wet, it’s going to be a lot more difficult to execute their game plan.
The man to watch for the Eagles is Elliott Yeo. Yeo was one of the many Eagles players who were quite poor for the Eagles back in the 2015 Grand Final. However, the midfielder has improved in leaps and bounds to become one of the elite midfielders in the entire competition. When the West Coast last played the Magpies in the Qualifying Final, Yeo was one of the best players on the ground. If Collingwood are to win, they will need to stop Yeo, or at least curb his influence.
Matchups to watch
Levi Greenwood vs Luke Shuey
Greenwood has put forth some brilliant tagging efforts this season, stopping the likes of Fyfe and Zorko. However, he put on perhaps his best tagging job last Friday, stopping the influential Dustin Martin. While Shuey may not be on the level of Martin, Greenwood will still have his work cut out for him, and if he does stop Shuey, it will go a long way to boosting the Magpies chances.
Tyson Goldsack vs Josh Kennedy
Goldsack didn’t have his best performance last week, being dominated by Jack Riewoldt, but he is still vital in stopping Josh Kennedy. These two also played on each other last time these two sides met. In his first game back, Goldsack put on a brave performance, but Kennedy took the points, playing a pivotal role in the Eagles win.
Jeremy McGovern vs Mason Cox
While they may not be in direct matchups with each other, the way these two play will be critical in determining the outcome of the Grand Final. If Cox is to have those free lanes that he was able enjoy last week, he will most likely prove to be the difference. However, if McGovern is able to cover those lanes, he will effectively nullify Cox, and take out a crucial Collingwood forward line asset.
Head to Head odds
Collingwood: $1.67
West Coast: $2.25
Changes
Collingwood
No change
West Coast
No Change
TV
Live on Channel 7, National. Coverage begins at 9:00AM.
Fox Footy is not showing the game, but pre-game coverage begins at 9:00AM.
Radio
3AW
ABC
MMM
SEN
IPTV
AFL Live Pass
7Plus
WatchAFL
Weather
14 °C / 56 °F
Chance of rain: 30%
Cloudy with a chance of showers.
Congratulations to Tom Phillips and Will Hoskin-Elliott
Coming to the club, no one really knew if Hoskin-Elliott would be able to fit into the Collingwood. However, he’s managed to play a vital role in the very important Collingwood forward line. He plays his 100th game in the Grand Final. Tom Phillips plays his 50th game in this Grand Final. Phillips had a fine start to the season, putting himself in All-Australian contention. While his form has dipped in the back half of the season, he is still a vital asset to this Collingwood team.
Tip
This is a real tough one to tip. The experts are torn, the betting market favors Collingwood, and many fans think the Eagles should win. This will be a tough battle, and if it does end up raining, Collingwood should be able to nullify Kennedy and Darling.
Collingwood by 3 points.
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