mattys123
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2012 AFL PREMIERSHIP SEASON
ROUND ELEVEN
COLLINGWOOD VS MELBOURNE
MELBOURNE CRICKET GROUND
MONDAY 11TH JUNE 3.15PM
TV/Radio;
Note; As always refer to the quote from "Chief" at the bottom of this post for information regarding the posting and requesting of TV streams.
Weather;
Preview (Dave86);
http://www.collingwoodfc.com.au/newsfeatures/news/newsarticle/tabid/5586/newsid/138122/default.aspx
Ticketing;
My Thoughts;
THE PEOPLE OF GREAT BRITAIN and monarchists all over the world have been rejoicing in the celebrations over the past few days that have saluted the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, so it is only fitting that this coming Monday Australia celebrates the Queen's Birthday with a national holiday, although as most would know, in a strange quirk it's not actually her Birthday on Monday (It's in April).
On the Queen's Birthday holiday Monday in Melbourne, Australia, while many spend some time with their families and friends on a rare weekday off, two old rivals will go head to head at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, as the Collingwood and Melbourne football clubs face off in their traditional Queen's Birthday holiday match in round 11 of the 2012 AFL Premiership season.
This fixture has been fixed in by the AFL since 2001, but the roots of Collingwood playing Melbourne on this day, and the rivalry that accompanies the two clubs was forged long ago. In 1958, on the Queen's Birthday holiday, Melbourne and Collingwood faced off at the MCG in front of what still stands as the largest regular season (non final or Grand Final) crowd in the history of the AFL/VFL, with over 99,000 people turning up. Later that year Collingwood won the 1958 Grand Final by upsetting Melbourne, in a game Melbourne fans still raise anger about to this day (picture below). You see in those times Melbourne were nigh on unbeatable, as they won 6 of their 12 premierships in a 10 year span, under the coaching of the great Norm Smith. Also, 4 of those 6 wins, and 2 others before that time came over their arch rivals Collingwood, which proves that the Melbourne vs Collingwood rivalry started long before the annual Queen's Birthday holiday fixture became permanent in 2001. The rivalry really has been around as long as the two clubs have played in the top league (since 1897) with the demographics of the two supporter bases to this day largely representative of the upper class (Melbourne) and the middle to lower class (Collingwood).
This Monday, it is expected that over 70,000 people will attend the game, and it promises to be a more interesting and competitive game then what it presented as going into the last round, after Melbourne caused the upset of the season, by beating the rampaging Essendon Bombers by 6 points on a cold, wet and windy Saturday night at the MCG. It was a massive result for the whole Melbourne Football Club, who previously had got no where near winning a match, let alone beating a premiership contending team, and the scenes of under fire coach Mark Neeld hugging his players and fellow coaching staff after the siren showed what it meant to that club. The next day Collingwood fronted up at the MCG and looked to boost their percentage against what many consider to be the worst side in the competition, the Gold Coast Suns, and the Magpies did just that, running away with a 97 point win that saw them add 12 percent to their previously lagging team percentage. But the game wasn't without drama again for the Pies, with ruckman Darren Jolly and reliable defender Alan Toovey pulling out pre game due to soreness, but the moment that scared the wits (no pun intended) out of the Collingwood army was when superstar Scott Pendlebury collided awkwardly with a young Suns player and was taken straight down the race, with what seemed to be a serious knee injury. Despite Pendlebury returning and playing out the first half, he was subbed off at half time and it was revealed that he had in fact suffered a minor fracture of the tibia bone, which will see him miss this rounds game at least.
Once again though, the Collingwood machine kept rolling, securing a league wide season best 7th win in a row to move to 8 wins and 2 losses, despite the torrid run with injuries the club has had to endure. The game saw the emergence of yet another young Collingwood star of the future, in just his second game small forward Jamie Elliott showed the talent that saw Collingwood secure him as part of the deal with GWS for Marty Clarke, as the live wire wearing the famous 35 gathered 18 possessions, took 7 marks and kicked 3 goals in a great performance in his first full game (after coming on off the subs bench the week before). The game also saw a great argument break out in the footballing community as Dale Thomas continued his stunning form of late, with a 32 possession, 3 goal game, but was over matched statistically by the Suns captain, Gary Ablett Jnr who put gathered 53 possessions to equal the AFL/VFL record for the number of total possessions in a game set by Greg Williams back in the 1980's. The argument became who was best on ground, was it the player who had the most possessions but gathered most of those in the back half while his team lost by 97 points, or was it the Thomas who was the most effective due to winning so many contested possessions and kicking the three goals to impact the scoreboard. Most notably, both coaches gave their 5 votes for best on ground to Thomas, which is probably the argument ender.
Apart from Thomas, there were plenty of other great signs for the Pies, as backup ruckman Cameron Wood may well have played his best game for the club, with a 23 disposal, 25 hitout performance that would make the club think twice about keeping Wood in the side when Jolly returns. The sight that probably warmed Magpie fans hearts the most was Nathan Brown's stunning return, just two weeks after what seemed like possibly his third serious knee injury, as the gun tall defender kept the Suns best forward, Sam Day to just one kick, in a remarkable defensive effort. Overall Collingwood seem to be improving gradually every week, and it will be interesting to see how they cope with the slight rise in class of their opponent this week as compared to last week.
The Magpies regain Chris Tarrant, Dane Swan and ruckman Darren Jolly this week, which is a boost to a side still contending with a long injury list. That can't be a great thing to hear if you are wearing Red and Blue, as Collingwood defeated Melbourne by 88 points on the same day last year with the likes of Swan and Thomas not playing, proving that the Magpies will indeed be a formidable task for the Demons to overcome.
Opposition Analysis.
The win last week for Melbourne, it's first of the year, would have bought feelings of relief as much as anything else to the club as they fronted for work on Monday morning. You hear the stories of clubs coaching staffs spending extra hours in meetings, and players being driven harder at training, and while I'm sure Melbourne's focus won't have dropped after the win, the intensity of the pressure around the club will have just dropped a notch, and that can only make life easier for everyone involved. But on Monday they would have fronted up and though, oh, we have Collingwood next week, and the planning would have begun in earnest.
The Melbourne team, maybe for the first time this year showed that it can be competitive in a number of key areas for the majority of a match, and that is what they will take forward into this game, for as much as the club has apparently been in crisis, there has been positives on the ground so far in 2012 as well.
Melbourne's forward line definitely hasn't had the supply that some others have enjoyed in 2012 so far, but it has had some very promising signs for the future of the football club. Mitch Clark is probably the recruit of the year, big call I know, but if he was at a premiership competing club, he would probably be up there in the Coleman Medal race, and as it is he still sits only 2 goals off leading forwards at other clubs like Geelong's Podsiadly or Essendon's Crameri, any way you look at it 21 goals in 10 games in a side that has won one game is a great return. Finding assistance for Clark has been the struggle for Melbourne though, with their next leading goal kicker being Nathan Jones on 11, with no other player having averaged a goal a game this season outside of these two. They have some promising types, with the likes of Watts and Howe still developing, but what the Demons really seem to lack is a dangerous small forward or two, and that may be a massive problem for them as small forwards have been one of Collingwood's few apparent weaknesses so far this year.
The Melbourne backline is a source of pride for the club, and that may be a little surprising to those outside of the club, but they do have talent back there, led admirably by All Australian full back James Frawley, who ironically didn't play in their win on the weekend, but is a probable in against the Pies on Monday. Also in possible career best form is Jarryd Rivers, coming off a stunning performance against Essendon, when in the absence of Frawley he helped hold the Essendon talls to no goals, and even if the conditions did assist, it was still a remarkable effort. He was ably supported by names like Watts (enjoying the freedom of playing off half back), Nicholson, the captain Trengove and Tom McDonald, who has been another nice addition to the Melbourne backline. The backline has obviously been under significant strain this season, but it seems as if Melbourne are moving in the right direction in terms of a proper defensive structure down back, at least in the long term anyway.
The names of the Melbourne midfield read like a talented group, as you reel off Jamar, Jones, Trengove, Grimes, Magner, Sylvia, Moloney, Mckenzie and Blease, but for some reason this season the Dees midfield just hasn't produced what it seems capable of. The statistics are damning, with the club only above the Gold Coast Suns in clearances and not much further up the ladder for contested possessions. Yes, they have had injury concerns, and the loss of Tom Scully to the Giants was always going to weaken them, but with Jamar doing his job (helping the club to a top six position in the hitouts category) it has been nothing short of a dismal failure from the Melbourne midfield of 2012. Maybe things have turned after last weeks effort where they easily won the clearances against Essendon, but consistency is the key to credibility in the AFL, and the Melbourne midfield has been nothing if inconsistent so far in 2012. They simply need to maintain the effort they gave last round on a weekly basis if this club is to move forward.
Melbourne regain James Frawley this week, and they will need him, because although Collingwood may be just as injury struck as the Dees are themselves, the depth of the Demons will be tested to it's limit against a Magpie outfit that seems to just keep producing talented youngsters, almost at will. But the Demons will be buoyed by their effort, and ultimately a positive result against Essendon, and on their big marque day of the season will look to continue that output against another top four side. An advantage Melbourne may have is in the coaches box, with ex Pies coaching staff members Mark Neeld and Leigh Brown making the move over the off season to Melbourne, and there's no doubting they will have some inside knowledge on the Magpies lineup this week, even if it has changed slightly in terms of both personnel and game style since they left.
Key Matchups;
Jolly vs Jamar
I really hope we get to see this matchup, especially after Jamar called Jolly “soft” after the Magpie veteran made some negative comments about ex Melbourne coach Neale Daniher and his time as a Demon. Add that they are two of the best old style rucks in the AFL and you will get a battle that might endure all day long between two players who obviously have no love lost for each other.
Grimes vs Thomas
Melbourne have to tag Dale Thomas, they just have to, he has been granted the freedom over the past two matches and has returned the favour with possibly two best on ground performances after a slowish start to the season. Grimes has the defensive ability to restrict someone like Thomas, yet has the physical attributes to stay with Thomas for a long period of time. Another matchup I'd like to see occur, even as a Collingwood fan.
Frawley vs Cloke
I bring up the Cloke matchup every week, and for good reason, because he always attracts the oppositions best defender, and if Frawley plays, he will start on Cloke. The ongoing contract negotiations are definitely effecting Travis and his output, and with a star defender like Frawley to deal with his frustrations may just increase during Monday's game.
Brown vs Clark
Clark is in career best form, snubbing his nose at comments from those associated with his old club that he is a better second ruckman then a forward, and if he gets the best defender on the ground as his matchup this week, it may be worth paying the admission price to watch alone. Brown, when fit and playing this season has been in stunning form, and has the ability to shut down and completely nullify even the best forwards in the game.
Teams;
Tip.
Collingwood will win, and win comfortably, but between the first bounce of the ball and the final siren there will still be significant challenges for the men in black and white on Monday. Many name this day as Melbourne's annual Grand Final, and apart from last years woeful effort results do point to the Dees playing better then expected on the Monday holiday each season.
Two years again the Demons pushed the eventual premiers to breaking point, eventually coming away with a draw, and the Pies went into that game as hot as favourites as they will this, so it shows anything can happen in big games. But Collingwood have the class, and even with the absence of the likes of Reid, Krakouer and the big out in Pendelbury, the Magpies on every line seem to be more talented and have an array of talent that is simply deeper then that of the Demons.
During the current seven game winning streak the Pies have improved gradually, and there's no reason to expect yet another improvement, especially with the bye approaching and Collingwood in a situation where they now can leave everything on the table as it were, with little concern for their recovery for the following weekend. Pies by plenty.
Pies by 46.
VFL
Collingwood's VFL affiliate travelled out to Casey in the South Eastern Suburbs of Melbourne on Saturday, but unfortunately lost by 13 points.
Report here; http://www.collingwoodfc.com.au/newsfeatures/news/newsarticle/tabid/5586/newsid/138161/default.aspx
GO PIES.
