- Mar 16, 2014
- 8,839
- 9,062
- AFL Club
- Collingwood
Detective stories are always among my favourites. From the mystery stories of Agatha Cristie to James Ellroy’s bloody LA Confidential. I like intrigue – and this week we get plenty of mystery. It will be a fascinating watch against the Bulldogs and will take a hard-drinking, tortured yet genius detective to be able to puzzle out Friday night’s plot.
Clue number one: The Bulldogs have some of the most impressive talls in the competition. I mean, Ugle-Hagan is now their number one forward, which makes Naughton their second. Even Rory Lobb
, who has been disappointing for years, can mark a game. Their ruckman might dominate ours. Then they have some talented juniors not even in the team.
Clue number two: The Bulldogs have a great midfield, capable of tearing the ball out of the pack and into space with handballs. Bontempelli, Smith, Treloar, Macrae, Liberatore -- all are elite in their own way. We might even see an old Magpie, Caleb Poulter, loping like some lonely giraffe on the wings.
Clue number three: The Bulldog’s defence is not elite. Even if Richards comes back in, they don’t have the Key Backs or the counter-attacking half-backs to make them elite. They are vulnerable.
Clue number four: The Might Magpies are in sublime form. With a midfield of De Goey, N Daicos, Mitchell, J Daicos, WHE, Taylor Adams
, Pendlebury, Crisp, Lipinski. We have magnificent balance, elite inside players, elite outside runners.
Clue number five: The Magpie forward line hasn’t hit elite form. Mihocek looks banged up. McStay was meant to give him big-bodied support, but Dan has managed to somehow miss almost the entire year (Not happy Dan!), Johnson has been dropped for poor form and one-dimensionality, Kreuger knocks himself out at the sheer sight of an oval, McInnis can’t quite put it together at AFL level, Cameron and Cox are inconsistent, Frampton is better suited to defence. Questions abound.
The Washup
The clues make for a fascinating mystery, but in the end there will only be one body – that of the Bulldogs.
The Magpies by 23 as they get away with murder!
Clue number one: The Bulldogs have some of the most impressive talls in the competition. I mean, Ugle-Hagan is now their number one forward, which makes Naughton their second. Even Rory Lobb
PLAYERCARDSTART
7
Rory Lobb
- Age
- 31
- Ht
- 207cm
- Wt
- 106kg
- Pos.
- Fwd
Career
Season
Last 5
- D
- 11.0
- 3star
- K
- 6.7
- 3star
- HB
- 4.4
- 3star
- M
- 4.0
- 4star
- T
- 2.4
- 4star
- G
- 0.9
- 4star
- D
- 11.3
- 3star
- K
- 8.0
- 3star
- HB
- 3.3
- 2star
- M
- 4.6
- 4star
- T
- 1.4
- 2star
- G
- 1.0
- 4star
- D
- 7.0
- 2star
- K
- 4.0
- 2star
- HB
- 3.0
- 3star
- M
- 2.6
- 3star
- T
- 2.8
- 5star
- G
- 0.6
- 3star
PLAYERCARDEND
Clue number two: The Bulldogs have a great midfield, capable of tearing the ball out of the pack and into space with handballs. Bontempelli, Smith, Treloar, Macrae, Liberatore -- all are elite in their own way. We might even see an old Magpie, Caleb Poulter, loping like some lonely giraffe on the wings.
Clue number three: The Bulldog’s defence is not elite. Even if Richards comes back in, they don’t have the Key Backs or the counter-attacking half-backs to make them elite. They are vulnerable.
Clue number four: The Might Magpies are in sublime form. With a midfield of De Goey, N Daicos, Mitchell, J Daicos, WHE, Taylor Adams
PLAYERCARDSTART
3
Taylor Adams
- Age
- 31
- Ht
- 181cm
- Wt
- 85kg
- Pos.
- M/F
Career
Season
Last 5
- D
- 24.9
- 5star
- K
- 13.5
- 5star
- HB
- 11.4
- 5star
- M
- 4.0
- 4star
- T
- 4.8
- 5star
- CL
- 5.0
- 5star
- D
- 20.4
- 5star
- K
- 12.4
- 5star
- HB
- 8.0
- 4star
- M
- 4.0
- 4star
- T
- 5.9
- 5star
- CL
- 5.9
- 5star
- D
- 18.2
- 5star
- K
- 11.0
- 4star
- HB
- 7.2
- 5star
- M
- 4.4
- 4star
- T
- 3.0
- 5star
- CL
- 2.2
- 4star
PLAYERCARDEND
Clue number five: The Magpie forward line hasn’t hit elite form. Mihocek looks banged up. McStay was meant to give him big-bodied support, but Dan has managed to somehow miss almost the entire year (Not happy Dan!), Johnson has been dropped for poor form and one-dimensionality, Kreuger knocks himself out at the sheer sight of an oval, McInnis can’t quite put it together at AFL level, Cameron and Cox are inconsistent, Frampton is better suited to defence. Questions abound.
The Washup
The clues make for a fascinating mystery, but in the end there will only be one body – that of the Bulldogs.
The Magpies by 23 as they get away with murder!
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