mattys123
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- Mar 24, 2008
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2012 AFL NAB CUP ROUND 2
ETIHAD STADIUM
MARCH 2ND 7.40PM
COLLINGWOOD VS MELBOURNE
TV/Radio;
See end of thread for message from The Chief re streams.
http://www.afl.com.au/broadcast guide/tabid/9451/default.aspx#locd=VIC - Melbourne&round=Round 1
See end of thread for message from The Chief re streams.
http://www.afl.com.au/broadcast guide/tabid/9451/default.aspx#locd=VIC - Melbourne&round=Round 1
Weather;
Forecast; http://www.bom.gov.au/vic/forecasts/melbourne.shtml
Radar; http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDR022.loop.shtml
Forecast; http://www.bom.gov.au/vic/forecasts/melbourne.shtml
Radar; http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDR022.loop.shtml
Preview (Luke Mason);
http://www.collingwoodfc.com.au/newsfeatures/news/newsarticle/tabid/5586/newsid/129813/default.aspx
http://www.collingwoodfc.com.au/newsfeatures/news/newsarticle/tabid/5586/newsid/129813/default.aspx
Teams;
Ticketing;
http://www.ticketmaster.com.au/NAB-Cup-tickets/artist/1104163?tm_link=tm_homeA_b_10004_1
My Thoughts;
After a successful start to the NAB Cup pre season competition, Collingwood gets a rare pre season home game this weekend, against the Melbourne Demons at Etihad Stadium on Saturday Night. Two weeks ago Collingwood won two tight battles against the Western Bulldogs and the Western Sydney Giants in the West of Sydney to come out of round one of the NAB Cup as one of only 3 undefeated teams. And this week they field their strongest team yet of the competition, with many returning stars to beef up the young talent that was on show in Sydney a few weeks ago.
In that tri series matchup Collingwood debuted plenty of young talent, with the likes of Witts, Paine, Keefe, Ceglar, Mooney, Hartley, Seedsman, Williams and a few other showing plenty of promising signs for the future. This was shown no more then by Jackson Paine in the final game when he goaled from 45 metres out on the boundary, on the run, which would ultimately get the Pies home against the Giants. We will see plenty more young talent throughout the NAB cup wearing black and white, and a few of those will be on show this weekend, with each side able to make 7 changes to their playing squad at half time. That means if the clubs chooses to use both subs in the first half, they could play 29 players this weekend.
This weekend, Collingwood welcomes back some very big names, with Travis Cloke debuting for the year, along with Nick Maxwell, Scott Pendlebury and the long awaited return of Irishman Marty Clarke. Clarke, after two seasons back home in Ireland playing for his beloved County Down, has returned to Australia, and by all reports still possesses the attributes that made his first stint in the AFL so successful, those being his amazing endurance and speed off the mark. Also making their first appearances for the pre season are Kirk Ugle, who won the game with 2 late quarter goals in the ill fated (re Krakouer Injury) VFL practice match last weekend down in Geelong, another Irishman in Paul Cribbin, who is now in his second season at the club, and Luke Rounds, who has had a bad run with injuries over the past few years, but when fit has been around the edges of senior selection.
How seriously Collingwood treat this match depends a lot on the draw that the AFL have seen fit to grant the Pies this pre season. After a first up interstate trip, all be it with a break afterwards, we are now expected to back up again in just six days after this weekends matchup and travel to Adelaide to take on the Crows in what is looming as a semi final type clash to see who qualifies for the NAB Cup final the following week. Now opposition fans will cry foul about the supposed fact that Collingwood don't travel as often as other sides, but this is the pre season and the draw just seems to be a bit harsh, especially for a premiership contending team. Anyway, it is what it is, and Rodney Eade stated during the week that the club had prepared it's selection policy with one eye on this weekends game against Melbourne, and one eye on the game 6 days later in Adelaide.
Opposition Analysis.
The opposition this week is the Melbourne Football Club, who are always talked up by the press to be the big improver, but unluckily for them they seem to be going through a Collingwood like run of injuries leading into this weekend. Last weekend, on a wet Saturday Night at the Gold Coast Suns home ground, the Demons narrowly lost to the Suns in their opening game, before keeping their pre season final hopes alive by defeating Brisbane in a low scoring battle. It wasn't a bad result at all for Melbourne, and Mark Neeld coaching the Dees for the first time would have been happy with their attack on the ball, as to judges skills on a night like that would have been a futile exercise.
You would think this might become a trademark of the new Demons under Neeld, effort before execution, at least in the short term until they get their full compliment of players back on the park. The biggest joy that Melbourne fans would have got out of last weekends matches was Mitch Clark showing that he will finally give them that contested marking tall forward that they have been crying out for so long. No matter how he arrived at Melbourne during trade week, no one can say he isn't a great fit into that young and developing forward line.
The big news around Melbourne this week though happened on the training track, when during a full on physical session, new captain Jack Grimes went down clutching his shoulder. At first glance, there were worries that the new skipper had broken a collarbone or done significant damage to his shoulder, but after scans were completed over the following days, the news wasn't as bad as first expected, and Grimes will be back at training in 2-3 weeks time. That would be music to Dees fans ears, as they're run of injuries at the moment would put any clubs list in a shadow, and some of the names on that list include Trengove, Spencer, Gawn, Tapscott, Jurrah, Moloney, Morton and Strauss, and that's not even the total of it.
Form;
NAB CUP ROUND ONE
Collingwood 4.2.26 defeated Western Bulldogs 3.1.19
Collingwood 5.5.35 defeated GWS Giants 5.2.32
Melbourne 3.5.23 lost to Gold Coast Suns 4.2.26
Melbourne 2.1.13 defeated Brisbane 1.4.10
You can't read much into the first round form, but both teams would have been relatively happy with their performances and endeavour considering the rather weak lists both teams fielded interstate.
Player Focus
Kirk Ugle
When Kirk Ugle was recruited with pick 60 in the 2010 AFL national draft by Collingwood, many experts looked at each other and said “who”. But Derek Hine rarely misses the mark, even with his later picks, and in Ugle he saw a player, who despite being one of the smallest on an AFL list at 172cm, had an x factor about him that could not be ignored. His pace at the pre draft state screening was one of the main reasons why he was selected, but also he showed plenty playing for WA in the under 18 national championships.
In Kirk's first season at Collingwood, he showed plenty of promise early, debuting in the NAB Cup where he kicked several miraculous goals, but when the VFL season started a small injury setback seemed to slightly derail his season, although he fought back well playing 16 games for the VFL side, and also been picked as an emergency on at least one occasion for the strong senior side.
Come the first round of the NAB Cup and many Pies fans were disappointed not to see the man wearing 37 out there running around in Western Sydney, but he made up for any lack of on ground time by becoming the virtual match winner for the VFL side against Geelong last week, when he kicked 2 special last quarter goals to get the side up by a point. Kirk has something special, and it's not beyond expectations that he will make his senior debut within the first half of the season, but for now Collingwood supporters will be happy to catch a glimpse of him this Saturday Night.
Tip:
With the injury list mounting at both teams, and with Collingwood leaving several fit players out in preparation for a 6 day break, this game well be decided by who wants to go the hardest, for the longest. In the end though, the class of Collingwood's midfield and forwards should see them prevail in a high scoring game at Etihad stadium on Saturday Night.
Pies by 22.
VFL
This week sees the VFL side head to Frankston for their second practice match of the year.
http://www.collingwoodfc.com.au/vfl...ollingwoodvfrankston/tabid/18819/default.aspx
Collingwood Family Day.
This Sunday sees the return of the Collingwood Family Day to our spiritual home, Victoria Park.
http://www.collingwoodfc.com.au/newsfeatures/news/newsarticle/tabid/5586/newsid/128462/default.aspx
GO PIES.
Chief said:
