West Coast has seen off Collingwood by 35 points at the MCG in an assured display to return to second spot on the ladder, although not without heartbreak.
The Eagles’ forward line stars in Jack Darling, Josh Kennedy and Mark LeCras were back and firing, but the win was dampened significantly by a knee injury to Nic Naitanui, which may rule him out until 2019.
His teammates stepped up in his absence, overcoming a slow start to end Collingwood’s seven-game winning streak.
Despite a late change wherein Mason Cox was ruled out, the Pies burst out of the blocks early, and seemed poised to raise more scepticism about West Coast’s ability to compete with finalists on the MCG.
Jordan de Goey – who wasn’t born yet when the Eagles last beat Collingwood at the venue – crumbed the ball and kicked the first goal of the game, kickstarting his four-goal afternoon.
Josh Thomas slotted a pair of goals soon after, continuing his busy year in front of goal, as the Magpies jumped out to a 20 point lead after just 10 minutes.
The Magpies won the ball in close, and spread the Eagles defence all over the MCG, before picking their way through them.
West Coast responded through a goal out the back to Darling, before Kennedy took a pair of contested marks against Jeremy Howe and converted nicely to put the Eagles back in the hunt.
The Magpies were far superior in the opening quarter, and deserved the 10-point lead they took into the first break, courtesy of a point blank goal to de Goey.
West Coast worked their way into the game in the second quarter, as the top of the table clash started to deliver thanks to the Eagles' resurgence and five-goal term.
Jack Redden, the leading possession winner on the ground, and Elliot Yeo both kicked goals before Thomas booted his third out of a chaotic bit of congestion.
The Eagles hung in there, yet to register a behind, while Collingwood’s inaccuracy was becoming an increasing source of frustration to the crowd.
Willie Rioli sold the dummy brilliantly to Jeremy Howe and kicked a crucial goal, disaster soon struck as Naitanui limped from the field.
Naitanui had been well on top of Brodie Grundy in a terrific battle between two of the best rucks going around, and the Eagles were at last gaining ascendency in the middle.
Jordan de Goey’s set shot from 45m squeaked inside the post, giving the Magpies a seven-point lead, before LeCras scored a goal eerily similar to Thomas’ third, with a rushed kick that wobbled through.
The goalsneak soon handed off the chance for two in a row to Kennedy, who became the third player of the half to kick three goals.
Suddenly the Eagles found themselves right on top, and with all the momentum.
Jeremy McGovern in particular was starring, as de Goey was the only forward target Collingwood could kick to with any sort of conviction.
McGovern picked off attacks at will, stringing together an array of intercept marks, as Collingwood’s midfield was coming under good pressure and seemed to lack answers.
The half time score of 6.9 (45) to 8.1 (49) told a tale of missed opportunities, but more worrying for Collingwood was that by the end of the quarter, the Eagles were the ones getting all the shots anyway.
Scott Pendlebury, after a brilliant run of form, was well down, while the consummate professional Mark Hutchings kept Steele Sidebottom to one of his quietest performances of the year.
Willie Rioli kicked his second goal to kick off the third term – another point blank shot, but Collingwood responded with the next two: a superb snap from a rampaging de Goey, and a free kick to Brody Mihocek.
The Pies led by a point, but barely gave a yelp for the rest of the match, as West Coast owned the remainder of the third quarter, scoring a further three goals without concession.
The more time the ball spent in West Coast’s forward line, the higher up the ground their vaunted web shifted, and the smaller space the Magpies were confined to, without any targets to kick to in the hope of clearing the ball.
LeCras, arguably the best of the Eagles returning forwards, outmarked Howe to kick his second, before Rioli drilled a shot from just inside the 50 under pressure for a career-best third goal, and Gaff pushed the margin out further thanks to a lucky 50m penalty.
By the final quarter, the West Coast midfield were roaring, with Shuey, Gaff, and Redden all eventually making their way to 30 possessions, and their support cast was also much better than Collingwood’s, who had a number of young players who didn’t go near the ball in the second half.
Collingwood just couldn’t get their hands on the footy, or take it forward with any energy whatsoever.
Darling and Mihocek both kicked their second goals for their respective sides, but the Magpies were a spent force, as perhaps the youthful exuberance that had carried them so far in the absence of some established stars looked to be waning.
Hutchings got just reward for a stellar day by seeing a dodgy kick drift in towards goal and sneak through, before Darling took a strong mark in the goal square to put some icing on the cake with his third.
The win sees West Coast move equal with Richmond on top of the ladder with 12 wins, while Collingwood are now in a delicate position, one game off the top, but only two games clear of 10th, with North Melbourne, Richmond and Sydney on the horizon.
COLLINGWOOD 4.4 6.9 8.10 9.13 (67)
WEST COAST 3.0 8.1 12.8 15.12 (102)
BEST
Collingwood: de Goey, Adams, Moore, Scharenberg, Mihocek
West Coast: McGovern, Shuey, Redden, Gaff, Hurn, Sheppard, Hutchings
GOALS
Collingwood: de Goey 4, Thomas 3, Mihocek 2
West Coast: Kennedy 3, Darling 3, Rioli 3, LeCras 2, Hutchings, Yeo, Redden, Gaff
INJURIES
Collingwood: Nil
West Coast: Naitanui (knee)
TALKING POINTS
1. STATE OF THE GAME
Yes, there’s a big problem, but it’s not congestion: it’s injuries.
The amount of training players undertake has gone up exponentially, but fitness staff adjusted and learned how to manage the increased running without putting players at risk, but then came all the extra ball-ups and throw-ins, so now players get tackled a lot more too.
The end result is injury lists that are just absurdly long.
Grundy vs. Naitanui was a ripping contest while it happened, and it was a treat to watch two superstars go head-to-head like that.
Mason Cox and Eric Mackenzie might have been another great match up if the in-form American and Eagles club champion had been fit, or failing Mackenzie, Tom Barrass.
Collingwood’s midfield desperately lacked Treloar’s drive today, and the excitement and purpose he exudes every time he goes near the ball.
They also could have done with Daniel Wells, Ben Reid and Jamie Elliot, and a bunch of others.
This game could have done with them too.
2. A WINNING BACKLINE
Jeremy McGovern, Shannon Hurn, and Brad Sheppard combined for 35 marks between them, and restricted Collingwood to a miserable tally of just three goalkickers.
Will Hoskin-Elliot and Jaidyn Stephenson, who have both become reliable and important goalkickers, were goalless, as where Josh Daicos, Ben Crocker and the entire Magpie midfield.
The only time West Coast’s backline gets found out is when teams slice through the midfield and can hit up targets on the lead, or force stoppages forward, thus nullifying the Eagles’ marking prowess.
Collingwood did that early, dominating a nervous-looking West Coast midfield and putting the backline under pressure.
It didn’t last, however, and Collingwood’s inaccuracy came mostly from the fact that they were forced into low percentage shots from outside 50, many of which the Eagles rushed through.
With Barrass to return soon, Liam Duggan and Tom Cole growing in stature by the week, and versatile players like Elliot Yeo and Lewis Jetta rotating through and playing well, it’s a defence West Coast base their entire system around.
3. LONG DROUGHT
Once, West Coast beat Collingwood at the MCG.
Then Carlton won the premiership, then John Howard was elected PM for the first time - in that order.
It’s rather staggering that West Coast haven’t beaten Collingwood at the home of football since 1995, particularly considering some of the clashes there in that time.
Since the 2011 Qualifying Final, Collingwood have won by 20, 3, 13 (in another final), 62, 8, and 19 points.
A few of those margins did not reflect how close the games were, as nearly every time these sides have locked horns on the hallowed turf, something exciting has ensued.
Adam Simpson tried to downplay the significance of the 23-year drought pregame.
However, for West Coast to hold the Magpies at arm’s length all the while extending their lead during the second half would give many players a mountain of confidence, against a team that has always found a way in these fixtures.
Comments