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AFL Insider - February 2009

NAB Cup Round 2 Cats Defeat Power

Port Adelaide coach Mark Williams says inaccurate goalkicking and a lopsided first half free kick count “wrecked” his side against Geelong on Saturday afternoon.

The Power matched the Cats for intensity throughout the 18-point loss, but attracted the attention of the umpires in the process.

At least three of Geelong’s 11 goals at AAMI Stadium came as a result of free kicks.

Port Adelaide struggled with the same free kick affliction last season and Williams suggested having the umpires over to Alberton to help sort out the lingering issue.

“The free-kick-count was 15-5 at half time and that absolutely wrecked us as. They had shots on goals from free kicks and that really does hurt you. It also stops the momentum of the side, so we have to get better at that,” Williams said after the game.


“Some of them (the free kicks) were questionable, so you’d like to be able to talk to (the umpiring coaches). There are a lot of development umpires out there so they’re going to make mistakes and you can’t do much about that.

“It’s really difficult to get the umpires out to training; we’ve tried. We want to get some of the Victorian umpires over to Adelaide, so that they become aware of our players, know who they are and get some sort of relationship with them because we want to have even footy in that regard.”

Only one point separated the two teams at half time, but the Cats kicked away with six goals to two in the second half.

A tricky breeze made things difficult, but Williams said there was no excuse for the eight behinds his side kicked after the main break.

“We were probably in the game until the last 10 minutes, but we kicked six or seven points-in a row. If you want to keep in the game, don’t ever score that many points in a row. It does knock everything around and it doesn’t add to the flow of the game for your side.”


“We marked the ball more inside 50 than they did and if you look at the hardball-gets loose ball gets, contested marks, clearances and you add those things together, we were very much on the money”.

The Power will be without young gun Hamish Hartlett for two weeks with the classy onballer suffering an AC joint injury in a fierce tackle from Ryan Gamble.

But former skipper Warren Tredrea, who pulled out of the side citing general soreness, should be available next week.

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February 28th 2009 @ 21:13

Posted By: Oracle of Delphi - Category: No Category
   


NAB Challenge Round 1 Kangaroos Defeat Dockers

North Melbourne has erased the memories of last week's performance against Carlton by thrashing Fremantle by 97 points in their NAB Challenge match at Manuka Oval on Saturday.

Stand-in coach Darren Crocker, who was handed the reins by Dean Laidley this week, said the 23.11 (149) to 8.4 (52) win was predictable given the way the Roos had prepared for the match.

"Last week's performance was unacceptable," Crocker said.

"It was just the effort and work rate and that was addressed throughout the week.

"We had a good week on the track and you just knew the way the boys prepared this week that the effort and the intensity was going to be a hell of a lot better."

North marched away from Fremantle with a seven-goal second term when their physical superiority began to show.

In the second half, Fremantle had nothing left to give and were virtual spectators to the onslaught.

The young Fremantle side toiled hard but was outmuscled and outrun by a desperate opposition clearly committed to putting on an improved display.

Daniel Wells was a constant source of inspiration for his teammates in North's first visit to Canberra since abandoning their near decade-long commitment to playing regular season matches in the nation's capital in 2006.

Drew Petrie provided a target in the forward line kicking five goals while the skilful Lindsay Thomas proved a constant nightmare for Fremantle defenders, finishing with four goals.

Fremantle coach Mark Harvey said the youth of his side left them exposed to an opponent keen to impress.

"We probably had an overload of kids and that (the score) is a direct result," Harvey said.

"That's not taking anything away from the Kangaroos.

"They are obviously rebounding quite quickly after their result last week."

Harvey said he would persist with his experimental line-up which includes opportunities for young players and using former forward Chris Tarrant in defence.

"We can all have long and hard pre-seasons but it's not until you get into a game that you work out what you have to do to be an elite player at this level," he said.

"We had six or seven first gamers today and that's where we are at."

North Melbourne 4.3 11.6 17.9 23.11 (149)
Fremantle 2.1 4.4 7.4 8.4 (52)

GOALS
North Melbourne: Petrie 5, Thomas, Ross 3, Campbell, McIntosh, Josh Smith, Watt 2, Hansen, Wells, Goldstein
Fremantle: Grover 2, Solomon, O'Brien, Dodd, Clarke, Sibosado, Peake

BEST
North Melbourne: Thomas, Wells, Petrie, Anthony, McIntosh, Campbell, Ziebell
Fremantle: Palmer, Crowley, Gilmore, Dodd

INJURIES
North Melbourne: Nil
Fremantle: Ibbotson (corked thigh), O'Brien (shoulder)

Reports: Nil

Crowd: 1661 at Manuka Oval

AAP

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February 28th 2009 @ 08:45

Posted By: Oracle of Delphi - Category: No Category
   


NAB Challenge Round 1 Swans Defeat Demons

Sydney Swans coach Paul Roos has praised the performances of international rookie-listed players Mike Pyke and Brendan Murphy after the side's eight-point win over Melbourne at Visy Park on Saturday.

The Swans defeated the Demons 9.9 (63) to 8.7 (55) in the first round of the NAB Challenge matches.

Former Canadian rugby representative Pyke impressed in the ruck and also chipped in with a goal, which earned the plaudits from Roos post-match.

"I liked his goal – it was good. He's been terrific and he's still learning, but his ruck work has been really solid," Roos said.

"Against some young ruckmen today he dominated the contests at times, so it's a real credit to him. But he's a bigger body than some of the younger kids he's playing.

"But to pick up the game like he has, he's still unsure when the ball's on the ground and he's got to work on other areas. But he's made some significant advances for a guy who hadn't played the game up until a week or two weeks ago."

Murphy, a second-year rookie from Ireland, also caught the eye of his coach.

"He did some really good things. He came in a little underdone, but we were very keen to play him and get him out and get him running out and playing against senior company," Roos said.

"He came on and off the ground a bit, but he showed some really good signs. At times he showed he was a little bit tired and made a few mistakes, but I thought there were some real positives for him as well."

Roos was also pleased with the efforts of former Magpie Rhyce Shaw, who crossed to the Swans in October's exchange period.

"He's been really good. What we need to do with Rhyce now – he's been training for a while and pretty hard before he got to us – is make sure we don't exhaust him over the next two weeks," Roos said.

"So we'll probably try and give him a bit of a rest and maybe play him for half a game next week and a full game the week after, but he's been very good."

Dual Brownlow Medallist Adam Goodes was one of the Swans' best with 20 touches while Amon Buchanan had 20 of his own. Youngster Craig Bird had 19 possessions.

Hard-at-it midfielder Jude Bolton and versatile tall Ed Barlow kicked two goals each, with singles to Jarred Moore, Ryan O'Keefe, Pyke, Nick Smith and Jesse White.

Overall, Roos said there were some good signs from the hit-out.

"We got more out of it this week. One thing with Melbourne, even though they're a little undermanned than us, you know they're fit. They're a young team, they're running and they've been training for a long time," Roos said.

"Today it was more to test our fitness. I thought at times, they looked fitter than us and they outran us, but then at times our senior core was able to claw it back and work through and that's what you want to see at this time of the year.

"Certainly from our senior players there were some really good signs. [Jarrad] McVeigh is in really good form and young Shawy has come in and given us some real run that we'd hoped. Hally [Barry Hall] looked pretty sharp early.

"The next two weeks are really critical and then you start to get your team together next week and the week after."

Sydney Swans 1.3 3.5 6.7 9.9 (63)
Melbourne 3.1 3.2 6.5 8.7 (55)

GOALS
Sydney Swans: Barlow, J. Bolton 2, O'Keefe, White, Moore, Pyke, Smith
Melbourne: Sylvia 2, Miller, Morton, McDonald, Newton, Davey, Jetta

BEST
Sydney Swans: Goodes, McVeigh, Bird, Buchanan, Mattner
Melbourne: Sylvia, Grimes, Martin, Bruce

INJURIES
Sydney Swans: Nil
Melbourne: Bell (corked thigh)

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Vozzo, Statham, Gestier

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February 28th 2009 @ 08:34

Posted By: Oracle of Delphi - Category: No Category
   


NAB Cup Round 2 Bombers Defeat Lions

Essendon coach Matthew Knights believes his side still has plenty of work to do despite showing enough composure to win two games by less than a goal in the space of two weeks.

The Bombers' two-point win over the Brisbane Lions on Friday night came just a fortnight after the side triumphed over the Western Bulldogs by just one point in the NAB Cup.

Knights said while he was pleased to see his players hang on to the narrow wins, he wants them to focus more on finishing strongly.

"It's good to win these games but we can still play better in the last half of the last quarter," he said.

"What we spoke about after the game was two or three times, we got out to 18 points up and then we just let easy 'outs' happen.

"We let them back into the game quickly rather than pushing it out to a five or six goal margin, and we've got to be better than that as a side."

Knights conceded Friday's game was "ugly", considering its low-scoring, zone-orientated nature that was dominated by bad kicking and skill errors.

He said football fans might have to get used to "patient" football as more teams attempt to work defensive zones into their plans.

"There was no flow in the game whatsoever. It was fairly measured from both teams, with both teams trying to work through a zone scenario for most of the night," he said.

"There was a lot of what you'd call patient football. I wouldn't call it exhilarating football by any stretch of the imagination.

"You just can't rush through zones at 100 miles an hour without any plan or numbers otherwise it's just going to get kicked back over your head for a goal.

"As a football community and for the people watching on television, it wouldn't have been a very good spectacle, but the game is becoming more tactical and more patient.

"It was just a very patient game and the scoring was very low, and we were very fortunate to win in the end."

He said the Bombers' forward line "didn't function", but wouldn't blame the excitement surrounding the games of young guns Scott Gumbleton and Jay Neagle two weeks ago on why the pair failed to fire.

"It's part of being an AFL footballer; you've got to expect there's going to be a bit of hype if you have a decent game, so they've got to get used to that," he said.

"It's not a cop out for them. Our forward line didn't function at all. We didn't get any opportunities in the air or on the ground, and we didn't capitalise on anything."

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February 27th 2009 @ 22:49

Posted By: Oracle of Delphi - Category: No Category
   


NAB Challenge Round 1 Eagles Defeat Crows

A final-quarter blitz from Quinten Lynch inspired West Coast to a thrilling 10-point NAB Challenge victory over Adelaide in Alice Springs.

The Eagles trailed by 14 points at the final change and appeared destined for defeat before Lynch turned the game on its head.

The 26-year-old exploded to prominence early in the final quarter, booting three goals in as many minutes to help secure the 15.5 (95) to 12.13 (85) victory.

Lynch finished the match with four goals while fellow forward Ashley Hansen and midfielders Daniel Kerr and Chris Masten chipped in with two apiece.

Scott Stevens (four goals), Trent Hentschel (two goals) and Taylor Walker (two goals) shared the load up forward for the Crows.

The Eagles booted four goals to three in the first term to take a six-point lead into quarter time and threatened to run away with the game in the second term when they opened up a 17-point advantage.

The Crows closed the gap to seven points at half time and snatched the lead midway through the third quarter with a four-goal burst.

But just as West Coast appeared set to throw in the towel, Lynch stepped up to the mark, drilling three unanswered goals early in the fourth quarter to give the Eagles an eight-point break.

Stevens closed the gap to four points in the dying minutes but Chad Fletcher sealed the win with his first goal of the match.

AAP

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February 27th 2009 @ 22:44

Posted By: Oracle of Delphi - Category: No Category
   


NAB Challenge Saints Defeat Bulldogs

St Kilda will hope to add another tall forward to an already imposing attack after Sam Gilbert impressed in Friday's NAB Challenge win over the Western Bulldogs at Visy Park.

Gilbert, who established himself last season as a defender, booted two goals to be the most effective forward in a scrappy match played in hot, windy conditions, which the Saints won 8.13 (61) to 5.5 (35).

Justin Koschitzke also made good position and took several strong marks in his first game of the 2009 campaign, but let himself down with poor kicking.

The most pleasing factor for the two clubs, both preliminary finalists last season, last year, was the return of several key players.

Lenny Hayes and Steven Baker played their first games of the pre-season for St Kilda, while the Bulldogs welcomed back Jason Akermanis, Ryan Griffen, Mitch Hahn and Robert Murphy.

St Kilda coach Ross Lyon was encouraged by the agility of Gilbert, who he said could complement Koschitzke and captain Nick Riewoldt as marking targets in attack.

"If we can team defend pretty well it takes the pressure off another legitimate tall and we'll be able to (play him forward)," Lyon said.

He was also pleased by the return of Baker, who played only two games in 2008 because of suspension and persistent knee troubles.

"He's a 28-year-old (best and fairest) winner, he's a hard nut and opposition forwards probably don't like playing on him," he said.

"He's had a rough road with injury and suspension, but to see him come back and have that competitive spirit ... he's a really important player for us, so we're keen to graduate him through and get him into the season."

Riewoldt is yet to play this summer after knee surgery, but the Saints are hopeful he could get through a half against Richmond in Shepparton next weekend.

The Bulldogs started the better on Friday, but their trademark skill was noticeably absent, and coach Rodney Eade was at a loss to explain why.

"Normally a coach in this position, you've got all the psychological reasons and we can wheel them out to make excuses," he said.

"I know it was a little bit swirly today, the wind, but it (the lack of skill) was lamentable and most of the skills were not under a lot of pressure."

Eade said getting some experienced players back was the only positive to draw from the game.

Bulldog half-back Lindsay Gilbee fainted at half-time because of the heat but was fine after the match.
The Bulldogs play the Swans in western Sydney next weekend.

AAP

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February 27th 2009 @ 22:40

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AFL Rewrites Rough Conduct Laws

The AFL has re-worded its laws in an attempt to provide clarity on rough conduct in the wake of Collingwood captain Nick Maxwell's tribunal case.

Maxwell was suspended for four weeks for making high contact with West Coast's Patrick McGinnity in round one of the NAB Cup, but was let off after a successful appearance before the AFL Appeals Board.

McGinnity had his jaw broken in the clash and could miss up to 12 weeks.

Under the AFL Commission's new wording of Law 19.2.2(g)(vii) the law has been changed to protect the player's head and neck.

It confirms that it is a reportable offence to make forceful contact to an opponent's head or neck when there's a realistic alternative to contest the ball or tackle.

A third option to shepherd for a teammate in a manner reasonable in the circumstances has been removed.

If a player is reported under this interpretation the conduct will be categorised as negligent by the match review panel.

League football operations manager Adrian Anderson said the change was made to avoid confusion and to protect player safety.

"This rule has been in place for the last two seasons and the general feedback from coaches and clubs during that time is that players know where they stand – if a player chooses to bump when he could have tackled or contested the ball, the player would face the consequences," he said.

"Most importantly, the most recent AFL Injury Survey reported the lowest incidence of head and neck injuries on record."

The AFL consulted the AFL Players' Association and AFL Coaches Association before making the change and both supported the decision.

Anderson said the AFL Appeals Board's decision to overturn Maxwell's ban reflected a different interpretation of the rules and also the intent of the Commission.

"Subsequent to this decision, we have received feedback from the AFL medical officers, and also from AFL Medical Officers Association executive officer Dr Hugh Seward. They have confirmed their concern for head and neck injuries in certain 'high risk' on-field situations," he said.

"Both the AFL medical officers and the AFL Medical Officers Association continue to recommend that the AFL hold players responsible for head-high contact caused by a bump, where the player laying the bump had a realistic alternative to either contest the ball or tackle."

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February 27th 2009 @ 22:33

Posted By: Oracle of Delphi - Category: No Category
   


Ben Cousins Hospital Visit

The knock to the head that new Richmond recruit Ben Cousins copped in Thursday night’s NAB AFL Cup clash with Collingwood landed him in hospital a few hours after the match.

Cousins doesn’t know how the blow happened, but the effects were severe enough to send him to the emergency ward at Epworth Hospital for a few hours in the early hours of Friday morning.

Until he was forced from the ground, Cousins had played an encouraging match in his return to the top-level, knocking up 21 touches and showing glimpses of the brilliance that earned him a Brownlow medal and an AFL flag.

Richmond’s general manager of football, Craig Cameron, said Cousins had received the standard post-match treatment for a concussion victim.

“One of our football department guys drove him home, and his sister and a friend of the family stayed with him," Cameron said.

"And they decided during the night that he needed further attention, so he went to hospital somewhere between two or three o’clock

“Our club doctor was notified and he got discharged this morning.

“Last night he was disorientated when he came off the field, and he showed all the signs of a ‘normal’ concussion, so they put him through the concussion test and observed him – all the stuff that we normally do.

“Then we made sure he was driven home and that he had someone to stay with last night.”

Cameron said that while all concussion injuries were different, the recovery phase was usually pretty similar, as is the care protocol.

“With all players that have suffered a knock to the head, we make sure there’s someone with them that night.

"Because things like knocks to the head and concussion, they don’t all act uniformly in terms of the symptoms they bring about, so it’s important they’ve got someone looking after them.

“This morning he’s just recovering from a concussion – he’s a little bit washed out.”

Coach Terry Wallace said after the loss to the Magpies that Cousins was likely to be given next weekend’s NAB Challenge game in Shepparton off, even before the magnitude of the injury was known.

Cameron said he wasn’t sure how it would affect the former Eagle’s training.

“I don’t know, to be honest, but we’ll take it as it comes, we’ll just see how he comes along.

“We’ll see how it plays out from here.

"We won’t push him, if he shows any signs of it causing him any distress.”

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February 27th 2009 @ 20:42

Posted By: Oracle of Delphi - Category: No Category
   


NAB Cup Round 2 Magpies Defeat Tigers

Collingwood have progressed to the semi-finals of the 2009 NAB Cup, beating Richmond at Telstra Dome 1.13.10 (97) to 2.3.15 (51) on Thursday night in front of 37,121 fans.

Almost the entire focus pre-game was on the return to top-level football of former Eagle Ben Cousins, and the Brownlow Medallist didn’t disappoint, racking up 21 touches despite still appearing to be not fully match fit.

The Magpies took over after half time and kicked the last eight goals to win by 46 points.

Both sides would have been heartened by the form of their youngsters or returning players.

For the Pies, Brent Macaffer looked good before leaving the field with a leg injury, Dayne Beams showed class up forward and Alan Toovey was good in defence early.

In the yellow and black, Alex Rance was good across half-back, Daniel Jackson impressive on the wing, Robin Nahas showed good speed and nous, former Port Adelaide player Adam Thomson got his hands on it a lot early, and Andrew Raines swept across half-back well.

Other Pies to show positive signs were forward Travis Cloke, midfielders Shane O’Bree, Dane Swan and Leon Davis, Scott Pendlebury and Shannon Cox.

The Tigers would also have been heartened by vice-captain Nathan Foley in the midfield, skipper Chris Newman in the backline, Brett Deledio in the midfield and forward Tom Hislop, who showed he can find the ball.

Troy Simmonds was also good in the ruck.

A couple of injuries came out of the game – former Tiger skipper Kane Johnson had a knee iced in the second term, while Magpie youngster Macaffer went up the race in the second term with concussion.

After the game, Richmond also cancelled a planned Ben Cousins press conference, saying their star recruit was suffering from concussion.

The Pies got off to a great start when John McCarthy took the spillage from a pack in the square and kicked truly. Josh Fraser accepted a handball from Scott Pendlebury and added another a minute later, and the Pies had the only goals until new Tiger skipper Newman booted a nine-pointer.

Fraser then returned the favour for Pendlebury to goal on the run from 45, but Nathan Brown marked and converted from close range, with youngster Nahas good in the buildup.

But Magpie youngster Macaffer marked close to goal and at the first break, and the Pies were up by a goal.

The second term was scrappy, with numerous skill errors from both sides, and nearly 14 minutes passed before Beams goaled for the Pies.

Matty White then replied with a supergoal less than two minutes later, but Travis Cloke provided the comedy.

He marked in the forward 50, kicked into the man on the mark, got it back, then missed to the left from 30, and the Pies led by that behind at the long break.

The Pies had the better of the third term – Didak kicked the first before Richmond’s No.8 pick from the 2008 NAB AFL Draft, Tyrone Vickery, was paid a downfield free and converted.

Soon after Matthew Richardson marked just inside the fifty and kicked truly to give the Tigers a five-point lead.

But then the Pies took over from that point – Tarkyn Lockyer was the recipient of some great work from Cloke, who flew, then gathered on the ground and fed the handpass.

Former Roo Leigh Brown goaled form a free kick and Dane Swan snapped form 20 and the Pies led at the last change by 11 points.

In the last it was still all Collingwood, the Magpies kicking all five majors of the term.

The match also featured the first instance of the AFL's trial rule of awarding a free kick for a deliberate rushed behind, after Richmond's Jordan McMahon handballed across the line in the dying minutes. But Collingwood's John Anthony failed to capitalise, spraying his shot out on the full.

Collingwood will play the winner of Essendon and the Brisbane Lions in the semi-finals, while Richmond head to Shepparton for a NAB Challenge fixture.

Collingwood 0.4.2 0.5.4 0.9.5 1.13.10 (97)
Richmond 1.1.5 2.1.9 2.3.12 2.3.15 (51)

GOALS
Collingwood: Nine-point goals: Didak Goals: McCarthy, Fraser, Pendlebury, Macaffer, Beams, Didak, Lockyer, Leigh Brown, Swan, Cloke, Toovey, Anthony, Nathan Brown
Richmond: Nine-point goals: Newman, White Goals: Brown, Vickery, Richardson

BEST
Collingwood: Pendlebury, Cloke, O’Bree, Beams, Cox, Toovey
Richmond: Foley, Brown, Cousins, Simmonds, Raines, Thomson, Rance

INJURIES
Collingwood: Macaffer (concussion)
Richmond: Johnson (knee), Cousins (concussion)

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Donlon, Stevic, Meredith, Ryan

Crowd: 37,121 at Telstra Dome

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February 27th 2009 @ 05:33

Posted By: Oracle of Delphi - Category: No Category
   


NAB Cup Round 1 Power Defeat Swans

Port Adelaide has taken a step towards Mark Williams' goal of claiming the NAB Cup with a commanding 65-point win over the Sydney Swans at Manuka Oval.

While the Swans played in bursts, the Power made the most of their opportunities to break open the game in the second quarter and maintain the difference to win 4.16.11 (143) to 1.10.9 (78).

The only souring note for the Power was the first-quarter report of forward Daniel Motlop for a bump on Swan Jesse White.

The big youngster was caught high by Motlop and left dazed, but recovered to play out the game. It was a different story for his teammate Ryan Brabazon, who was stretchered off in the third term with concussion.

The Swans were without Barry Hall, Michael O'Loughlin, Leo Barry, Lewis Roberts-Thomson, Henry Playfair and Patrick Veszpremi, with Canadian experiment Mike Pyke and ruck prospect Jake Orreal making quiet debuts.

For the almost full-strength Power, Warren Tredrea looked fit and strong to slot three goals, while his successor as captain Domenic Cassisi put in an impressive 19-possession performance.

Rookie Wade Thompson was a highlight for the Power with an exciting three goals, while Swan Rhyce Shaw did well for his new side with some dash from defence.

The Power started slowly with the Swans controlling the first 10 minutes of the game.

The Swans drew first blood with Craig Bolton booting a supergoal from an Adam Goodes handpass, before elevated rookie Matt O'Dwyer followed up with a six-pointer.

The Power recovered to round out the term with four straight – the first of which a supergoal from Danyle Pearce.

Thompson kicked the last goal of the quarter – and his first in AFL football – to give the Power an 11-point lead at the first break.

The Swans started the second term well and snared the first two goals through Mark McVeigh and Goodes, which briefly gave them the lead.

However, it was the last time the red and white would hold the advantage, with the Power piling on two supergoals and five six-pointers throughout the rest of the term.

Daniel Motlop snared two that opened the floodgates, before former Tiger Danny Meyer ran and delivered from outside the 50m arc for a super-goal.

Warren Tredrea was gifted another at the 12-minute mark when White forgot the NAB Cup ruling that dictates play on for backward kicks and was caught.

Josh Carr missed his chance to kick his first Power goal since 2004, but Justin Westhoff and Brett Ebert added majors, and Tom Logan another nine pointer, to give Port Adelaide a 48-point buffer heading into the second half.

Jude Bolton - wearing a helmet after a first-quarter clash left him with a cut head - opened the third with a goal before the Power kicked into gear to add three to its tally.

However, a strong finish to the quarter with Mark McVeigh, Ryan O'Keefe and Darren Jolly figuring on the scoreboard got the Swans within 36 points.

Ruckman Brendon Lade put an end to that run with a supergoal as the siren neared, which left the Swans with a 46-point gap to chase.

The Swans started the final term well but were again blown away once the Power got a run on, with the final difference the biggest NAB Cup margin so far this year.

Port Adelaide now faces Geelong next weekend while the Swans will play the Demons in Melbourne.

Sydney Swans 1.1.3 1.3.6 1.7.7 1.10.9 (78)
Port Adelaide 1.3.2 3.8.6 4.11.8 4.16.11 (143)

GOALS
Sydney Swans: Nine-point goals: C. Bolton Goals: McVeigh 4, O'Dwyer, Goodes, J Bolton, R. O'Keefe, Jolly, White
Port Adelaide: Nine-point goals: Pearce, Meyer, Logan, Lade Goals: Westhoff 4, Tredrea 3, Thompson 3, D. Motlop 2, C. Cornes, Ebert, Cassisi, Davenport

BEST
Sydney Swans: Shaw, R. O'Keefe, McVeigh, Kirk
Port Adelaide: Cassisi, Tredrea, D. Motlop, Thompson, Pearce, Boak, Westhoff

INJURIES
Sydney Swans: Brabazon (concussion)
Port Adelaide: Nil

Reports: D. Motlop (Port Adelaide) reported for charging Jesse White (Sydney Swans) in the first quarter by umpire Nicholls

Umpires: Chamberlain, Nicholls, Gestier, Jennings

Crowd: 5397 at Manuka Oval

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February 23rd 2009 @ 11:46

Posted By: Oracle of Delphi - Category: No Category
   


NAB Cup Round 1 Cats Defeat Crows

Geelong has taken its first step towards atoning for last year's grand final loss with a clinical 35-point victory over Adelaide in their NAB Cup clash at Telstra Dome on Saturday night.

The Cats, through the drive of a midfield mastered by Gary Ablett (23 possessions), Jimmy Bartel (30), Joel Selwood (24), Joel Corey (29) and Cameron Ling (24), were in control from the first bounce until the last – winning 1.17.8 (119) to 2.9.12 (84).

Ablett and Bartel started the game on the bench but had immediate impacts when introduced. Ablett's was more emphatic, winning contested possessions out of the centre before floating forward to kick three goals in as many minutes, including a super-goal.

Adelaide seemed overwhelmed at stages, though captain Simon Goodwin (29 possessions), Chris Knights (23) and defender Nathan Bock (23) tried hard to keep their side within reach.

Finding forward targets proved the Crows' biggest challenge but it was little trouble for the Cats as Ryan Gamble and Tom Lonergan opened their accounts.

The only first-quarter highlights for Adelaide were a clever snap from Tyson Edwards from its first entry inside 50 and a nine-pointer to Ivan Maric after he was awarded a free kick and a 50m penalty.

Geelong continued to exert its dominance in the opening minutes of the second term as Ablett kicked his fourth and laid the tackle that set up Gamble's second. Mathew Stokes soon followed.

Adelaide eventually hit back with a dash of its own class through a running Andrew McLeod, while youngster Taylor Walker showed glimpses of what he could become.

Matched against premiership defender Matthew Scarlett, the 18-year-old looked more than comfortable up forward, presenting well and kicking a goal from a set shot.

But a few Adelaide hearts skipped when he collided with Selwood and left the field clutching his knee.

Walker was substituted for James Sellar at half time and ran without trouble along the boundary before resting. Sellar, a first-round selection in the 2006 NAB AFL Draft, looked OK with a couple of solid grabs but struggled to convert.

The Crows looked to lift a notch in the third term after early goals to Edwards and Trent Hentschel. Hentschel, who last played for the Crows in 2006, finished the most galvanising play for the Crows for the evening – his teammates coming from all over the ground to congratulate him.

But just when they had a bit of momentum, Geelong pounced. Lonergan's cut-off of an errant handball to feed Gamble was the Cats' 10th goal from an Adelaide turnover.

The two sides approached the final term sensing an inevitable result, but a couple of early goals to Scott Stevens and an awkward-looking super-goal to Nick Gill were some consolation for a pretty forgettable night.

Gamble (four goals), Lonergan (three) and Stokes (three) formed a dangerous combination that coped without Cameron Mooney and Steve Johnson. After spending three years on the fringe of Geelong's senior side, Gamble's performance suggested he'll push for more senior matches this year.

Shannon Byrnes showed his usual fleet of foot around the ground, Mark Blake dominated the ruck and Harry Taylor continued his impressive development alongside Scarlett.

In fact, the Cats' display was all the more resounding for their absentees. Skipper Tom Harley continues his recovery from knee surgery while Darren Milburn, Brad Ottens, Josh Hunt and David Wojcinski were also missing.

Adelaide was without Nathan van Berlo, Brett Burton and Ben Rutten.

The Cats will meet the winner of Sunday's clash between the Sydney Swans and Port Adelaide while Adelaide joins the NAB Challenge circuit.

Geelong 1.5.3 1.11.4 1.15.5 1.17.8 (119)
Adelaide 1.1.2 11.5.3 1.7.6 2.9.12 (84)

GOALS
Geelong: Nine-point goals: Ablett Goals: Gamble 4, Stokes 3, Lonergan 3, Ablett 3, Selwood, Chapman, Hogan, Varcoe
Adelaide: Nine-point goals: Maric, Gill Goals: Edwards 2, Stevens 2, Hentschel, McLeod, Otten, Thompson, Walker

BEST
Geelong: Ablett, Gamble, Stokes, Bartel, Selwood, Taylor, Blake
Adelaide: Goodwin, Bock, Stevens, Knights, Edwards

INJURIES
Geelong: Nil
Adelaide: Walker (corked knee)

Reports: Nil

Umpires: McCarthy, Hay, Wenn (inj), Avon

Crowd: 10,320 at Telstra Dome

Geelong Cats Logo


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February 22nd 2009 @ 11:37

Posted By: Oracle of Delphi - Category: No Category
   


NAB Cup Round 1 Hawks Defeat Demons

It was the mighty, fighting Hawks on display in the last term of the round one NAB Cup game in Launceston, as they overwhelmed a gallant Melbourne to win by three points.

A stellar third quarter saw Melbourne sweep to a 33-point lead, but they failed to score in the last as Hawthorn turned it on and kicked six unanswered majors, winning 0.11.3 (69) to 1.8.9 (66).

Jarryd Roughead starred for the under-strength Hawks who went into match missing ten premiership players from last year. He kicked five goals, including the match-winner with just five seconds remaining.

Hawhtorn skipper Sam Mitchell lead from the front with a game-high 28 disposals. Matthew Suckling saw a lot of it with 17 touches, Campbell Brown returned to defence and didn’t miss a beat, Brad Sewell (20) worked hard and Clinton Young (22) was good all day.

Brad Green roamed the ground to be Melbourne’s best on the day, kicking a goal while also taking saving marks deep in defence.

Brock McLean (25) made an impressive return from an ankle injury that kept him out of the last third of the 2008 season, while youngster Jake Spencer was promising in the ruck and around the ground.

Four injuries came out of the game with Hawks Michael Osborne (knee) and Chance Bateman (ankle) leaving the ground during the first half.

Melbourne suffered too with Austin Wonaeamirri injuring his right hamstring, while Dees skipper James McDonald was limping heavily before half time.

Reports will also cause some concern for both camps. Clinton Young went into the book for tunnelling Aaron Davey, and Paul Johnson was reported after colliding with Sam Mitchell.

It was Melbourne that burst out of the blocks in the first quarter, putting a couple of goals on the board before the Hawks scored. Matthew Bate, playing at full forward, soccered it off the deck in a goalmouth scramble, then Brad Green converted after marking on 45 metres.

Roughead slotted eye of the needle from 45 on the boundary, but then Melbourne got the next two to get the lead out to 19 points.

That brought the Hawks to life, with Cameron Stokes kicking from 45 after a beautiful pass from Bateman, and Roughead kicking another couple of rippers both from tight angles

Despite their good work, the Demons led by only five points at the break.

The second term saw 10 minutes pass without a score of any kind, and 17 minutes before a major was slotted.

When it came it was a beauty, with the Hawks turning on their trademark run to move the ball from full-back through the middle of the ground for Mark Williams to mark and kick truly from close range.

Two minutes later a super piece of desperation from Matthew Whelan saw him dive in front of Hawks hardman Campbell Brown. The ball spilled for Aaron Davey who passed to Bate, whose third goal reinstated the Demons’ five-point buffer.

The Dees showed plenty of promise in the third quarter, kicking the only four majors of the term, with three regular goals topped by a supergoal from Clint Bartram – created by a Miller tackle – taking the Demons to a seemingly impregnable 33-point lead.

But their inability to score in the final term cost the Demons dearly, with the premiers showing their class to snatch the win.

The Hawks will play Carlton in the semi-finals, while Melbourne heads off to play in the NAB Challenge series.


Hawthorn 0.4.0 0.5.1 0.5.2 0.11.3 (69)
Melbourne 0.4.5 0.5.6 1.8.8 1.8.9 (66)

GOALS
Hawthorn: Nine-point goals: - Goals: Roughead 5, Stokes 2, Williams 2, Morton, Dew
Melbourne: Nine-point goals: Bartram Goals: Bate 4, Green, Bartram, Johnson, McLean

BEST
Hawthorn: Roughead, Mitchell, Dew, Sewell, Young, Suckling
Melbourne: Green, Bate, McLean, Morton

INJURIES
Hawthorn: Michael Osborne (knee), Chance Bateman (ankle)
Melbourne: Austin Wonaeamirri (hamstring), James McDonald (leg)

REPORTS
Hawthorn: Clinton Young for rough contact on Aaron Davey in the first quarter
Melbourne: Paul Johnson for striking Sam Mitchell in the first quarter

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February 22nd 2009 @ 11:31

Posted By: Oracle of Delphi - Category: No Category
   


NAB Cup Round 1 Blues Defeat Kangaroos

Carlton has stormed into the second round of the NAB Cup with a convincing 53-point win over North Melbourne at Telstra Dome on Friday night.

Inspired by a six-goal performance from forward Brendan Fevola and a strong effort from captain Chris Judd, the Blues increased their lead at every change to cruise past the Kangaroos for 1.17.12 (123) to 0.11.4 (70) win.

Fevola was simply unstoppable as he presented, marked, goaled and caused Roos defender Josh Gibson a massive headache to slot 6.2, including one nine-point super goal.

So dominant was Fevola's performance that Gibson touched the ball once in the first half and five times for the game. Fevola now needs just six goals to reach 100 pre-season competition majors.

Judd was electric early on and showed the pace that eluded him in 2008 has returned. He finished with 19 touches, with Bryce Gibbs the Blues' biggest ball-winner with 27.

Debutant Mitch Robinson also showed promise with 17 possessions, but it was Gibbs who was the most influential youngster with five clearances and four tackles.

For the Kangaroos, Daniel Wells impressed and debutant Jack Ziebell (two goals) was composed, while David Hale (three goals) was hard to stop as the side's focal forward.

The only blight on Carlton's evening was an ankle injury sustained by debutant Chris Yarran, with the youngster lasting only the first quarter before being substituted for Dennis Armfield.

The Roos also suffered a casualty with defender Daniel Pratt accidentally kneed in the back in a marking contest. He was helped off late in the third term and taken to hospital with suspected rib damage.

It was all Carlton in the first quarter with the Blues racking up 16 more possessions and venturing inside 50 on five more occasions.

Fevola kicked the first goal at the two-minute mark, but Hale was able to nullify it three minutes later when he escaped Bret Thornton.

The Blues got away to a gap soon after when Marc Murphy dished off a handpass to Fevola just outside 50m, which the spearhead then slotted for a super goal.

Judd gave his side the biggest lead of the term at the 16-minute mark when he beautifully recaptured his own fumble to slot a goal over his shoulder, but a late major to Kangaroo Lindsay Thomas had the quarter-time margin at 11 points.

The Blues nailed three straight majors before the Roos went near their own goal in the second.

New recruit Chris Johnson started the run before Murphy chipped in and Fevola slotted his third after outrunning Gibson again.

Hale reduced the deficit to 24 points at the 12-minute mark but that was short-lived, with Cameron Cloke replying for the Blues.

The Roos improved late in the term with Hale and Ed Lower goaling, but Fevola's fourth and Simon Wiggins’s goal from an acute angle meant the Blues led by 30 points at the main break.

The floodgates opened in the third with Carlton kicking six goals to North Melbourne's two. Fevola booted two, Ryan Houlihan, Greg Bentley, Eddie Betts and Jeff Garlett one apiece, and Kade Simpson had eight touches.

Wells joined Hale as a multiple goal-kicker for the Roos, but his two-goal contribution didn't spark his side into action and it trailed by 58 points at the final change.

Carlton slowed in the fourth but the Kangaroos enjoyed a highlight with Ziebell kicking his first two goals on the AFL stage.

Carlton will now play the winner from Saturday's Hawthorn-Melbourne clash next Sunday at Telstra Dome, while North Melbourne will face Fremantle at Manuka Oval.

Carlton 1.2.3 1.8.6 1.14.10 1.17.12 (123)
North Melbourne 0.2.1 0.5.3 0.7.3 0.11.4 (70)

GOALS
Carlton: Nine-point goals: Fevola Goals: Fevola 5, Cloke 2, Garlett 2, Judd, Johnson, Murphy, Wiggins, Houlihan, Bentley, Betts, Simpson
North Melbourne: Nine-point goals: Nil Goals: Hale 3, Wells 2, Ziebell 2, Thomas, Lower, Gibson, Harvey

BEST
Carlton: Fevola, Gibbs, Simpson, Judd, Simpson, Stevens, Houlihan, Grigg
North Melbourne: Wells, Power, Hale, Swallow, Harding, Ziebell, Harvey

INJURIES
Carlton: Yarran (ankle)
North Melbourne: Pratt (ribs)

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Jeffery, Kennedy, Findlay

Crowd: 24,711 at Telstra Dome

Carlton Blues Logo


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February 21st 2009 @ 11:18

Posted By: Oracle of Delphi - Category: No Category
   


NAB Cup Round 1 Tigers Defeat Dockers

Matthew Richardson donned his Richmond Superman cape again last night as he virtually single-handedly stole the opening round NAB Cup match from under Fremantle’s nose at Subiaco Oval.

In a match that swung wildly after half time, the Tigers booted seven unanswered goals to turn a 23-point half time deficit into a 16-point lead midway through the final term.

However, Fremantle refused to lie down and produced a stirring fightback to surge back in front by nine points with just seven minutes left on the clock.

They booted five supergoals for the match but it was to be Richardson who had the last say.

He snapped the final two goals of the game from close range to steal back the lead, the final goal coming with just 52 seconds left to play.

Then he ran deep into defence and took a match-saving mark 15m from the Fremantle goal with just 29 seconds left.

The 33-year-old started on the wing and again thrived on the freedom he found on the vast expanses of Subiaco Oval.

The final score was 1.12.8 (89) to 5.5.11 (86).but the first half belonged to Fremantle.

They were 28-points ahead after just 12 minutes and it took until the 15-minute mark for Jack Riewoldt to put Richmond’s first goal on the board.

The home side benefitted in the first half from two 50m penalties that handed them nine-point supergoals.

A third supergoal from Andrew Browne put the icing on the cake of a strong first half in which Richmond paid the price for some errant early kicking as well as those two indiscretions that cost supergoals.

The Tigers also missed their first four shots at goal and overused handball, particularly early in the match.

Fremantle sprung a surprise by putting Antoni Grover in attack alongside Dean Solomon and the move worked early. The two tough guys of the side ensured fierce contests in the attacking arc and their vigour rubbed off on the youthful brigade.

Solomon kicked the first goal of the match, a nine-pointer, thanks to a 50m penalty. And Grover added the second of the match after marking a pin-point kick from Paul Hasleby.

The quarter-time margin was 18 points but Richmond made the early running in the second term with consecutive goals to Brown before Fremantle snuck the last two goals of the half to open a handy break.

The Tigers burst out after the long break with four goals in the first eight minutes of the quarter through Riewoldt, Mitch Morton, Brown and rookie Robin Nahas.

Fremantle stemmed the run-on for the next 10 minutes but Morton added the Tigers fifth for the term just before three quarter-time to give them a four-point lead at the last change.


The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily of the clubs or the AFL.

MATCH DETAILS

Richmond 1.1.5 1.3.5 1.8.5 1.12.8 (89)
Fremantle 2.3.2 3.4.4 3.4.8 5.5.11 (86)

GOALS
Richmond: Nine-point goals: Richardson. Goals: Morton 3, Brown 3; Riewoldt 2, Richardson 2; Hughes, Nahas.

Fremantle: Nine-point goals: Browne, Schammer, Solomon, Ibbotson, Hill. Goals: Grover, Bradley, De Boer, Murphy, Dodd.


BEST
Richmond: Richardson, Deledio, Foley, Riewoldt, Brown, Jackson
Fremantle: Hayden, Solomon, Mundy, Hill, DeBoer, Browne, Sandilands

INJURIES
Fremantle: Nil
Richmond: Nil

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Stephen McBurney, Simon Meredith, Jeff Dalgleish, Gavin Statham.

Crowd: 14,517 at Subiaco Oval

Richmond Tigers Logo


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February 16th 2009 @ 10:47

Posted By: Oracle of Delphi - Category: No Category
   


NAB Cup Round 1 Lions Defeat Saints

Brisbane Lions legend Michael Voss has kicked off his coaching career in style with his team's nine-point win over defending NAB Cup premiers St Kilda at Gold Coast Stadium on Saturday night.

The Lions held on against the fast-finishing Saints, who kicked five goals to two in the second half.

After just two behinds in the last quarter, the Lions won with 1.8.8 (65) to St Kilda's 0.8.8 (56).

Brendon Goddard sparked the Saints' third-term revival with an outstanding quarter after the Lions got out to a 46-point margin in the early stages of the second half.

St Kilda banged on four quick goals, the fourth from a free kick for high contact on Goddard by Ash McGrath which resulted in a report for the Lions player and cut the lead to 21 points before Scott Harding's third for the evening gave the Lions a little breathing space.

The final quarter saw Stephen Milne kick two goals and threaten to steal the game from the Lions, but a dropped mark by Matt Maguire close to goal saw the Saints' final chance to close within a goal disappear.

The home team's win was more meritorious given that skipper Jonathan Brown and fellow forward Daniel Bradshaw didn't play.

Their absence scarcely saw their team miss a beat in the first half, unlike St Kilda, whose forward line was largely impotent without captain Nick Riewoldt and Justin Koschitzke.

The Lions set up their win in the second term, when they scored a supergoal and four six-pointers to the Saints' two behinds to break away to a 40-point margin at half time.

The match was error-strewn and very low scoring until the Lions went on their second-quarter scoring spree, with a nine-point goal to Josh Drummond, two goals to Harding, and majors to veteran Tim Notting and first-gamer Aaron Cornelius.

St Kilda's only first-half goal was scored by Ben McEvoy, who a week ago was helping his family battle the Victorian bushfires.

The Lions surprised by using Jared Brennan as a mobile ruckman against the tall Saints timber in Steven King and Michael Gardiner, but despite being beaten in most ruck contests, the side won its share of clearances.

Brennan was impressive around the ground, and was among his side's best players, along with Travis Johnstone, who racked up 27 possessions.

Goddard was clearly the Saints' best in a free-running midfield/forward role, with 30 disposals including 19 handballs, and two goals.

Strongly-built Daniel Rich, the No.7 pick in the 2008 NAB AFL Draft, was impressive early for the Lions, moving fluently and winning the ball well, although like many of his teammates, he was quiet after half time.

The Saints' Robert Eddy was injured in a bizarre first-quarter clash with an umpire in an off-the-ball collision, and left the field with a knee injury that will be assessed for its severity on Sunday.

BRISBANE LIONS 0.2.3 (15) 1.6.6 (51) 1.8.6 (63) 1.8.8 (65)
ST KILDA 0.1.3 (9) 0.1.5 (11) 0.5.7 (37) 0.8.8 (56)

GOALS
Brisbane Lions: Nine-point goal: Drummond. Goals: Harding 3, Notting, Sherman, Cornelius, Hooper, Clark
St Kilda: Milne 2, Goddard 2, Geary, Clarke, Steven, McEvoy.

BEST
Brisbane Lions: Johnstone, Brennan, Harding, Dalziell, Drummond
St Kilda: Goddard, Dal Santo, Geary, Ball, R Clarke

Umpires: Stevic, S Ryan, Pannell, B Ryan

Injuries: St Kilda: Eddy (knee)

Crowd: 6103 at Gold Coast Stadium

Brisbane Lions Logo


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February 15th 2009 @ 10:37

Posted By: Oracle of Delphi - Category: No Category
   


NAB Cup Round 1 Bombers Defeat Bulldogs Bushfire Appeal

An Adam McPhee behind with 18 seconds remaining has given Essendon a thrilling one-point victory over the Western Bulldogs in the NAB Cup Bushfire Appeal game at Telstra Dome on Friday night.

McPhee was the villain just minutes before as his set shot on goal went out on the full, but that was quickly forgotten when he snatched the 1.8.13 (70) to 1.8.12 (69) win.

The Bombers looked to be in trouble after the Dogs reeled in a three-goal deficit late in the final term, but a Matthew Lloyd poster with less than two minutes to play set McPhee's score up just as the match looked headed for extra time.

However, it was always going to be about more than the result with the contest the centrepiece for the competition's support of the victims of this week's devastation in regional Victoria.

A pre-match address from Victorian Premier John Brumby, a minute's silence and the national anthem added to the emotion of the evening.

And the tragedies were undoubtedly in the minds of the players who provided a very entertaining clash for a crowd of 35,123 patrons littered with the colours of the competition's other 14 clubs.

Andrew Lovett and Courtenay Dempsey were in fine touch for the Bombers with 22 touches each while Jay Nash (26) and Jobe Watson (26) were also prominent.

For the Dogs, captain Brad Johnson booted four goals while Daniel Giansiracusa (27 touches) and Daniel Cross (24) played steadying roles.

The evergreen Johnson opened the scoring three minutes into the game, but the Bombers' early pace netted two first-quarter goals. A courageous smother by Lloyd allowed Bachar Houli to get on the score sheet before Leroy Jetta nudged the ball home from point-blank range.

Young Dogs forward Jarrad Grant didn't take long to catch the eye with his chase and tackle of Dempsey earning him a super goal after a 50m penalty took him inside the arc.

Nathan Lovett-Murray earned a free after he was infringed by a Dogs trainer late in the term, but his side trailed by two points at the first break.

Johnson added to his tally inside the first minute of the second term, but the Dons made their move with goals to exciting trio Jay Neagle, Scott Gumbleton and Jetta generating a 10-point lead.

The Dogs re-asserted themselves late in the term, but six shots on goal yielded just one major to Callan Ward and there was nothing between the two teams at the main break.

Neagle continued to impress after the restart, booting his second goal one minute in, but it was Essendon's turn to be wasteful in front of goal with three straight behinds failing to punish the Dogs.

Brennan Stack halted the onslaught and his searing long-range goal was followed up by Wayde Skipper's first to restore their lead. The Dogs spurned a couple of golden chances to extend that advantage and Jarrod Atkinson made them pay when he converted a nine-point opportunity after being taken late by Paul O'Shea.

Former Crow Hayden Skipworth's promising night continued when he converted on the three-quarter-time siren to see the Bombers 11 points ahead.

He banged through his second to kick off the final term, but just as it looked like the Bombers might run away with it, the Dogs came roaring back.

It was their old hands who led the charge with Johnson adding two more from free kicks and Eagleton roving a Will Minson ruck knock to even the scores before McPhee had the last say.

Essendon will play the winner of Saturday night's clash between the Brisbane Lions and St Kilda in two weeks' time.

Essendon 0.2.3 0.5.4 1.7.8 1.8.13 (70)
Western Bulldogs 1.1.2 1.3.7 1.5.9 1.8.12 (69)

GOALS
Essendon: Nine-point goals: Atkinson Goals: Jetta 2, Neagle 2, Skipworth 2, Houli, Gumbleton
Western Bulldogs: Nine-point goals: Grant Goals: Johnson 4, Ward, Stack, Skipper, Eagleton

BEST
Essendon: Watson, Lovett, Dempsey, Skipworth, Hille, Houli, Neagle, Nash
Western Bulldogs: Johnson, Cross, Boyd, Higgins, Hudson, Gilbee, Harbrow, Morris

INJURIES
Essendon: Nil
Western Bulldogs: Nil

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Keating, Wenn, Hendrie

Crowd: 35,123 at Telstra Dome

Essendon Bombers Logo


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February 14th 2009 @ 10:09

Posted By: Oracle of Delphi - Category: No Category
   


NAB Cup Round 1 Magpies Defeat Eagles

Collingwood and West Coast have proven the NAB Cup means different things to different clubs, with the Pies comfortably winning the pre-season opener by 62 points at Subiaco Oval on Saturday night.

With Paul Medhurst and Anthony Rocca the only absentees from a near full-strength Collingwood side, and West Coast fielding close to a full complement of rookies and recent draft picks, a gross mismatch eventuated in front of 22,819 fans.

Nonetheless, with solid first showings from young Eagles Tom Swift (14 possessions) and Adam Cockie (21), and devastating performances from a pair of returning Magpies, it seemed both sides got something from of the fixture.

Indeed, Alan Didak (30 possessions) and Heath Shaw (26) looked to have a point to prove to the teammates they let down so publicly last year, while the elusive Scott Pendlebury (31) and Tarkyn Lockyer (31) were simply a class above their inexperienced markers.

Nick Maxwell, captaining the side for the first time, proved to be a wise choice for the leadership post, and Travis Cloke (four goals) was the side's most effective forward.

West Coast entered the match with the aim of blooding young players and, with Dean Cox and Daniel Kerr starting on the bench as substitutes, heaped responsibility on them from the first bounce.

Chris Masten and Mark Nicoski took it upon themselves to fight the home side's cause but, aside from the final siren, there were few highlights for the home fans.

To make matters worse, young Eagles Eric Mackenzie (shoulder) and Pat McGinnity (broken jaw) sustained serious injuries. Mackenzie will have x-rays on Sunday to determine damage while McGinnity was taken straight to hospital.

Collingwood wasted no time proving they had brought a far superior pre-season side, booting five first-term goals to West Coast's two.

It was the Eagles on the board first, however, when Brent Staker ran down Heath Shaw in front of goals.

But while the Eagles did the basics well early, it was some flashy play forward of centre from Didak that kick-started Collingwood's run. Receiving a handball from Lockyer, Didak span out of a tackle while simultaneously handballing over his head to the running Johnson, who finished the passage with a goal.

Midfield pressure saw a number of young Eagles coughing up the ball, and John Anthony benefitted from the Pies' midfield ascendency, kicking his first goal 10 minutes in.

Moments later McGinnity found himself in some rare space to kick the game's first super-goal, leaving West Coast just one point behind. But it was all Collingwood thereafter as the visitors booted two more goals through Lockyer and Ben Johnson to take a 14-point lead into the first break.

The Eagles tightened up for the second term and kept the Pies off the board for the opening 10 minutes, but with Lockyer, Pendlebury, Shaw and Dane Swan running riot through the middle it wasn't long before the Pies set up their match-winning lead.

Second-quarter goals to Lockyer, Cloke and Anthony and a super-goal to Marty Clarke saw the Pies build a 40-point lead. Meanwhile, West Coast was forced to enter substitutes Cox and Kerr into the match after Mackenzie and McGinnity left the field injured.

The star pair was desperately needed and had an impact immediately – Cox playing at full forward and kicking his side's only goal for the term and Kerr bringing some composure to the midfield.

Cloke erupted in the third term, booting three goals on Beau Wilkes – one from some uncharacteristic crumbing.

Staker snapped a classy goal from the pocket while a super-goal to Kerr enhanced his own showing. But the Eagles went into the final change 52 points down.

Didak, with a mid-air soccer kick, and Leon Davis, with some classy crumbing, built the lead early in the final term, and the Magpies cruised to a comprehensive victory.

COLLINGWOOD 0.5.2 (32) 1.8.8 (65) 1.12.14 (95) 1.15.17 (116)
WEST COAST 1.1.3 (18) 1.2.4 (25) 2.3.7 (43) 3.3.9 (54)

GOALS

Collingwood: Nine-point goal: Clarke. Goals: Cloke 4, Lockyer 3, Anthony, Davis, Johnson 2, Didak, Wood
West Coast: Nine-point goals: McGinnity, Kerr, McKinley. Goals: Staker 2, Cox

BEST

Collingwood: Lockyer, Didak, Pendlebury, Cloke, Shaw, O'Brien
West Coast: Nicoski, Kerr, Masten, Swift, Priddis

Injuries

Collingwood: Nil
West Coast: Mackenzie (shoulder), McGinnity (broken jaw)

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Donlon, Kennedy, Margetts, Schmitt

Crowd: 22,819 at Subiaco Oval

AFL Media Release

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February 8th 2009 @ 09:44

Posted By: Oracle of Delphi - Category: No Category
   


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