AFL Finals 2023: What – and who – is next for Collingwood after qualifying final win over Melbourne
Nick Daicos is almost certain to return for the preliminary final – but who comes out? Glenn McFarlane looks at Craig McRae’s latest dilemma and what comes next for Collingwood.
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Collingwood ruck-forward Mason Cox says he never lost faith that he could break his way back into senior team for another assault on that elusive premiership, despite being dropped back to the VFL six weeks ago.
He said the club’s squad mentality – and continued pressure on for spots – has kept the group hungry in what has been a challenging lead-up to the finals.
And he urged demoted defender John Noble to keep positive and keep working hard after he was dropped for the first time in 83 games for Thursday night’s qualifying final victory over Melbourne.
“We live for this time of the year and it is unfortunate that not everyone can play in them,” Cox said after the Magpies’ seven-point win.
“You feel for people like John Noble who didn’t play. You send him messages and calls, and it is tough. There are only 23 spots, not everyone can be in the team. Your heart goes out to those people.”
Cox lost his place in Collingwood’s team after being subbed out of the round 20 clash with Carlton after having only three disposals.
He was forced to go back to the Magpies’ VFL side for two matches, missing AFL games against Hawthorn and Geelong.
Some questioned whether he would get back for the finals.
While his VFL form absolutely warranted a return, coach Craig McRae’s decision to abandon the Jeremy Howe-in-attack experiment also helped the big man win his place back in the side.
“I was in that position (out of the team) only five or six weeks ago, so you just have to keep working hard to try and get back in,” Cox said.
“It was tough. Going back to play in the VFL is never ideal, especially being 32 years of age, which is almost twice the age of everyone else playing.
“We have a pretty clear communication between the two of us (he and McRae). He wanted to try a few different things, with Jeremy Howe forward, and unfortunately that meant I had to go out of the side.
“Fortunately enough now, I have come back in and he has shown faith in me to play finals.
“You never know what is going to happen. I look back at a bloke named Brayden Sier who played most of the year in the VFL (in 2018), but played in the grand final. You look at Ginni (Jack Ginnivan) who has played most of the year in the VFL but has won his way back in.”
Cox has more than held up his end of the bargain since his return with three good performances.
Collingwood may have advanced to a preliminary final – the club’s 11th across the past 22 seasons – but the selection dilemmas will keep coming for McRae and his coaching panel.
Nick Daicos is almost certain to return in two weeks after working to overcome a hairline fracture of his knee, which will put the pressure back on a number of Magpies players.
The dilemmas come not because players are playing badly, but because the Magpies’ depth is strong, and because Daicos is a star.
Another tough call might be coming, depending on what happens with Brayden Maynard.
Jack Ginnivan was relegated to the sub against the Demons, despite kicking three goals in round 24. He had four disposals on Thursday night after being brought into the game in the last quarter.
As much as he brings energy to the group and to the crowd, he is one of a handful of players who would be a little nervous about selection in a fortnight’s time.
It could come down to where the Magpies intend to play Daicos.
If they intend to play him in the midfield, it could put pressure on one of the coach’s favourites in Patrick Lipinski.
McRae said at his press conference that the Magpies had to choose between John Noble and Will Hoskin-Elliott on Thursday night, but went with the latter for his versatility.
And Hoskin-Elliott all but locked in a spot for the preliminary final with his best game of the season, running off half back.
The Magpies love what Oleg Markov has brought to the team and they would be reluctant to drop him given his strong form, but as we’ve seen with Noble, nothing is a given.
The Magpies seem certain to go with the same big men core as they did on Thursday night, with Cox and Darcy Cameron fighting off illness to take on the Demons, and Dan McStay overcoming a slow start to kick two goals.
Cox said Daicos’ versatility means he could return on any of the three lines: “He could play mid, back, wherever it is.”
“Obviously, Nick is one of the best, if not the best player in the league, so he will come back for a prelim. That will be massive. He adds to our team and he makes us better.
“We have guys who can go forward and back. I don’t think there is a one-stop shop. We can all move around a bit. There is a bit of versatility between everyone.”
Cox overcame some illness during the week, but got up to play against Melbourne colossus Max Gawn.
While Gawn was extraordinary around the ground, and was his team’s best player, Cox had more hitouts (34 to 31).
“Max is a phenomenal player, he is a really nice guy too,” Cox said
“He is the leader of their team who they look to stand up.”
Cox will play in his third preliminary final in a fortnight’s time – five years on from the contest against Richmond which stunned the football world.
“It is awesome,” he said. “It is exciting to have this opportunity again that hopefully we will be able to do something with.
“We still have two games hopefully to play in front of us.”
His parents, Phil and Jeanette, will likely make the trek from the US to Australia for the preliminary final, with the hope that their stay could be extended by an extra week at least.
Cox said he loved playing with Brayden Maynard – who he called “the energiser bunny” of the team – and was convinced he was purely trying to smother Angus Brayshaw’s kick in a football act.
But he added that he felt for Brayshaw, who was subbed out of the game with concussion.
“My heart goes out to Angus Brayshaw,” Cox said.
“It is weird being in the heat of the moment and seeing the genuine care players have for one another.”
Bobby dazzler
Bobby Hill must be thanking his lucky stars that his old side GWS Giants played hard ball almost two years ago and refused his bid to move to Essendon.
That forced his hand into playing one more year for the Giants, but it also helped to pave the way for him to seek a new home, Collingwood.
Hill played against the Magpies in the 2019 preliminary final but didn’t play the grand final that year. He is now one game closer to his first premiership playoff.
His two early goals in Thursday night’s final against Melbourne set the scene for the Magpies, with his spark much more than just something that hit the scoreboard. He was energetic in play, kicked another goal in the third term, eight of his 13 disposals were contested and he had six scoring involvements.
The Magpies’ list strategy late last year in securing Hill, along with Tom Mitchell (who was seemingly under every pack on Thursday) and Dan McStay (who started slowly but finished well with two goals), has played a role in the club’s 2023 fortunes.
Moore’s plea to the Magpie Army
Nick Daicos might be Collingwood’s best player this season, but Darcy Moore is structurally the most important.
If we ever needed any reminding of this, take a look at how he marshalled the Magpies’ defence on Thursday night.
He was superb in his return from a hamstring injury, combining well with another welcome inclusion in Nathan Murphy as well as the ever-consistent Isaac Quaynor in a backline that somehow defended 69 inside 50s, yet conceded only seven goals.
Moore’s 11 intercept possessions were a game high and the security of having the skipper in defence is not only reassuring for fans, but for his teammates.
Cox said: “Darce was massive … To add those two talls in Darcy Moore and Nathan Murphy back, you kind of sit there and when the ball is kicked to them one-on-one, you almost always back them in. They are absolutely gun players.”
Moore spoke after the game about the power of the Collingwood fans, even sending out a social media plea to the Magpies’ army about their importance to the team.
“Hey Magpie Army … job one done,” Moore said in the post.
“Thanks for turning up, you answered the call. But you know what that means, we’ve got a week off and we need you louder and crazier than ever for the preliminary final.
“So get your mates, gather around a TV, or come to the game, find a ticket … we need you loud and proud. Let’s go. We’ve got two more to win.”
No longer a whipping boy
Will Hoskin-Elliott has often been the whipping boy for frustrated Magpie fans over the past few seasons, but his performance on Thursday night in a different role showed why Craig McRae has the faith in him.
The tough call to drop John Noble must have almost ripped the heart out of the Collingwood selectors, but Hoskin-Elliott stepped back into a half-back role and was clearly one of the Magpies’ best players.
Fittingly, it was his 150th game in black and white – and his 202nd overall – with his 468 metres gained being second only to Jack Crisp for Collingwood on the night.
In a team where the selection squeeze is right on ahead of the preliminary final, the 30-year-old has all but locked in his spot with a strong showing and his versatility to play in a number of different positions stand him in good stead.
The extra week’s break will benefit the Magpies, who had a few sore bodies in the rooms after the game, including Jamie Elliott, Jordan De Goey and Brody Mihocek, meaning they will get some respite.
Hits and misses: No hiding for Melbourne’s wasteful forwards
Melbourne’s season is on the line after wasting its chance to produce an almighty come-from-behind win against Collingwood on Thursday.
The Magpies will enjoy a week off, but the Demons have to plan for Carlton or Sydney and think about the dreaded prospect of a straight-sets finals exit.
But, it could have been so different.
GLENN MCFARLANE names his hits and misses from the qualifying final.
HITS
Max Gawn
David King was spot on when he said at halftime that “it feels like Max Gawn against Collingwood at the moment”. The Demons skipper was enormous in the first half when his team was under siege and he almost single-handedly kept his team in the hunt. Another monster finals performance from big Maxy.
Bobby Hill
The former Giant had only kicked one goal in his two previous finals but as a reborn Magpie he doubled that tally within the first five minutes. Hill set the scene with his creativity and his forward nous. He nailed those two first term goals, slammed home a superb set shot in the third term and gave plenty of life in Collingwood’s attack.
Moore, IQ and the Magpies defence
They were under siege late in the game but Collingwood’s defence kept the Demons to two goals at halftime, and seven for the game. The fact that Darcy Moore and Nathan Murphy got through the game unscathed was crucial as they look ahead to a preliminary final. And Isaac Quaynor’s crucial moments in the last term — including a game-saving mark — helped push the Magpies over the line.
Steele Sidebottom and Jack Crisp
These two heart and soul players were outstanding on the night, while Will Hoskin-Elliott took on a new role and did his job. Steele Sidebottom lit up the finals stage in his first season at Collingwood and almost won a Norm Smith Medal in his second – and he’s still making a September impact at 32. It’s crazy to think Jack Crisp – a two time Copeland Trophy winner – still doesn’t get the credit he should. He’s a star.
Christian Petracca’s second half
Melbourne’s barometer was almost at freezing point in the first half, with Petracca locked down on seven disposals. But as soon as the Demons’ midfield bull got off the chain, he started to wrest back control in the second half. He finished with 29 disposals as he and Clayton Oliver combined for 40 possessions in the second half. Petracca had 10 touches in the last term but missed a goal he could have kicked. But sadly for the Demons it was too little too late.
MISSES
Tom McDonald
Before this game, the Melbourne forward hadn’t played an AFL game in 104 days as he fought his way back from injury, and it looked like it. He struggled for most of the night to make an impact, save for a goal in the third term. Needs to lift.
Melbourne’s forward waste
Simon Goodwin needs to conjure some sort of miracle to get this Demons’ forward attack up and running again. Just seven goals for the game – and only two in the first half – summed up their lack of resources in attack. Time and again they wasted chances going forward. At one stage in the third term they kicked 1.6 in a wasteful effort. It cost them dearly.
The Magpies’ fade out
How do we assess the Collingwood fade-out? That’s going to be the talking point as the Magpies get a week’s break and look forward to a home preliminary final. There is still plenty of work to be done for Craig McRae, but understandably he had a smile on his face after the game. And why wouldn’t he!
Jacob van Rooyen
The young Demons forward looks in danger of missing the Demons’ next final after his elbow on Dan McStay, which is certain to come under MRO scrutiny. It wasn’t a memorable first final.
Angus Brayshaw
Sometimes footy is so cruel. Angus Brayshaw’s night was over almost as soon as it began after he was taken from the field after an incident with Brayden Maynard as the Magpie defender went in to spoil him. Maynard insisted post game that it was a footy act and that he was only trying to spoil. Given the issues Brayshaw has had in the past, it was good to at least see him up and about in the rooms.
SELECTION
The Tom McDonald gamble didn’t work. Melbourne looks in danger of losing Jacob van Rooyen to suspension, so the Demons will have to somehow work out a system. Does Brodie Grundy come back? Can McDonald get himself right next week? Can Bayley Fritsch overcome his foot soreness which seemed to hamper him a little.
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Originally published as AFL Finals 2023: What – and who – is next for Collingwood after qualifying final win over Melbourne
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