Replacement Pies step up as Collingwood put Eagles to the sword

The Pies’ second-string forward line feasted on a hapless and wounded Eagles at Marvel Stadium, with Craig Macrae lauding those who stepped up.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA. May 11, 2024. AFL Round 10. Collingwood vs. West Coast Eagles at Marvel Stadium. Nick Daicos of the Magpies clears in front of his defenders during the 3rd qtr. . Pic: Michael Klein

Collingwood coach Craig McRae was “really pleased” with the performances of some of his unheralded players on Sunday during the Magpies’ 66-point demolition of West Coast at Marvel Stadium.

The Magpies headed into the game without Jordan De Goey (groin), Brody Mihocek (hamstring), Tom Mitchell (appendix), Jamie Elliott (back), Beau McCreery (concussion) and Lachie Schultz (suspension).

And their personnel issues were further exacerbated during the contest when Jeremy Howe (groin), Harvey Harrison (ankle) and Jack Bytel (concussion) all got injured.

But with the likes of Finlay Macrae, mature-age debutant Joe Richards and Reef McInnes, who headed into the game with 30 matches between them, all making important contributions, a week after Lachie Sullivan starred against Carlton, coach McRae believes he has a deeper squad than he previously thought.

Finlay Macrae of the Magpies celebrates a second quarter goal with Joe Richards. Picture: Michael Klein

“You can’t replace certain levels of your talent, but all you ask is for guys to come in and do the job ... and we got a little bit more,” McRae said.

“We came here today with the intention to see a few different Collingwood players that the fans hadn’t seen and hadn’t been exposed to the level.

“Young guys getting opportunities that they’ve been craving for and then they jump at it.”

In 2022, Richards was plucked out of the Ovens and Murray league, where he was playing for Wangaratta, with pick 48 of the draft and the 24-year-old was pivotal in the decisive first half which finished with the Magpies leading by nine goals.

“You can only look above the level at VFL and then you get your chance and then he gets his chance,” McRae said.

“He was the highest pressure player on the ground in your first game and set up many goals, kicked his own, maybe unlucky not to get a couple ... really clean at ground level and in tune with the game.

“He’s been a guy that you could tell was coming but it was early days, and I’m talking last year, it was like, ‘Oh, OK. Maybe’. But this year it’s been like, ‘OK, this guy looks too good for VFL and then he looks ready to play AFL’.

Nick Daicos of the Magpies celebrates a goal with teammate Steele Sidebottom. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

“We’ve got one more that can do all the things that we need when we need them.”

The Magpies monstered the Eagles in the middle of the ground, scoring seven goals directly from centre bounce alone in the first half.

“We learned some good lessons against the Bombers. We got smashed around that phase,” McRae said.

“Then the next two weeks we were really positive around what that looks like.”

McRae was also encouraged by Steele Sidebottom’s first game in defence, after the veteran had been struggling for form for most of the season to date, and suggested it could add a few more years to his career.

“It was good - 318 games and never played back,” McRae said.

“Funnily enough it’s 20m further down the ground than what he normally plays (the wing).

“He helps our backline out a lot at stoppages, he’s a smart player and he can read the play really well and he was really important today ... it’s exciting for him.

“A change of role can give excitement. I did chat to him and he said, ‘I’ve got a bit of an excitement in my stomach. A new challenge and a new opportunity’.

“I don’t want to put ceilings on players ... why would we? Just get better.

“Will that prolong his career? I’m not sure, but it’s certainly a good step towards it.”

McRae said De Goey and Mitchell would be in a “race to the line” to be fit for their match against Adelaide next week and wouldn’t completely rule out Harrison.

However, he expected Howe to miss one to two matches while Elliott and McCreery won’t be available until at least Round 11.

REPLACEMENT PIES SWOOP ON HAPLESS EAGLES

Collingwood has overcome a growing injury list to storm into the top eight for the first time this season after destroying an insipid West Coast by 66 points at Marvel Stadium on Sunday.

The Magpies were technically in the top eight in Round 0 after losing to GWS, but that isn’t being taken into consideration due to the fact that only eight teams played in the opening weekend.

Collingwood’s forward line had a completely different look about it with Brody Mihocek (hamstring), Jamie Elliott (back), Beau McCreery (concussion) and Lachie Schultz (suspension) all missing, while star midfielders Jordan De Goey (groin) and Tom Mitchell (appendix) were also out.

And their personnel issues were further exacerbated when Jeremy Howe (groin) and Harvey Harrison (ankle) exited the game at quarter-time, forcing them to play one rotation down in the middle two periods and Jack Bytel didn’t participate in the final term either due to concussion.

Jack Darling checks on Jack Bytel after the Pie was hurt late in their clash at Marvel Stadium. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

But those various obstacles had no impact on the Magpies’ scoring capacity with 10 individual goalkickers, including inclusions Finlay Macrae (three) and Reef McIness (three), powering them to their second-biggest score of the year 15.13 (103) while restricting West Coast to their lowest ever score against the Magpies 5.7 (37).

Collingwood piled on nine consecutive goals in the middle two quarters as their lead blew out to a massive 74 points in the final term.

Led by the likes of Nick Daicos, Jack Crisp, Macrae, Darcy Cameron, mature-age debutant Joe Richards and Steele Sidebottom, in his new position on half-back, Collingwood produced a magnificent first half which set up the comprehensive win.

De Goey and Mitchell might’ve been missing, but that didn’t stop the Magpies from teaching West Coast’s midfield a lesson, with six of their first eight goals coming directly from centre bounces.

Bobby Hill celebrates after kicking a goal. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images.

In the first half, Collingwood obliterated the Eagles in centre clearances (13-2), clearances (24-11), contested possessions (81-48) and disposals (208-141) on the way to their biggest ever halftime lead against West Coast (55 points).

With under a minute left in the game, the Magpies had scored 11.5 (71) from stoppage, which is the best by any team this season, to West Coast’s 1.2 (8).

Daicos was outstanding with 36 disposals (17 contested), seven tackles, seven clearances and a goal, Crisp finished with 32 touches (12), six tackles and a goal and Cameron was dominant in the ruck with 24 possessions (14), 18 hitouts and six clearances.

Macrae and Richards (one goal) had 12 and 14 possessions respectively in the decisive first half.

After making their worst start to a season since 1999 (0-3), Collingwood are now undefeated in their past six matches as the reigning premiers’ title defence continues to gather momentum.

For West Coast, after five weeks of promising football, it was a return to their putrid uncompetitive performances from the previous two seasons.

Joe Richards of the Magpies celebrates a goal on debut for Collingwood. Picture: Michael Klein

EAGLES’ WINGS CLIPPED

The Eagles’ sorry day was compounded by star defender Jeremy McGovern apparently suffering internal bleeding after appearing to injure his ribs and they also had to activate their sub at quarter-time when Jack Petruccelle succumbed to an ankle complaint.

STARS FAIL TO FIRE

West Coast’s struggles in the middle were best personified by Tim Kelly who only had four disposals at halftime and, for the first time in his career, he didn’t have a contested possession at the major break. Meanwhile, for just the second time in his 286-game career, Jack Darling failed to take a mark.

HARLEY HANG TIME

The one bright moment for West Coast came in the opening term when young sensation Harley Reid took yet another mark-of-the-year contender by flying over Darling and Collingwood defender Billy Frampton to rein in a spectacular hanger on the wing.

DETAILS

COLLINGWOOD 4.4, 11.8, 14.11, 15.13 (103)

WEST COAST 1.1, 3.1, 3.5, 5.7 (37)

RONNY LERNER’S BEST

Magpies: N.Daicos, Crisp, Macrae, Cameron, Sidebottom, Richards, Pendlebury.

Eagles: Duggan, Barrass, Witherden, McGovern, Hough.

GOALS

Magpies: Macrae 3, McInnes 3, Hill 2, Lipinski, Howe, N.Daicos, Sullivan, Crisp, Richards, J.Daicos.

Eagles: Maric, J.Williams, Dewar, Ryan, L.Edwards.

INJURIES Magpies: Howe (groin), Harrison (ankle), Bytel (concussion). Eagles: McGovern (ribs/internal bleeding), Petruccelle (ankle).

UMPIRES Broadbent, Williamson, Toner, Mollison

37,433 at Marvel Stadium.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

RONNY LERNER’S VOTES

3 Nick Daicos (COLL)

2 Jack Crisp (COLL)

1 Finlay Macrae (COLL)

Originally published as Replacement Pies step up as Collingwood put Eagles to the sword