Collingwood deserves all the plaudits but Essendon lacked pride, writes Mark Robinson
COLLINGWOOD deserves the plaudits and so, too, does coach Nathan Buckley. As for the Bombers, they were shameful, writes Mark Robinson. REPLAY LIVE CHAT
Mark Robinson
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THIS is not about the losing team. It can’t be.
They don’t deserve any recognition for what they produced.
There is no shame in losing, but there is when you lose like that.
LIVE CHAT WITH MARK ROBINSON FROM 11.30AM BELOW
On one of Australia’s greatest days, you have to bring something, a bit of pride, or anger, or honour, but don’t bring promises and deliver nothing.
Not the other team
We’ll call them by their name: Collingwood.
It deserves all kinds of recognition and so, too, does coach Nathan Buckley.
The favourite son was under siege after a plodding start to the season and Buckley transformed his plodders into competitive maniacs.
From the opening bounce, the Magpies were energetic and with that comes feel-good football.
Inside two minutes, an American had kicked the first a goal on the day revered by Australians and New Zealanders.
The result was fairytale and contagious. Every Magpie in the vicinity climbed all over Mason Cox.
Cox was in the side for Travis Cloke and it was a terrific start to his career.
However, it might’ve been the full stop on Cloke’s senior career at Collingwood.
The Pies had kicked seven, 13, 14 and nine goals across the opening four games and on Monday blitzed with 14 in the first half and 22 for the game.
From the outset, all those doubts about Collingwood players being erratic and soft and uncompetitive were eradicated on single, sunny MCG day.
Jordan de Goey was busy in the air and on the ground in the forward 50m and played the sort of footy he had been earmarked to play — and hadn’t, Jarryd Blair made tackles and kicked goals, Bed Reid took marks at the back, Scott Pendlebury won clearances and the ball, and Steele Sidebottom won the ball and kicked goals.
Similar to Jeremy Cameron at GWS, Sidebottom owed his teammates and the fans this game due to a silly suspension.
He finished with 33 disposals and four goals and was easily best afield.
The Collingwood blitz was stunning.
Collingwood deserves all kinds of recognition and so, too, does coach Nathan Buckley. 
In the first quarter, it was goals to Cox (2mins), Sidebottom (5mins), Oxley (9mins), Moore (13mins), Sidebottom (17mins), Sidebottom (18mins), Fasolo (22mins) and Howe (26mins).
It was a goal every four minutes. It was rampant and magical and meaningful after a harrowing several weeks.
The goals came on the back of relentless pressure, a level of pressure Buckley and his team was able to produce during the first half of last season, but had failed to deliver across the first month this year.
First in, first hands, first thoughts meant Collingwood played instinctive, aggressive and fast football and the match unfolded before them.
Collectively, the opposition was rattled.
Staggeringly, by game’s end Collingwood had just 32 more possessions than the opposition but the metres gained differential was 1146.
The Pies defended the ground with menace, instruction and execution, which meant the opposition couldn’t move the ball with any authority.
In contrast, Collingwood several times went coast-to-coast for the goal.
It was perfect footy: Cohesive and inclusive.
And the opposition?
Bedraggled. Under pressure. Forced to go wide and short and backwards.
It was a shameful first half and a much improved second half.
They’ll say they fought back and that’s OK, but where was the fight in the first place?
Originally published as Collingwood deserves all the plaudits but Essendon lacked pride, writes Mark Robinson
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