AFL coach Robert Harvey gives update on Collingwood Magpies future
The Collingwood Magpies are on the hunt for a new senior coach and now their interim coach has spoken about his future in the job.
AFL
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Interim Collingwood coach Robert Harvey says he is yet to discuss his future with the Magpies’ hierarchy as he focuses on steering his side through the last two games of the season.
Bested by Hawthorn and Alastair Clarkson – the man set to be courted by the Pies at season’s end – at the MCG on Sunday, Harvey says he is enjoying the caretaker role.
“It’s just trying to get all the pieces together and trying to get what we are trying to achieve in this last nine weeks (since he took over),” Harvey said.
“I do enjoy seeing the players trying to get the best out of themselves, young and old.
“I’d like to win a few more games, yes, and that’s disappointing, but, in the end, it is good fun, I like it, it’s what I do.”
He said discussions about his chances of becoming the full-time coach at Collingwood were on the backburner.
“That’ll come in time, the right time,” he said.
“I said at the start I’m solely committed to doing the job at hand, so nothing changes there.
“I’ve still got two more weeks of that, so I’m going to try and execute that as best I can.”
The Pies limped out of the blocks against the Hawks and found themselves five goals down at halftime, before mounting a late effort to peg the margin back to 19.
While disappointed with his side’s effort, he was pleased with the Pies’ young brigade, particularly 19-year-old Finlay Macrae, who was given a taste of elite footy by 44-possession Hawk Tom Mitchell.
“He’s learning against some very seasoned experienced guys, so he’s only going to get better,” Harvey said of Macrae.
“He spent some time on Mitchell today or (James) Worpel or (Jaeger) O’Meara, so there’s some good learnings for him out of that.
“We’re on record as to saying that we want to get these games into these kids and we want to see what they can produce and I think we’re liking what we see.”
Clarko’s last weeks
There is almost a sadness among the Hawthorn faithful that Alastair Clarkson won’t be at the club in 2022.
But, as Clarko reminded everyone why he’s the best coach in the game with a typically defiant 19-point win over Collingwood, he has a message to the Hawks’ supporter base: “Stick fat”.
After the victory, a philosophical Clarkson waxed lyrical about his time at the club, recalling the past exploits of a young Lance Franklin and planting the seeds of the Hawks’ dynasty at the draft.
He says the excitement is now there for a new generation – even if he won’t be around to steer the ship.
“I can remember, in 2005, when we drafted some of these young lads, like the Rougheads and the (Tom) Murphys and the (Jordan) Lewises and the Franklins and (Cyril) Riolis and (Grant) Birchalls through that two or three year period that our members were there supporting us,” Clarkson said.
“Our club has enjoyed more success than any other club in the competition (in recent years), but there’s also been some tough times and that’s what footy brings.
“That’s what life brings. That’s the great beauty of the game, it’s all part of an overall journey, we can’t always be up the top.
“I still recall the day Bud kicked his first bag of six against Richmond down at Launceston in about 2006. It was a milestone for him and that’s what we’re searching for.
“We’re hoping that there’ll be wins along the way … but sometimes the wins will come in just the exposure that these guys get to playing AFL footy.
“For our supporters, have excitement that you are there when you’re seeing Lachie Bramble debut for the Hawks and the day that (Jacob) Koschitzke kicked five goals.”
Clarkson said “not one bit” had changed for him, despite the knowledge he has two games left as coach of the Hawks, before club great Sam Mitchell takes over.
“It’s about trying to get every minute and every hour that these lads can train and prepare,” he said.
“We know where we’re at as a footy club, we know we need to get better.
“We’ve got the Bulldogs next week and then Richmond. Wow, what a great way to test ourselves, just see where we’re at, give some lads some more exposure.
“I know the club’s been bashed around a little bit in the last little while with the way that we’ve handled this (succession plan).
“It’s not all doom and gloom.”
Another day, another Clarko masterpiece.
Collingwood fans have been fed an up-close-and-personal look at what their reality could be next season as departing Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson orchestrated their side’s downfall to the tune of 19 points at the MCG.
And wouldn’t they be salivating?
Of course, plenty has to play out, but the Pies must move heaven and earth to ensure the best coach in footy is at their helm next season.
In a clash between two teams in the lower echelon of the ladder, Hawthorn executed its coach’s plan better: the Hawks controlled the footy, had a mountain of uncontested possession and heaped pressure on the Pies every time they touched it.
The Hawks average 88.8 marks a game in 2021 – they had 87 to halftime – an indication Collingwood’s pressure just wasn’t there. Remarkably, all eight of their first-half goals came from Collingwood turnovers – game over.
Tom Mitchell just loves playing Collingwood. He had leather poisoning with 44 disposals, adding this destructive performance to previous iterations of 54 and 50 touches against the Pies.
Former Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley once said Mitchell’s influence on the game was “overblown”, intimating that he found a lot of the footy, but didn’t necessarily hurt teams.
On Sunday, he sliced the Pies to pieces and was the Hawks’ chief creator with 12 score involvements and a goal.
Chad Wingard is in a purple patch of form, backing up his 32 touches and two goals in the Hawks’ upset win over Brisbane with 30 disposals.
For the Pies, Jordan De Goey continued his improvement in the midfield with 28 disposals, 12 contested, while Taylor Adams (30) and Jack Crisp (28) found a heap of it, but they had few helpers.
The ruck battle was an intriguing one, with both Brodie Grundy and Jonathon Ceglar having an influence for their respective clubs.
The Hawks will take an injury concern out of the win, with James Worpel subbed out early in the last with a foot complaint.
The kids are all right
With finals out of the question, there wasn’t a whole lot to play for, but, if fans were looking for something to smile about, they’d be pretty pleased with the youngsters at both clubs.
The Pies had four teenagers in the side and two of them made an immediate impact, 18-year-old Jack Ginnivan booting their first goal and Finlay Macrae, 18, the second. Fellow 18-year-old Ollie Henry then bobbed up with the first of the second quarter.
At the other end, Mitch Lewis, 22, snagged the Hawks’ first and 21-year-old Dylan Moore their third – sandwiched between 38-year-old father time Shaun Burgoyne’s deadeye set shot – before 22-year-old Jack Scrimshaw kicked the fourth. Jacob Koschitzke caught the eye with three goals in his return to the side.
Moore has come on in leaps and bounds in 2021. The 2018 VFL premier with Box Hill had struggled to lock down a spot in the senior side, but has played 20 games for the Hawks this season and booted an impressive 27 goals.
Clarko not phoning it in
He might be on the way out the door, but the fire and passion is still there for Clarkson.
Vision emerged from the coaches box of Clarkson having a little trouble with the phone.
You think he was pleased?
The lip readers would have had a field day as Clarko whacked the desk in front of him and his blood boiled an assistant tried in vain to fix the issue.
Bless him.
The stitch up
You couldn’t help but laugh when big Pie Brodie Grundy snapped up the loose ball, heard a familiar voice and gave a laces out handpass.
Problem was, that voice was former teammate Tom Phillips.
Phillips, who played 89 games for the Pies before crossing to the Hawks at the end of last season, had clearly called for the footy and gleefully accepted his former clubmate’s delivery, driving the Hawks’ forward.
Mayne man’s ‘Heart And Soul’
Chris Mayne is a lesson in persistence.
Few players were as maligned as the workmanlike Pie when he crossed from Fremantle and struggled.
But the 32-year-old, who this week announced he would hang up the boots at season’s end, reinvented himself and, under Harvey, has settled on the half back line.
“It’s great to see a guy go out with plenty left in the tank,” Harvey said of his charge on Fox Footy.
“We’ve talked about him a lot this week, because he’s a heart and soul guy for us.
“I’ve got great respect for what that guy’s done, the self belief, the work rate, the mental toughness of that fella to be able to get through is a lesson for all and we draw on that a lot.”
He was among the Pies’ best triers with 26 touches and seven marks.
SCOREBOARD
HAWTHORN: 4.2 8.3 13.5 15.7 (97)
COLLINGWOOD: 2.2 3.3 8.4 12.6 (78)
GOALS
Hawks: Koschitzke 3, Howe 2, Moore 2, Burgoyne, Lewis, McEvoy, Mitchell, Nash, O’Meara, Scrimshaw, Worpel
Pies: Ginnivan 3, Elliott 2, Mihocek 2, Cameron, Grundy, Henry, Macrae, Sidebottom
MICHAEL RANDALL’S BEST
Hawks: Mitchell, Moore, Scrimshaw, Wingard, Ceglar, Hardwick
Pies: Adams, De Goey, Grundy, Crisp, Mayne
MICHAEL RANDALL’S VOTES
3 – T. Mitchell (Haw)
2 – D. Moore (Haw)
1 – J. Scrimshaw (Haw)
INJURIES
Hawks: Worpel (left foot)
Pies: NIL
Umpires: Williamson, Gianfagna, Wallace
Venue: MCG
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