AFL round 22 Collingwood v Geelong: Pies defeat Cats 109-101, Darcy Moore subbed out with hamstring injury
It didn’t look good for Collingwood skipper Darcy Moore when he was subbed out with a hamstring injury on Friday night, but scans have revealed it was not as bad as first feared.
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Collingwood expects its inspirational skipper Darcy Moore to be ready for the club’s first final next month after scans revealed a low grade hamstring strain which caused him to be subbed out of Friday night’s win over Geelong.
Moore will miss the club’s final two home and away matches against Brisbane and Essendon, but the Magpies are confident he will be ready to take the field in a qualifying final.
The bye week before the final means he has four weeks to recover.
While the injury is not ideal for Collingwood given the importance of Moore’s on-field leadership as well as the recent loss of Nick Daicos for what is expected to be six weeks, it will give the star defender a chance to freshen up before what is expected to be a busy September.
Collingwood general manager of football Graham Wright confirmed the news on Saturday afternoon, saying Moore’s absence will provide an opportunity to provide more opportunities for players knocking on the door for senior selection.
“Darcy underwent scans on his left hamstring this morning and the results have shown a low-grade hamstring strain which he sustained during the first quarter of (Friday night’s) game,” Wright said.
“He will miss the next couple of matches, and at this stage, we expect him to return to the field for our first final.
“Darcy is an ultimate professional and will work closely with our medical team who will support him through his recovery.
“While we will miss his on-field leadership over the next couple of weeks, his absence provides an opportunity for another player on our list to make an impact.”
Moore was subbed out of the Geelong clash just after quarter-time after he clutched his hamstring as he ran for a ball during the opening term.
He went down to the rooms immediately for assessment and was subbed out of the game, allowing Jack Ginnivan to make his AFL return.
Moore was confident in the rooms after the game that his injury wasn’t a bad one and that it wouldn’t impact his finals chances.
Collingwood will keep a close watch on star midfielder Jordan De Goey this week after he copped a corkie during the Cats’ game which required attention on the bench during the contest.
He played out the game, but will be monitored during the week.
John Noble hasn’t missed a game since joining the Magpies, but he was nursing a sore ankle on Friday night.
Nick Daicos is a week into his rehabilitation from a hairline fracture in his knee and is eyeing a return in the finals after undergoing hyperbaric chamber sessions.
He plans to start running during the bye week before the finals and could be back playing in a semi-final or a preliminary final, depending on Collingwood’s first-week result in the finals.
MCRAE UPBEAT ON MOORE INJURY AS PIES ENHANCE FLAG PROSPECTS
Collingwood may have lost inspirational skipper Darcy Moore for the rest of the home and away season but they found something that coach Craig McRae has desperately been searching for — the DNA pressure that made them premiership favourites months ago.
In doing so, the Magpies delivered a blow to Geelong’s finals hopes and enhanced their own prospects with a gritty eight-point win, despite yet another injury issue to one of its most important players.
McRae had joked pregame on Fox Footy that he deliberately had a Friday haircut to cut the greys out of his head after a difficult past fortnight that included successive defeats to Carlton and Hawthorn and the loss of their best player Nick Daicos with a hairline fracture in his knee that will keep him out until at least the midpoint of the finals series.
Those grey threads might have been ready for a return after a first-term ambush from the Cats as well as a hamstring injury suffered by Moore, which saw him subbed out by quarter-time.
The Collingwood coach said it was “not major” and was hopeful Moore could return before the finals.
“That shouldn’t be a concern,” McRae said post-match of Moore’s availability for games against Brisbane and/or Essendon.
“My understanding is he’s tight, (it’s) a neural-type hamstring (concern).
“He’ll have to scan it obviously, we’ll have to wait and see for the scan. My understanding is it’s not major but we’ll wait and see.
“We’ve got to wait until the scans show what all the damage (is) and what’s there.
“He’s fine, he goes, ‘I think I’m fine’. Again, until you really know, you don’t know.”
Fuelled by what looked like a McRae rev-up at the first break and a return to the same manic pressure that has defined their season so far, the Magpies swiftly turned this match on its head - even without their captain.
Collingwood general manager of football Graham Wright said Moore had hamstring tightness during the opening term, with scans to determine what happens next.
Given his past history with soft-tissue issues, the Magpies are unlikely to take any chances with Moore, who could miss the final two rounds of the home and away season against Brisbane and Essendon before a possible return in the qualifying final.
Wright said on Channel Seven: “It was hamstring tightness, so they went down to try and loosen him up through the back, but (they) couldn’t get him going.”
“We will get him scanned and see how he goes.”
Asked whether the issue was serious, Wright added: “I don’t think so … they (the medical staff) said tightness.”
But Channel Seven’s Luke Hodge questioned whether the Magpies were downplaying the severity of the issue, saying: “Turn it up, Wrighty. I reckon he is trying to pull one over our eyes. That is a genuine string.”
Moore was running just off the ball midway through the first quarter when he pulled up short in his stride and clutched his left hamstring.
Moore was hopeful post-match, saying it was “nothing too serious”.
“Just a little bit of tightness in my hamstring that I felt. Didn’t feel anything super strong but just like a little bit of tightness. Made a pretty conservative call,” he said on Channel 7.
“I was pretty flat not to finish the game. I said in the medical room it was an exciting game and I wanted to get back out.
“I am so proud of the boys ... it was game on and the guys steadied the ship and got the job done, which was absolutely awesome.”
He shook his head as he came from the field and went straight in for an assessment.
He embraced Jack Ginnivan at quarter-time as the Magpie small forward was the sub to come on to replace him.
The Cats also lost Gary Rohan with what looked like a hip issue in the second term.
Jeremy Cameron was outstanding, finishing with seven goals - including two controversial ones that appeared to be out of bounds (one from a mark and one from a kick) - and another big performance from Patrick Dangerfield.
But the Magpies held sway for much of the final three terms, albeit the Cats made a late charge in the last quarter before running out of time.
Josh Daicos took over from where his brother Nick in terms of influence and possession gathering performance with a career-best 37 disposals which should be enough to lock in his first All-Australian blazer later this month.
“I am just grateful that we brought our pressure, it has been something that has been looking the last couple of weeks and we were playing our best football,” Daicos said on Channel 7.
Brody Mihocek emerged from a form slump with an equal career-high five goals as the Magpies forward line hummed like it hasn’t managed to do for several weeks now.
“It was a huge win after a tough few weeks,” Mihocek said. “We had a game plan to connect with each other today, enjoy the little things and, yeah, it went a long way to us winning. There was a lot of best shot today, I got a few cheap ones out the back, which was nice and everyone had fun.”
The Magpie mids shared the load in Nick Daicos’ absence which would have pleased McRae who had asked for a special effort after being beaten up around the ball last week.
And Nathan Murphy not only emerged unscathed in terms of his ankle issue, he helped to hold down the Magpies’ defence in the absence of Moore.
It sets up a big game for Collingwood against Brisbane on Friday night, while the Cats now must win their last two games against St Kilda and the Bulldogs.
MATCH REPORT: PIES OVERCOME MOORE LOSS TO TAME CATS
- Ronny Lerner
No Nick Daicos. No Darcy Moore. No worries.
Even with Geelong superstar Jeremy Cameron helping himself to seven goals, life for Collingwood without their former Brownlow favourite and influential captain has started in impressive fashion after they overran Geelong by eight points at the MCG on Friday night.
The Magpies headed into the match without Daicos (knee) and lost Moore in the first quarter due to a hamstring injury. It would be surprising if Moore took any further part in the home-and-away season, and he could be in a race against time to be fit for the Pies’ first final.
Things looked dire for Collingwood when they fell 22 points down shortly after Moore was subbed out, but rather than crumble, they did quite the opposite as they dug deep and rediscovered some of their best footy which has seen them occupy top spot on the ladder for much of the season.
Propelled by ferocious pressure, attack on the man and trademark speed from defence, Collingwood kicked seven goals in a row either side of half-time to lead by 23 points early in the third quarter.
Geelong’s first-quarter spark returned in the final term as they got back within nine points, but the Pies put the match beyond doubt with the next three majors to end their two-game losing skid.
The 16.13 (109) to 15.11 (101) result saw Geelong’s finals hopes take a massive hit and if they want to finish in the top eight, their margin for error has shrunk dramatically.
Chris Scott’s side could drop to as low as 12th on the ladder this weekend and they will almost certainly have to win their last two games against St Kilda and the Western Bulldogs if they want to avoid becoming the fourth reigning premiers in 15 years to miss the finals.
Meanwhile, the ladder-leading Magpies are one step closer to their 20th VFL/AFL minor premiership and, more importantly, sealing a top-two spot which will ensure them a pair of home finals.
Someone had to stand up in Nick Daicos’ absence, and fittingly that someone was his brother Josh who helped himself to a career-high 37 disposals (nine contested) and seven marks, and after being held goalless in four of his previous five games, Brody Mihocek kicked an equal-career high five goals – his biggest bag since Round 8.
Cameron combined with Ollie Henry (four) for 11 goals, ensuring Tom Hawkins’ absence wasn’t missed, but ultimately it wasn’t enough.
Compounding the result for the Cats was Gary Rohan being subbed out early in the game with a hip/adductor issue.
CAMERON RIDES HIS LUCK
With the legendary Wayne Harmes mystery finally solved recently, it hasn’t taken long for the footy world to be given a couple of new boundary-related controversies that will leave fans scratching their heads for decades to come. Granted, the stakes weren’t as high as they were in the 1979 grand final, but midway through the third quarter, Cameron was inexplicably paid a mark despite appearing to take the grab about a metre outside the boundary line with the boundary umpire right on the scene. Multiple replays on the scoreboard sent Collingwood players and fans alike apoplectic with rage. They would be further incensed when Cameron went back and slotted a spectacular banana set shot from the boundary line. But things got even crazier early in the final quarter, when Brad Close took a mark 40m out from goal and, while out of bounds, he handballed it to Cameron. Instead of a throw-in being called, amazingly play was allowed to continue, and Cameron snapped another ripper from the boundary for his sixth goal to get the Cats within 11 points.
This was NOT called out of bounds ... and Jeremy Cameron made the most of his chance, booting his fifth goal 🥾
— Fox Footy (@FOXFOOTY) August 11, 2023
📺 Watch #AFLPiesCats LIVE on ch. 504 or stream on Kayo: https://t.co/c5VwhmeFbG
âœï¸ BLOG https://t.co/EVAZFWeD2y
🔢 MATCH CENTRE https://t.co/dsf1GLBP6Npic.twitter.com/Lmh7N50tIQ
'The guy's a freak!' 😲
— Fox Footy (@FOXFOOTY) August 11, 2023
Cameron's keeping the Cats in it
📺 Watch #AFLPiesCats LIVE on ch. 504 or stream on Kayo: https://t.co/c5VwhmeFbG
âœï¸ BLOG https://t.co/EVAZFWeD2y
🔢 MATCH CENTRE https://t.co/dsf1GLBP6Npic.twitter.com/yUQJ5kVRpC
CALAMITY CATS
But just when Geelong looked like they were mounting a charge, as they trimmed the deficit to nine, a pair of catastrophic defensive blunders conspired against them. Firstly, Isaac Smith’s kick deep in defence was chopped off by Josh Daicos who passed it to Jack Ginnivan and the sub spotted up Mihocek in the goal square for his fourth goal. Three minutes later, Zach Tuohy sent a simple kick-in to Esava Ratugolea, but the Geelong defender dropped a regulation mark, and from the ensuing spillage, Tom Mitchell passed it to Beau McCreery who snapped truly from 30m out to put Collingwood back out to a 22-point lead.
The Pies are so swift at punishing mistakes!#AFLPiesCatspic.twitter.com/HSItQ0zyh2
— AFL (@AFL) August 11, 2023
MIGHTY MIERS
Gryan Miers equalled the home-and-away record for goal assists, since the stat started being recorded in 2003, with two games remaining, registering another two to take his tally to 39, drawing him level with Jason Akermanis who recorded that figure back in 2004.
PIES 3.4, 7.8, 13.11, 16.13 (109)
CATS 6.2, 8.3, 10.5, 15.11 (101)
LERNER’S BESTMagpies: J.Daicos, Mihocek, Quaynor, Crisp, Ginnivan, Markov, Maynard. Cats: Cameron, O.Henry, Atkins, Dangerfield, Duncan, De Koning, Stewart.
GOALS Magpies: Mihocek 5, Elliott 2, McStay 2, Howe 2, McCreery 2, Adams, Pendlebury, Hill. Cats: Cameron 7, O.Henry 4, Stengle, Close, Z.Guthrie, Dangerfield.
INJURIESMagpies: Moore (hamstring). Cats: Rohan (hip/adductor).
UMPIRES Donlon, O’Gorman, Nicholls, Meredith
VENUE MCG
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
LERNER’S VOTES
3 Jeremy Cameron (Geel)
2 Josh Daicos (Coll)
1 Brody Mihocek (Coll)
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