AFLW: Collingwood avoids winless season to end Brisbane’s finals hopes
Collingwood may have dodged unwanted history with its win over Brisbane but decisions will be made after three disappointing AFLW seasons under coach Wayne Siekman.
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Collingwood dodged unwanted history and shaped finals destinies at Victoria Park after handing first-year side Geelong passage into the preliminary finals.
Brisbane needed only to win its third game of the season against the winless Magpies to leapfrog the Cats in Conference B and take on Adelaide in next week’s finals.
Instead, Collingwood snapped a six-match 2019 losing streak with a fierce early assault, then rearguard action as the Lions surged in the second half.
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The Lions had half a dozen late chances to take the lead but despite total domination of the second half, fell short 3.7 (25) to 2.7 (19).
Geelong’s 31-point loss to Greater Western Sydney on Friday night had seemingly ended its finals chances.
But the Pies ended the finals hopes of a premiership aspirant for the second straight year instead.
The Cats will take on the Crows after a 3-4 win-loss record and percentage of 65.5.
“I think Geelong owe us a couple of drinks,” Pies star Ash Brazill said.
Brisbane coach Craig Starcevich conceded the Lions had botched too many chances to warrant a preliminary finals spot.
“It’s a bitter pill to swallow when you have so much to play for in the second half and you can’t capitalise,” Starcevich said.
“That will linger a bit. How much damage we would have caused next week is debatable but there was an opportunity to grab another finals spot and we blew it.”
Collingwood coach Wayne Siekman said the Pies had spent the second half of the season creating angles and switches to carry the ball instead of bombing long to create territory.
He will be under pressure to keep his job but said he wanted to remain to continue the list rebuild that started when stars departed last year.
“Brisbane had everything to play for in the second half and we still held on. I want to be here, there is no question about that. We are all about development this year and it’s an exciting place to be,” he said.
“We will go through the process at the end of the season. I am doing the job to the best of my ability and it’s develop these players. I can hold my head up high and put that on the table.”
BUTCHERED CHANCES
When Collingwood midfield star Jaimee Lambert went down in the first minute of the last term, the Lions seemingly had the Pies at their mercy.
Instead they kicked their finals hopes goodbye despite eight of the last 10 scoring shots.
Sabrina Frederick-Traub missed two easy set shots to take her season total to 1.7, while Jess Wuetschner could have won the game.
She missed a checkside snap on her left foot, then instead of marking in the other pocket from a shanked Jesse Wardlaw set shot, juggled it over the line.
Starcevich is confident of keeping the nucleus of his list next year including Frederick-Traub.
WHERE TO FOR PIES?
Chloe Molloy will return for the Pies next year after a foot injury, but decisions will be made on Seikman after three disappointing seasons.
They haven’t won one of their first three matches in any of the three seasons, but with a development focus improved a heap of kids this year including Darcy Guttridge, Sarah Dargan and Sarah Rowe.
Ex-netballer Sharni Layton’s first season had flashes of potential but while she was dropped at one stage.
Seikman is optimistic about her upside after a full year in the upcoming VFLW.
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