Collingwood and Richmond’s preliminary final would draw 150,000, writes Mark Robinson
COLLINGWOOD and Richmond haven’t met in a big final since 1980, when 113,461 fans turned out. The hunt for tickets to Friday night’s prelim will be as furious as Charlie searching for Willy Wonka’s golden ticket, writes Mark Robinson.
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TALK about colossal.
It’s Richmond versus Collingwood on Friday night in the preliminary final and for the next six days all of Melbourne, and all of Victoria, will froth with anticipation and more than likely frustration.
The hunt for tickets will be as furious as Charlie searching for the golden ticket from the friends of Willy Wonka.
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Ticket prices will soar as scalpers, thought to be outlawed, multiply the price.
Brothers of friends who are daughters of the bootstudder at both Richmond and Collingwood will be asked for favours.
Fans will beg, borrow and steal — and no pun intended in the face of a million jokes — to get themselves to the MCG.
There will be tears and ecstasy as fans celebrate and commiserate, and fingers crossed Ticketek doesn’t blow a gasket.
When these two teams last met in a big final — the 1980 Grand Final which was attended by 113,461 fans — the teams probably had 5000 members.
Today, it’s 100,000 for Richmond and 80,000 for Collingwood.
If the ‘G was big enough, they’d get 150,000 on Friday night.
For all their history fuelled by suburban hatred across 120 years, they have only played nine finals matches with Richmond winning six and losing three.
Collingwood president Eddie McGuire was thrilled. “We’re going Tiger hunting,’’ he said in the rooms.
Collingwood won through to the blockbuster weekend by beating Greater Western Sydney by 10 points.
It was a slog of a game.
There were massive moments from the first bounce, massive quarters from individual players and massive performances from individuals.
None more so than Brayden Maynard who kept potential matchwinner, Toby Greene, to nine touches and zero goals.
Coach Nathan Buckley was thrilled. As the players sung the song after the game, the coach sung into Maynard’s ear. It was classic post-match show of appreciation and recognition.
In the final quarter, when the bodies were screaming for energy, it was Magpies who had the belief.
They kicked the first three goals of the quarter, via Travis Varcoe, Will Hoskin-Elliott and Jordan de Goey, and while the Giants never wilted, they will be disappointed.
They made mistakes. Himmelberg missed a goal, Cameron missed another, Buntine kicked out on the full, Coniglio had a shot at goal and kicked out on the full.
The Pies also missed chances, but they also had major winners.
Adam Treloar’s second game back from injury was inspirational. He had 12 disposals, two clearances and four score involvements.
Tom Langdon had seven intercept possessions and four intercept marks. He was magnificent.
De Goey played the sort of final which was hoped for.
He was too quick and too smart for Buntine and Haynes and had a game-high 11 score involvements.
Steele Sidebottom was probably best afield and his battle with Lachie Whitefield on a wing in the second half was classical — two champs going head-to-head.
In the chaos which is finals football, Sidebottom was the calmest.
It was 10 points in the end, but the game rode waves of momentum.
The first quarter was Collingwood’s to keep, but their domination was thrown away because of wayward kicking, not unlike Hawthorn in the second quarter the night before.
It was an incredibly tough and dominant quarter from the Pies. They won contested ball, possession and inside 50s — at one stage it was 16-2 — but at quarter-time only led 24-2 when it should’ve been 42-2.
Their 22 inside 50s for the quarter was the equal most recorded in an opening quarter of a final.
The Pies have had grunt under Nathan Buckley for several seasons, but this was relentless.
They had the Giants under siege for one of the few times this season, so much so the Giants defence folded by foot.
Time and again, they gave the ball back, via Phil Davis twice, Zac Williams, Lachie Whitfield, Rory Lobb, Stephen Coniglio and Sam Reid. It was seven clangers for the quarter, when the AFL average is one.
Still, the Pies didn’t use it.
Josh Thomas kicked two goals, Mason Cox dropped marks, Jordan de Goey missed, Treloar missed, Stephenson kicked two behinds. Twice Collingwood kicked goals on siren in the first and second quarters — to Hoskin-Elliott and De Goey.
If there was blood in the water, the Giants didn’t sniff it.
They reclaimed the game in the second quarter and at one stage kicked six of seven goals. The turnaround was both extraordinary and frightening, and if it was how far the Pies in the first quarter, it was how to stop the Giants in the second.
We saw the joy of Rory Lobb and the disappointment of Lobb in a matter of a minute, the latter sparking a large melee after the halftime siren.
Lobb took a mark and kicked the goal with a minute to play, shaking Mason Cox as an opponent and beating Grundy in the air. Seconds before the siren, Lobb dropped a mark in defence and handed a goal to de Goey. Sensing mental disintegration, the Pies piled on Lobb.
Both teams kicked five goals after halftime, so that first quarter was pivotal to the outcome.
But not as pivotal as the first six minutes of the final quarter.
It’s when the game was ultimately decided and when all of Melbourne, and all of Victoria, started thinking of next weekend.
Gee whiz, those tickets will be gold.
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