Essendon legend Kevin Sheedy urges the Bombers to put Collingwood back in its place
KEVIN Sheedy has taken a swipe at two of Collingwood’s biggest names but Eddie McGuire isn’t taking it laying down ahead of today’s blockbuster between the Pies and Bombers. Plus, JON RALPH looks at the big questions facing both sides.
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AFL Legend Kevin Sheedy has urged a resurgent Essendon to put their old rivals Collingwood back in their box in Sunday’s “finals-style” clash at the MCG.
Sheedy has also taken a playful swipe at Collingwood president Eddie McGuire and coach Nathan Buckley, describing them as “Toorak Cowboys”, joking their decision to live in the most exclusive suburb in Melbourne was a sign the Magpies had lost their working-class roots.
And he’s tipping in-form Bomber recruit Jake Stringer will be the difference on Sunday, saying he would be a star if he could do it on a more regular basis.
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“I have noticed a few things that have me deeply worried about Collingwood — the coach and the president are Toorak Cowboys,” Sheedy laughed. “They (Collingwood) have made a land grab, they think they own the MCG now, which is pathetic from a club that (has) won only two premierships in the last 50 years.
“The demographic has changed in Collingwood, the landscape has changed.
“A good working class town like Essendon hasn’t changed, and I’m talking about the Keilor area, and Ascot Vale, where there are some pretty tough people.”
When informed of Sheedy’s comments, McGuire said: “I love Sheeds, but we (Collingwood) have won more asterisk-free premierships than any team.
“Don’t forget Essendon walked out on the MCG.
“When the stands were being built, only Collingwood stood by the MCC. Richmond (sold games) to Cairns, Carlton and Essendon (went) to Etihad. Melbourne (went) everywhere.
“That’s why it’s called the Magpies Collingwood Ground. The people’s ground for the people’s club.
“The others are tenants. Collingwood is a partner!
“We sat through the re-building of both sides of the ground and paid for it. That’s why it’s our ground.”
Sheedy has urged Bombers and Pies fans to come out in force for Sunday’s game. The AFL has already created history with two home-and-away crowds of 90,000 or more — in Round 1 between Carlton and Richmond, and on Anzac Day between the Pies and Bombers — but it could add a third if the crowd pushes that figure.
Sheedy admitted he had been surprised with how Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley had managed to keep his team rolling on, despite a lengthy injury toll, which has included Adam Treloar and Lynden Dunn in the past fortnight.
“It’s a great chance for Essendon to win a crucial finals-style (game),” he said. “The Bombers are just starting to get comfortable playing with each other, and that’s a good thing when you realise it is Round 16.
“They are getting on a roll at the right time, just like we did in 1993.
“I reckon they can still make the finals, and cause a bit of havoc on the way there.”
He said former Bulldog Stringer “still had another 30 per cent improvement left in him … he is nowhere near his full potential yet.
“He has got a bit of magic, but he has got to be a warrior and a gladiator to get the most out of that magic. If he can find that he will be a dangerous asset.”
Essendon has won five of its past six matches to turn their season around, while Collingwood has won six straight.
The club’s rivalry with Collingwood dates back to their first meeting in the Magpies’ inaugural 1892 VFA season.
Dual Essendon premiership star Paul Salmon described Sunday’s blockbuster as a “real statement game” for the Bombers, keen to make up for a patchy start to the season.
“There’s still people asking questions about what they’re going to get (with Essendon), there’s teams like Richmond where you know what you’re going to get but Essendon’s still probably working towards that consistency,” Salmon told the Sunday Herald Sun.
“No one is cockier and more arrogant than Collingwood when they’re up and about and if Essendon wants to announce themselves, regardless of where they are on the ladder as a side that is going to make a run and has intent to go deep, then you get a genuine feeling that (Sunday) is that game.”
The bitter rivalry between the two clubs is “bred into” players and supporters, according to Salmon, who played 224 of his 324 VFL-AFL games in Red and Black, including 1985 and 1993 premierships.
“It goes back to the Victoria Park days and the Windy Hill days where the supporters had a big say in helping develop that distaste for the opposition,” Salmon said.
“It’s not personal, it’s all about the colours you wear, it’s very tribal, as footballers you become aware of it whether you’re 19 or 29 depending on your experiences.”
JON RALPH’S COLLINGWOOD V ESSENDON BURNING QUESTIONS
JOHN Worsfold freely admits he isn’t a spruiker like Neil “Reverend” Daniher or song-and-dance man like Kevin Sheedy.
Lucky his side’s football is doing the talking.
At Essendon this week “Woosher” spent 10 minutes flat-batting the media’s questions as they desperately tried to talk up what should be a cracking contest.
Then he gave a little nugget of gold when asked if a shootout was in the offing against Collingwood.
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“I am happy to win 150 points to 130, it’s a win,’’ he said.
“It’s not a focus of ours to play a high-scoring game but we want to play an exciting brand of footy, we want to be a team that people talk about and watch.
“If we can win a flag by being a well-rounded, exciting team that’s what we will do.”
Essendon, which promised its long-suffering side so much this year, is finally delivering.
Wiped of the park in an embarrassing 49-point loss on Anzac Day, it is back where it believes it belongs.
So what are the key questions as the AFL’s second-ranked side meets an Essendon team coming with a bullet?
ESSENDON STILL NEEDS ANOTHER INSIDE MIDFIELDER, DOESN’T IT?
NOT on the form of the past six weeks, with Essendon’s midfield clicking — and at the coalface, too.
From Rounds 9-15 the Bombers’ numbers are off the charts.
With David Myers playing a key role, and Zach Merrett and Kyle Langford getting their hands dirty, the Dons have been the best clearance side in that time (+8 clearances a game on average).
Merrett won 12 clearances last week, the most of his career.
In a midfield-dominated game, if you win it in close everything else clicks.
They are fifth for points from clearances, second in centre-clearance differential, third from clearance differential? Say what?
Basically the clearances are so pure that even without Joe Daniher, they have enough space to hit up forwards Shaun McKernan and Co. in space and cash in.
HANG ON, DON’T FORGET THE MAGPIES’ MIDFIELD. ANY DANGER THEY CAN GET SOME CREDIT?
APOLOGIES. The Pies are much more than an onball unit driven by Adam Treloar’s brilliance.
Using a care-and-share model, they flick the ball around in close and run in waves to break from traffic.
With the lowest kick-to-handball ratio in footy, they win the most disposal, have the best clearance differential, and have a great balance of hard ball and spread.
They aren’t downhill skiers — they are also third in tackling differential, bringing the heat to win it back on the rare times they don’t get on top in close.
The Pies are also disciplined, winning the free kick count by a total of 67 frees this season.
HAS ESSENDON GOT THE MOST EXCITING REBOUNDING DEFENDERS IN FOOTY?
BLOODY oath, it’s just taken a while for them to find their groove.
In Adam Saad (58), Conor McKenna (30) and Devon Smith (23) they have three of the top six running bouncers in the comp.
It’s a matchwinning mix — strong contest work but silky ball movement when opponents attempt to camp the ball inside their defence.
Andy McGrath is finding his groove too after a slow start to his second season, helping the defensive run.
HAS LYNDEN DUNN TURNED INTO DAVID DENCH ALL OF A SUDDEN?
PIES fans have lamented his loss with a season-ending ACL, and fair enough too given his exceptional form this year.
Remarkably, he had conceded only 12 goals in 11 games, including only a single goal to Joe Daniher on Anzac Day.
Jack Riewoldt and Levi Casboult had both kicked three goals on him, but apart from that he was particularly stingy.
It’s where Collingwood’s recruitment of Brody Mihocek is inspired, a mature-aged revelation in the forward line able to slot into the position he feels most comfortable.
If Darcy Moore can get his body right (he plays VFL this weekend), the Pies can cover Dunn’s loss with Jeremy Howe and Matt Scharenberg also capable of shutdown roles.
CAN TOM BE THE BELL OF THE BALL?
AS Worsfold said this week, Tom Bellchambers has always had talent but he just couldn’t get a decent run with injury.
This year Champion Data has him as the sixth-best ruck in the league, but he is closing hard on Brodie Grundy and Max Gawn.
In Round 5 Grundy mixed 32 hit-outs with 22 disposals and six inside-50s, the perfect mix for a ruckman.
But Bellchambers is an elite intercept marker with excellent ruck craft, missing only a single game this year.
So often Essendon-Collingwood contests in recent years have seen one of the two sides entering the clash as the heavy favourite.
Finally we have a fair dinkum knock-em-down, drag-em-out contest in the offing.
WHO IS THE WILDCARD?
If you want evidence to back up Jaidyn Stephenson’s Rising Star credentials, try this on for size.
We know he has kicked 24 goals, all of them in the past 11 games.
We know he has kicked a goal in 10 of the past 11 games.
But the Pies’ quickest player — and first year full-forward — has also caused 68 points worth of turnovers this year.
That makes him the No. 1 ranked player in the comp for that stat, an attacking dynamo who also tackles like Cyril and Dan Rioli.
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