36-36. Crazy. The first draw between these two teams in 103 years. The fake crowd noise doesn't know what to do! Very on-brand result for 2020.
AFL Round 2: Collingwood and Richmond draw for the first time since 1917
Collingwood and Richmond have fought out a bizarre low-scoring draw after neither team kicked a goal in the final quarter. And Magpie fans were left fuming after a controversial video review in the first match of the AFL season restart.
There was the moment football missed its fans, and the moment it didn’t.
The first came when Jack Higgins stamped his remarkable comeback from brain surgery with the final goal of a painful draw.
The second came on the final siren, when the lockout felt appropriate, because a stunned silence would’ve fallen over the MCG regardless of the attendance.
The 5.6 (36) to 5.6 (36) result was just the second draw between these teams, and the first since 1917.
And at time when the AFL wants coaches to let loose with attacking, gung-ho football, it was the lowest scoring match this century, albeit played on reduced game time.
The Higgins moment was a special one, and came after he was awarded a goalline mark that left Collingwood president Eddie McGuire unimpressed .
The ball appeared to be over the line for a behind, and the decision should’ve been greeted with thundering boos from a rollicking crowd of 90,000.
Dane Swan thought Higgins was so far over the line he could’ve order a beer from the Albion Rooftop.
“As they say in cricket you have always got to go with the batsman … that’s all I’m saying,” the cheeky forward said.
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Instead, there was deadly silence with the players spared the fake crowd noise broadcast on television.
The only signs of life came in the form of the nearby cardboard cutouts as a 2D version of Magpies cheer squad leader Joffa Corfe sat in silence behind the goals.
Higgins walked to his mark with that trademark smile and threaded the goal as Collingwood’s early 24-point lead was cut to two points.
The Tiger army should’ve erupted. Higgins should’ve turned to the crowd to soak up a special moment in his reignited career.
At least social distancing went out the window. Higgins embraced Tom Lynch, Jack Riewoldt and Jack Graham in a heartwarming celebration, opting for hugs over elbow bumps.
It wasn’t the first time Higgins had outraged the Magpies on the MCG goalline.
Two years ago Higgins kicked goal of the year while wedged around the goalpost, when the decibel count went berserk.
Jack the Ripper’s comeback will be cherished for some time. He was in the votes in Richmond’s full-scale scratch match last week, playing his way into coach Damien Hardwick’s settled 22.
ARE WE SET FOR MORE OF THE SAME?
It is a small sample, but Thursday night provided early evidence that a three-week pre-season was nowhere near enough.
Neither team kicked a goal in the final quarter. The Magpies failed to split the middle in the second half.
“No doubt there would be a few broken TVs,” Magpies captain Scott Pendlebury said after a contest that lasted just 94 minutes.
Shortened quarters wasn’t meant to lead to shortened kicking, but that’s exactly what occurred.
Perhaps the fatigue factor had simply drained every ounce of power from the legs.
Both teams had managed just five goals in the first three quarters, and it seemed neither was too intent on adding to that tally with the four points up for grabs.
Tom Phillips and Brody Mihocek had golden opportunities to push the Magpies clear, and their set-shots combined for one behind. Phillips sprayed his kick out on the full.
Then, bizarrely, Jack Riewoldt failed to make the distance from 45m. The arm-wrestle was sapping just to watch.
CAGED LIONS
Maagpies assistant Brenton Sanderson said pre-game the players were like “caged lions” in the rooms.
He wasn’t kidding. They shot to a 24-point lead, keeping the Tigers goalless in the opening quarter for the first time since 1998.
Taylor Adams might take over from Scott Pendlebury as captain one day, and he might’ve already taken over from Pendlebury as the club’s No.1 midfielder.
Adams, 26, set the Magpies alight last night. Three of Adams’ six clearances in the first term led to scores, including a stoppage goal that came from the right-footer’s boot.
It was system more than pressure from a Magpies backline that looked as organised as crime committed by the mafia in the first term.
RISING STAR HAS FALLEN BEHIND
Jaidyn Stephen has too much class to stay out of Collingwood’s side for long. But the passage back into the best 22 might not be as simple as many supporters think.
Stephenson, 21, has played just two games in the past 12 months and endured an interrupted summer due to glandular fever.
More pressing is that is the fact that the Magpies appear settled. Darcy Cameron only came into the team because Mason Cox had a niggle, and the father-son youngsters are all looking sharp.
Thursday night’s atmosphere resembled a junior game, and Josh Daicos and the Brown brothers (Callum and Tyler) all looked like they belonged.
When Daicos spun out of trouble to thread Collingwood’s fourth goal it was hard not to smile. Daicos’s first 10 touches all hit the target.
MORE FOOTY:
Fans or no fans, thank goodness footy’s back after making a way through its greatest challenge
Teams: See your club’s final line-up for Round 2, 2020
AFL game previews, best bets and a bumper multi for Round 2
BEST:
COLLINGWOOD: Howe, Adams, Pendlebury, Daicos, Sidebottom, Maynard, Moore, Phillips.
RICHMOND: Cotchin, Lynch, Houli, Martin, Higgins, Soldo, Bolton, Vlastuin.
VOTES: 3. Jeremy Howe (Coll), 2. Taylor Adams (Coll), 1. Trent Cotchin (Rich)
Recap all the Thursday night action in the blog below
Updates
Collingwood fans are up in arms over a contentious decision review which helped Jack Higgins bring Richmond within two points during the third quarter.
The small forward appeared to mark a Dustin Martin shot over the line and the goal umpire called a behind late in the third term.
“As they say in cricket you have always got to go with the batsman…that’s all I’m saying," Higgins said post-match on Channel 7.
“I have been a bit unlucky with the goal umpire decisions so I’ll take this one."
"Of course I don't agree with it. Clearly, if you were looking through one eye, that was marked behind the line."
— 7AFL (@7AFL) June 11, 2020
Bucks comments on the Higgins decision. pic.twitter.com/0UudZRJtLb
But the decision was reviewed by one of the field umpires and Higgins was adjudged to have marked the ball inside the field of play.
Playing his first game since undergoing brain surgery, Higgins snapped a goal to cut the margin to less than a goal.
Collingwood fans have blasted the call on social media.
Great mark by Higgins… pity he was in Brunswick Street at the time
— Julian de Stoop (@jdestoop80) June 11, 2020
Not just being beaten now by the opposite team but beaten by two of the worst umpiring decisions that gifted 2 goals. #GoPies
— magpieliffy (@MagpieLiffy) June 11, 2020
A score review balls up. Footy’s back 🙌 #AFLTigersPies
— NigeA (@NigeA80) June 11, 2020
KFC SuperCoach scores at the final siren
📊| Some #SuperCoach scaling to come, but here's the numbers as of the final siren in #AFLPiesTigers.
— SuperCoach AFL (@Supercoach) June 11, 2020
Jeremy Howe had a break even of 8 😲 pic.twitter.com/0Zg460Lwub
IT'S A DRAW!
36-36. Crazy. The first draw between these two teams in 103 years. The fake crowd noise doesn't know what to do! Very on-brand result for 2020.
Scores level!
Rushed behind to Richmond. Three minutes left. Who wins from here? Does anyone win from here?? Collingwood hasn't kicked a goal in almost an hour
Jack Higgins kicks a behind … one point the margin, five minutes to play
Jack Riewoldt has a set shot from 35m out … and it's marked in the goalsquare uncontested by Jordan Roughead. Does anyone want to win this game?!
Magpies 36 Tigers 34
Predictions of ballistic footy have been wide of the mark so far. Eight minutes to go, Tigers pressing hard
Decision review has Pies' fans incensed
Collingwood fans are up in arms over a contentious decision review which helped Jack Higgins bring Richmond within two points during the third quarter.
The small forward appeared to mark a Dustin Martin shot over the line and the goal umpire called a behind late in the third term.
“As they say in cricket you have always got to go with the batsman…that’s all I’m saying," Higgins said post-match on Channel 7.
“I have been a bit unlucky with the goal umpire decisions so I’ll take this one."
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"Of course I don't agree with it. Clearly, if you were looking through one eye, that was marked behind the line."
— 7AFL (@7AFL) June 11, 2020
Bucks comments on the Higgins decision. pic.twitter.com/0UudZRJtLb
But the decision was reviewed by one of the field umpires and Higgins was adjudged to have marked the ball inside the field of play.
Playing his first game since undergoing brain surgery, Higgins snapped a goal to cut the margin to less than a goal.
Collingwood fans have blasted the call on social media.
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsGreat mark by Higgins… pity he was in Brunswick Street at the time
— Julian de Stoop (@jdestoop80) June 11, 2020
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsNot just being beaten now by the opposite team but beaten by two of the worst umpiring decisions that gifted 2 goals. #GoPies
— magpieliffy (@MagpieLiffy) June 11, 2020
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsA score review balls up. Footy’s back 🙌 #AFLTigersPies
— NigeA (@NigeA80) June 11, 2020
Richmond kicked the only two goals of the third quarter through Shai Bolton and Jack Higgins to close to within two points at three-quarter-time.
The second – from Higgins – was very contentious after the goal umpire was overruled by a decision review and the small forward was awarded a mark.
Higgins' left-foot snap cut the margin to less than a goal for the first time since the opening quarter.
Collingwood 5.4 (34) leads Richmond 5.2 (32).