Collingwood flicks switch after poor start to record 24-point win against Carlton
THIS is how Collingwood plays in Nathan Buckley’s dreams. After a slow start, the Magpies slammed on the next 10 goals as all his moves turned to gold.
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THIS is how Collingwood plays in Nathan Buckley’s dreams.
The ball pinging out of the back half at pace and a wave of runners ferrying it through the corridor.
A potent forward line that looks dangerous with every high-quality entry.
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Brodie Grundy utterly dominant in the ruck.
Steele Sidebottom one step ahead of everyone and running to all corners of the ground to cut the opposition to ribbons.
Captain Scott Pendlebury reminding everyone of his enduring star power at the coalface.
Controversial recruit Sam Murray showing why the Pies gave up a future second-round pick for him and Callum Brown warming the hearts of the father-son romantics.
His coaching moves coming up roses, ruthless accuracy in front of goal and his side relishing pulling down the pants of a rival.
After last year’s nightmare and perhaps some restless nights in the opening fortnight of this season, Buckley will sleep comfortably this week.
This was the feel-good Friday he needed — and the breakthrough win his side desperately did.
Collingwood’s first win of the year came via a 16.4 (100) to 11.10 (76) dismantling of Carlton in a performance drenched in positives.
Mind you, the early signs weren’t great.
After the Metallica tunes fell flat last week, this time the cheer squad misspelt “tonihgt” on the banner.
The Blues then kicked the first three goals of the game, but just when Pies fans were getting that sick feeling in their guts, Collingwood flicked a light switch many suspected they couldn’t reach.
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The Pies first stopped the bleeding and then slammed on the next 10 goals. They kept the Blues goalless from the 14-minute mark of the first quarter until the five-minute mark of the third.
Their pressure overwhelmed Carlton and they monopolised possession, starting from a halfback line run by stellar duo Jack Crisp and Murray.
It’s hard to recall when the Pies last moved the ball with such pace, precision and aggression. They racked up 89 more uncontested possessions and 26 more uncontested marks.
They were coast-to-coast clinical and when have we been able to say that, regardless of the standard of opposition?
When the ball was in dispute, Grundy was colossal.
Arguably the most in-form ruck in the competition, he finished with midfielder-like numbers — 25 disposals, seven clearances, six marks and seven score involvements.
This was a big win for Buckley, the coach, too.
Treloar forward is a huge success. Ditto Sidebottom, who played out of the goalsquare at times, with Buckley exposing tagger Ed Curnow’s vulnerabilities on the last line of defence.
Treloar and Sidebottom’s movement caused Carlton all sorts of problems. Josh Thomas kicked five goals, the returning Ben Reid kicked three and while Mason Cox didn’t hit the scoreboard, he took a game-high three contested marks. Will Hoskin-Elliott had 11 score involvements playing inside 50m.
The forward line has been an issue, but against Greater Western Sydney and now Carlton, Buckley appears to have found a potent mix.
All this with Jordan De Goey, Jamie Elliott and Alex Fasolo making their returns through the VFL and Daniel Wells scheduled to follow suit not long after.
Maybe, as Buckley says, there are “blue skies on the horizon” after all.
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