Collingwood pre-season news: Latest AFL intra-club notes, team whispers
Collingwood may have to make room for Fin Macrae after his intraclub performance while Jordan De Goey looked freakishly good. JOSH BARNES has the run down on how every Pie fared.
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It was a whitewash in Collingwood’s intraclub hitout on Wednesday as Jordan De Goey powered the team in white home to win what was dubbed the Goldfields Cup.
Coached by Jordan Roughead, the white team - named Team Ballarat for Roughead’s home town - comfortably beat Team Bendigo, coached by Scott Selwood.
The standout players on Ballarat’s victorious side across a game played in thirds were De Goey - who brought his own footy to the clash - and youngster Fin Macrae.
Ash Johnson and Bobby Hill fired up forward, while Footscray captain Lachie Sullivan was the best of the train-on players hoping to land a contract before next week’s summer signing deadline.
Five AFL-listed players didn’t play, with Josh Daicos (foot), Lachie Schultz (leg knock), Dan McStay (knee) and Harry DeMattia (finger) all watching on.
Nathan Murphy acted as a runner during the match as he plots his way back to matchplay.
Here is a run down of how every Pie performed and the role they filled.
TEAM BENDIGO
Brayden Maynard – Horror turnover in the second term cost a goal. Otherwise was his usual solid self in defence.
Reef McInnes – Beautiful evasiveness to set up a shot at goal in the first term. Played deep forward for much of the game.
Billy Frampton – The premiership full-forward played all day in defence.
Brynn Teakle (train-on player) – Started the second third in the ruck and showed good signs with his follow up work. Strong performance.
Jeremy Howe – Did his best to hold off an early onslaught from the Ballarat team. Took the majority of first quarter kick outs and was the black team’s best defender.
Brody Mihocek – Played his usual deep forward role but suffered from a lack of supply at times.
Scott Pendlebury – Composed as always. Drifted to a half-forward role at one point and did a heap of teaching from the boundary.
John Noble – The September heartbreak looked like it had worn off as Noble was a bright light in the Bendigo defence with his usual surge running.
Will Hoskin-Elliott – Rotated between the half-back flank and the wing. One of a number of regulars who might face pressure for a spot this year.
Beau McCreery – Got a run in the middle in the second term but didn’t get much of it and was sent back to the forward line.
Mason Cox – Bit off too much on an early kick and was outpointed by Darcy Cameron to concede a first-term goal. Looked very scratchy.
Aiden Begg – Spent the first two terms up forward, took a nice pack mark in the second and converted the shot.
Jakob Ryan – Played at half-back for most of the afternoon.
Jack Crisp – Quieter than usual for the iron man, largely played through the midfield.
Tom Mitchell – Plugged into his customary midfield role but hardly had an influence.
Jack Bytel (train-on) – Largely played on a wing, often against youngster Ed Allan. Didn’t have a heap of it.
Josh Carmichael – Quiet day across half-forward.
Nick Daicos – New hair cut but it wasn’t quite the same old Nick, as Daicos was surprisingly quiet in the loss. Rotated through half-forward at one point.
Joe Richards – Looked slick across half-forward and created an option as an attacking player around a couple of stoppages.
TEAM BALLARAT
Darcy Moore – Didn’t have a heap to do in defence, often found himself manning Reef McInnes. Took most of the white team’s kick outs.
Charlie Dean – Spent a large part of the day on Brody Mihocek. Solid hitout.
Jamie Elliott – Put one out on the full early but nailed a long shot shortly after. Stayed forward for most of the afternoon aside from a couple of brief runs on the ball.
Ed Allan – Played almost exclusively on the wing, got involved in the play enough early to continue his push for an AFL debut.
Nathan Kreuger – Got on the end of the first goal of the second term. Did a solid job in a spearhead role for the Ballarat side and had plenty of supply.
Patrick Lipinski – All class on an inside-50 pass to Bobby Hill and looked settled in his usual high half-forward game. Won over the fans with a spectacular goal from the boundary late in the clash.
Ash Johnson – Kicked the opening goal of the game and set up the second. Looked like he was set for a dominant outing. Faded from there but a strong afternoon.
Harvey Harrison – Slotted an early goal off an Ash Johnson assist and got into plenty of attacking play.
Tew Jiath – Draftee started on a back flank and draw applause for an early smother. His brother, Hawthorn dasher Changkuoth, watched on.
Sam Sofronidis (train-on) – Played a high defensive role early in the game and got into good spots but will have woken up on Thursday thinking about a turnover at half-back.
Oleg Markov – Despite the eye-catching moustache, not a particularly eye-catching game.
Isaac Quaynor – Didn’t rack up a heap of the ball but was perfect when drawn into the contest. No reason why he can’t be an All-Australian defender this year.
Bobby Hill – Swooped on a loose ball for a characteristically slick early goal and snapped another soon after. Still in the same form from his Norm Smith Medal winning grand final.
Steele Sidebottom – Like clockwork, the bald head was roving the wings picking up plenty of the ball. Timeless.
Darcy Cameron – Clearly the best big man on the field. Took a big pack mark on the siren to end the first term, which he converted. Impressive.
Jordan De Goey – A class above playing amongst a bunch of premiership players and was clearly best-on-ground. Played on ball all game and looks set for a huge season.
Fin Macrae – The best player on the ground in the first third, he grabbed the first three centre clearances and would have had 15 touches. Has to have forced his way into the opening round mix.
Campbell Hustwaite (train-on) – Saw plenty of centre bounce time but was a quieter player among the Ballarat midfielders.
Osctar Steene – Rotated between deep forward and the ruck, didn’t see much of the ball. Still down the pecking order.
Lachie Sullivan (train-on) – Kicked a nice snap goal early and didn’t make a mistake all game. If the Pies brass are deciding on this intraclub, Sullivan gets a contract given he was the best of the train-on players.
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