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Nathan Buckley admits Collingwood didn’t handle the pressure in loss to Hawthorn

NATHAN Buckley isn’t feeling the pressure but admits Collingwood didn’t handle the pressure against Hawthorn and reveals he tried to shut Tom Mitchell down without success.

Collingwood players after the loss to Hawthorn.
Collingwood players after the loss to Hawthorn.

COLLINGWOOD coach Nathan Buckley says his side “didn’t handle the heat”, but said he wasn’t feeling any despite a deflating season-opening loss to Hawthorn.

Asked if he felt the pressure was already building from an impatient supporter base, Buckley said: “Circumstantially, no. We’ve dropped a game, it was a game we would have liked to have won, but we’re 0-1 and we come up against the Giant next week and we think we can perform better. That’s our job.”

Buckley bemoaned poor execution and a failure to deal with the Hawks’ pressure in a 34-point loss highlighted by Tom Mitchell’s staggering 54-possession game.

“We didn’t handle the pressure of the opposition,” he said.

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“We looked like we weren’t able to handle Hawthorn’s pressure. It’s not something they’re renowned for through the midfield. We noticed it through the JLT so we were expecting it, but I don’t think we handled it well.

“We had the personnel to get the result tonight and the last quarter showed that. We couldn’t have played more poorly for large chunks ... and to still be in the game, it was just a comedy of errors. We didn’t get the job done so we let one slip.”

The Magpies had 19 entries to Hawthorn’s nine in the last quarter, but could only manage 2.7 to the Hawks’ 2.2.

Nathan Buckley speaks to Taylor Adams.
Nathan Buckley speaks to Taylor Adams.

“Our execution was particularly poor today. We’d get two hands on it and not mark it and have players out and not hit them. We didn’t play well,” he said.

“We played an OK structure game and that’s why we were still in the contest, but we just didn’t execute our opportunities well enough.”

Mason Cox failed to take a single mark despite getting his hands to several attempts, with Buckley saying he had a “bad night”.

“He’s been gloving them all pre-season. It is a real test of character now of ours and his as to how does he responds to that,” he said.

“He’s getting his hands to them more often than he ever has. I’m pretty confident he will do some damage.”

Jaidyn Stephenson on his AFL debut.
Jaidyn Stephenson on his AFL debut.
Sam Murray on his AFL debut. Picture: Michael Klein
Sam Murray on his AFL debut. Picture: Michael Klein

Mitchell’s 54 disposals broke the VFL/AFL record for most touches in a game, less than a year after Buckley said his 50-possession game in Round 9 last season didn’t do much damage.

But the Magpies coach said he tried to curb the Hawthorn ball magnet last night, using a combination of Taylor Adams, Jack Crisp and Steele Sidebottom on him after quarter-time.

“He’s a good player and he gets his hands on the ball, wins stoppage and is probably one of the cleanest ball handlers in the shoebox,” Buckley said.

“He’s proving to be a really good spreader to the next contest.”

Buckley said Josh Smith “nicked” a hamstring in the last quarter and would be assessed.

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Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/collingwood/nathan-buckley-admits-collingwood-didnt-handle-the-pressure-in-loss-to-hawthorn/news-story/ef227b6cc3122539051b25e00938aa30