West Coast v Collingwood: Josh Kennedy bags seven goals as accurate Eagles embarrass Magpies
Coach Nathan Buckley conceded his side was exposed by West Coast in their 65-point drubbing. He said the Magpies made the Eagles look like the Harlem Globetrotters at Perth Stadium.
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Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley says his team showed a rare “soft underbelly” in their 66-point thrashing against West Coast, insisting the team will own its horror performance at Perth Stadium.
The Magpies conceded 13 straight goals in the second half, playing what Buckley described as a Washington Generals role to the “West Coast Globetrotters”, who made a mockery of Collingwood’s vaunted defence.
Buckley said the performance was an outlier for his team, but players, coaches and staff would be accountable as the premiership contenders look to rebound against Fremantle next Sunday in their final match in the Perth hub.
“It looked like we were out there to be the opposition to a side that had all the tricks, being clean inside, hard inside, effective with their offence, really good with their [defence],” Buckley said.
“I commented in the box, we played our Washington Generals role really well today to the West Coast Globetrotters.
“They looked like they grew in confidence and in dare. Everything that they were, we weren’t.
“We probably showed a soft underbelly today that isn’t us.”
HUGE STATEMENT: DEAD-EYE EAGLES MASSACRE MAGPIES
West Coast re-emerged as a leading premiership threat on Sunday night, slicing through Collingwood’s vaunted defence to win by 66-points in a ruthless performance at Optus Stadium.
The injury-hit Magpies conceded their highest score of the season, giving up an early 20-point lead before losing 18.3 (111) to 6.9 (45) as the Eagles burst into the top four.
West Coast made their move in a scintillating third quarter, kicking six unanswered goals as their star-studded midfield made short work of the Magpies’ onball brigade, which was missing captain Scott Pendlebury, who suffered calf tightness minutes before the first bounce.
West Coast produced their best football this season on the back of champion forward Josh Kennedy, who booted an AFL season-high seven goals, ruckman Nic Naitanui, and star recruit Tim Kelly (30 disposals and six clearances).
It was a reality check for the Magpies, whose only goal for the second half came with two minutes to play.
“It looked like we were out there to be the opposition to a side that had all the tricks, being clean inside, hard inside, effective with their offence, really good with their (defence),” Buckley said.
“I commented in the box, we played our Washington Generals role really well today to the West Coast Globetrotters.
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“They looked like they grew in confidence and in dare. Everything that they were, we weren’t.
“We probably showed a soft underbelly today that isn’t us.”
The Magpies will now sweat on the availability of captain Scott Pendlebury, who was withdrawn with calf tightness before the match and will likely undergo scans.
West Coast became aware of the late change, which saw emergency Atu Bosenavulagi recalled, one minute before the opening bounce.
The loss of Pendlebury compounded growing injury concerns at Collingwood, who are also without important defender Jeremy Howe and star forward Jordan De Goey.
Buckley said vice-captain Steele Sidebottom, who played in a scratch match against the Eagles on Sunday afternoon, would return against the Dockers after serving a four-match ban for breaching the AFL’s COVID-19 guidelines.
The coach was confident midfielder Callum Brown (left ankle), who impressed early, and defender Brayden Maynard (foot) would be available against the Dockers.
VINTAGE KENNEDY DESTROYS MAGPIES’ DEFENCE
Collingwood are a self-proclaimed defence first team, averaging 43 points against this season and holding Geelong (35) and Hawthorn (27) to season-low scores respectively in the past fortnight.
They had no answer for the Eagles’ clean and quick ball-movement on Sunday, however, which saw Kennedy impose himself with five goals before three-quarter time, eventually taking his season tally to 18.
The two-time Coleman medallist, opposed to Jordan Roughead, was kicking with confidence and marked everything that came his way in a best-on-ground performance.
In a season lacking dominant key forwards, he reminded the competition of the value a star big man can provide in attack.
HUB CURSE STRIKES COLLINGWOOD SKIPPER
AFL captains Luke Shuey, Nat Fyfe and Joel Selwood have all missed matches during the Perth hub due to injury, and on Sunday it was Scott Pendlebury’s turn.
The Collingwood skipper headed to the rooms five minutes before the bounce with a trainer and left deputy Taylor Adams to take the coin toss and address the players. Moments later, emergency Atu Bosenavulagi was warming up in the rooms.
The late drama was a result of quad tightness, with the Magpies taking a cautious approach with their skipper.
NAITANUI MAKES STATEMENT AGAINST RIVAL
Nic Naitanui is at his best when he is hunting, coach Adam Simpson believes, and that mindset was obvious in his battle against Brodie Grundy.
The stats didn’t tell the full story, with the accuracy of Naitanui’s tap work and his follow-up attack at ground level giving him the edge over the Magpies’ star big man.
Combining with the impressive Oscar Allen, the Eagles’ pair held Grundy to 10 disposals and two marks, blunting the Collingwood midfield at the source.
From there, they ran riot, with Kelly playing his best game for the Eagles and setting up several goals with his silver service inside 50.
SCOREBOARD
WEST COAST 2.0 7.2 13.2 18.3 (111)
COLLINGWOOD 4.2 5.3 5.6 6.9 (45)
GOALS
West Coast: Kennedy 7, Allen 3, Waterman 2, Gaff, Kelly, Ryan, Naitanui, Cripps, Darling
Collingwood: Hoskin-Elliott 2, Cameron 2, Elliott, Daicos
BEST
West Coast: Kennedy, Kelly, Naitanui, Allen, Gaff, Shuey, Yeo
Collingwood: Adams, Treloar, Quaynor, Crisp, Cameron
INJURIES
West Coast: Jeremy McGovern (thumb) replaced in side by Josh Rotham
Collingwood: Scott Pendlebury (calf tightness) replaced in side by Atu Bosenavulagi, Callum Brown (left ankle)
REPORTS
West Coast: Nil
Collingwood: Nil
VOTES
3. J Kennedy (West Coast)
2. T Kelly (West Coast)
1. N Naitanui (West Coast)
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