By Peter Ryan and Scott Spits
Star Collingwood recruit Dan Houston is staring down the barrel of a second suspension in three matches after the AFL’s match review officer hit him with a two-game ban for his high bump on Carlton’s Lachie Fogarty.
The first-half incident in Collingwood’s 8.15 (63) to 6.10 (46) win over Carlton at the MCG on Thursday night led to a rough conduct charge for Houston and was deemed as careless conduct, high impact and high contact.
Collingwood’s Dan Houston and the incident in question. CREDIT: Channel Seven.Credit: Channel Seven
The former Power star copped a five-match ban for his bump on Adelaide’s Izak Rankine late last year, meaning he missed Port’s finals campaign before crossing to the Magpies.
Houston, 27, made his debut for Collingwood in round two.
After the 17-point win over Carlton, he appeared unfazed about the clash with Fogarty.
“I thought I had a fair play on the ball, and I’ve gone to protect myself ... those things happen,” Houston told Channel Seven.
“I didn’t actually realise it happened until you mentioned it – I was fully focused on the team.
“I think it’s such a hard game to play, especially behind the ball. You’ve got to make split-second decisions when you see the ball coming at you.”
It was the only blight on the night for the Magpies. Speaking after the match, coach Craig McRae said he couldn’t comment on the incident other than say he hoped Fogarty pulled up OK.
Harry Perryman of the Magpies marks the ball ahead of Sam Walsh of the Blues.Credit: AFL Photos / Getty Images
Meanwhile, Carlton’s season is quickly slipping out of control after they again failed to fire a shot after half-time, and remain winless after their first four matches of the season.
The Blues took a slender lead into the long break in wet conditions – their fourth half-time lead already this season – but when the Magpies lifted the pressure they destroyed Carlton in a third quarter Blues coach Michael Voss described as “unacceptable”.
McRae said he made a point of emphasising the Blues’ recent record after half-time to fuel his team’s belief they could run over the vulnerable opposition. Voss admitted pointed conversations would be held this week with players struggling to perform as he was “concerned about the standard” of play by Carlton.
Carlton coach Michael Voss leads his winless team off the MCG on Thursday night.Credit: Getty Images
Finals look a long way off for Carlton as Voss’s fourth season veers off track, while Collingwood – the oldest team in the competition who fielded the oldest team in the game’s history on Thursday night – are vying for another appearance in September.
Voss addressed the players post-game with a clear message: their work in the contest after half-time was unacceptable.
“When the pressure comes we are not handling it so we have to own that. That puts a target on your back,” Voss said.
“They were cleaner. They brought pressure, we didn’t handle it so we will look at that pretty closely. It won’t be missed, I can tell you that.
“I don’t want to shy away from the conversations. We have them all the time. Maybe they will just be even more pointed this week.
“You have to be able to accept what has happened to be able to deal with it so you can get on with [fixing] it.”
The eventual margin was just short of three goals, but it could have been bigger.
The game swung in the opening minutes of the third quarter when Collingwood lifted the pressure rating to above 200, had the first six clearances and the first seven inside-50s. They hit the scoreboard, too, with goals to Jordan De Goey, Lachie Schultz and Tim Membrey before Schultz – who was voted best on ground – kicked another goal to stretch the lead beyond four goals at the final break.
Collingwood could have been further in front if not for their inaccuracy, while the Blues were starved of options. They could not move the ball from their back half as they had been doing in the first half. They did not adapt to the wet conditions or respond to the disciplined manner Collingwood set up.
Instead of just taking what the Magpies gave them, they continued to attempt to attack through the corridor and change the angles. All that did was walk them into the web Collingwood had created, and Mitch McGovern, Ollie Hollands and Zac Williams coughed the ball up too easily.
“When we are under pressure we have got a method we go to and we didn’t do it,” Voss said.
By contrast, the Magpies made the most of their ascendancy at centre clearance, holding field position and dominating inside-50s.
Darcy Moore and Schultz are back in form and Darcy Cameron – who is on about the average AFL wage – beat a gallant Tom De Koning, who is being courted by St Kilda.
McRae said the team’s experience helped them prepare well and connect during games.
“We went pretty hard on the tape at half-time. We didn’t like the way we were defending the ground...we didn’t like where we were putting our bodies and showed some footage around that, and then, you know, got a bit of reward in the third quarter,” McRae said. “We kicked 4.6 but 17 inside 50s to seven was an example of dominating the territory in that quarter.”
The loss means Carlton have won just two of their past 13 matches. Their only wins in that stretch came against North Melbourne and West Coast. They are the Blues’ opponents in the next two weeks, and they desperately need a win against the Eagles in Gather Round to build their confidence.
Collingwood have won their past seven matches at the MCG, while the Blues have lost their past five matches at the same venue.
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