“It was the best of Dan, it was the worst of Dan, it was the Dan of wisdom, it was the Dan of foolishness,…”
Pregame
Port Adelaide fans have every reason to be filthy in the manner Dan Houston left the club, suspended for the finals, and now in a nasty twist of the AFL draw, a fully fit Houston lines up against his old club in the prison bars of the Collingwood Football Club (colloquially known by the haters as the filth). An absent Houston in last years final series certainly hurt the Power, and to what extent can be debated to the end of time, but as a player he is a difference maker. Expect the Power players to let Houston know exactly what they think of him, and maybe for Kenny to give him a spray as well.
Poor old Kenny, he is a dead man walking this year as his fate has already been decided so he has nothing to lose trying everything and more in what may be one the stranger departures of a Coach from a Club. The sword of Damocles has been hanging over Kenny for a few seasons now, so pressure is nothing new to him and let’s hope he goes out swinging, full on Gangnam Style.
Zak Butters is a rare talent, and he will be missed early in the season, as will Todd Marshall, Esava Ratugolea and Brandon Zerk-Thatcher, but it Butters that hurts the most and it will be fascinating to see how the Power adapt without their star.
While the Power will miss Butters, the Pies are still without Jordan De Goey, a player who provides a bit of grunt, with a lot of polish and poise and a swingman who can play in multiple positions. Both clubs are feeling the effects of early season injuries.
Collingwood have exposed form from Round Zero, with a rather disappointing loss to the Giants, compounded by atrocious inaccuracy in front of goals (a week after kicking 20 straight goals in a practice match), but back in front of their 60,000 fans I expect a better showing this week. Collingwood really don’t like playing in front of small crowds.
A win is vital for the Pies as they wouldn’t want to start the season with two losses, while the Power would love to steal an MCG win and shoved it up Houston.
Congratulations Darcy Bryne-Jones on 200 games – I didn’t realise he had been in the system that long.
The Game
It was the best of times for Collingwood, and the worst of times for Port Adelaide, as the Pies ran away with massive 91-point victory leaving the Power with more questions than answers in their wake. Let’s break it down,
A Functioning Forward Line is a Thing of Beauty
Collingwood have followed Geelong’s formula and built a forward line that works. I’ll repeat that as it is important, they have built a forward line that works. Collingwood’s forward line is not dependant on any one player being the star, but rather a collective of forwards all playing their role as a cohesive unit. An individual may have a quiet night, but the Pies forward collective is strong enough and educated enough to cover a man down for a few quarters and then ease that player back into the game.
Bobby Hill had a quiet start to the game, and he was well held for three-quarters, however Tim Membey (4 goals), Dan McStay (3 goals), the ever reliable Brody Mihocek (3 goals) and the enigmatic Jamie Elliott (2 goals) all starred, and in the last quarter when the shackles were removed from Bobby Hill, they brought him into the game and he finished with a couple of goals, himself. It was the most complete display of forward craft by a collective I have seen in a while, and it didn’t matter that a key member of the forward line, Jordan De Goey was out injured.
Before I turn dagger on the Power forward line, I had forgotten how good Dan McStay is as a footballer. His ability and stamina to run, mark, kick goals, tackle and perform defensive acts reminded me of Brendon Goddard in his prime at St Kilda. Further, after an average year by his standards last year, a fit Jamie Elliott reminded the football world he is back. Further still, Ned Long played the best game I have seen him play for the Pies, and Lachlan Sullivan impressed.
Where was Port Adelaide’s Defence?
It would way too easy to blame the Power’s backline for the debacle at the MCG last night, as they were bombarded time and time again from errors up the field and often found themselves totally out of position because of turnovers up the field. On the other hand, they didn’t look fit enough for an AFL match.
From half time onwards, Aliir, Finlayson, Jones, Evans and Farrell were all seen slumped down with their hands to their knees after a passage of play. Yes, it was a truly hot night in Melbourne, and it would be expected in the last quarter that cramp may become an issue, but the Power were cramping up early in the third quarter. It was not a good look, and Collingwood went bang, bang, bang, as they ran rings around them.
Aliir had no impact on the game whatsoever, which is out of character for him, while Jones, Evans and Farrell had nightmares, especially Jones, who cost the Power two goals in the first half of the game.
Mead and Bergman tried hard, and the move of Jeremy Finlayson move to defence worked, at least for three quarters, until he ran out puff.
Further, Port’s midfield brigade too often was left up the field as the Pies swung forward leaving their defence shorthanded. Drew, Burgoyne, Bryne-Jones, Horne-Francis (more later) and Wines (more later) spent most of the night ball chasing, instead of playing to structures and doing the team things, especially in defence.
Where was Port Adelaide’s Forward Line?
The simple answer to that question is, totally exposed under the bright MCG lights on a hot Autumn’s evening.
Two individual players had a lot to prove last night; Dan Houston (a lot more later) and Jack Lukosious, and only one of them can hold their head up high this morning.
Jack Lukosius, I have tried hard all your career to be a fan, and at times I have overrated your performances at Gold Coast, but last night was a sub-standard AFL performance for any player who has played over 100 games. All players get beaten from time to time, but most tend to still show something positive for the game, but not you, Jack. Apart from a goal received from a handball where you were outside of a pack; you offered your new club nothing. The italics used for the word outside in the last sentence was not by mistake, as you are a player who thrives being on the outside but when the time comes go in and under you are found wanting.
Port Adelaide supporters are probably the most unforgiving supporters in the AFL, and after last night, Jack, you need to show them something in the coming rounds. The Power mob loved and admired big Charlie Dixon, and whether you like it or not, that is the man you have replaced.
Next in line is Mitch Georigiades. Mitch, there are several forwards in the AFL who have potential, but for one reason or another, they don’t quite rise to the expectations of their perceived abilities. The King brothers, Joel Amartey, your teammate Jack Lukosius, the recently retired Matt Taberner and Gary (Bloody) Rohan, and many others, who are good enough to get a game, but never reach the heights expected. Mitch, you are not yet in that category, and last night was probably the first time in your career you were expected to carry the forward line as ‘the man’, and while you tried hard, the Pies defenders isolated you and pushed you to the periphery.
As a key forward, you are going to have to learn how to counter a defensive unit that is dominating you. Mitch, you certainly have the potential, and your cause wasn’t help last night by the efforts of Lukosius, Bryne-Jones, Powell-Pepper, who all had wretched nights. Further, due to Collingwood’s pressure the delivery to the forward line was ordinary at times.
The Power forward line certainly missed Todd Marshall last night, but someone must stand up and assist Georgiades (and now Lukosius) until his return.
On a positive note, Joe Richards, Ryan Burton and youngster Joe Berry all showed enough to suggest they can offer to the Power this year, while the evergreen Willie Rioli plays the same way week in and week out, 12 possessions or thereabouts, a bit of dazzle, a bit of magic, a bit of strength with a lot of attitude.
Collingwood’s Defensive Unit
Collingwood’s defensive unit contains four true defenders, being Darcy Moore, Jeremy Howe, Issac Quaynor and Brayden Maynard, while the remaining defenders are in a constant state of flux and change. McInnes, the Daicos Brothers, Houston, Crisp, McCeery, Perryman, and McStay all seem to roll through the defensive half back line at various times during games, and with great effect.
The inclusions of Dan Houston and Harry Perryman gives Fly McRae a new level of positional flexibility rarely seen before in the AFL. Josh Daicos runs forward, Perryman goes back, Perryman runs forward, Crisp fills the gap, and so on.
I had never noticed before, but everything with the Collingwood gameplan starts at the halfback line and rotates through the centre. It is very effective, but the question remains, is it sustainable for a season? Time will tell.
On a side note, it was great to see the excitement in Brayden Maynard’s eyes when he kicked two goals in a minute, the over 200 game veteran reaction was like that of a first year player.
The Midfield Battle
If I was awarding votes for Port Adelaide’s best and fairest last night, Connor Rozee would get 3, Jordon Sweet would get 2, and old man Travis Boak would get the one. No surprises there really, except for Jordon Sweet. In his short career this kid has impressed me. He is strong at centre bounces, he can run, takes a good mark and his foot skills border on elite for a man of his size. On a bad night for the Power, one of their less experienced players Jordon Sweet was one a few winners on the field for the Power.
In the absence of Zak Butters, Jason Horne-Francis stepped into the middle for the majority of the match and looked a little lost. A few times when Rozee, Drew or Farrell fed the ball to JHF on the outside he started to run, as he does, and then he would pause as if he wasn’t certain where the next possession should go. It didn’t help that the Power forward line wasn’t moving for him. In the absence of Butters, JHF will need to be a little sharper with his decision making from stoppages in play.
For a few years now I’ve pondered the question of where Ollie Wines actually fits into this Port Adelaide side. Wines was used as a bit of everything last night, midfielder, ruckman, defender, and while he had a serviceable game gaining 34 possessions, he looks like a player who needs a set position and a set role. I’m throwing this out there, but with the absence of Todd Marshall and a forward line that no longer has its head of the table (Dixon), it would be tempting to throw Wines forward fulltime as the General.
Food for thought.
On the other hand, Collingwood midfield structure worked well last night, with the usual suspects gaining plenty of positions and rushing the ball forward wave after wave from the halfback line. The Giants may have the tsunami, whereas the Pies ride wave after wave rotating the ball from halfback through the centre and riding the rips to an open forward line. I watched the second quarter of this match again this morning just to try and understand how Collingwood move the ball and open the field up.
Collingwood were not reliant on Nick Daicos having 40 possessions last night, in fact he was well held for half the match, but rather Crisp, brother Josh, Lipinski, Houston, McCreery, Perryman and others running through in wave after wave, with a player always one possession ahead of the ball carrier. It didn’t matter Cameron probably lowered his colours to Sweet, or Rozee, Wines and Boak accumulated massive possession numbers, as the halfback line was running these possessions down and turning defence into offence.
For the record, my three votes for the Collinwood Best and Fairest, 3 votes Dan Houston, 2 votes Steele Sidebottom (what a player), and one vote to Dan McStay, with Lipnski and Membrey unlucky.
Dan Houston and Harry Perryman, oh, and Tim Membrey
Since their loss in the 2022 Preliminary Final, Collingwood have been brilliant at specific targeting of players to draft. Some are out and out stars like Bobby Hill and Dan McStay, while others fly under the radar like Markov and Frampton, but each player is recruited to fill a weakness in the Pies lineup.
Last night Dan Houston and Harry Perryman made their MCG debut before the Magpie Army who would have left the ground singing their praises.
Houston was probably the highest profile recruit of the summer and while it took him a quarter to fully gel with the Pies game style (he had 10 possessions), once he did, he was the cog that seemed to be missing in the Collingwood team last year. By the end of the game, it looked like Houston had been playing alongside his teammates for 10 years.
The other piece of Machiavellian recruiting by the Pies in the offseason was Harry Perryman. There wasn’t much fanfare about Perryman leaving the Western Suburbs of Sydney, but like Houston, he is another piece of the jigsaw the Pies believe they needed to have a serious tilt at the flag this year.
The inclusion of Tim Membrey to the Pies forwards gives them probably the most formattable forward line in the league, where is one player is hold another player/s will get you. Four goals and the adoration of the Magpie Army, all in all it was a mighty fine performance Tim for your homecoming to the MCG.
We Love Ya Kenny
The soap-opera which has been Kenny Hinkley’s whole tenure at Alberton took another strange turn and twist last night. Midway through the third quarter the cameras started showing Josh Carr in the coaches box (almost smiling with glee), with the juxtaposed shot of a downtrodden and numb Kenny Hinkley on the bench sitting watching his team not even giving a yelp.
The real question with the succession plan being announced at Alberton before the start of the season was whether or not the players would rise one last time for Kenny, or would they go through the motions?
Based on last night, Kenny is a dead man coaching, and when someone from the Board says in a month or so, “he has the full confidence of the Board”, then you know he is cactus.
If Kenny has lost the dressing room, then let Kenny go out with dignity, and sooner rather than later. It must be hard for Kenny hearing the sound of Josh Carr sharpened the knife that will eventually be placed between shoulder blades.
Defy the odds Kenny and keep going…
Next Week
Port Adelaide take on a rampant Richmond who surprised the living daylights out of Carlton last Thursday, back at their beloved Adelaide Oval.
In what will be an interested match, Collingwood travel away to the MCG (tongue in cheek) to take on an injury riddled Bulldogs outfit who surprised many by beating the Roos last night.
