As I was getting ready to settle into a nice Friday evening at home, Mrs Mwanangela ran through a couple of dinner options. I love it when I have options, but sometimes my indecisiveness doesn’t help her at all. Thankfully she puts up with it. The options were either spinach and ricotta cannelloni, fish tacos, or Costco pizza. All three options sounded really good, but I settled for fish tacos.
And just like that, the final game of the year for both Melbourne and Collingwood has come and gone. After 25 long weeks of footy, both teams find themselves out of September action. In a season like no other, both the 2021 and 2023 grand finalists face off in a dead rubber for the first time since 2017. Players and coaches from both sides will be rueing how abruptly the season has ended but they’ve only got themselves to blame.
Even though this was the last game of the season for both teams, unless the Magpies miraculously pulled off a 100-point belting and had a couple of other results go their way, I still expected it to be a pretty exciting contest. Both teams will have still wanted to end the season on a positive note and take some hope and belief going into the preseason, as they prepare for 2025.
It was open, free-flowing footy for most of the night. And when you thought things couldn’t get any more weirder, some inclement weather and lightning strikes brought the game to a halt, with nine minutes to go in the final term.
It was somewhat of an unexpected first quarter. It was the first time Melbourne had fielded a side without Lever and May since 2019 and it showed. It was simply uncharacteristic how they defended the ground. After Pickett kicked a clever running goal, the first for the Demons and the first for the game, the Pies banged on five in a row. It was on the back of applying pressure without the ball, turning the ball over in dangerous positions and hurting Melbourne in transition. The Magpies shone in the midfield, getting there first to the fall of the ball and gaining territory with every forward entry. They finished with more tackles than the Dees and were just more efficient with the ball in hand.
It was starting to come along a little bit for Melbourne early in the second term. Mainly thanks to Salem and Kozzie. After Darcy Cameron put one through the big sticks, making it six in a row of goals for his side, Melbourne quickly responded. Despite the Dees bringing the margin back a touch and winning that quarter on the scoreboard, it still looked like a training drill at times. It couldn’t have been a more open game of footy, with Melbourne recording their lowest pressure rating for the season. It was night and day, the difference in the method both teams adopted when transitioning the ball. Collingwood players lowered their eyes and changed angles, whereas Melbourne players fell into the Pies pressure and continuously bombed the ball.
It was much more of the same to begin the second half. It was a very open, high-transition game. This suited the Magpies more, as with more time and space, their skills shone. In saying that though, Melbourne began to be a bit more bolder with their ball use and began using the wide, open spaces of the MCG, to pick open the Pies’ defence. The Pies were equally up to the challenge, with the midfield and forward line running back hard to support their defence. When they managed to turn the ball over, Collingwood was able to get more bang for buck on the scoreboard. They moved the ball directly through the corridor when it was on, or simply worked the ball up the ground with uncontested marks or with a chain of forward handballs, which Melbourne found hard to contain.
A very unusual last quarter to finish the game, in what had been a pretty interesting spectacle up to that point. Once the rain came in, it felt as though it was going to be a big ask for the Demons to mount a comeback. With nine minutes left, the play was interrupted by the severe and dangerous weather, which prompted a half-hour lightning break. With nothing else to play for after this round, the last thing both teams would want was to walk off the ground, in the last game of the season with 9 minutes to go. We all understand why the rule’s in place, but it’s just another one of the quirky rules that we have in our game. Thankfully, once things resumed, both teams were still willing to make the most of what was left in the season and end things on a high note.
The Match Review Panel will look closely at an incident that occurred with Pies skipper, Darcy Moore and Kozzie Picket. Pickett again finds himself in hot water for a bump that collected Moore high, who got up slowly, but appeared fine afterwards. As a result, Moore is subbed out at halftime. We all now know that these actions come under scrutiny because of the head being involved. So I’m sure we’ll certainly see at least a two or three-week suspension for that. It’s a shame that the penalty now is so severe for these kinds of actions, but unfortunately, we all just have to accept that this is just the way the game’s going. Pickett’s history with the MRP doesn’t bode well for him and sadly for him, he continues to find himself in this position time and time again.
3 VOTES – N. DAICOS
If the reigning premiers weren’t going to be wearing medals around their necks come the last Saturday in September, then there is at least one player that potentially will. With a 40 disposals, 2-goal performance, you know Brownlow night is going to be interesting and certainly going to go down to the wire.
When you thought Patrick Cripps had it sewed up, Nick just reminded the umpires and the footy world why he’s a worthy contender to have the Charlie wrapped around his neck come grand final week. His brother, Josh, happily loves flying under the radar, but it’s almost unfair how the younger sibling’s performance overshadows the elder of the two. Both of them combined for 80 disposals with each brother cracking 40 apiece, but Nick’s ability to hit the scoreboard edges him over and all but guarantees his name will be called out for the 3 votes.
After he broke the game apart against Brisbane in the week prior by moving to half-forward, I was keen for the coaching staff to experiment more with this move as an effective way to break the tag. In the previous Kings’ Birthday clash, Alex Neal-Bullen went to Nick Daicos and somewhat quelled his influence. Even though he still manages to find the ball, I feel like Nick still lets the tag dictate how he plays. So him going to half-forward before the opening bounce sort of throws a spanner for the opposition coach. Salem ends up marking up on him, which you want Salem to be dangerous and a distributor out of half-back, all of a sudden he’s got his hands full thinking about Daicos.
After half a quarter, Salem adjusted and started to become more mindful of Daicos, especially around stoppages. McVee ended up going to him in the second quarter when he was on the ball, but Nick stormed home in the second half. He stuffed the stats sheet with 10 score involvements, 11 inside-50s and nine clearances. All game-highs. Safe to say, the 3 votes belonged to him and his name will be getting called out for this particular game on Brownlow night. He’ll have an All-Australian blazer by then too and who knows, he might even be the AFLCA Champion Player of the Year by that stage also.
OLD MCDONALD HAS ANOTHER YEAR
Is it an odd thing to say that Tom McDonald has been one of the positive stories of the year for the Dees? Maybe not so much, but considering he’ll be 32 next year, perhaps it’s a good thing.
When it looked like his career was over a couple of years ago, he’s resurrected his career somewhat and has become a significant player down back. Especially with Lever and May out, his leadership in the backline helped Melbourne stem the bleeding and stopped what was quickly beginning to look like a 100-point drubbing.
He found himself mainly on Hoskin-Elliot, but he rotated through just about every Collingwood forward. There were times when he was on Cox, Elliot, Hill and even Cameron when he floated up forward. He wasn’t helped by the lack of pressure upfield and how easily Collingwood transitioned the ball into the forward line, but he never gave up. He continued to go about his business impressively, and in the second half started intercepting, halving contests and even providing some rebound when he had time and space.
I think his days as a forward are certainly behind him and he can still be a key contributor in that back six. If he and the rest of his teammates can stay healthy for most of next year, then I truly believe Melbourne can get back to being a defensive juggernaut that restricts even the best of attacks. As he showed tonight, he can play on a variety of players and he backs himself in.
OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEW
Collingwood carried the oldest playing list in 2024 with an average age of 25.7. A lot of people predicted that the Pies would begin to slide down the ladder due to an aging list that had a lot of their best 22 in the over-30 age bracket. If there was going to be any improvement, it was going to come from within the playing group and it was going to come from the under-25 age bracket.
Compared to clubs like Brisbane, Sydney, Geelong, and Fremantle, the young talent those teams have compared to Collingwood is quite telling. Pies fans during the preseason placed a lot of hope in Fin Macrae and Reef McInnes. Sadly, both players haven’t been able to grab their opportunities with both hands and have only shown little snippets. They both certainly haven’t been able to establish a permanent spot in the side or even keep some of the older players out of the side.
Thankfully though, due to being plagued by injuries from the start to middle part of the season, it has enabled Fly to unearth a couple of gems along the journey. Half a dozen debutants were unearthed during the season, at one stage the Pies fielded seven players under 10 games, a far cry from their premiership year.
Out of the young players that have come on the scene, only a select few have shown that they’ve got something to work with. Harvey Harrison looked like a player early on in the season. Joe Richards had one of the more memorable debuts. Category B recruit and ex-cricketer, Will Parker, has come a long way and looks to be a coach favourite. Although, the one that caught my eye was a former first rounder, Ed Allan.
In the second game of his AFL career, the son of a gun, played a breakout game to show that he belongs at the high level. There were times when he was able to put his head over the ball and win possession, where he was clean by hands and chose the right options by foot. He looked like he had nothing to lose and he looked very comfortable playing that inside role. The aging Collingwood midfield will welcome a young, big-bodied, protegee to pair up with Nick Daicos for the next decade and ease off the reliance on the elder veterans.
I love how Fly just gave him the keys to the midfield and rewarded him for his recent VFL form. He started with a bang getting six disposals in the first 5 minutes of the game, putting his large frame in the way to win the ball. He slowed down a touch in the second quarter but picked up where he left off in the after half-time. Allan won the footy in a variety of ways. Through clearances a couple of times, winning key ground balls when the ball was in dispute and linking up in transition around the ground. He showed a knack for putting his head through the trough and also using his running ability to link up with teammates. He also showed he’s got a bit of toe and he had a step to get away from opponents. The snap off the boot for his first career goal at a forward 50 stoppage showed a touch of class.
Hopefully, Allan can use this game as a platform for next season and it gives him the belief that he can play at the level. Get him to shadow Pendlebury in the preseason and have him prepared to play a role in round 1 for 2025.
SALEM THE ASSAILANT
Most Melbourne fans will love having Salem on the park. He’s the sort of player Simon Goodwin wishes he had more of. A very versatile player who can play just about anywhere and puts his teammates in a better position more often than not.
With the amount of experience out of the side, thankfully the likes of Salem are there to guide the youngsters and offer some leadership out on the field. It’s no coincidence that when Melbourne started to get parts of their game going it was off the back of Salem’s brilliance and his dare with ball in hand.
At first, it looked like he’d be in for a long night, having to mind Daicos, but he knew when to come off his opponent at the right time and be an attacking option. He sliced through Collingwood’s zone and when the Collingwood defenders pressed high, he was able to punish them once his side turned the ball over.
He mops up well at half-back, with seven rebound 50s to his name. He also had five score involvements from 26 disposals. You can tell his teammate’s eyes light up when he has the ball in his hand.
It’s robbing Peter to pay Paul to suggest that he should move further up the ground because Melbourne struggles with their ball movement as it is. Regardless of that, if he were to play on the wing or even in the forward line, the Melbourne side would look much more dangerous with Salem being the last kick going inside 50.
Let’s hope he can freshen up this off-season and come back really fit. If he can put his injury woes behind him he’ll set himself up for a big 2025.
WHEN IN DOUBT, THROW THE MAGNETS AROUND
Speaking of damaging half-backs, I think Josh Daicos took the cake last night. His move to half-back has given himself and the coaching team another ammunition.
I love coaches who don’t rest on their laurels and are always asking questions of themselves, certain players or the opposition. The best coaches in the league from a tactical point of view at the moment are Sam Mitchell, Adam Kingsley, John Longmire and Chris Scott. Craig McRae certainly belongs in this category and you could throw a blanket on Luke Beveridge and Justin Longmuir. The names I’ve mentioned just refuse to get beaten by what they know or what they can see unravelling.
There’s been lots that hasn’t worked for premiership coach, McRae, this year. I think he’ll be the first to admit he’s been out-coached at times this year. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t take learnings and look for ways to get better. His recent coaching moves have given me confidence that his side is still in good hands and that he has what it takes to improve even further next year.
Firstly, the rejuvenation of Steele Sidebottom as a tagger has given him a new life and probably bought him an extra year in his playing career. Moving Josh to half-back has given his side a bit more bounce out of the backline. As a result of this, we’ve also seen Quaynor play up the field a bit more. Last week, Fly’s move of Nick to half forward was a stroke of genius to help break the tag and get him more involved. I also liked Lipinski on the wing, I think it made Collingwood look well-rounded across the ground.
Sometimes I see coaches continue to go on and on with what doesn’t work and before it’s too late, the game is over. Craig has given some of his players a new lease on life and has given them some enthusiasm to take with them into next season.
PICKETT’S POCKET
Kozzie has had a solid career to date where he’s ripped games apart and shown he’s got the potential to be a serious A-grader, but I still reckon he’s only scratching the surface. Once he gets there, look out.
Boy is he exciting to watch. He looked like he’d rip apart this game at any moment and he was clearly in the best players along with Salem. He’s a nightmare for defenders because he’s always moving and he’s got the speed to lose opponents with ease, especially in traffic. When he gets goal side of a defender then it’s lights out. If you give him half a metre he can punish you. The scary thing is he can also go into the midfield and get a favourable match-up in there. That’s the edge he has over lots of players around the league.
The first goal he kicked was just smart forward craft. He read the fall of the ball beautifully and got goal side of Sidebottom, using his leg speed to have a running shot at goal. From then on, every time the ball went near his vicinity he looked dangerous, ready to bob up for a goal. Unfortunately, he didn’t take too many of his chances and he was a bit untidy with his ball use. Nonetheless, he still finished with two goals to his name.
Next year feels like a big year for Kozzie. Hopefully, he’s able to replicate what he’s been able to do and take it a step further. Melbourne will be a better side if he manages to get more midfield minutes. I can see him playing that centre-forward role a lot more next year, where he starts in the middle and he pushes forward after stoppages. The world’s his oyster.
THE OTHER TIDBITS…
Speaking of new roles and Sidebottom in particular, are we surprised with how well he’s adapted as a stopper? If you know about his running ability and how well his footy brain works, then maybe you aren’t as surprised.
Early this year I reviewed the North Melbourne versus Geelong game, where I said every team needs a disruptor. It’s good to see coaches around the league start to invest time in that area. Almost every team now has someone who can have a run-with role with the opposition’s best player. Steele had a task on Viney, who just played a season-best game. I don’t know how he did it, but Sidebottom kept Viney to 11 disposals. Can you believe it? Yep, 11 disposals.
It was a little too late for Goodwin to lockdown on Nick when he did. With McVee instead of Neal-Bullen, out of all people. While I was surprised he went that route, I didn’t mind it at all.
I loved the change of McVee’s role as a midfielder. We saw glimpses of it last week against Gold Coast where he arguably tore it up there. He’s always been a good ball user off half-back, I never knew he had that ability to go into the midfield but it makes sense now. A little bit quieter last night against the Magpies but he would’ve got a good lesson in what it takes to become a bonafide mid and the work rate that’s required after lining up on Nick.
One player that’s done reasonably well since going into the midfield for the Dees, is Trent Rivers. He offers a bit of a point of a difference in the midfield with his leg speed and competitiveness. He lacked polish at times with his ball use, but you cannot deny his effort. I hope Goodwin and the Dees coaching staff continue to persist with him there and hopefully, he gains the confidence to feel as though he can make a difference there.
There’s been lots of talk about the All-Australian ruckman and it’s safe to say, this game didn’t bring me any closer to finding out who’s a lock for that ruck position in the AA squad. I’m in the small minority where I don’t think Gawn is a certainty. Sure he’s had a pretty good year despite being injured, but he hasn’t played at the ceiling he’s set for himself. You can’t deny that he’s set such a high bar that even his floor is better than most. I thought Cameron nullified Gawn for the first three quarters until Gawn responded. It was a fascinating battle between the two. I have to give props to Cameron for his season in general, he’s been one of the only good stories to come out of Collingwood this season and will certainly give AA selectors something to think about.
Will Parker has been a great find for the Magpies. Another player that will take lots of confidence going into next year. The former BBL player was a late signing for the Pies after switching from cricket. He found himself debuting off the back of a handful of eye-catching VFL performances. Each time he has the ball in his hand, you can see why he was a highly touted junior before committing to cricket over AFL. He’s got neat skills and knows how to run AFL lines. He isn’t necessarily quick, but he knows how to position himself when attacking or defending. Scary to think what a full preseason can do for him. Having him in the side gives Noble and Quaynor a bit more freedom to roam up the field and McRae can begin to entrust Parker with more responsibility.
I thought Chandler played a pretty good game in what was a tough night for some of the Melbourne forwards. He’s another player I think the Demons should persist with, as he does some good things with the ball. He knows where the goals are and knows what position to get to, to find the ball. With Pickett, Tholstrup and Chandler in the forward line, you can build on that and make it a really exciting small forward group.
IN SUMMARY
When the AFL initially locked in this fixture, they were hoping that it’d be a Friday night elimination final. Although there was a very, very slim chance that the Pies still had something to play for, everyone could be forgiven for accepting that it was season over. That didn’t stop the Magpie army from turning up and making themselves heard. And the players certainly wore the black and white jumper with pride.
It could be forgiven that the Dees were missing some key players. Oliver, Petracca, May and Lever are significant outs that exposed Melbourne. In saying that though, they did let Collingwood dictate things far too often. Still, the forward 50 connection continues to plague them. When they went inside 50 it was often the wrong option. They continually blazed away and didn’t lower their eyes enough. Contrast that with the Pies and it’s completely the opposite.
You’d still say both sides have a lot of improvement left in them, going into next year. Both have spent a lot of time in finals contention and getting to the pointy end of the season. A year off won’t do them too much harm, as long as they can rectify a few things. All it takes is a good mindset going into the preseason and fortunes will change. I think we all saw a glimmer of the future from both sides and what it could look like. That’s where a lot of the improvement’s got to come from.
If Melbourne can somehow keep Petty, then a forward line of Petty, Van Rooyen and Turner doesn’t look too bad. You also have Pickett, Tholstrup and Chandler as the smalls that run through there. I can see plenty of upside there, with all of them being quite young still. Rivers, McVee and Windsor are the next midfield group coming in. Perhaps next season they can unearth the next Lever and May. Potentially they also look at Gawn’s successor, as he no longer has age on his side.
Like Melbourne, Collingwood will be hoping to have a better run with injuries next year. If Richards decides to resign with the Pies, I can see him playing the Lipinski role as a connector at half-forward. Another year into the likes of McCreery, Harrison and Hill hopefully sees an upward trajectory in development. All of a sudden, life after Jamie Elliot doesn’t look so bad. Hopefully, Quaynor and Josh can get back to being their best. If they are still at the club next year, then hopefully Fly can get more out of Macrae and McInnes. I feel like Collingwood still needs to find a replacement for Murphy. Whether that’s Dean or they look at bringing someone in via trade and/or draft, that role needs to be filled up quickly if the Pies have any chance of getting back to being one of the best defences in the comp.
I’m already looking forward to what next season holds for both sides, hopefully, both can bounce back and work their way back into finals contention.