Collingwood versus Carlton, It may well be the fiercest domestic sporting rivalry in Australian sport and this weekend another chapter will be added to it’s long history. The rivalry goes way back to the creation of the VFL but really got fired up during and after the 1910 VFL grand final when all hell broke loose on and off the ground. Basically Carlton accused Collingwood of cheating and the rivalry that would be at the centre of the VFL/AFL for many a year was born.

This weekend the two will meet in round 3 of the 2015 NAB Challenge in of all places Bendigo.  Both clubs have had one game and one bye so far in the pre season and are still in the early stages of preparation for their respective round 1 matchups.

Season 2015 is of vital importance for both clubs with neither making the top 8 last season and falling short of their target which would have been to play finals football.

PREVIOUS FORM

There’s not a lot of form to go on with each club only partaking in one NAB Challenge match so far. If you are to focus on those individual games the Magpies were much more impressive then the Blues. Carlton had a fixture with the West Coast Eagles in Mandurah to open up their 2015 campaign and due to the early timing of the game and the travel they left a lot of their big name players at home. Due to that weakened squad, the strong Eagles outfit outclassed the Blues and and ran away with a 31 point win. There were some positive signs with Zack Tuohy and Tom Bell both impressing and ex Magpie Cameron Wood competing strongly in the ruck. It was really just a hitout for the Blues though and they are certain to field a stronger squad this weekend.

Collingwood headed to Launceston for their first game of this year’s pre season and met up with a side they hadn’t beaten for a long time, the reigning premiers Hawthorn. Both the Pies and Hawks fielded weakened squads also but it was the Magpies who ran out the game the better coming away with a 44 point win. Steele Sidebottom led from the front in his first ever game as club captain (due to the absence of Scott Pendlebury) while youngsters Taylor Adams, Tom Langdon, Josh Thomas and Ben Kennedy also got plenty of the ball. The most impressive facet of the Magpies win though was their ball use with a much improved 73% disposal efficiency. Late in the game as the Hawks ran out of legs the Pies took over and two players we didn’t see much in 2014, Patrick Karnezis and Alex Fasolo dominated up forward with 7 goals between them. It was a confidence boosting start to the pre season for the Magpies and one they will want to build on this weekend.

COLLINGWOOD PREVIEW

The win over the Hawks would have given Collingwood a much needed boost after what really was a disastrous end to the 2014 campaign. Missing the finals for the first time in 8 seasons was nothing short of a failure for the biggest club in the land. Something that has been obvious in the 2 hitouts the Pies have had (the game vs the Hawks and an intra club match) is that their ball movement is faster then it has been in previous seasons. Senior coach Nathan Buckley, now in his 4^th season in charge, has finally been able to fully implement the game plan he probably wanted to from year one.

Coming into this game against Carlton the Magpies will make a plethora of changes and their will be some big names amongst those returning. Captain Scott Pendlebury, superstar Dane Swan and the best marking forward in the AFL Travis Cloke will all return after being rested from the first hit out against the Hawks. All are fit and Cloke and Swan especially seem to be over the injuries that largely ruined their 2014 seasons. Another good sign for the Magpie army has been the numbers joining in training in the past week or so. The likes of Ben Reid, Darcy Moore, Jonathon Marsh, Paul Seedsman and Matthew Scharenberg have all rejoined full training and will all be pushing for inclusion in this game and the third NAB challenge game. Straight away it seems as if the changes made to the training and fitness departments at the club are paying off leading into such a crucial season for the Pies.

OPPOSITION ANALYSIS

Carlton had a poor 2014 season by anyone’s estimation with only 7 wins (and a last round draw) leaving them well short of the finals in 13^th position. Like most clubs who had a poor year injuries were used as an excuse but when you fail to get anywhere near the top 8 excuses do seem to be drowned out by external criticism. 2015 is a new year though and coach Mick Malthouse will believe the only way is up for the Blues. They really didn’t lose anyone of real value over the post season with the aging Jarrad Waite the only one who would have helped them this season leaving for North Melbourne. Once again they will rely on their experienced players to lead them but it will be the improvement of the young players that will decide just where Carlton eventually finish.

The Blues midfield is still their area of strength and with names like Judd, Gibbs, Murphy, Thomas, Kreuzer and Simpson it’s not hard to see why. Many a time in the last few seasons this midfield brigade has lifted Carlton to an unlikely win but with age catching up to a few the next generation of Carlton mids will need to take a step forward.

Carlton’s forward line may prove to be the biggest concern for them throughout the upcoming season. Most experts seem to rate their forward line as close to the least effective and the recent departures of Waite, Garlett and Betts seem to support that theory. Yet despite finishing in 13^th last season their ability to score was actually much higher then that, ranked 9^th overall for total points. A lot of that comes down to a midfield that is capable of impacting the scoreboard and covering up any apparent weaknesses in attack. A lot will depend on the improvement of Henderson and Casboult and while they did show promising signs at times last year they will need to improve further if Carlton are to be a better team.

Carlton’s defense is largely under rated I believe and with Malthouse always a coach that likes to build a strong back half the Blues backline should improve further this season. Sam Rowe and Michael Jamison are the two key backs and were a consistent and reliable pairing throughout the 2014 campaign. The Blues don’t lack run out of defense with Andrew Walker, Chris Yarran, Zach Tuohy and Kade Simpson all providing plenty of fast and accurate ball movement when required. The question regarding Carlton’s backline may well be depth though, with very few other options outside of their probable top six defensive options.

Carlton read like a team that may improve in 2015 and leading into this game against the Magpies they will see a stronger squad then the one that ran out 2 weeks ago. Stars including Judd, Gibbs, Henderson and Carrazzo will return to bolster what was a very weak squad in week 1.  Blues fans however will be excited to see some of their young talent on show with Cripps, Boekhurst and the exciting (and well named) Dillon Viojo-Rainbow likely to be in the squad. Also likely to be playing are the two main recruits from other clubs, Kristian Jaksch and Jason Tutt. No matter what the result here the Blues will put up a better showing then they did against the Eagles.

TIP

These two sides hate each other, we know that, and that may well just relate to a more hotly contested pre season game then most expect. Both clubs will field considerably stronger outfits then in their first hitouts and while the Magpies youngsters and fill ins were impressive against the Hawks, the same can’t be said for Carlton. The location adds a level of unpredictability to the result also with very little exposed form to rely on.

In the end it will probably come down to which coach is willing to play his stars for longer. With that in mind, Collingwood has had a very good pre season so far and I believe they will want to improve on their first showing. With natural improvement and the additions of some real elite talent Collingwood should run away with a  comfortable win on Sunday.

PIES BY 22 POINTS.

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