Pies throw off their demons - Herald Sun

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03 June 2002 Herald Sun
By MICHAEL HORAN

TURN the clock back 12 months to Round 10 at Colonial Stadium when nobody was surprised to see Collingwood wrestling with the familiar demon of trying to beat Sydney.

The Pies kicked seven goals for the game and duly lost to the Swans for the eighth times in nine outings.

The 2002 Magpie model returned to the same venue on Saturday night - 364 days later - and, given the fact the side went missing for two quarters, it exorcised that evil Sydney spirit in strangely impressive fashion.

The Pies were top-shelf for the opening quarter, woefully impotent for the next two, then finished with a classy flourish to come from behind in the final term to win by 11 points.

Their reward was equal top billing on the ladder with seven wins from 10 starts and a new mindset that these days they can adjust, persist and expect to win even when they are off the boil.

In the opening term the Pies showed Sydney exactly why they hold a high station on the ladder. Superior speed and skill resulted in an extraordinary 50 more possessions that produced 14 scoring shots to three. Only their wayward 5.9 to 2.1 spared the Swannies early humiliation.

Sydney adjusted and seized its chance. Daryn Cresswell shut down Nathan Buckley to the point where the Magpie skipper was benched during the third term, Jason Saddington stifled glamour forward Chris Tarrant and Swans onballers Paul Williams, Adam Goodes, Jude Bolton and Cresswell turned the tide in dramatic fashion.

Collingwood simply couldn't find a way home. Yet the versatile Magpies changed their mix and found a formula to reel in Sydney.

Scott Burns, Shane O'Bree and Paul Licuria - busy all night - found willing support through the likes of Glenn Freeborn, Mark McGough, Tarkyn Lockyer and Alan Didak and suddenly the black-and-white engine stopped spluttering and began to purr.

The supply forward snapped back to the slick style of quarter one and the enigmatic Tarrant led, marked and kicked in all-star style for four matchwinning goals.


"Racetracks are for racing, roads are for getting there."