Flashback: Collingwood vs Carlton

[Johnson#26]

**This is up on the website **

http://www.magpies.net/nick/article/artcle.php?subaction=showfull&id=1093623397

Flashback – Collingwood vs Carlton

Collingwood and Carlton have been fierce rivals since the early days of Australian Rules Football. Since the VFL began in 1897, the two sides have forged 228 battles, with Collingwood prevailing on 106 occasions, with Carlton winning 118 of them. There have been many famous encounters between the two sides, such as the 1979 Grand Final – when Collingwood went down by five points due to a controversial goal to Ken Sheldon. There was also the 1981 Grand Final, when the Pies lost after leading at the final change. And more recently, Collingwood – in Nathan Buckley’s 200th game – beat Carlton by a whopping 101 points, with Buckley best afield. Now, we turn the clock back 10 years, when the arch rivals met in round two of the 1994 season, when Pies star Mick McGuane scored one of the most famous goals in Magpie history.

Collingwood went into the match coming off a comfortable if not spectacular eleven point victory over Fitzroy at Victoria Park in the season opener. Carlton on the other hand, had been thumped by the Adelaide Crows in the opening match and had a point to prove. For the clash, Collingwood brought in defender Michael Christian, former Bomber Brad Plain and goalsneek Brad Rowe, leaving out Mark Richardson, Andrew Tranquilli and in a shock move, club Captain Tony Shaw. 85,000 fans had packed the home of football, and both sides were eager to impress. In early match ups, Blues star Steve Silvangi found himself on Pies stalwart Gavin Crosisca, former Bulldog Jon Balentyne had a big job on Blues skipper Steven Kernahan while McGuane had the huge task on Brownlow Medallist Greg Williams.

The early part of the first term saw the Blues do all the attacking, with Kernahan peppering the big sticks to no avail. The ball was pumped into the Blues fifty again and again with Kernahan marking everything. Only the good work of Balentyne and Crosisca were holding the Blues at bay. Justin Madden scored the first goal and two minutes later Silvangi took a strong mark and goaled to take Carlton further ahead. Finally the Pies broke through with Nathan Buckley and Plain helping set up Steven Ryan for their first major. Kernahan had yet another shot at goal, only to see it go out of bounds. Fraser Brown roved the throw in and booted the Blues third, taking them to a handy two goal lead. Kernahan had yet another opportunity to goal – only to see his shot ram into the post. Balentyne was under enormous pressure but Leigh Matthews kept him there – in the hope that he would pull through. Skipper Gavin Brown, with a slick handpass set up Rocca for his first which chopped the Carlton lead to only eight points. Soon after, McGuane passed to Ryan only to see the forward hit the post. Ryan was soon called to the bench, after feeling a twinge in his hamstring. At quarter time, the Blues led by only a goal.

Both sides went goal for goal in a terrific second quarter. Early on, Rowe and Plain had scoring opportunity’s only to score one behind each. Skipper Brown was inspiring his side with his hard work in the packs, putting his body on the line as always. Craig Bradley ran onto the loose ball and dobbed the Blues first for the term to see them move out to a handy two goal lead. But soon after, Paul Williams went on a blistering run down the middle to score a goal to answer Bradley’s. Balentyne was warming to the task of playing on Kernahan, and was soon out muscling the Carlton spearhead. The Blues again got out to a two goal lead, but Buckley was starting to control the midfield and he passed to Williams for his second, keeping the Pies in touch. The Blues were old and slow, with the Pies young and fresh, which would be a telling factor in the second half. Mil Hanna turned the ball over from the Blues defence, accidentally spotting Rocca, who marked and goaled from 55 to give the Pies the lead. Francis then passed to Buckley for his first, seeing the Pies out to a nice two goal buffer. Then came the moment which got the Collingwood side roaring. The ball was bounced in the centre, with Monkhurst tapping it to McGuane who tore away from the middle. He ran around Fraser Brown, got past Sexton with the aid of Mark Fraser, approached the fifty as he took his fifth bounce, dummied another Blue took a seventh bounce and slotted one through from 35 out on a slight angle. The crowd roared in appreciation, as it took the Pies to their biggest lead of the day. The Carlton heads dropped while the Pies confidence soared. The Blues got two quick, freakish goals back just before half time to level the scores at 44 apiece.

The third quarter started with Buckley facing off with Bradley – the two South Australians. The all important third quarter began with Brown spearing the ball to McGuane for the first of the term. The dam walls were beginning to leak as Carlton had no answer to McGuane’s dominance. Gary Pert had been moved onto Kernahan while Balentyne was rested. McGuane passed to Fraser – who claimed a mark but it wasn’t paid as Madden ran in to level the scores. Brown won seven possessions for the quarter, and was hurting the Blues at the bottom of the packs, where his courage could not be stopped. The Pies regained the momentum through Rocca, who booted his third goal after some nice work from Plain. Plain again had a hand in a goal, passing off to Rowe who inturn gave it to Francis for another which gave the Pies a two point break. Fraser had a hand in the next goal when he intercepted a Williams handpass to fire the ball to McGuane for his third. Plain then got his own goal, as he chipped in from 30 meters out. Kent Butcher steamed out of defence on along run before sending the ball to Rocca, but he missed a golden opportunity. Buckley then passed to Rowe, who scored his first of the day. The Pies dominated the quarter, scoring six goals to four.

The Pies took all the momentum into the final term, after the magnificent third quarter but it was the Blues, through Steven Oliver who got the first of the term. Blues coach David Parkin moved his players around in a desperate attempt to get a winning combination. He put Williams up forward, only to see McGuane jog after him. Buckley continued to pump the ball inside the fifty and was rewarded when big Sav marked on a tight angle and goaled, extending the Pies lead to six goals. Silvangi scored his second in junk time, but it did not change anything as Collingwood notched their 100th win over the old enemy. The Magpies would not defeated the Blues again until round six of 1998, when only Buckley, Brown, Monkhurst, Francis, Crosisca, Wright, Williams, Watson and Rocca remained on the senior list.

Scores:
Collingwood: 14.16 (100)
Carlton: 9.12 (66)

Goals:
Collingwood: Rocca 5; McGuane 3; Francis, Buckley, Williams, Plain, Rowe, Ryan.

Best:
Collingwood: McGuane, Ballantyne, Williams, Buckley, Pert, Brown. Fraser, Butcher, Monkhurst.

[MagpieMad]

it's on the website.
thnx Johnson#26 m8, great work

[Johnson#26]

Does everyone agree that the McGuane goal was one of the best ever?

[MagpieMad]

J26, it's certainly one of the best I have seen, Me and about 7 filth supporters watched in a closed bar on a BIG screen in the pub I was working at at the time, it was a brilliant day as most days are when we pump the filthy bastards.

[BBHS]

I've never heard a louder crowd than when he kicked that goal.

[DaicosMagic]

Remember the commentary on Channel 7 from Robbo and Peter Landy:

"...McGuanes' had 5 bounces, he'll nearly have another one...Phil Manassa snapped by Mick McGuane...goal of the year!"

I had that replay on tape and watched it every week for about a year at least (I would have been 15 at the time). I think it's still in my archive.

[MagpieMad]

yeah DaicosMagic, I have a clip of it around here on a cd somewhere, it's good to dig them out every now and again and have a watch, Mickey "sausage arms" McGuane is a all time favorite player of mine, I even have a "pro squad" plaque of his, and I swear he got half his kicks by using his mouth, he was the master of getting under your skin.
GO MICKEY!!!!!

[Johnson#26]

[piedys]

Yep, Mark Fraser's shephard to assist McGuane's 7-bounce run was the HARDEST thing he ever did on the field.

dyso

[Johnson#26]

Fraser wasn't that abd a player. Better at the Dons.

[piedys]

J#26,
I used to call him The Road Runner, now i just call him Traitor.

dyso

[Johnson#26]

LOL, isn't Fraser an umpire now?

[piedys]

Yes, suits his weak, pathetic character to a T.

Dyso