Round 21 - Collingwood v Sandringham at Victoria Park

[MagpieBat]

1:00pm this Saturday at the grand old dame.

Collingwood: 12th place (4 wins, 13 losses, 3 byes, 78.24%)
Sandringham: 10th place (5 wins, 11 losses, 4 byes, 84.10%)

Last time these two sides met:

Round 13 at Trevor Barker Beach Oval
Sandringham 15.23.113 def
Collingwood 12.10.82

After an agonizing loss to Bendigo in the dying stages of the match, Collingwood will be looking to see out the 2011 VFL season with a win against Sandringham. For Collingwood, it is merely about pride. For the Zebras, they must win (and win handsomely) if they are to squeak into the finals. Box Hill and Geelong sit above them on points and percentage, respectively. For Sandy to make the eight, they must beat both the Pies and the Cats next week by large margins, and Box Hill must drop its final two games.

Selections will be, as always, the biggest point of interest for Collingwood fans in the VFL team. With injuries to Nick Maxwell and Sharrod Wellingham, the door remains open to one or two junior Magpies to make a late season senior debut. Tom Young and Josh Thomas are the obvious candidates. Young in particular has been mentioned during the week to fill Maxwell’s place in defence. However, with Alan Toovey and Chris Dawes both available to return to senior action against Brisbane, the question is who comes out of the senior team for them? And is it possible that some senior players will be rested, given the quality of our opponent?

Chris Dawes mentioned the possibility of coming back to senior level via the VFL last week. Alan Toovey could go the same way. Cameron Wood, Simon Buckley and John MacCarthy would all be likely call-ups to the senior side in the event of players being rested. Brent Macaffer may be gone for the rest of the year, after limping off last Saturday against Bendigo. He is not listed on the club’s injury list, but given his turgid run with injury this year, he may very well not have the match fitness required to be a part of Collingwood’s AFL finals campaign.

Among the VFL top-up players and Magpie rookies, fans will be looking to see if Tom Sundberg plays, after missing the previous two matches. Rob Condy continues to amass solid numbers and performances. Jarrod Witts and Michael Hartley will be looking to give the list management team down at Westpac Centre some more food for thought, after Witts was awarded best on ground last Saturday. Both young men are certain to be drafted by Collingwood this year, with the only question being whether it will be onto the rookie list or straight into the senior ranks.

Which brings me to a rather moribund note.

Is this the last time that we will see a number of players in the black and white stripes for Collingwood? Tom Sundberg has been invited to the AFL Draft Combine. Kris Pendlebury’s excellent form this year would surely have piqued the interest of some teams, such as GWS. Shae MacNamara is at the end of his two-year international rookie contract, with no mention of whether he will get an extension or a drafting. Scott Reed has been on the rookie list for three years. John McCarthy and Simon Buckley have all been mentioned by fans as potentials for de-listing or trade. Jack Perham, Daniel Farmer and Declan Reilly have also been mooted as de-listings from the rookie list. Even Cameron Wood’s name has been thrown around.

If it is to be the final goodbye for any or all of these young men then can I, for my part, take this chance to thank them all for their service to the club during their time at Collingwood. It hasn’t been a great year for the VFL side (a couple of bad thrashings, some opportunities for winning matches wasted and a deep loss of experience from list turnover.) Some of you young fellas have impressed us, or even wowed us at times. Some of you may have disappointed us on occasion.

But you have all, at the very least, achieved the dream that beats within many a Magpie heart: to pull on the black and white stripes of Collingwood and run onto the hallowed turf of Victoria Park to play a game of professional Aussie rules football with a passionate, faithful crowd at your back yelling “Go Pies!” Good luck on your future prospects, wherever they may be.

Oh, and remember, it’s the double on Saturday: VFL Magpies playing at Victoria Park (the entrée), followed by the main course of AFL Magpies taking out the Lions at the MCG.

Go Pies!

PS: And as we all know, St.Kilda’s 2nd stringers will be playing for Sandringham on Saturday. Let’s give them a proper reception, if you know what I mean…

[jackcass]

^^^ Good read but a couple of points, firstly, I thought the international rookies (excluding Irish players) had a 3 year rookie window which would mean Shae could be retained for another year and secondly Perham, Farmer & Reilly would all seem to warrant an opportunity for their 2nd year at the club.

Will make for a very interesting trade and draft period for the Pies this year with no obvious players to drop other than Hunter and he's not even senior listed.

[Presti35]

C'mon 'Pies!

Like you said, MB, alot of these young guys will never wear the black and white stipes again.

Kind of sad in a way, but we wish the best to all the guys that will enter the draft and be in new colours next year.

Sundberg: He should be in the AFL. Would get a game at alot of other clubs and I would always have a soft spot for him unless he ends up at a Carlton or St Kilda! Can't wait to see him at the elite level!

K Pendles: You feel like GWS will throw him a lifeline but other clubs may also give him a go. Unfortunatly, I think Carlton would be the club that would suit him most. (Also the Gavin Brown connection now). The last thing he wants is to be a 'brother of' so he'd be keen to make a name for himself.

Big Shae: I hope like hell Collingwood stick with him going into 2012. He is loved around the club and could end up being a cult hero. Been dying for his debut game!! Dont know if he's hit it off with Bucks, but he has played quite well this season. A descision has to be made. Why not keep him around?

Scott Reed: Needs to have a big game on Saturday. He's been around for three seasons and hasnt managed to get a call up. Mind you, he's trying to get in a side thats going for two flags in a row. 20 years of age and was taken as a NSW scholarship. GWS would surly give him a crack.

J-Mac: Has been good this year. But lack of oppertunity could see him try his luck elsewhere? I'm unsure of his contract details, but if you're named as emergency in back to back grand finals, I think you'd feel somewhat hard done by. He could be the ace up the sleeve and other clubs would certainly have a look. I'd like to see him stay, especially if there are any unexpected retirements this year.

S. Buckley: I would have thought he'd done enough to stay. 24 years old and played 12 of 19 games. Had a few injury niggles but he's another i'd like to see remain at the club going into 2012.

We'll probably lose both the VFL listed players that will enter the draft and sadly not everyone on the main list can stay. (We lost 13 players last year, 6 that were delisted). And remember we all thought Jarryd Blight was going to be a good player.

We've lost Tom Hunter who was rookie listed, but I think we still have to delist 4 senior players. I'm unsure about how many rookie listed players have to go?

[MagpieBat]

[MagpieBat]

[Presti35]

I guess it's a good problem to have.

But i've always been a fan of the battler players, ie; Jaxson Barham. I love watching players come up through the VFL. But at seasons end the axe always falls.

[Dave The Man]

Tran to make his Debut

http://www.sportingpulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?client=1-118-0-0-0&sID=60264&&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=16665389&sectionID=60264

[MagpieBat]

Collingwood

B Couch Reilly Gordon

HB Bolton K. Pendlebury Cribbin

C Rounds Condy McCarthy

HF Ugle Hartley Reed

F J. Thomas Wood McNamara

R Witts Seedsman Buckley

Int: Liston Millard Sundberg Ceglar Folino Bull Tran Perham

[MagpieBat]

Sandringham

B Hallahan Archer Waller

HB Meehan Simpkin Gallagher

C Johnson Magner Heyne

HF Curren Dore Cahill

F Marigliani Lourey Walsh

R Gardiner Smith Cathcart

Int: Andrews Lynch Dempster Baker Shakallis Stapleton Geary Irving Gamble Orr Steven Blake

[Fire Up]

good to see ceglar back in this week. looks like we are going in with 4 ruckmen. also good to see tran named hope he gets a game. he is short and stubby but goes in for the ball. another find by rupe, but tran is located in melb and goes to one of the high tech schools (xavier?). shame sharpe isn't going to play

[MagpieBat]

Good to have Sundberg back. And nice to see Tran named.

[Fire Up]

sharpe has been playing for fitzroy stars up this end of town in the NFL.

i saw him playing 1 game against 1 of my local teams (that i go watch when i can). he was playing on the half back line/centre. from what i saw i can't believe he didn't get a game for the pies the following week. but to me looks skinny still needs to put on muscle.

[stui magpie]

Roll Call.

Who's going?

[Presti35]

I'll be there again.

[Presti35]