Round 9 - Collingwood vs Bendigo at Victoria Park

[MagpieBat]

1:00pm this Saturday at home.

Collingwood: 10th (2 wins, 4 losses, 2 byes, 84.80%)
Bendigo: 9th (2 wins, 4 losses, 2 byes, 85.33%)

Broadcast:

Internet – LiveChat at collingwoodfc.com.au

Team
B: Stubbs Gault Young
HB: K. Pendlebury Tarrant M. Williams
C: McNamara Elliott Mooney
HF: Yagmoor Wood Smith
F: Cribbin Witts Hellier
R: Ceglar Seedsman Ugle
Int: Farmer Wallace Hahn Boland Riddle S. Williams Ferraro

Last time they met:
Round 20, 2011 at Victoria Park
Collingwood 14.11.95, def by
Bendigo 14.16.100

Winning Record (since 2008)
Played: 6
Collingwood: 2
Bendigo: 4

Who says that miracles can’t happen?

It was mission impossible for the young VFL magpies: an undefeated reigning premier, fresh of a lopsided grand final rematch against its most hated enemy, and playing the best brand of football in the competition for quite some time. Brimming with confidence and bristling with class across every line on the ground the result was seemingly a forgone conclusion. Port Melbourne, it seemed, were too strong, too classy, too good.

And too easy.

It was the upset of the century, the frontrunner for game of the year and undoubtedly the greatest victory in the life of the Collingwood VFL team. And fresh off their historic win, Tarkyn Lockyer’s men will seek to repeat their performance against the Borough when they return to Victoria Park this weekend to face the reserve ranks of the Essendon Football Club, who for the remainder of this year will march into battle in the guise of the newly re-christened Bendigo Gold.

Both teams sit equal pegging on the ladder, with only percentage separating them, after commencing the first seven rounds to the 2012 in very similar fashion. As mentioned, Collingwood defeated Port Melbourne by 21 points last Saturday afternoon, while Bendigo are coming off a bye. Both will see this as a very winnable game, and the result shapes up as vital to their top 8 aspirations.

After enduring a pre-season of seemingly unending bad news on the injury front, Collingwood is slowly reaching a position of relative list strength. The magpies will welcome back favourite son Chris Tarrant from a calf injury, but at the expense of young gun Jackson Paine, who will miss the next few weeks with an ankle strain. Bendigo, on the other hand, will continue to struggle with Essendon’s staggering injury list, but it is also likely that Scott Gumbleton will return for the Gold from a back injury.

Collingwood fans will be looking for a continuation of the side’s great form in recent week, as evidenced against Port Melbourne and in the second half against Sandringham in round 6. In particular, youngsters who will be looking to continue improving this week include Caolan Mooney, Marley Williams, Tom Young, Jarrod Witts, Jamie Elliott and Jonathon Ceglar. Additionally, Cameron Wood, Peter Yagmoor and Paul Seedsman are all in the mix to make way for returning senior player. From amongst the VFL contingent, Nick Riddle, Jack Hellier and Lachlan Wallace will likely continue to provide solid support to the AFL listed group, and perhaps catch the eye of recruiters with their endeavour.

Recent history is with the Gold on this one. Bendigo have won the last four encounters, including an 80-point demolition of Collingwood at Windy Hill in round 4 of 2011, before snatching victory by 5 points in a thriller at Victoria Park in round 20 later in the year, after Collingwood lead by as much as 50 points midway through the second quarter. Recent form, however, suggests that Collingwood enters this encounter as favourites.

I’m expecting a tough game, but I am predicting that the VFL team will back up last week’s magnificent performance and ultimately come away victors in this one as we get our 2012 VFL season back on track. Bendigo are just starting to get some Essendon players back, and will be more competitive than they have been over the last month. However, we will also be getting players back into the ressies as guys like Darren Jolly, Chris Dawes and Dale Thomas return to the seniors from injury and illness.

Should we win this weekend, we will likely move into the top 8, possibly as high as 7th pending other results. As always, it will be good to keep an eye on the youngsters and track how they are doing, as well as watch Taz in action on his road back from injury at our great homeground. Hopefully, they can prove that last Saturday’s result was no fluke, and that the VFL magpies are indeed a credible contender in season 2012.

Tip: Pies by 20 points.

Over to you...

[slydog81]

Fasolo will prob play in the magoos as well along with taz and possibly luke rounds back.

Should be a good game to get down and watch

[Dave The Man]

Is it a ABC TV Game?

[MagpieBat]

^ Nope. ABC is covering Werribee vs Scum at Werribee.

[Fire Up]

was there anyone in the sherrin stand last week and seeing a guy going of his rocker at the umpires in like the 3rd qtr? that was dtm.

[Dave The Man]

Collingwood vs. Bendigo
Saturday 19th May
Victoria Park at 1:00 PM

Collingwood

B Stubbs Gault Young
HB K. Pendlebury Tarrant M. Williams
C McNamara Elliott Mooney
HF Yagmoor Wood Smith
F Cribbin Witts Hellier
R Ceglar Seedsman Ugle
Int Farmer Wallace Hahn
Boland Riddle S. Williams
Ferraro

Bendigo

B Slattery Pears Baguley
HB Williams Freezer Hunter
C Merrett Reimers Kavanagh
HF Steinberg Maddern Gumbleton
F Little Ladson McVeigh
R Shinners Duscher Colyer
Int Long Thompson McPhee
Putt Mee* Dalgleish
Browne Stroobants Collins

[Fire Up]

what's tarks going to do this week. 3 ruckmen with wood in the side. ceglar and witts have been a good ruck combination

[Dave The Man]

[Fire Up]

[MagpieBat]

^ I'm more concerned by the fact that, once again, we haven't named a 23rd player to offset the presence of an extra ruckman. You can get away with 2 primary rucks if you have a 4-man bench, but you can't carry 3 ruckmen that way. Thus, exploiting the rule to play a 5-man bench is one way to offset the top-heavyness.

Is there a reason why the club has an aversion to the 23rd man rule? If we're playing all of Witts, Ceglar, Wood as rucks, with Gault and Shae as KPPs, plus Tarrant for match practice and Boland for forward line marking power, where is the mobility going to come from? Dumb move from the selection committee.

Every other club uses the 23rd man rule, why don't we? You can't play 3 ruckmen without an extra runner on the bench.

Team is now in the OP, by the way.

[Fire Up]

if ceglar just plays forward it could work.

also remember that there is no paine (injured). but my main concern is with the 3 ruckmen. tarks will no doubt have 3 all in ruck at some stage. if i was tarks, i would play witts and wood in ruck all day, have ceglar as the forward (tall forward) and tell him to stay in the 50 metre line. he plays well up forward

[MagpieBat]

^ Indeed, it could work, if played EXACTLY as you suggest.

But for me, I'm concerned about the lack of a 5th rotation and the effect on our players (Tarrant will be in and out in bursts, so that effectively means we are playing with 3 live rotations on the bench if we only play 22 men).

Paine out is a blow, because we are now robbed of his contested marking ability.

Were I making selections, I would pick a bench of Ferraro, Wallace, S. Williams and Boland. Hahn out from last week.

But the big question is: will Cameron Wood have the stones to take on Shinners?

[Dave The Man]

Intresting Point with no 23rd Man.

Wonder why we did not do that. Dare say later in the season will will try a few kids from the Murray Bushrangers

[MagpieBat]

^ You can also play someone from your VFL list who is in their 1st year as a 23rd man. Guys like Hellier, S. Williams, Wallace.

[Dave The Man]