Practice Match #3 - Collingwood vs Essendon at Victoria Park

[MagpieBat]

[Dave The Man]

[MagpieBat]

[watt price tully]

[MagpieBat]

[perthmagpie]

I thought Blair looked rusty. Needs at least one more VFL game. Dwyer got better and better. Keefe was good and is ready. JT was good. Faz ok but I would expect another two VFL games.

At a guess against Sydney: In: Dwyer, Keefe, Reid, White, JT.

[John Wren]

what did people think of kyle martin's game time?

[dsav]

Photo album of game here.
http://www.davesavell.com/p872514914

Mostly Essendon focused - but a few you guys might like.

Dave.

[Dave The Man]

[MagpieBat]

[MagpieBat]

Okay, my thoughts:

1. Alex Fasolo
Started the game on the bench and didn't actually come on until the 2nd quarter. Played on the ball and generally used the ball well, both by hand and by foot, though he was guilty on occasions of the trademark Collingwood long high bomb inside 50.

My main strike against Fasolo is that he has hitherto been a lazy front-runner with a penchant for the flashy stuff, but not so hot on the team things. This afternoon, I saw him do a couple of things that might be a sign that he is changing his attitude and behaviour there. For instance, in one passage of play, he sprinted full tilt to come in at the last moment and spoil a kick to an Essendon player all on his own, over the boundary. The old Alex Fasolo wouldn't have bothered expending the energy.

He also took a nice contested mark going back with it which saw him cop a nice whack in the back for his troubles.

Was taken out of the game at 3QT (obviously being managed). The fact that he has only played once since NAB game 2 in Wangaratta poses an interesting dilemma. Next week is the final practice match for the VFL, conveniently tucked away in the spilt round for the AFL. The week after, the VFL plays the same day as the AFL up in Sydney. For mine, Fasolo will need a full game next week to have a chance of playing up in Sydney.

2. Sam Dwyer
Looked ordinary, for mine, in the 1st half, but did better after half time. What I've liked about Dwyer these past couple of games is that he is tackling more and working on the defensive side of his game, two areas he was notably lacking in 2013.

Fasolo aside, he was (is) still our best deliverer of the ball inside the forward 50. The fact that he is working to become a more accountable runner is just terrific to see. Probably still requires at least another run at this level, but a good game against Bendigo next Saturday will make him hard to overlook, especially given our dire need for polish by foot.

11. Jarryd Blair
I can't really say anything positive about Blair's game. Was just ordinary for mine. He's tenacious, I'll give him that. He worked his way into proceedings, but again, I felt he was unremarkable. Will play next week, you would think, before reputation ensures his senior selection against Sydney.

21. Quinten Lynch
Worked hard all day, as is his style, but again, he was crucified by our insanely shithouse delivery into the forward half. Those few who did bother to lower their eyes and hit him out in front were not let down, because I didn't see him drop a single mark.

Moved into the ruck in the 2nd half to give Hudson a breather and competed very well, winning a fair few hitouts and following up at ground level. Kicked a nice goal out of the ruck in our forward arc as well.

I've already outlined my thoughts on Lynch and how he fits into our forward setup, so I won't belabour the point here. I will say this, though: he should have played on Friday night. Reverting back to two talls and allowing Freo a +1 was just f-ckwitted coaching.

Has clocked up some miles during the pre-season, playing 2 NAB games and 2 VFL practice matches, missing only the Metricon visit. Will be interesting to see if they rest him against Bendigo.

One last point. Lynch appears to have changed the model of glove he wears (you can tell best when you compare a shot of his open palm from yesterday to games in 2013; this model has a light grey palm made of a fabric material). He certainly looks to be marking the ball and gripping the ball better with it, although that finger will always a pain for him to work around.

23. Lachlan Keeffe
Had an ordinary start, but got better as the game went, and had a very good final quarter when Essendon were attempting some sort of a challenge. Used the ball well when in possession, although a couple of his decisions nearly came undone. Took some good marks in the last quarter to stem the tide.

There have been murmurs on BigFooty that Brown may have tweaked a hammy (don't take that as official). If so, Keeffe comes straight back into the seniors, especially if Sydney rush Tippett back. A fair few of us will likely want at least one of Brown or Frost punted back to the VFL after Friday night's effort.

24. Josh Thomas
1st hitout for the year after a bout of tendonitis in the knee (will the kid ever catch a break?) and it showed for a while. In a familiar story, he got better as proceedings went on and even started to execute some textbook kicks, not normally a strength of his, his best being to hit Lynch on the lead.

Was taken out of play with Fasolo and Dwyer at 3QT. Will need, at the very least, a full game against Bendigo to be considered for Sydney.

25. Ben Hudson
Was our #1 ruckman for this game, and delivered what you would hope for and expect - won the hitouts, got his hands dirty once the ball hit the deck, and covered the ground to help out here and there. He was also back in his element when a minor scuffle broke out in the last quarter, lumbering in like a nightclub bouncer as our enforcer. Looked to be struggling towards the end, though. Might be rested against Bendigo.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: inspired recruiting.

27. Tony Armstrong
Does this bloke read my ramblings at the breaks? Because he noticeably got a fair bit more of it in the 2nd half, after an insipid 1st half where his main contribution was just sitting off packs flapping his arms around like a seagull. When he did get the ball, he butchered it, including one God awful passage where, uncontested on the flank, he sent it inside 50 only for it to fly over the line on the full.

Managed to find (or his teammates were ordered to find for him) a good deal more of it after the main break. Unfortunately, his mythical kicking skills degenerated to your regular Collingwood forward entries - long high inside 50, make it the forwards' problem.

Also had one embarrassing moment where he went to ground chasing an opponent down the wing... which would be good, except he fell down of his own volition, not in an attempted tackle.

Again, what is he doing here? Heaven help us if he gets picked for the seniors. Anyone have Jordan Russell's number?

37. Kyle Martin
Noticeably rusty, after an undisclosed injury which I doubt the club will avail us of. Was progressively better each quarter he played. As with Thomas, it was just a matter of being better for the run.

I'm an unabashed Martin fan and how he didn't get elevated onto the senior list in a year where he won the VFL B&F in a competitive side is something that continues to bamboozle me.

I will give him a clip for one or two wild snaps at goal when passing off might have been a more fruitful option, but when you are as dangerous around goals as Martin is, you can perhaps be forgiving.

Seeing as there are no current openings on the senior list with regards to long term injuries, Martin will just have to bide his time at VFL level and hope he does enough to perhaps put himself into contention for the mid-year elevation. In any event, he is a big part of the VFL engine room and will help make us a strong unit in the middle of the ground, as well as forward of the ball as a goal kicking threat.

38. Peter Yagmoor
Possibly the most frustrating player on the list. He did one good thing in the 1st quarter (a spoil on the goal line) but bugger all apart from that. Drifts through the next two quarters, then has a very good final quarter chopping off multiple forward thrusts from Essendon and even setting up some chains of possession with that left boot of his.

I have held out hope for him, but Yagmoor just strikes me as one of those guys who do precious little during the game, but will do a couple of things in the last quarter to make your memory of his performance rosier than it really was.

If you gave me a choice, I would take the 2013/14 Yagmoor over the mentally weak flake from 2012. But this is now his 3rd year on the list and his improvement has really been marginal at best. I really can't see him making it.

46. Jonathon Marsh
Given the almost supernatural ability of our fan base to over-hype our own, combined with the instant reach of the Internet, I'm surprised the Marsh for the Brownlow threads haven't started already. But I have to say, I did like his game, easily his best since coming to Collingwood (which is not exactly a high bar to jump, but anyhow...)

Played mainly at full forward in support to Lynch at CHF. Took one contested mark which was actually closer to Jimmy Clement than Travis Cloke (the kid may have put a sly hand or two on the back of his man, which the ump missed). But having marked, he was smart enough to see than his man was out of the contest, so with no one between him and the sticks, he turned and raced off, slamming on the afterburners and finishing off with a nice little Gen Y checkside.

Kicked another in the 3rd term (the Yarra Falls end was good to him) where he executed one of those already famous don't argues and sped off toward the open goal mouth. He also executed a nice run down tackle, showing that his speed isn't just an offensive weapon.

He definitely wasn't the tall, headless chicken this time.

He still has a long way to go before he is ready for senior football, but yesterday was a nice glimpse at what he might offer in a few years time.

48. Caolan Mooney
After seemingly finding his niche last week, yesterday was perhaps a bit of a reality check for Mooney. He held up his end defensively, but was otherwise suppressed in his influence on things. He did however manage to snare a goal, continuing his habit of being an unlikely avenue to goal, even from the back end of the ground.

[MagpieBat]

EDIT...

[John Wren]

josh turner continues to impress. ranga wearing no. 29 yesterday. very courageous and shows no fear.

[roar]

Onya MB! Really appreciate the write-ups.

[MagpieBat]