MATCH PREVIEW
Collingwood vs Western Bulldogs: Match Preview - By Johnson#26
Team for Saturday night:
B: Johnson, Prestigiacomo, Clement.
HB: Cole, J.Cloke, Lonie.
C: Woewodin, Buckley, King.
HF: Lockyer, Fraser, Davis.
F: Maxwell, Lokan, Holland.
R: McKee, Burns, Licuria.
INTER: Rowe, O’Bree, R.Shaw, Walker.
EMERG: McGough, Williams, Crow.
With their season finished, Collingwood take on perennial cellar-dwellers the Western Bulldogs in a match for nothing but pride. Collingwood go in extremely undermanned, without star forwards Chris Tarrant, Anthony Rocca and Alan Didak. Without those three, the sides top three goalscorers for the season; the Pies will struggle to find an avenue to goal. The Collingwood midfield will be under pressure to score the goals, so the team stands a chance of victory.
In defence, the loss of Shane Wakelin has badly undermanned the side, but the loss of Wakelin may not hurt as much this week, as the Bulldogs don’t have many tall goalscoring options. Jade Rawlings, the Dogs star recruit of the summer, scored four goals seven behinds when the sides last met way back in round two, when the Pies got up in a tight contest. Rawlings will have to be kept in check if the Pies stand any chance of victory. Simon Prestigiacomo will get the opportunity to take Rawlings, with the winner of the battle possibly deciding the outcome of the contest. Also up forward for the Dogs is the vastly improved Patrick Bowdon. Bowdon has had an excellent season up forward and will force the Pies to pay respect. James Clement is an ideal match up for Bowden, as he is mobile, fast, and has excellent skills. Another dangerous Dog in the forward line is Nathan Eagleton. Eagleton has again stepped up this season as a half forward flanker and cannot be forgotten about. Ben Johnson will get the job on him, with his pace and dash sure to cause Eagleton some problems. The last of the ‘Dangerous Dogs’ up forward is number one draft pick Adam Cooney. Cooney has not shown much of his talent this season, spending a lot of time on the pine. But his status of number one draft pick means that he cannot be forgotten about. Richard Cole will get a chance to improve his position as one of the most improved players in the competition with a position on Cooney.
In the middle, an entertaining battle looms. Some of the stars of the competition are on show, with names such as Buckley and West, Burns and Johnson, Murphy and Licuria. These battles will be vital in deciding the winner of the night. Back in the year 2000, Buckley and Johnson were pitted head-to-head with each other, in a battle of two of the games most exciting players. Both men ended up with more then 35 possessions, with the Dogs just scraping home. But on this occasion, Buckley’s shadow for the evening will be Matthew Boyd. Boyd found himself on Buckley earlier this season and has developed into one of the sides best taggers. Meanwhile for Collingwood, Brodie Holland will take on Scott West, who is heading for his fifth best and fairest trophy at the Bulldogs. In the ruck, an interesting battle looms. Two ruckmen, Steven McKee and Peter Street will be battling for their footballing careers, as they face of on Saturday night. Both have been unable to cement their places in their sides this season, with this match very important to both players’ futures. Luke Darcy has been forced to play forward in recent weeks, and may again leave Street to take the ruckwork.
In attack, Collingwood are down on fire power, with the loss of Rocca, Tarrant and Didak making things extremely difficult to find an avenue to goal. Josh Fraser will have to become a tall forward in Tarrant and Rocca’s absence, and will have to provide at least four goals if the Pies are any chance. Fraser will be taken by Chris Grant, who has had a solid season after returning from a knee injury at the start of the year. Nick Maxwell has impressed in his first season of league footy and will be given a huge task up forward. He will be followed by the vastly improved Brian Harris, who has looked comfortable at full back all season. Tristan Walker has been brought back to the seniors as extra forward power. His height and strength makes him hard to hand, with former Docker Steven Koops expected to get first crack. Rohan Smith will have an interesting night. Smith has had a stellar season dashing out of defence and simply must be tagged. Rhyce Shaw did an excellent job last week on Brisbane’s Jason Akermanis and will again be called upon to mind a star.
With noting but pride on the line, it will be an even contest. But with Rawlings well covered, Collingwood has a real chance to record their sixth win of the season: COLLINGWOOD BY 8 POINTS.