Pre Match: Pies v. Bombers - All comments here please.

[ScottyMac]

well seems yet again collingwood vs essendon is going to be the BIGGEST game of the year!!!

Both sides seem to be going into the game with some good form under there belts.... it just seems to me that the trip to sydney and beating them on there own turf will give us a big boost!!!!

Essendon really haven't had that much to deal with in the past weeks and IMO aren't as well prepared to deal with what will be thrown at them!!!

Essendon since RD17. melb, carl, bull, rich and a struggling traveling dockers ALL GAMES IN MELB
Coll since RD17. carl, geel, bris, adel, syd LAST TWO AWAY

This tells me we are much more ready for this mob of blouse's than they are for the Magpie Army!!!

[peter_pies4ever]

I don't think the boys will be flat for this weeks game they had a light training session indoors and they will only have the one big trainibng session for the week on Wednesday.

How about giving Lokan a go on Hird? He has the pace to go with him and did a great job on McLeod earlier this year.

My changes for this week would be:
In: Cole Swan
Out: McGough Holland (Suspended)

Brodie Holland will shorly be found guilty from the tribunal for striking Williams. At best he would get 1 week but more likely 3 weeks.

Swan was impressive for Williamstown and i think he will get another recall into the team.

[JLC]

I think perceptions that we are over rated surely have been put to rest. We have now won twice interstate thid year. When was the last time Essendon won an interstate game ?? We have also won without Buckley making any major contribution to our team.

Anzac Day still burns deep for me as i HATE Essendon. They spanked us good and proper on the scoreboard and without their best team. However i think as a team we have improved a hell of a lot since then. In the end the game was a blow out but in reality the crucial period of the game was before half time when we conceded two or three goals after the 30 minute mark of the quarter that undid all our good work for that quarter. To me that was the defining moment in the game. We also made Cupido look like some sort of superstar.

I also wouldnt count their victory over Brisbane as anything special as Brisbane were on the canvas and a good team would have beaten them by more. Brisbane had injuries before and during the game yet still made a contest of the game.

What could be better than sewing up the second position on the ladder and sending the bummers interstate and more than likely being knocked out in the first week of the finals.

I cannot wait until Friday night

jlc

[Cam]

Same drill as the swans game. Belt the crap out of them early and often.

If someone is not with Hird all day we will lose.

Round 5 i posted this in the prematch

[DaicosMagic]

AnthonyC, hate to break it to you, but if West Coat, Adelaide and Essendon win, we will finish 5th (if Essendon beat us by about 80, they will go on top of us).

[AnthonyC]

DM, don't worry about it, name your odds on the bummers beating us by 80.
I will take any bet you like. 13 goals you must be joking.

[Blanch]

ummm, you forgot Brisbane. If we lose and Brisbane, WCE and Adelaide win we are 5th. Forget the bummers by 80, if we lose on friday night there's a realistic chance of losing top 4.

But we won't so don't worry. The boys are on a mission. They won't fail.

[tomoleary]

If we win we play Brisbane and if we lose we play…umm well, Brisbane. This game decides where we play them, because basically Adelaide aint beating Port anytime soon and we won’t lose by enough to hurt our percentage.

In the headlines so far this week I’m continually reading Lloyd and Hird, and I’d hate to say it but Lloyd and Hird have been living up to their reputation in the past month or so but what about Lucas, Jacobs, Peverill, Johnson? Welsh, Hill, Haynes?

The bottom line this week is that names are going to be irrelevant. This is a game where the team that sticks together – side by side is going to come out on top. This week there is a lot at stake and to come away with victory the players are going to have to put a lot at stake. It’s about bone-crunching intensity with no mercy in sight.

For us, every bit of Cloke, Shaw, Scotland, Ben Johnson, Didak, Cole means the same as Buckley, Burns, Lica, Woey, Tarrant, or Rocca. A Collingwood – Essendon game hasn’t meant quite as much as this in a very long time.

If we lose in the first final we’ll almost certainly play Port in a prelim at AAMI, to win on Friday night is the first step in preventing that. Port has the advantage over us until Grand Final day – they’ve never been there – they havn’t played us on the MCG since 1999.

Floreat Pica! Time to shoot down some planes.

[magpie willow]

weve come a very long way from anzac day and we will give em a belting i can see it already everyone argue with me if u must but just watch friday and we shall see!
CARN THE WOODS!

[CQ]

holland will go.

i reckon IN mckee, cole

OUT holland molloy.

if prestis right to go he might get in b4 mckee or both will get in, i dont know who else they will kick out tho. mcgough?

[JLC]

I think its essential that Presti plays this week in order to get some match fitness before the finals.

McGough may get dropped this week but maybe it will depend on the weather conditions.

I would also drop Molloy this week and Holland will more than likely be suspended..

Betheras and Cole hopefully will come in and maybe McKee. However we wouldnt want to go into the game too top heavy.

jlc

[Jonesy]

While Im a huge fan, I agree that it is likely Molloy may get the flick this week, and with Holland to go as the only other omission.

Cole must play if fit, and assuming it is dry then Stevie McKee will be required. If Presti is fit who do we drop....Tex Walker?? Would be a tough call on him, he was a real contributor on Sat. night.

Cant remember being this excited about a home and away game before, must be those finals just around the corner. Go Pies

[Macgyver]

Just a note on Presti i heard him say that he should be right for this week.
and some possible replacements for Dutchy are Cole and Rupe. Shak and Mullins have also been very impressive for Willi. Mullins played on Barnard on the weekend and outplayed him. Shak had 31 possessions in the mud also.

[Jonesy]

Dont know Maggies, do you think its really that simple???
If so, then if ever there was a need for some serious rain dancing...then here I come. I still think that we are a better balanced, equal side than Essendon and can beat them in any conditions.

Then again...Im just a one-eyed pie!! Have there been any hints as to wat the weather will be like for Friday night??

[MargOZ]

Actually I tend to think the equation is more like:

Collingwood playing 100% four quarter pressure football = WIN

regardless of who we are playing and in what conditions.

GO PIES!
Marg