Two of the biggest clubs in the AFL go head to head this weekend in a crucial round 20 matchup. Collingwood and the West Coast Eagles clash on Sunday at Patersons Stadium in Perth with the finals hopes of both teams on the line. Collingwood sit 8^th after a gutsy win over Port Adelaide last round while the Eagles sit in 11^th place on the ladder, 2 wins behind the Magpies. The Eagles themselves had a spirited win over the Crows in Adelaide on the weekend, a win that kept their faint hopes of playing finals in 2014 alive. Both teams are in somewhat of a rebuilding phase, with several club champions either recently retired or just about to leave the game for good. So it comes as no shock that both teams are not premiership contenders this year but they do have plenty of potential in their respective lists.

Of course these two clubs have plenty of history together, going right back to 1990 when they played in two qualifying finals, a situation that changed the finals system forever. They also clashed in 3 finals from 2008 to 2012, with Collingwood coming out on top on all 3 occasions. Overall the two have played in 6 finals against each other with the Eagles only winning one, the 1994 qualifying final. The two sides met earlier this season at the MCG with the Pies winning the game by only 8 points after trailing at three quarter time. It is fitting that this fixture is like a mini final though, with the loser almost certainly resigned to missing out on September action in 2014.

COLLINGWOOD PREVIEW

The win last weekend against the Power took a lot of pressure off the Magpies but they aren’t out of the woods yet, with 4 home and away rounds still to play and only one win between 6^th and 10^th, anything can and probably will happen yet. It was a gutsy win by the Pies though, with their backs against the wall and with plenty of their best 22 sitting in the stands they managed to claw their way to a win over a very good side. There were plenty of positives on the night with two inclusions Armstrong and Fasolo working well off half back and the midfield dominating the centre clearances. Part of that dominance was due to youngster Taylor Adams and in true Magpies 2014 style the news came through post game that the inside midfielder had damaged a finger and would be out for the next 4-6 weeks. It is yet another blow to a Collingwood side that has never really got going this season with injuries, form slumps and the inconsistency of youth proving tough hurdles to overcome. Despite all the troubles though the Pies sit equal with the Kangaroos, Bombers and Suns and most are lauding the seasons these sides have had with more mature lists. Judged on the last two weeks the Pies will keep fighting and may yet be a dangerous team to overcome in September.

There might be some good news at selection for Collingwood this week with Dane Swan, Alan Toovey and Paul Seedsman all pushing for inclusion after recent injury setbacks. Also in contention will be those that played well in the VFL win on Saturday, with Ben Kennedy (38 possessions, 2 goals) and Clinton Young (35 possessions) leading the way. The loss of Taylor Adams will also give Luke Ball another chance you’d think and he did his chances no harm by being a vital part of that VFL win. Who goes out may be the hardest decision for the coaching staff, with Kyle Martin probably the most likely but even he would be stiff given he only got to play quarter as the sub on Sunday. Whatever the final selection is for Collingwood on Friday the team that heads west will be stronger than the one that played against the Power which will give them every chance of putting back to back wins on the board for the first time since round 12.

 

OPPOSITION ANALYSIS

The West Coast Eagles came into season 2014 knowing it wasn’t going to be a premiership contender but hopes of finals action were arisen early on as the Eagles won their first 3 games of the year. After that though those hopes died off pretty quickly as West Coast only won one of it’s next seven games to all but end any chance of playing finals. They have improved a little in the second half of the season with 4 wins in their last 7 games but a major concern for the club is their home record. Usually the WA teams dominate at home, but this season West Coast has won as many games away as they have at home, Losing 6 games at home really has cost the Eagles this year and it’s something they will be looking to remedy starting this weekend against the Pies.

If the Eagles have an area of strength it has to be their forward line. When you look at the names on paper they read as if this could be the most dangerous forward line in the AFL. With Kennedy, Darling, LeCras, Hill, McGovern and Cripps it really does read well. Having a forward line like that also leads to an increase in scoring accuracy, with the Eagles ranked second for accurate kicking at goal. What the Eagles may lack though is support from the midfield and rucks, with Luke Shuey the only midfielder or ruckman to kick more than 10 goals this season. The do rely on their forwards to kick their score which can back fire sometimes. They come up against a young Magpies defense this week with Maxwell and Brown missing there really is a lack of experience and poise down back for the Pies and it’s shown at times. This is the area of the ground the Eagles will need to dominate if they are to win.

The Eagles backline this year lost one of it’s greats when Darren Glass retired but even without him it’s held up pretty well. The Eagles have only allowed the opposition to kick 100 points or more 5 times this year and on 2 of those occasions the Eagles won anyway. The defense is lead by key position players Schofield, Brown and Mackenzie and is backed up well with rebounding players in Hurn, Ellis and Bennell. The Eagles will face a Magpies forward line this week that has only recently formed the grouping that it has desired all season with Cloke, Reid, Elliott, White and Blair all playing for the first time together a few weeks back. The return of Reid especially gives defences’ headaches as they can longer drop back and defend Cloke with that extra man, something the Eagles would have loved to do with Mitch Brown. The Eagles will be confident of restricting the Magpies attack enough to keep it in the game.

The Eagles midfield isn’t as star studded as the Pies but it is by no means one of the worst in the AFL either. They sit mid table in all of the important statistical categories and in recent weeks have even improved if anything. Matt Priddis leads the way and as he showed against the Pies in round 10 he is a very dangerous player indeed. He is ably assisted by the likes of Gaff, Shuey, Hutchings, Masten and a ruck duo that depending on final selection is very dangerous indeed. Dean Cox recently announced this will be his final season and despite missing last week through concussion chances are he will return to assist Nic Natanui against Jarrod Witts and Jesse White. Most games seem to be won in the midfield these days but with both teams not having absolutely dominant central groupings this game might be won elsewhere.

The Eagles firmly believe their season isn’t over yet. Last weeks win over the Crows kept them within reach and a subsequent win over the 8^th placed Pies this week would really close that gap to the top 8. It really is their last chance though as a loss here and even the most positive Eagles fan would think it’s time to look forward to 2015. West Coast will be confident though, they pushed the Pies to within 8 points at the MCG and are arguably in better form now then they were back then. Their forward line will carry the burden of having to dominate the young Pies backline if they are to be any chance at all. It’s the Eagles grand final really and you’d expect them to come out fired up early on.

 

TIP

This is a tough game to tip because both teams recent form has been so inconsistent. The Pies seem to have found their fight and should welcome back Swan and Toovey while the Eagles will believe they are back on track after that win last week. This game will come down to a close finish I believe and the team that makes the fewest errors under pressure will win.

That’s where I just favour the Pies, they haven’t made too many errors under pressure the last few weeks and I just can’t see the star from the Eagles who will knock the Pies out.

MAGPIES BY 9 POINTS.

 

VFL

After a great win over the Box Hill Hawks last week the Magpies VFL side once again gets a home game at Victoria Park. This week they host Essendon on Saturday with the game starting at 1.10pm.

Pre match Discussion Thread  on the BB – Round 20 – Collingwood vs West Coast Eagles - All comments

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