Qualifying Final. Magpies v. Demons. All comments.

[the fuzz]

Ffffffark. Just learned I will have to go to a delayed Father’s Day even Thursday evening. Filthy.
Will be turning my phone off at 7 and watching on Kayo.
No match day thread negativity for me.

Haff, say the word and I'll organise a fake kidnapping.
Side by Side.
Go Pies.

[Pies2016]

Given what McRae has said about playing both Cox and Cameron on the night, it makes more sense to me they will both start in the 22, rather than one of them starting as the tactical sub. In the perfect world, the tactical sub comes on sometime around three quarter time. What the coaches won’t want is for either Cox or Cameron being badly beaten in the ruck early and then having to pull the trigger early on whichever one of them started as sub. Conversely, if one is playing well on the night, there’s little point to even use the other as a tactical sub on a wet night. Given the conditions, I don’t see them spending much time forward either.
Can’t help but think they are both starting in the 22 to swap between ruck and bench with the aim of working Gawn over from start to finish.

[piffdog]

Makes sense to start both - I agree. Try and double team Gawn to nullify him as best as possible (a hard ask) and then sub one out later as a trade off for speed if the sun isn’t used earlier.

Unless you have a tall under an injury cloud, I don’t know that a ruck as a sub is a great idea. Then again, if you do have a tall under an injury cloud maybe you shouldn’t pick him.

Perhaps McReery is the sub?

[Damien]

I wouldn’t rule out Coxy as sub. When he last played as sub he came on and ignited us. A full game followed and he was nowhere near as dynamic. Maybe that’s what the big fella needs to fire. Bring him on only if Cameron is getting killed…. Although I have a feeling that Darcy is in for a big game. Well overdue.

[Brown26]

I suspect Howe will start on Lever and McStay on May, and Cox in the square with Elliot. Basically saying Howe and McStay (neither of whom we had on Kings birthday) job is to stop Lever and May taking intercept marks, Cox is the tall target in the square and if you can't kick it that far and have to drop it onto May or Lever's head, Elliot will at least be able to come over the top. Leaves Hill and McCreery at ground level - and Ginny somewhere. Maybe the sub, maybe the bench.

Marcov is very good as the sub, really ignites the game when he comes on, but I just don't think you can fit all of them in! Will be interesting, but I agree Cox and Cameron start on the ground, and possibly one gets subbed off half way through the third all going well.

- Ben

[swoop42]

On the couch last night highlighted an aspect of our game that had fallen away as the season progressed and I suspect it didn't go unnoticed by many of us.

For mine it'll be one of the biggest indicators early on Thursday night that we have the capacity to flick a switch and the ability to win the game.

What is it?

Forward half intercepts.

From rounds 1-10 we were ranked 2nd. From rounds 11-24 we were only ranked 16th.

So why such a drop off?

Opposition tactics would I assume have played a part but I'm hoping a large part would also be by our own design and after ending round 10 at 9-1 (4 games clear of 9th, 2 ahead of 5th) we attempted to win games of football by playing a less intensive brand because we had earned that luxury.

Perhaps this is wishful thinking but the drop off has been so stark it's hard not to think we haven't manufactured some of it.

Regardless of the circumstances forcing Melbourne in to repeated stoppages inside our f50 not only provides us with increased opportunity to score, it importantly slows down their transition and relieves pressure on our defenders (whilst increasing the pressure on theirs).

I want to see a manic Collingwood unleashed on Thursday night and for all of September.

The moment has arrived.

TIME TO FLICK THE SWITCH.

[Take_a_Screamer]

In Moore, Murph, McCreary.
Out MacCrae, Billy Fram, and Lipinski.

That's how I would like to see it

[Take_a_Screamer]

[Piethagoras' Theorem]

I wouldn’t call Noble, Markov, IQ, Moore, Daicos, WHE slow either

whattabout Degoey, Hill and McCreery? In fact, I reckon one of our main weapons this year has been our pace across the field!

You'll always be Frankie to me, with the Emu avatar.

[John Wren]

On the couch last night highlighted an aspect of our game that had fallen away as the season progressed and I suspect it didn't go unnoticed by many of us.

For mine it'll be one of the biggest indicators early on Thursday night that we have the capacity to flick a switch and the ability to win the game.

What is it?

Forward half intercepts.

From rounds 1-10 we were ranked 2nd. From rounds 11-24 we were only ranked 16th.

So why such a drop off?

Opposition tactics would I assume have played a part but I'm hoping a large part would also be by our own design and after ending round 10 at 9-1 (4 games clear of 9th, 2 ahead of 5th) we attempted to win games of football by playing a less intensive brand because we had earned that luxury.

Perhaps this is wishful thinking but the drop off has been so stark it's hard not to think we haven't manufactured some of it.

Regardless of the circumstances forcing Melbourne in to repeated stoppages inside our f50 not only provides us with increased opportunity to score, it importantly slows down their transition and relieves pressure on our defenders (whilst increasing the pressure on theirs).

I want to see a manic Collingwood unleashed on Thursday night and for all of September.

The moment has arrived.

TIME TO FLICK THE SWITCH.

hello mr swoop42. it’s been a while. i have noticed that in the last few weeks we have changed up our game plan a bit; the style is still the same but we have been moving the ball around the boundary similar to the typically low risk we all know well. one might argue this is because teams have blocked the corridor and prevented us from travelling down the middle but i have also noticed that we have had plenty of opportunities to utilise it and we haven’t. given that we have sat comfortably in top position in the second half of the season this has afforded us to change things up a bit to see how it goes.

[think positive]

Ffffffark. Just learned I will have to go to a delayed Father’s Day even Thursday evening. Filthy.
Will be turning my phone off at 7 and watching on Kayo.
No match day thread negativity for me.

Haff, say the word and I'll organise a fake kidnapping.
Side by Side.
Go Pies.

Haff gees mate, just go cough on a doctor! sacrilege!

[Take_a_Screamer]

Heading into a week-one finals blockbuster, Crisp says the Magpies will be ready for a physical start, but then must be clever when heading into attacking 50, for May and fellow intercepting master Lever will again be ready to pounce.

May/Lever vs. Moore/Murphy, the dominant interceptors of the league...
Could we see a game of ping pong between the arcs!

[Take_a_Screamer]

I want to see a manic Collingwood unleashed on Thursday night and for all of September.

Especially starting with McStay

[Take_a_Screamer]

Pies tough nut Maynard on what will decide blockbuster final
Jake Niall from The Sydney Morning Herald, September 4, 2023

The outcome of the Collingwood-Melbourne qualifying final will be determined by the team that plays “harder for longer”, according to Collingwood’s tough All-Australian defender Brayden Maynard.

https://www.smh.com.au/sport/afl/pies-t ... 5e1xk.html

[Piesnchess]

Watched our guys train yesterday, on Utube, we looked real sharp , 100% sharp, switched on, raring to go, sharp as a friggin Gillette razor, Fly has us primed, totally focused on the task at hand, he is so calm, collected, he KNOWS what needs to be done, been there, done that. I am quietly confident, we have not beaten Melb since in any Final, since 1958 GF, when I was in Kindergarten. ITS TIME !!!!!!!!!!