The madfan website does an excellent job in promoting and seeking opinions from the fans.
http://www.madfan.com.au/videos/403/joffa
http://www.madfan.com.au/videos/404/pies-v-cats-take-2
THE Collingwood cheer squad had a tough day at the office in the Pies match against West Coast Eagles.
COLLINGWOOD 1.1 7.5 10.7 12.10 (82)
WEST COAST 2.3 5.4 6.5 9.8 (62)
Game Over.
COLLINGWOOD has reinvigorated its AFL premiership defence with a 20-point win over West Coast in today's qualifying final at the MCG.
A week after its regular season ended in humiliation at the hands of Geelong the Magpies will await either Hawthorn or the winner of tonight's elimination final between St Kilda and Sydney in a preliminary final.
But the long-time flag favourite had to withstand a spirited final term challenge from the Eagles.
After starting the final term with the match seemingly in hand given a 26-point lead, it was not until Luke Ball snapped a goal from near the boundary line at the 29-minute mark that the Magpies confirmed the victory.
A goal by Alex Fosolo after the final siren extended a margin that flatters the Magpies, but nonetheless it is a victory well deserved given the pressure West Coast applied throughout. It will also buoy confidence that the result against Geelong, so brilliant against Hawthorn on the same ground last night, was an abberation.
Collingwood will be further improved for its preliminary final given the likely return of key defender Ben Reid, a late withdrawal as predicted with a groin problem. Star midfielder Dale Thomas also returns from suspension.
That Heath Shaw and Nick Maxwell, both part of a defence that stood firm against West Coast's early onslaught and late surge, also have a match under their belt is another bonus. Chris Tarrant was sidelined late with what Collingwood said is hamstring tightness.
West Coast, which will be heavily favoured at home in next week's sudden death semi-final against the winner of tomorrow's clash between Carlton and Essendon at the MCG, proved themselves capable of matching and beating the best but now face a difficult task to claim a fourth premiership.
A win, which seemed possible midway through the final term, would have allowed them a home preliminary final. Instead they must now win next week and then defeat Geelong at the MCG to qualify for the grand final.
Like the other beaten qualifying finalist in Hawthorn, the Eagles also have a serious injury concern with one of its stars.
After a bright start, multiple All Australian Dean Cox was substituted out of the match midway through the third term with what appeared to be an ankle problem, though coach John Worsfold later said he was affected by back spasms.
It is no coincidence the Magpies began to gain control of the match as the veteran ruckman's influence waned due to the injury, with Cox eventually signalling to his bench that he could not go on as Travis Cloke extended the margin to 26 points with his first goal of the match.
Early, it was Cox and Nic Naitanui who dominated against Darren Jolly as the Eagles skipped to an early advantage. When Matt Priddis snapped a goal in the opening minute of the second term, their lead was 14 points and an upset seemed possible.
But it was then that Collingwood's midfield began to gain the upper hand against an Eagles side missing star Daniel Kerr, who was a late withdrawal with the back problem that has been plaguing him.
Outstanding were Scott Pendlebury and Dane Swan. The pair produced phenomenal individual terms, Pendlebury gathering 25 touches to half-time en-route to 43 for the game, Swan devastating with 14 touches in the third term as Collingwood seized control.
Credit must go to Collingwood's defence, which was grim, desperate but ultimately masterful when under siege in the first half. Harry O'Brien, in particular, was outstanding on West Coast star Mark Le Cras.
Given the chance, Priddis would desire another opportunity to rectify the brain fade that effectively ended West Coast's brave bid shortly after half-time, even given the last term heroics.
After earning a free-kick within the forward 50m arc, the senior Eagle strangely decided to play on, placing his team under immense pressure.
The resultant turnover caught many of his teammates out of position as the Magpies swept the ball forward to Jarryd Blair, who extended the margin beyond three goals.
When Andrew Krakouer kicked a goal on the run from 50m out shortly after, Collingwood had a preliminary final place within grasp.
It was not until the final term that the tall West Coast forward line expected to terrorise Collingwood clicked into gear. Quinten Lynch started the surge with two goals, the second a fine snap around the corner.
Then Jack Darling, who had been held to one kick to three-quarter time, soared high for an outstanding mark and closed the gap to seven points. That, though, ended the Eagles charge.
COLLINGWOOD 1.1 7.5 10.7 12.10 (82)
WEST COAST 2.3 5.4 6.5 9.8 (62)
Goals: Collingwood: S Wellingham 3 A Krakouer 2 A Fasolo C Dawes D Swan J Blair L Ball L Brown T Cloke. West Coast: Q Lynch 3 M LeCras 2 J Darling J Kennedy M Priddis N Naitanui.
Best: Collingwood: D Swan S Pendlebury H O'Brien L Davis B Johnson C Tarrant H Shaw L Ball. West Coast: N Naitanui C Masten M Priddis B Waters A Selwood D Glass E MacKenzie Q Lynch.
Injuries: Collingwood: C Tarrant (hamstring tightness) B Reid (groin) replaced in selected side by A Fasolo. West Coast: D Cox (back spasms) D Kerr (back) replaced in selected side by P McGinnity.
Reports: Nil.
Umpires: Stephen McBurney, Scott Jeffery, Dean Margetts.
Official Crowd: 67,379 at MCG.
Game over.
COLLINGWOOD has a Secret Shuffler off the field and a Superstar Shuffler on it.
Off the field, the masked crusader is there one moment and gone the next.
He is cagey, almost mythical, and anonymous.
Ironically, the Superstar Shuffler is known. He is Scott Pendlebury. But he is as mysterious as the Secret Shuffler.
But, clearly, in the foreword of Pendlebury's playbook, it is written football is death by a 1000 good decisions.
The Norm Smith medallist had 25 touches in the first half, made up of 12 contested possessions, 13 uncontested, as well as three tackles and four clearances. He would finish with 38.
His midfield partner, Dane Swan, is a shuffler of similar repute. Nothing too remarkable, save for an insatiable hunger for the ball. He would finish with 43.
"Pendles doesn't shuffle, he glides," Swan said post-match. "I shuffle around, I've got the fairly ordinary running style."
Sharrod Wellingham says they're both shufflers.
"Swanny has the fastest 20m in history, I think, and Pendles makes everyone look like they are standing still," Wellingham said.
The Eagles might argue they were in the game at halftime, and even at the end, but others might argue, that if more work went into Swan and Pendlebury, the result could have been different.
Pendlebury ripped West Coast in the first half, when Collingwood led by 13 points at the main break, and then Swan came over the top in the second half, when Collingwood was winner under the whip by 20 points.
Despite the dominance of the two Magpie midfielders and colossal games from defenders Harry O'Brien and Leon Davis, it was a game which Collingwood never had a hold of, and a game West Coast was never out of.
Trailing by 26 points at three-quarter time, the Eagles kicked the first three goals of the last quarter, to reduce the margin to seven points. They could not inch closer. Luke Ball snapped a goal with two minutes to play to ice the game, and then Alex Fasolo kicked another after the siren.
Swan and Pendlebury led a contingent of Pies performers, and most of them came from the defensive six.
Inside the first 10 minutes, Collingwood's lack of height was evident and Ben Reid's withdrawal was hurting.
Toovey took Lynch, Shaw took Darling, Maxwell had Cox and then Naitanui, Tarrant was predictable on Kennedy, while O'Brien and Davis stood LeCras and Nicoski - and the Eagles kicked the first two goals, via Kennedy and Lynch.
Early fears were how far the Eagles. To question Collingwood, however, is to question their resilience.
Wellingham kicked three of Collingwood's next four goals, and the Pies kicked five unanswered in the second quarter.
O'Brien was supreme on Mark LeCras and was surely best afield, while Davis soaked up whatever came his way.
He best was running with the ball. His most inspirational was running back to touch a ball going through for a goal in the final quarter.
The return of Heath Shaw and Nick Maxwell was significant. Shaw bounced around half-back for 30 touches, and Maxwell's broken thumb did not impair him. If anything, he was close to his best game for the season.
Alan Toovey and Chris Tarrant did not miss the accolades, either.
"They were great under pressure," Swan said. "Harry had 30, Heath had 30, Harry played sort-of Reidy's role, cutting off opposition kicks, he was awesome."
Wellingham: "They are an awesome bunch, they love the exclusivity of being the back six, they love it, and having a nice tight-knit group like that is what we need. They were undersized ... but they showed good heart."
The Eagles played with enormous heart, too.
They had 110 fewer possessions, won the tackles (100-74), lost the contested ball, and probably gave up the match allowing the five goals in the second quarter.
Nic Naitanui was superb in the ruck. His partner, Dean Cox, suffered a knee injury in the first half and was subbed out in the third quarter. But that did not deter the young man. He beat Darren Jolly comfortably.
Darren Glass was staunch at the back, as was Eric MacKenzie on Travis Cloke, Matt Priddis (13 tackles) yet again was a controller through the middle, and youngsters Chris Masten, Scott Selwood and Andrew Gaff were performers.
MARK ROBINSON'S BEST PLAYERS
5. Harry O'Brien Superb in the rebound, in the one-on-ones and at being third tall defender. He dominated between the arcs. Less bouncing was a plus, too.
4. Dane Swan Nine clearances, nine inside 50s, 43 touches, ball magnet, burst running, fit as hell.
3. Leon Davis Yeah, right, he's retiring at the end of the season! No way. He - and Mick - would like his big game in a big final.
2. Scott Pendlebury Twenty-five first half, 13 second half, rock solid with decision-making.
1. Heath Shaw Just nudged out Ben Johnson, because 30 on return is a hell of an effort.
SCOREBOARD - QUALIFYING FINAL
COLLINGWOOD 1.1 7.5 10.7 12.10 (82)
WEST COAST 2.3 5.4 6.5 9.8 (62)
Goals: Collingwood: S Wellingham 3, A Krakouer 2, D Swan, L Ball, A Fasolo, J Blair, L Brown, C Dawes, T Cloke. West Coast: Q Lynch 3, M Le Cras 2, M Priddis, N Naitanui, JJ Kennedy, J Darling
Best: Collingwood: D Swan, S Pendlebury, H O'Brien, L Davis, B Johnson, C Tarrant, H Shaw, L Ball. West Coast: N Naitanui, C Masten, M Priddis, B Waters, A Selwood, D Glass, E MacKenzie, Q Lynch.
Injuries: Collingwood: C Tarrant (hamstring tightness), B Reid (groin) replaced in selected side by A Fasolo. West Coast: D Cox (back spasms), D Kerr (back) replaced in selected side by P McGinnity.
Crowd: 67,379 at the MCG
COLLINGWOOD'S heroic but battered defenders will need every bit of the two-week break they earned in the wake of a gut-wrenching qualifying final win over West Coast.
Magpies coach Mick Malthouse lauded the effort of his patched up defence - that lost All Australian-bound centre half-back Ben Reid before the game - and he admitted he gambled on their fitness holding up under the heat of finals football.
The Pies absorbed an astonishing 100 effective tackles from the Eagles and the undersized defence had to withstand an intense last-quarter surge to grab victory and the week off.
''I personally reckon it was one of our gutsiest performances since I've been at the football club,'' Malthouse said after the Pies saw a 26-point lead at the final change melt to seven by halfway through the final term before two late goals sealed the game and the week off.
''I say that on the back of six backline players. One of them has been relatively free of injury (Harry O'Brien), the others have either had an injury, been suspended or carrying an injury. That's five - and there was no Reid.
''And they (West Coast) have kicked nine goals. So I reckon that's an outstanding performance by those players. There were a lot of things we didn't do well, but we were good enough to get over the line.''
The Pies went in with Heath Shaw playing for the first time since serving an eight-week suspension, skipper Nick Maxwell first-up after a month due to a broken thumb, plus fellow defenders Alan Toovey, Chris Tarrant and Leon Davis also having injury issues over the closing weeks of the season.
Malthouse confessed he deliberately held back substitute Alex Fasolo as long as possible - he came on with only five minutes left to play - in case one of his suspect backmen ''blew up'' or went down with injury.
''The longer the game goes on, the more fearful you become of players like Heath Shaw - eight weeks (out), Nick Maxwell four. We had a couple of blokes go in with injuries, who were able to get through matches but we weren't sure how far they'd get through this match,'' he said.
''Its an outstanding performance by (sports science director) David Buttifant and Heath Shaw. On top of Maxwell, Toovey, Tarrant - who left the ground last week - the backline itself, anyone of them could have faltered.
''So we elected to stay as long as we could without activating the sub, but more importantly keep an eye on the back half and I thought they were terrific.''
O'Brien, Shaw and Toovey wound up playing the most minutes in the game.
Tarrant finished the game with severe hamstring tightness and the rest of the underdone players obviously very sore after a gruelling contest that if lost, would have posed a difficult task for them to come up in a sudden death final next week.
How many of them need the hard-won break?
''Quite frankly, I reckon every one of them will. For every one of those backline players, second up now doesn't become an issue. Second up becomes a training run (next) Saturday morning. Just again to get the soreness out of blokes that hadn't played for some weeks and those who have come off injury,'' Malthouse said.
''It was a gamble that we've taken - that we were prepared to take - knowing that we'd get (Dale) Thomas back next week. We took the gamble that we could scramble over the line and get these players another week's rest.''
Pre Match
EAGLES CANT WIN.
http://www.6pr.com.au/blogs/6pr-perth-blog/eagles-cant-win--joffa/20110909-1k0m0.html
Our Road to October will Commence with a Victory Over West Coast Eagles MCG Saturday Sept 10th
The word from the west is they are confident maybe a little over confident perhaps even cocky about their chances, They need reminding they are facing a club on a mission to go Back to Back. Welcome to the MCG West Coast!
Yous aint seen nothing yet.
B: Alan Toovey, Ben Reid, Harry O'Brien
HB: Nick Maxwell, Chris Tarrant, Heath Shaw
C: Dayne Beams, Sharrod Wellingham, Tyson Goldsack
HF: Ben Johnson, Leigh Brown, Alan Didak
F: Steele Sidebottom, Travis Cloke, Luke Ball
Foll: Darren Jolly, Scott Pendlebury, Andrew Krakouer
I/C: Leon Davis, Dane Swan, Chris Dawes, Jarryd Blair
Emg: Ben Sinclair, Simon Buckley, Alex Fasolo
In: Leon Davis, Nick Maxwell, Heath Shaw
Out: Cameron Wood, Ben Sinclair, Alex Fasolo
THERE'S not too many things that would scare a coach more come September than a fit Alan Didak prowling the Collingwood forward line.
For that reason, West Coast coach John Worsfold should be concerned.
Didak is quick to acknowledge his injury-interrupted season has been frustrating, one that has seen him struggle to repeat his sizzling All-Australian form of last year.
He knew it would be this way.
But what he also knew was that now - on the eve of the Pies' qualifying final clash against the Eagles and his 200th game - he would be close to rediscovering the form and fitness that shredded defences last season.
"The most important thing is that I feel good. I feel fresh and I feel like I could run all day," Didak said.
"Mate, I feel as good as I did last year. It was a frustrating start, I probably did too much (too soon), but I'm feeling as good now as I did last year."
He doesn't profess to be the "missing link" or "trump card" in a squad that's gone 20-2. But as the vultures start to circle over a team perceived to be showing chinks in its armour, his best could elevate the premier out of sight.
"If I can contribute to the team over the last three or four weeks - I've slowly and slowly got better, so, hopefully, I can continue that in the finals series," Didak said.
It's a contribution that was always tailored to the business end of the campaign. Didak didn't start running until after Christmas - the legacy of a torn pectoral muscle against Adelaide in Round 21 last season.
He somehow soldiered through last year's finals and two Grand Finals, but after the premiership delirium came surgery and the harsh reality of rehabilitation.
As teammates attacked another Arizona pre-season camp, at home Didak was starting all over again.
"It just felt different. I had to get used to running properly and marking and tackling and I was basically playing catch-up all pre-season," he said.
"I thought I was fine, my skin folds were down and I was running well, but I just didn't have the kilometres in the legs. You know, I probably couldn't run out a game as well.
"It was hard and obviously frustrating at times because I couldn't do all the things I wanted to and the things I was doing in previous years.
"But, look, I'm sure that will come again. If I keep working hard, and working with the coaches and with the team and improving, there's no doubt I'll get back to it.
"This year was always going to be an up-and-down year and a frustrating year for me. But if I'm contributing to the team, that's the main thing."
Collingwood forwards' coach Matthew Lappin believes Didak is on the verge of doing just that.
"It took its toll on him for a while, but I think over the last four to five games we've seen four of his better ones for the season. So, he's hitting his straps at the right time of the year," Lappin said.
"He's part of a good team that carried him and looked after him while he was rebuilding his form and fitness, and now he's started to get his hands on the ball a fair bit over the last month.
"I reckon, come finals time, he's such a quality player we'll see the best of him. We all know how good a player he is. It's so hard when you miss a pre-season these days."
Didak was in the thick of an uphill battle to rediscover the magic when, in the third quarter of the Round 14 win over Sydney at ANZ Stadium, he suffered a calf injury that sidelined him for six weeks.
On the surface it was the last thing he needed, but, looking back, he sees it differently.
"I suppose playing catch-up played a part in hurting my calf. I was always doing that little bit extra and, in the end, everything probably caught up with me," Didak said.
"It was probably a blessing in disguise. I could just sit down and analyse and get a lot of things that were a bit sore (fixed up), and basically just go back to basics and work on my strength again. I had a good, solid weights session for three or four weeks just to get my pec strong."
Didak is averaging 29 disposals a game in the past three matches. His disposal efficiency and inside-50 numbers are up and he appears to be on the cusp of inflicting some serious damage.
"It hasn't been an easy year, but as much as it probably sounds a bit weird, I've enjoyed it," he said.
"It just feels natural now."
COLLINGWOOD remains odds-on favourites for this year's flag despite their weak submission to Geelong on Friday night.
Every major betting outlet in the country has refused to react to the Round 24 thrashing, preferring to put it down to an aberration.
"We are not getting too carried away with what Geelong did and the Pies are still $1.80 with us," Matt Jenkins of TAB Sportsbet said yesterday.
"They are very short-priced favourites against the Eagles this Saturday, and a win will take Collingwood to a third successive preliminary final."
At Sportingbet Australia the Magpies were eased to even money ($2) after the Geelong debacle.
"But as soon as we put that price up, we were swamped again, so they are back to $1.80, having been $1.72 during the week," chief executive Michael Sullivan said.
At Centrebet, Neil Evans remains confident it will be a Collingwood-Hawthorn Grand Final.
"I have thought it all year and while they may be $1.80 to $1.90, they still just win. Geelong is $5 into $4.50, but we are not getting carried away," Evans said.
Haydn Lane, of sportsbet.com.au, does not expect Friday night's belting to be repeated deep in September.
"They (Pies) are the best side in it and will produce when it matters," he said.
"Geelong is $5 into $4, but punters don't really want them."
COLLINGWOOD'S Dayne Beams says finals performances a notch down on his home-and-away form last year have left him with a burning desire to prove himself this September.
The 21-year-old has already achieved far more than most footballers his age.
His first two seasons on Collingwood's list yielded six finals, two Grand Finals and a premiership and an impressive sixth placing in the Magpies' best-and-fairest last season.
During his 57 AFL games, he has averaged more than 20 disposals and a goal per match, with his average this season 24 disposals and 1.5 goals per game.
But it is his combined tally of just 80 touches and two goals in his six finals, including 12 and 11 disposals in each of the two Grand Finals against the Saints last year, that bothers him and in his third year with the Magpies, he feels it is time to do better.
"The coaches did show that faith in me and I do feel that expectation that I have to not let them down in a sense," Beams said.
"(I have to) be able to go out there and play a role and be able to impact the scoreboard and just do all the little things that I've been doing the past six weeks.
"The challenge for me is I didn't have the best finals series last year and that's left a little bit of a burning desire in me."
Beams said his sense of obligation grew when he was put straight back in the senior team late this season, after eight weeks out with a foot injury.
In his six games since, he has kicked 11 goals and not dipped below 25 touches, suggesting he is ready for a big finals impact, starting on Saturday against West Coast.
Beams said his own early-career experience suggested the many Eagles players set to experience finals football for the first time on Saturday might take time to find their feet.
"The intensity does step up a level and outside expectations also step up," he said.
"So hopefully it can help us in that little way and hopefully we'll get the result this Saturday."
In contrast, fellow third-year Magpie Steele Sidebottom, who was close to Collingwood's best in both grand finals last year, said that was no guarantee he could perform similarly this year.
"I don't want to dwell on last year and think it's just going to happen quite easily for me," Sidebottom said.
"It's good for me knowing that I did get a kick last year, but it's obviously a totally different thing now and different game.
"I'll still need to work as hard as I have been during the season and try to get a kick again."
Collingwood's most recognised supporter, Jeff "Joffa" Corfe, has a simple message for West Coast fans who plan to cross the Nullarbor and drive to the MCG.
"Tell the Eagles supporters that if they park their car at the MCG, to leave their engines running because they won't want to be in the joint for long."
Mr Corfe, who balances his passions between his beloved Magpies and raising funds for the Epilepsy Foundation, needed little encouragement this week to don his sparkling gold jacket that has signalled Collingwood win after Collingwood win for the best part of a decade.
Now with a bow-tie to match, he expects to be putting the jacket on again at this Saturday's qualifying final.
"We're talking a big win for Collingwood here," the cheer squad ringleader said from the club's spiritual home at Victoria Park.
"The MCG is our version of the house of pain ... their house of pain is merely a house of tickle compared to what they're going to cop here on Saturday."
Mr Corfe had a movie about his view on the game released in December and the Epilepsy Foundation made Joffa bobblehead dolls to raise funds for research.
He admitted last year he was not popular among rival supporters. "If the public perception was right, I'd be in Pentridge (jail)," he said.
Mr Corfe said apart from Eagles young gun Nic Naitanui, the Collingwood faithful paid little attention to the rest of the team.
"I don't want to be disrespectful here, but we don't know many players from West Coast," he said.
"They've got that Fijian ruckman and he's a great player.
"We hope he absolutely does not get a kick and apart from that, they're virtually unknown to us Collingwood people. We're playing a team of unknowns."
Next Saturday We Put things right..Be Afraid West Coast Be Very Very Afraid!!
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