Flirting with form leading into the AFL finals can be a dangerous temptation for many teams. Managing sore players before September’s big games is a wise play.
Ensuring one is not mistaken for the other is a significant challenge for every coach taking a team to finals, especially when there is such a fine line between triumph and mediocrity.
Chief playmakers Jordan de Goey, Darcy Moore and Nick Daicos have been absent in recent weeks and Collingwood’s form has suffered. The question now is whether the Magpies have enough time to recapture their form and hunger for the finals.Credit: Getty
Collingwood have had – by virtue of their strong winning form from late March to late July – the luxury in August to look well in advance to September. But have the Magpies begun to pay more than they have gained?
The little things – the so-called “one percenters” – are making the difference at Collingwood. Some of these small things are obvious on the stats sheet measured on game day. Some are an intangible force, stemming from the bond between the players and their impressive coach, Craig McRae. This has driven the Magpies’ rise to league leader and premiership favourite.
Guided by new-age leader Darcy Moore, Collingwood have showcased flair and velocity in their game. The dynamic ball movement and handball chains from half-back have drawn comparisons with the American exhibition basketball team, the Harlem Globetrotters, renowned for their showmanship and skills.
But the allure of the Magpies is not solely found in their attacking style of play.
Equally impressive is their aggressive defence, which limited opponents to an average of 68.5 points from rounds 1-19. This was the meanest defence in football.
The players rallied around each other, especially when errors were made. Under McRae’s leadership, the team’s attitude remained persistently positive when tested.
In defeating Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval in the top-of-the-table clash in round 19, Collingwood secured a top-two spot and guaranteed themselves a home qualifying final at the MCG. But the journey has taken an unexpected turn towards mediocrity ever since.
Any ambitious team rests in its capacity to measure each success as a stepping stone rather than a final destination. Collingwood, however, became comfortable and complacent – somewhat strange for a team yet to achieve any real success.
Injuries to pivotal players, including Nick Daicos and Moore, have hurt performance, but the blame goes well beyond having a few star players in the medical rooms.
The Magpies have stumbled in three of their past four matches. The much-admired defensive framework that had bamboozled opponents is gone.
There is a clear blueprint for beating Collingwood: match the Magpies in the midfield and expose their lack of speed, protect the corridor, apply massive pressure, and do not let their intercepting defenders mark the ball.
A dramatic transformation has unfolded. McRae’s team, the most miserly defence for 19 weeks, is now the league’s most expensive. From rounds 20-23, it has conceded an average of 105.8 points.
During the same stretch, Collingwood also ranks last in goals conceded per inside-50m percentage, the defensive-50m pressure rating and the contested-possession differential.
Collingwood have conceded more than 100 points in each of their past three games; a trend not seen since 2008.
McRae’s usually optimistic tone faded after the loss to the Brisbane Lions last Friday. “There’s something to be said about hunger, isn’t there? You take something away from someone, and there’s an element of ‘I want that back’,” he said.
Moore and teammate Jamie Elliot were spotted cruising on a boat in Sydney Harbour before the Women’s World Cup final on Sunday night, according to a News Corp report. It is far from the ideal finals preparation, particularly for Moore, who is trying to recover from a hamstring injury a week earlier.
Coach Craig McRae questioned Collingwood’s hunger after the loss to the Brisbane Lions.Credit: AFL Photos
Big man Mason Cox returned to the line-up as the substitute on Friday night and was influential when thrust into the game as a ruckman in the second half.
Cox would be acutely aware he is at risk of being left out of the team in September. He played with the intensity of a player on his last chance. Where was this intensity from Cox in his previous five games when he averaged five disposals and kicked just one goal?
Comfort, perhaps, had seeped in.
Midfielder Jordan De Goey’s season was stellar until a suspension for a brutal hit on West Coast rookie Elijah Hewitt in round 12. Since his return in round 17, De Goey’s performance has been underwhelming. Despite his exceptional talent, he has never secured All-Australian honours in nine seasons.
Irrespective of the outcome against a bruised Essendon on Friday night, Collingwood’s top-two status is safe.
However, a hungry defensive display is a must to quell doubts – even those of their coach – about the
team’s hunger.
Formidable challenges lie ahead for a complacent team that subconsciously views itself as better than it is.
Collingwood must find the hunger switch before a premiership falls through their hands.
Is it too late?
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