The Magpies have adjusted the dimensions of their home training ground at the AIA Centre to mirror the smaller confines of the SCG, where they will fight the Swans on Saturday for a berth in this year’s grand final.
Collingwood defender Darcy Moore was given the day off on Monday but is expected back at training on Tuesday, as the Magpies attempt to embrace the smaller confines of the famous Sydney arena.
Nick Daicos and Darcy Moore celebrate after their side’s win over the Blues recently.Credit:AFL Photos
Skipper Scott Pendlebury said on Monday the Magpies did not handle the SCG well when beaten there by 27 points in round 22.
“It’s a good thing we played there four weeks ago because we learnt a lot playing on that ground. We didn’t play very well, we didn’t handle the ground very well,” he said.
The smaller dimensions of the SCG mean the ball can fly from the centre to full-forward in one kick, bypassing the typical need for a contest at centre half-forward.
The Magpies do not have fond memories of that trip last month, given Jordan De Goey was a late withdrawal, while Jack Crisp said players were “confused” by a shift in positional selections.
In the Magpies’ favour on Saturday is that the clash will almost certainly be a sellout – and playing before huge crowds is something this side has become accustomed to, particularly in recent weeks.
Sheer joy: Patrick Lipinski.Credit:Getty Images
“We get that experience with big crowds a fair bit, and finals is different again because of the pressure, and the weekend had a finality to it. If you lose, you are done,” Pendlebury said on Triple M radio.
“I think all of our younger guys like [Jack] Ginnivan, Nick Daicos, Isaac Quaynor – their ability to stand up in finals games, I guess it’s a credit to our coaching staff and our club how we have prepared guys through the year. Our brand stacks up.
“I feel like we have played the last two weeks, almost the best football we have played this season, and we are still getting better and better … our pressure game is really strong. That’s the fascinating thing for us on Saturday – I think it’s the two best pressure sides playing each other.”
Moore, an attacking and athletic defender, is central to the Magpies’ plans, as he was last Saturday in the win over Fremantle. The star backman had 15 disposals, eight interceptions and seven spoils – all this having been sick and bedridden in the days leading into the clash.
Jordan De Goey is playing good football at the right time.Credit:AFL Photos
Meanwhile, match-winning midfielder Jordan De Goey’s two outstanding finals are going a long way to repaying his club for the troubles of the last year, but Jeremy Howe remains the key to Collingwood unlocking its best football, according to the Magpies’ former coach Nathan Buckley.
Buckley said De Goey had been terrific in finals and had a long history of performing well in finals and big games, but still needed to be a proven regular best and fairest performer to command the sort of long-term contract worth $800,000 a year and more. De Goey was fourth in last year’s best and fairest, his highest finish to date.
“800k a year is reserved for guys who are finishing consistently top three in their club’s best and fairest. Jordy De Goey still hasn’t proven to be that player, but he is built for finals, he is a player that wins contested ball,” Buckley said on SEN.
“He is building as a player, but you can’t get away from off-field issues and that can damage and derail campaigns, and you can’t get away from the fact the club you are with has supported you to the hilt.
“He is paying them back in the last couple of weeks, and he pays them back when he is switched on. He is developing consistently as a footballer.
“He is in great shape, [and] loving his footy. Who isn’t going to get swept up in what is going on at the minute? And Jordy is right in the middle of it. He has been a good finals performer for a long time – in the 2018 granny and the whole finals. In big games he gets it done.”
Jeremy Howe struggled against Cat Jeremy Cameron in the qualifying final but was terrific for Collingwood in the win over FremantleCredit:Getty
Buckley said that Howe was the key to Collingwood’s best form observing that the team had developed an intimidating ability to know they could stop the opposition playing well.
“I thought Jeremy Howe really stood up, he lowered his colours against Jeremy Cameron and if that came around again it would be an interesting match up, but he (Howe) was brilliant, and I think he is the key to Collingwood unlocking their very best football when he plays at his best,” he said.
Collingwood’s performance against Fremantle was comprehensive and denied the Dockers the chance to play well.
“I don’t think Fremantle didn’t turn up – I don’t think Fremantle played poorly, they just weren’t allowed to play well,” Buckley said.
“When you are a coach, a player, and you know that when you impose your style on the opposition that it doesn’t allow them to play well, that is a position of authority – a position of power.”
Former Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley on the Magpies’ performance against the Dockers
“When you are a coach, a player, and you know that when you impose your style on the opposition that it doesn’t allow them to play well, that is a position of authority – a position of power.
“And when you know that you can impose that sort of pressure that sort of energy, that sort of scoring power going back the other way – not that Collingwood scored heavily, they didn’t rely on their offence 11-13 by the end – but they just didn’t allow Fremantle any time or space to go back and score themselves.
“Three goals at the end brought it back to a 20-point, but it was closer to a 10-goal win than a three-goal win.
“The two words I would use to describe what I am seeing from that group at the moment is ‘happy’ and ‘fierce’, and that is a great combination.
Jack Crisp celebrates a goal against the Dockers in the semi-final.Credit:Getty Images
He added: “The player that I loved was Jack Crisp and the way he takes the game on. We talk about the way Collingwood play and their offence, he epitomises it and has for a long while.
“Comprehensive was the word to describe that performance from Collingwood … there’s been consolidated effort with ‘go forward’ football.”
He praised the backline but added recruit Patrick Lipinski had been underrated.
“All clubs put players up, and the club put him up as an All-Australian candidate – that is how highly they rated him through stages of the year.”
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