Fierce Pies Find The Way To End Geelong's Run
The Age
Saturday May 24, 2008
COLLINGWOOD is the Lleyton Hewitt of football. Not simply because it polarises opinion like the irritating "C'mon" merchant but because to win, it has to play football the way Hewitt plays tennis.
The Magpies have to play with a manic intensity that borders on the pathological. They play a game blunt in its attack on the ball and the man. It is a game played in the "red zone" of physical exertion. It is a game as taxing on the opponent as the player. It is the game they played last night.Like Hewitt, the Pies play without gears. They must play this way all the time or they struggle to win. It is why Hewitt can be knocked out early in tournaments and why Collingwood can drop games against Carlton. Geelong normally has several gears, and can lift if it needs to. Last night, the Cats looked for their gear stick, but by half-time, they just looked confused.After a defeat of last night's magnitude - and with memories still fresh of the Cats' narrow win in last year's preliminary final - one conclusion can be drawn: Collingwood's style of game troubles Geelong.The Cats like to run from defence through the middle of the ground with cross-cross, fold-over handball. They normally have the pace and skill to do so. Last night, Collingwood denied them the time to think by simply harassing them off the ball. Instructively, Matthew Scarlett was run down from behind in the opening term, then Joel Corey was brought down for a Collingwood goal.This game and the reason Collingwood dominated as it did was best summed up by one half-time statistic - the tackles were a staggering 55-27 Collingwood's way. Such a count reflected the intense pressure the Pies were applying across the ground, and the handball statistics column showed how Geelong was seeking to get out of trouble. To half-time, the Cats had 111 handballs to 95 kicks, Collingwood had 124 kicks to just 60 handballs.But pressure alone did not win the game for the Magpies - they had the run and class to match last night. Alan Didak was their best, and importantly, Travis Cloke showed some of last year's form.With the pressure Anthony Rocca was under going into the game - he has been particularly poor in recent match-ups with Scarlett and received a public reminder of the fact from his coach - it could have ben presumed he would hold Scarlett to the goal square and allow Cloke to lead young Harry Taylor up the ground. But instead, the roles were reversed, Cloke exposing the raw Taylor close to goal and Rocca leading Scarlett to the ball. Cloke had six contested marks for the night, Geelong had seven. Cloke kicked four goals, Geelong kicked three to half-time.In upsets like this, it can appear that every winning player is a star, every losing player a dud. Too much can be read into both, but it would appear without question that Sharrod Wellingham is a midfield find. Quick and sharp of hand, he was pivotal to Collingwood breaking away early.Likewise, Dale Thomas - finally put on the ball last week - has rediscovered his verve. His trap and scoop back on the wing in the third quarter one-out with Joel Selwood, then a step around an opponent to set up a goal, showed why he is more valuable up the ground. Until, that is, he collects the ball on the run 40 metres from goal and curls it perfectly through from the boundary.The player who made the loudest statement last night was Rocca. He may not have been Collingwood's best but he was among them, and will be deeply satisfied with his game.It was not coincidental that when Collingwood was challenged by three quick goals at the start of the third quarter, it was Rocca who halted the flow. He landed on a cluster of three Cats in front to mark, turned and weighted the kick to Didak.Rocca had run away from Scarlett, crashed a pack and set up a goal. It is why he is what he is to Collingwood.
© 2008 The Age
