Woods Turn Back On Chance To Join Top Bracket
The Age
Saturday July 19, 2008
COLLINGWOOD has built a reputation as a team that refuses to accept its fate. This season, it has become a team that refuses to embrace its destiny.
It has beaten four of the teams in the top eight, lost narrowly to two and been thrashed only by Hawthorn. But against the next two teams on the ladder, North Melbourne and Carlton, it has lost all four games. Consequently, instead of occupying a place in the top four this morning, it is in the thick of the battle to remain in the final eight.Last night, with all to play for, the Magpies were abject. Their much-vaunted versatile forward set-up failed comprehensively. The aggregate return from Mssrs Cloke, Didak, Thomas, Medhurst and Davis was three goals, and only Davis could be excused; he wasn't playing. Didak worked upfield, but Cloke was given a lesson by Michael Firrito and others were little sighted. Collingwood's only effective forward on the night was fourth-gamer John Anthony, who kicked four goals. Perhaps Anthony Rocca's days are not done yet. In an effort to patch things up, coach Mick Malthouse sent Nick Maxwell forward in the third quarter. He snapped an early goal, but the way he and his team were travelling by then can be measured by the fact that it was his first kick for the match. What remains in the mind's eye from the night is the sight of a North player, as often as not Drew Petrie, drifting across the back line to mark cleanly, while the Collingwood players stared at empty hands. Otherwise, it was of a bunch of Roos seizing on a moment of Collingwood hesitation to sweep the ball away. For North, it was a dream, for Collingwood, a nightmare. The wonder of it all is that the margin was only three goals. Collingwood's review, if it is honest, will be brutal. North set a ferocious pace early, but the Magpies expected that, withstood it and led at quarter-time. Mostly, they enjoy matches played in such vein.The few seconds before quarter time appeared to tell the tale. With the clock counting down the seconds, there was a boundary throw-in on the wing. Malthouse, standing on the spot, appeared to gesture to Scott Pendlebury to take the field. From the stoppage, Pendlebury won the ball and in his seemingly unhurried way smuggled it past two North players, then slipped a handball to the hovering Alan Didak. There was just enough time for him to drill a trademark goal. That put the Magpies up by 11 points at the break, and seemed a poor return for North, who had set the agenda. But within a minute of the re-start, Lindsay Thomas had goaled. Then the ball came free to the irrepressible Brent Harvey forward of the wing, and in the swirl of players, the forward line opened up in front of him. Harvey ran as only he can, headlong and quickly, to the forward pocket. He shaped to kick at goal, then at the last instant stepped inside Heath Shaw, then baulked him again. Another Collingwood player came at him, just as he meant. With a half-step, he evaded the tackle and looped a handball to Corey Jones, who snapped the goal the play deserved. Suddenly, the scores were level. Collingwood kicked forward on a prayer, waited for miracles. But this night, there would be none from Dale Thomas, nor anything outrageous from Didak. Instead, as North ran riot in the third quarter, diminutive Matt Campbell embarked on a breakneck run around the boundary line, bouncing four times and leaving two Collingwood players in his wake. It had the effect of tipping the arena North's way; suddenly, everything appeared to be sliding towards its goal. Campbell paused, centred, and although the ball came into Tyson Goldsack's hands, the momentum of the moment was too much. His hurried handball fell to Todd Goldstein, who gratefully kicked a left-foot goal. The scores were again level, but it was a false reading. The match had its shape. When David Hale outmarked three Magpies in a pack barely 10 metres from goal early in the last quarter, it had its resolution, too. The last goal of the match was kicked by the inspirational Harvey, from a free kick won in defence and advanced by 50 metres, prompting an angry remonstration from Magpie captain Scott Burns. He was gesticulating still after the final siren; it had been a dirty night for the Pies.
© 2008 The Age
