Match Thread - Round 14, Collingwood

[alison.z]

Probably happiest I've ever been after a loss and a little disappointed at some of the negativity ... Sure we didn't win but we had to respond after last week and we certainly did. We went in with a host of new players and played a different style to much of this year and it nearly worked ... A lot of positives from tonight for me and it can really set us up for the second half of the year.

[Big Al]

I think I need to take back some bad things I've said about Jarrad McVeigh.

No need, he's been rubbish this year so you've been spot on but he was a lot better tonight. Keeps improving like that and he'll be back to playing the football we know he's capable of.

[ernie koala]

Couple of things cost us tonight IMO.... And it wasn't the umpires.

Firstly, I would of liked to see LRT go the Cloke a lot earlier.

Secondly, and obviously,we desperately need a target, and goal kicker, up forward. It would make a huge difference.

Loved the way we took the game on tonight, let's hope it continues.

And loved the long bomb up the centre kick ins with a ruckmen in the area. Reminded me of our kick ins to Dunks back in the 90's.

[erica]

Well, I haven't enjoyed a loss so much in ages. Had the pleasure of screaming for my team and wishing, hope against hope, that we could will them over the line. Mumford, Rohan and Richards were sitting directly behind us in the stand and were getting right into the game. Lovely blokes.

[R-1]

I usually hate reading "brave" and "gutsy" and "valiant"". Those are North Melbourne words for tough but not very good (or Gold Coast now, meaning talented but completely disorganised). But yeah. They'll be right this time.

[Red]

We had a lot of excellent performances tonight- but I want to give Mcveigh a shout. I gave him a real serve from the boundary line last week against Carlton. He stood up tonight and played much much better- leading like a Captain should and I hope my spray may have helped in that!

Whatever you said to him MCS, make sure you say it again next week

[Cheer Squad]

This is the best I have felt after a collingwood game... I don't know what that means bit I think it's a good thing.

As it was the first time in six years we've been competitive against Collingwood, let's hope it means that our drought against them is almost finished.

[mcs]

Why? He desereved a bake after last week and to his credit had a real go, but that 50 metres was plain dumb.

I hardly think it was on purpose- I really thought he just accidently passed the ball back too hard and it went over the Pies players head. Anyway- the crime in that 50 was not so much the 50 but the Umpires measurement of 50- it was closer to about 90 as it was on the back end of the square at our defending end and the mark he set was I thought about 12-15 metres inside their forward 50.

Mcveigh had a real go tonight- he just needs to do that every week though!

[Captain]

Amazing, gutsy performance. Happiest I have ever been after a loss.

Need this form to be kept for the next month or so. A loss to the Crows next week was be devestating.

[AnnieH]

I H.A.T.E. that train ride home. It's the train ride from hell. It was slower than ... and I only had to go one stop. Maybe if the players had to catch that train back to Central, they'd endeavour to just try that little bit harder next year!!

Can you say that was a fantastic loss??? I honestly thought we'd lose by much more, but I forgot that Nathan Buckley is their behinds coach and as usual, a job well done!! We would have been slaughtered by a whole lot more had their kicking been straight. We had some pretty bad turnovers, and sadly, yet again, it was a bit of a case of too much too little too late. Gotta learn to play the whole four quarters like the game is close and there's five minutes to go!!

If only we had five more minutes!!

[mcs]

Whatever you said to him MCS, make sure you say it again next week

Haha he chased a ball out right in front of me at Etihad in the late part of the 3rd/early part of the 4th quarter and it was a really weak effort where he should have done far better. At a distance of no more than a couple of feet (well within earshot!) I gave him a decent spray- telling him that as Captain he had to do better and lead from the front (but not in quite as nice a words!). I'll reserve judgement for a few weeks but tonight's showing imo was his best of the year and hopefully he may now start to consistently play like a Captain should.

[ShockOfHair]

The best part was how we made the Pies lose belief in themselves. Talk about mental disintegration.

We showed we can mix it with the top sides as long as we bring this level of intensity to every game.

Seaby was great - smashed Wood in the ruck and got a few of his own clearances. Goodes showed how good we can be when he's playing well. Kennedy and ROK were critical. I know Tadgh made a crucial clanger, but so did Pendlebury, and Kennelly had 88% efficiency for the game. Not often you say this, but it was great to have Bevan's strength and experience in the clinches.

On the downside, Grundy was really good on the offensive but got smacked by CLoke. Everitt was the one disappointment, just two disposals in more than half a game.

[liz]

Not sure that I am exactly happy, but it is certainly the first game against the Pies in far too long where I have been on my feet shouting deep into the final quarter. For the past few games the Swans' body language has said they were beat before they barely started the game. So all credit to them for continuing to believe, right until the end, even if they did have some help from innacurate Pies kicking for goal.

If nothing else, they are entitled to go into the much easier (fingers crossed) games of the next fortnight with some confidence, rather than coming off a demoralised loss. It is quite bizarre, though, the feeling of expecting to go to Adelaide next weekend to watch them beat the Crows!

Assuming we've seen the last of Jack for a while, I'd love to see Parker come in for another crack, this time with a decent amount of game time rather than as sub. And either TDL or Nipper for Bevan would go down well with me. I think Bevan has been a decent small forward at times but he showed little composure or intelligence with how he used the ball this evening.

[Glenn]

And another player that the commentators said had a bad game was Shaw.
Sorry how much influence did Daisy have on the game tonight??

Shaw, had a bad game according to the commentaors WTF??? Thought he stuck to the ugly head very well and certainly limited his touches.

[mcs]

I'd drop Everitt before I'd drop Bevan. Seriously Everitt did nothing tonight, and is next to useless as the Sub. He had one chance to have a real influence on the game, but didn't attack the ball at all (thus allowing what was a sensational defensive spoil) while waiting for what would of been a very important mark and hopefully goal. TDL for Everitt and Parker for Jack would be what I'd like to see for next week- not sure who to choose as the sub but anyone but please not Everitt again.