Post Match. Pies demolish Dons - all comments please

[AN_Inkling]

Not sure if it's been mentioned, but fairly sure I heard that this is the first time we've kicked 10 goals in a final quarter against Essendon.

Any records against this mob are to be celebrated.

[jack_spain]

I'm going over to read bomberblitz.com Should be enjoyable.

And when you're done with that...

http://mfcdemonblog.blogspot.com/

That is some EPIC. And quite funny too.

Before the match Bailey was on the radio spruiking how important it was that we didn't get jumped by them like we usually do in Geelong. Then from the first bounce of the day they did exactly that. And how. Last week we were five goals down before you could blink but there were at least faint signs of life under the rubble - this was just purely satanic. There's no point even going through it, we were absolutely massacred in the middle, the defence was all at sea and the forwards did exactly what the forwards do when we play badly - wander the back flank.

Worth the read people.

[Mossi]

^^^ Couldnt agree more. Pendles is one of those players that seem to have the time to weigh up all the options, then hit his target with a perfect pass by hand of foot. And yes, he's our best finisher, on the run or set shot.

If he played as a permanent forward, he'd easily kick 40-50 goals, and create many more. Unfortunately, he's needed all over the ground!

Would love to see the look of horror on the faces of the Scum loving media if he wins the Brownlow, which he may very well do.

Yes we must remember that Murphy has had an outstanding year also and would be stealing votes from Judd!

I give Pendles and G.Ablett a very big chance of an upset!

Couldn't agree more with you guys As much as I loved Swans game (strenth and linkman 4 quarter effort) Davis's game precision passing like I have never seen before and Fasolos 5 pearlers, Pendles would have got the 3 votes from the umpires his disposal is second to none. I feel we just take it for granted.

[EBB]

Was not happy about the first quarter

Same, but then I started thinking their 5 goal jump on us was a good thing. It brought the team together and they all lifted, from then on it only got better.

Fabio reminds me of Daicos

[Jezza]

Well well well...What a game, what can I say. AMAZING!!!

The first quarter effort was a disgrace and that was the worst performance of the Magpies all year until the second quarter when things start to go back to normal and then everything after that was great. We learnt today that while we are bloody good side we can get exposed if the effort and intensity isn't there. I believe this did the boys good and got them up and about to play high intensity footy.

Swan was fantastic and looked his old self in the 2nd half. Only query is his kicking. Does anyone know if he is still carrying an injury?

Pendles is a class act and is a superstar of the competition and I'm so happy with the way Hawthorn and Carlton overlooked him the draft. He definitely is top 3 in the brownlow in my opinion but of course Chris '3 votes' Judd will win it anyway.

The progression of Fasolo has been breathtaking and the kid has slotted into the side beautifully and I can see him being an ideal replacement for Didak in the long-term. I must say that Hine is a genius for snapping him up.

Kraks had his best game in Collingwood colours and he was brilliant around the ground and popped in kicked four great goals and I think he will be vital for our finals campaign as he has that x-factor about him.

Leon Davis's progression as a defender is fantastic and he is revelling in his new role and I'm amazed at how well he has done. I honestly thought he was gone and that he would really struggle this year.

Overall a performance of the best and worst was on display today but fantastic to see that the boys rallied and put in a typical Collingwood display we have enjoyed watching in the past year.

GO PIES!!!

Now to smash Port Power

[watt price tully]

I'm satisfied with the final result, but we took an awful long time to get going.

Can't wait to get Heater and Toovey back in defense. It is one shaky unit right now (Leon Davis excepted). I think we underestimate just how much Heater's talk organises our backline (even more so than Maxwell's). And Toovey is just cool in a crisis.

It's not that Taz, Harry, Buckley, Johnson and Reid were badly beaten in the first half, but they were not as sharp as usual. Nick Maxwell is still in the side through a lack of genuine alternative. His thinking processes are quite panicked at times. He doesn't seem to trust himself to kick.

The foward line desperately needs Chris Dawes back for structure. Keefe is not up to it this year. He'll develop into a good player, but should not play a part in the finals this year (unless we are in dire straights with injuries). Didak must come back. Krakouer showed enough reason for us to stick with him and build his confidence (he's a wonderful kick for goal).

Fasolo is the real deal and will probably be this year's Jarryd Blair. Unfortunately for Blair, he'll probably be the one to make way for Didak. Wellingham is still valuable to this side as a backup mid, and of course Dale Thomas on song is our most valuable player. God we missed him in that first half.

Macaffer is really struggling and will probably drop out when Toovs comes back. Beams did more than enough to show why he is a useful team man. Sinclair will play bit parts this season, but watch out in 2012. He looks like a real gem. :D

What can you say about Luke Ball that hasn't already been said? When the Bummers had taken our pants down in the first half, Ball was one of the few players who stood up to them.

I'm glad Jolly played, and he must not be rested again for the rest of the season. He must play himself into form. He was rusty today.

Swan got a lot of the footy, but his disposal makes me shake my head too often these days. A good game, but not a great one (although the disposal beancounters will be enraptured with his 45 touches). It's how you use the ball that matters.

And that leads me to Scott Pendlebury. He simply doesn't miss shots on the run. In fact Pendles thinks like a basketballer. You can see him sizing up his shots, weighing up whether to lay the ball off to someone in a better position. But when he pulls the trigger he never misses - nothing but net!

I would make Scott Pendlebury Collingwood captain as soon as next year. He will certainly follow Nick Maxwell who will struggle to hold his place in the side unless he has a big pre-season.

Now is the time to start playing finals footy. Develop good habits to smash the opposition when it counts. I thought last week was a shocking second half. This week our first half was even worse. If we want to go back-to-back we simply must play four good quarters.

I'm feeling poorly. I'm off to find a therapist.

I agree with most things Jack has written here (not though about maxwell & not yet about the Caff.!!

[matrightyeh]

well done pies nice easy win on to next week now

[maggies2003]

Lets not get carried away.

We played against a team missing most of their team and they also lost their interchange during the game..

It could have been a very very different result if not for their injuries during the game..

Oh FFS, will you just get over it.

Just listen to the first 2 minutes of the Malthouse Post Match Press Conference.

[Piesnchess]

Now is the time to start playing finals footy. Develop good habits to smash the opposition when it counts. I thought last week was a shocking second half. This week our first half was even worse. If we want to go back-to-back we simply must play four good quarters.

Today's First half?!? PFFFT, it was a six minute patch at the end of the first quarter. How about we wait till the finals - or at least finals worthy teams. And btw we did smash the Dons, and we smashed Gold Coast before easing up on them. Have you never heard of pacing yourself?

Correct. Were werent playing particularly well, but were only 2 points down when they had a 5 minute spurt where they kicked 4 quick goals. It may have taken us until the third to get in front, but it just seemed inevidable.

FWIW I thought our first qtr was pretty shite really, tho the dons sure had the umps on side. ! Our second was good, the third terrific, and the last was a whitewash, brilliant rreally. Our depth is amazing, sure the Dons had a few guys out too, but for a top side to have no dawes, daisy, dids, wellers,n brown, tooves dick, shaw it was a magnifecnt effort, take seven stars out of the pussies or saints and see how they go. !!!!!!!

[perthmagpie]

What happened art half time? We decided to implement our forward squeeze and wake up. That is 50% of the reason we won the second half by 86 points. Mick said the players were as flat before the game as he had seen them all year. It took the half time break to have a little meeting, get fair dinkum and employ our actual game plan. Result- 16 goals to 2.
-Keefe not ready
-Fasolo, could play in a premiership team
-Krak, best game for year
-Backline a bit shaky lately- really need Tooves and Shaw back
-Pendles, BOG
-Davis, great again
-Sidebotton, excellent
-Cloke, awaiting my Dawes
-Sinclair, a terrier
-Blair, great tackling
-Beams, glad to have you back

!6 wins, 1 loss. 175%, say no more. As Mick said afterwards in regards to our sleeping first half- the players are not robots.

[pietillidie]

Not a happy chappy in the press conference, Mick. And I don't mean the usual abruptness. But he's justified; you only need to start flat like that in one final and get a little bad luck and you're history.

[Monco Matt]

Definately came out half asleep in the first quarter. Looked flat and played without intensity. The Bombers are good enough to hurt you on the scorboard if you allow them time and space which we did. After that we slowly got our pressure and intentity up, closed them down and got on top. Their 2 injuries hurt them but I think they wouldn't have been able to stop us regardless.

Essendon were merely a squashed bug we needed to wipe off our windscreen while buring down the open road to premiership success. Let's not think about them again until 2012.

Loved Fasolo & Kraks games, best for the club. Thought Clokey looked a fair bit down after copping that big hit in the first, but came back strong in the last.

[Cuthbert Collingwood]

Interesting.... take out the 4 goals they kicked at the end of the first and their score would have been 68, pretty close to the average score against us this year.

[Mossi]

Not a happy chappy in the press conference, Mick. And I don't mean the usual abruptness. But he's justified; you only need to start flat like that in one final and get a little bad luck and you're history.

PietillIdie I doubt they are going to take the finals lightly. When you have competitive leaders like Ball Pendles Swan Maxwell and Heath (when he gets back) They will make sure the rest are up to it. The First half did us a lot of good as they had to play against a little self doubt. I loved how Krak really lifted and taking some responsibility to make things happen.
I felt Leons great disposal would have been handy if he was the bloke delivering to the forwards. I still cant believe what a great kick he is, just like Dids at his best!!

[Piesnchess]

Not a happy chappy in the press conference, Mick. And I don't mean the usual abruptness. But he's justified; you only need to start flat like that in one final and get a little bad luck and you're history.

SPOT ON. My good mate Ari said the same exact thing as we left the ground, we put in a sleepy half hearted effort like that awful first qtr-and we did the same against the crows too a few weeks back-in the Finals, say v the hawks, and we could be in deep poo. BUT, this is the best Pies team i have seen, and no doubt come the finals we will be totally focused and rampant and ready to unleash the mother of all games.