Post Match. Pies destroy Dees. All comments.

[Nearly]

My sincere financial gratitude to whomever it was that pointed out in the pre game thread that we were at $9 to win by between 1 and 9 ( also to Crispy for missing the shot after the siren).

[Marvelos]

This is crazy, never seen anything like it.

[pietillidie]

What a magnificent win against a top team. Clearly we are a few big/tall bodies short, but we are smart, relentless and far more tactically astute than people recognise. Pendles greatly reduced Petracca's effectiveness in the 2nd half, and Coxy and Cameron very cleverly started positioning the ball either to our advantage or at their own feet to even the numbers, while the half backs never stopped looking for either the switch or the piercing kick through the middle.

Superb games from de Goey, Jamie (what a 150th masterclass of forward play and pressure), Crispy, Pendles (don't underrate his job on Petracca in the second half), Lippa and Moorey. Johnson just all class as that clean, pure forward you have always envied over the years at clubs like Hawthorn.

Loved how Howey managed to bounce back from a tough spell, really helping free up our running backs, including Bruzzy, who no doubt was very happy to see Howey work back towards form. Just when you think the game was physically wearing him down as an undersized back forced to play tall, he goes and does that. Impeccable timing from a crucial player.

And you just knew we'd come. When I saw how pumped and cocky Melbourne and Goodwin were early when they were able to assert their significant physical advantage and we (yet again) struggled with clean hands in slippery conditions, you just knew if we kept within striking distance space would open, the ball would dry, and doubts would creep into their heads.

Maynard set the agenda early but they're a good team. Our rucks gradually worked out the clearances, both using their respective advantages (love Coxy's clever positioning and tap/whack work and Darcy's maturing physicality and brute strength), and de Goey and Lippa balanced the clearances, the momentum and pressure became oppressive, typified as always by players like McCreery lifting, opening space for silky players like the Daicoses to pick them apart running through the middle.

Jordy played a blinder on the ball. Anyone who thinks our midfield can do without him has rocks in their head. Johnson doubly crucial in that he is not only all class, but we don't need to play Jordy forward.

The forward line again played a super-smart and ferocious game, gradually wearing their heralded backs down until they lost all run. Few forward lines work as hard or unselfishly for each other, but now with the classical craft of Johnson.

What a superb win to recognise a magnificent 150th for a bloke who has worked harder than most to fight the gods of injury and become a brilliant match-winning player.

Now that, with finals in the air against arguably the best and certainly one of the more physical midfields in the comp, who had announced their confidence and intentions loud and clear, was the best win of the lot.

Maggienificent! All fu#$ you and the whole dinner!

[Medieval]

Well, well, well. What’s all dis den? Looks loik th’ ol’ Pies ‘ave chawked ’emsewves up anuvva close one ay!

[Pies2016]

One word. Johnson.

I blame Hine

[1eyedpie]

How $$%^%%$ good is JDG? Sign him up tomorrow!!!

They just interviewed Bruzzy on fox and asked him about” Your best mate Jordy leaving” and he said “He’s not going anywhere “. That’ll do me.

Watching the replay and it’s 1:40 am reading this post and Bruzza is on the telly saying those exact words as I’m reading it

[Nearly]

Bloody hell crisp was soooo good in the last quarter, just rewatched , his effort and attack at all costs just superb

Yep, his willingness to risk being caught in the goal of breaking the lines and running through the middle is crucial to us.

[the fuzz]

Go Pies!!!!!!!
That last quarter from Sir Brayden Maynard was something else!
That tackle was the game saver.
The pressure that led to that started in the second half. When we tackle and pressure like that, we win.
Amazing effort Pies! Whatever happens from now is a bonus, but who knows.
We got them again!

[piedys]

I tell you what, in the last 10 minutes we had plenty of those Demons boys jumping at shadows. We are in everyone's head right now. We are The Mentalists.

I can name you 22 blokes "living rent-free in Melbourne" for the foreseeable future...

Never seen a Pies team gutsier than this one and we've have plenty of gutsy teams. Maynard & De Goey were brutal brutes tonight. The way they bulldozed through the Dees mids was inspiring.

I don't know how far we can go but I'm just going to enjoy the ride and whatever they achieve is good enough.

Floreat Pica!

Here's me jumping off the couch in the last quarter yelling "SMASH HIM - SMASH HIM!!" at the TV, like Daffy Freakin' Duck!
MCG QF should now be our objective, to claim either 2nd/3rd/4th spot.

Oliver 42, Petracca 36, Brayshaw 32, Gawn 31, Viney 30. Only our Nick amongst them with 31.

Quite staggering we not only hung in there but wore em down in the end.

Insane isn't it?! Opposition possession tallies like that normally reflect a demoralising, percentage crushing loss. Yet here we are...
Seriously though - those players listed above carry that team on their backs, with May and Lever the quarterbacks; the rest are arguably front runners.

The great thing is that we are now a destination club again. Who wouldn’t want to come and play under Fly.

To turn the trainwreck around in 18 months is a credit to all involved - even Hine! I expected that 2020 trade fire sale stigma to stick for about 2-3 years before we were no longer seen as pariahs...
We're gonna need a bigger list! I want Hopper from GWS in the middle.

Anyone who has followed Ash Johnson weekly in the VFL this year would not be surprised at his meteoric rise to forwardline fame. He has been a VFL jet all year and should have been selected vs WCE at Marvel earlier in the year.
Instead he wasn’t selected, and proceeded to tear his hamstring from the bone that weekend in the VFL. Fast forward 10-12 weeks … and here we are. A. Freakin’. Jet.

Other than the Grundy injury, the idiotic decision to pick Wilson ahead of Johnson was the only other real disaster to befall us in 2022.
Johnson plays against WCE on debut, I say we win, and would be sitting top of the ladder with the worst percentage in history; insanity.

Anyhoo, have recorded the replay on Fuxtel 504 and will be glued to it like shit to a blanket tomorrow morning.

Go Pies! Quack Quack!!

[1eyedpie]

What a game……….what a season so far!!

I didn’t watch it live as I had a feeling it would be close and my heart can’t take much more of these close finishes. After watching the replay I still can’t figure out how we won that but for pure guts and never say die attitude!

This team has something special! The coach keeps talking about it and now us supporters are starting to feel it…………”BELIEF”

[piedys]

WHE subbed out with a hip/adductor injury.

We'll need to keep an eye on this during the week.

Honestly, I thought his absence improved the team, once subbed off.
That contest we just witnessed tonight was no place for fumbling lightweights.

[Jezza]

Fly's presser

How do you keep winning like this?

"This group has some belief hasn't it. We sort of get ourselves in positions where at three quarter time there's a few smiles on their faces; 'here we go again'. It's been our story. I haven't been a part of a team like it that gets themselves into a situation where they just think 'here we go, we'll get the job done'. It's through a lot of trust built in those moments. It's pretty special".

The post-match address with the players was longer than usual. Was this your best win this year and what was your message to them?

"Yeah it's hard to measure best win. I was really proud of the group's last 4 or 5 minutes. We just went into autopilot of knowing what we need to do in that situation. We just close the game down. We've had a lot of practice of this. The ability for the group to just look so connected. We're trying to be in tune with each other and that was the best execution we've done in that critical stage".

We know you're process driven rather than worried about outcomes, but you do need to re-evaluate expectations. Do you see yourselves as a genuine premiership contender now?

"We're living in the moment of getting better. That's always been our message. We can't get too far ahead of ourselves. You look at the stats sheet; it's a lot of red in it. We're not naive that we've got a lot of work to do. We finished our goals well, we took our chances, got smashed at centre bounces. There's too much to work on to get too far ahead of ourselves. I think we'll just live in the moment now".

You must admit it's a big scalp beating the reigning premier?

"Well you come here tonight knowing there's a lot at stake. Every game you play now has more meaning to it and time is running out for everyone including ourselves. We're really proud of the group to be able to just play how we want to play, particularly in the second half. We sort of adapted on the run tonight. In the past, we've sort of like 'we'll just do our thing'. We had to change a few things. We couldn't keep kicking long down the line to Gawn and Jackson, that was doing us no favours. Our ability to change and adapt and then execute, those things we'll review well".

Ed Langdon's comments were put up on the whiteboard. That must have spurred you on?

"Nah, nah. I actually really like personality in the game. I'd encourage more of it. Speak up; not because we won. I think we're craving that aren't we. I saw the news flashes light up and you guys loving it and so you should, let's embrace this".

Why did you put it up on the whiteboard?

"I was having a bit of fun with myself because I'm a little bit of a one trick pony before the game [*laughs]. I just did the same thing and said 'sorry boys, I'm going to do the same presso here'. Nothing about Ed, I actually really respect him as a player and I'd encourage every club to have more of that".

Did you guys discuss physically approaching Ed Langdon, or did the players initiate that?

"There was no initiation or no targeting. We knew we just had to go out there and do our own thing. It was just a bit of a sideshow that we didn't get caught up in".

Does your belief every waiver during games even when you're losing key stats?

"It hasn't actually because I've got a lot of trust in this group and in individuals. Beau McCreery is a great example. Comes in at half time and hasn't had a touch. He's a young kid trying to play AFL footy and find his way and he hasn't touched the footy. In the last quarter in the last five minutes, he had more pressure points than half our team in that five minute passage and he kicked a goal in the third quarter, so these are the lessons that our group is building. I said before the game; I will share this. Melbourne are the reigning premiers and they're trying to rediscover that. We don't know where our ceiling is at and that's exciting. We're in a discovery mode. We're finding out where we're at individually and as a group and that's an exciting place to live".

More than half your games have been decided by under 2 goals and that includes 10 wins of 11 games. How valuable is that heading into a final series?

"You just never know until you're in it. You're right, tonight is an example. Big occasion, big stakes, five minutes to go, push a button and there it is; just straight into autopilot of what we need to do. Hopefully at some stage, we can call upon that if we need to and we hope most games are tight. That would be nice".

Must be a nice feeling to have qualified for finals and maybe secure a top 4 spot?

"I'm not really good at the ladder predictor. There's still a lot to play out. There's two more games. We get to sit back now on the weekend and see what happens with other teams. I love footy, I'll watch every game. Sometimes I'll be riding bumps and I don't even know why I'm riding bumps. I don't know who we'd like to win but we've controlled all we can for this weekend"..

Melbourne were beating you in key areas in the first half, what changed for the game to turnaround in your favour?

"We moved the ball differently. We went into the game wanting to be fast and furious; using a movie theme. We short of fell short in parts of that, particularly we were scoring but we just weren't defending that well. We lost a lot of territory. I showed some clips before just at half time around our inability to get out of D50 [in terms of] where we were kicking and not supporting the aerial contest. Gawn was having a big influence and so was their keys, so we tried to change a couple of little things around those things".

Ash Johnson kicked 4 goals. He's had a great start to his career?

"This is the thing, we're not a mature group. We have maturity and all that, but we have youth. That's his first game in front of a big crowd like that. To be able to go back and execute his skills. The one where he got the mark on the line. We have a thing; take your 30 seconds. He had another 30 seconds to take, so there's all those little lessons he's going to learn. We're learning on the job. Beau McCreery, Jack Ginnivan, Ash Johnson. These guys are learning on the job. Like I said before, it's an exciting place to live".

Jordan De Goey was excellent. He looked persistent all night?

"I thought it was his best game for the year. I thought he was a star. I thought he genuinely flipped the game around clearance. We couldn't get the ball out of centre bounces and we got smashed in there again. He just had this shrug the shoulders and swagger to get out of traffic. I thought it was his best game for the year".

Your backline was under siege, but they held their own really well?

"They [Melbourne] seemed to be scoring at ease in the first quarter; 6 goals. I thought our pressure lifted; I don't know if you guys saw that from where you were sitting. I thought the third quarter we just started to change. I thought out of stoppage we were folding back too much, and we showed some footage around that as well. We just started to put some real heat around the ball and that's a big part of our game".

If Jordan De Goey plays like that, does it become harder to let him go?

"He's a free agent. That's his right to explore his options. I speak authentically, I'd love Jordy to stay. I know that's going to create a headline, but we'll just live in the moment and let Jordy keep being himself around our environment and make us better. Nights like tonight are a good example of his assets that makes us better".

Nick Daicos and Brayden Maynard looked sore. How are they holding up?

"Bruzzy looked like he needed to go to the panel beaters after the game; he was messed up. He's amazing. What about that tackle? Unbelievable! Those sort of moments inspire us and we make sure we celebrate those things. Nick [Daicos] I think just got an elbow in the rib, but he was fine to finish the game".

What about Will Hoskin-Elliott?

"Will has got a hip flexor back thing. I don't think it's that bad".

What's the plan with Brodie Grundy? Is the injury more serious than you expected?

"Brodie won't play this week in the VFL. I haven't got an update on what I knew on Friday which was that the ankle is not settling as much as we would like. We were hoping for him to play in the VFL this week and we were happy with what he did last week. It looks like the knee is fine, but this ankle is a bit grumbly so hopefully a couple of days off on the weekend; we get back on Monday and we'll find out what's going on".

https://www.collingwoodfc.com.au/video/ ... Names=news

[Skids]

My sincere financial gratitude to whomever it was that pointed out in the pre game thread that we were at $9 to win by between 1 and 9 ( also to Crispy for missing the shot after the siren).

No problem Yes, that miss at the end paid my airfare to Melbourne for round 23

The $4.60 for us to win by under 24 was stealing money I thought.

[Peponi]

I’ve got a man crush on our coach.

What a ripper bloke!

Simply, a great move from the club to do its due diligence and pick a coach who will bring out the very best from every player. We are very lucky to have him leading the playing group.

[pietillidie]

I’ve got a man crush on our coach.

What a ripper bloke!

Simply, a great move from the club to do its due diligence and pick a coach who will bring out the very best from every player. We are very lucky to have him leading the playing group.

Absolutely. Frankly, I'd lost faith in the club and those associated therewith being able to make sound decisions, but somehow they were able to step back, rethink and take on a fresh perspective.

That's about the hardest thing for any person or any organisation to do, so those who drove the reassessment and selection process, and were able to recognise McRae's talents, even if his pedigree speaks for itself, warrant plaudits for being able to make it happen. Moreover, this is not a bloke desperate for work who would suffer fools, so they have also genuinely embraced what he brings to the table, and he has believed them.

As I say, that's not something that happens often in life and business. So bravo to all involved; your evolution is our evolution, is Fly's revolution!

There was a panel or committee convened, wasn't there? We should make a point of giving praise where it's due, because the compulsion for too many people is to become vampires living off rage and bad news, heroes and villains. But that sort of quality decision making is the hard off-field graft that brings success.