Ladder-leaders flex muscle to continue Hawthorn's slide
Under more pressure than any other team during the week after a 33-point loss to Brisbane, Hawthorn just couldn't go with the red-hot Magpies in front of 83,706 fans.
Collingwood slammed through six straight goals from late in the second quarter to midway through the third term, setting up the 16.11 (107) to 8.8 (56) win.
In an added blow for the Hawks, ruckman Lloyd Meek is facing a suspension after making late contact with Collingwood's Patrick Lipinski in the third quarter.
Meek crashed into Lipinski from behind and the winger was forced from the field, where he later failed a concussion test.
Collingwood players immediately flew the flag for Lipinski, sparking a mini melee, before kicking an easy goal from the goalsquare after a 50m penalty paid.
The match review officer is unlikely to look kindly on an incident in which a player arrived late, resulting in the injured rival entering concussion protocols.
Refreshed Magpies veteran Steele Sidebottom (27 possessions and two goals) was superb, banging through long goals and going on one run down the wing which included four bounces.
Superstar Nick Daicos (32 disposals, one goal) was typically influential, while veteran forward Jamie Elliott continued his outstanding, career-best season.
Elliott's five-goal haul took him to equal top of the Coleman Medal, level with Geelong star Jeremy Cameron on 33.
The 32-year-old is set to smash his highest goal tally in a season of 39 back in 2023.
Not even a lively outing from Jack Ginnivan against his former team could spark Hawthorn into action.
After blitzing the Magpies with two goals and 31 possessions last year, Ginnivan turned it on early with three first-half majors.
But unlike last year when Hawthorn cantered to a 66-point win, Ginnivan refrained from over-the-top goal celebrations.
The Magpies premiership player was still routinely booed by the parochial Collingwood crowd.
Hawks coach Sam Mitchell highlighted Ginnivan's performance as the only positive from the match.
"We've got some work to do where we can get our players in positions to tackle more often, because you're not going to beat a side like that if you can only lay 38 (tackles)," Mitchell said.
Dubbed the 'Hollywood Hawks' following their brilliant run to last year's finals, Hawthorn suddenly find themselves in a rut at 7-5.
After missing the finals last year following their 2023 premiership triumph, Collingwood have surged to 10-2, sitting atop the AFL ladder.
"It'd be close to it," McRae said when asked if it was Collingwood's best game of the season.
"The game up in Brisbane was really strong ... I just really loved our maturity tonight, and particularly the last quarter."
Shown up by the last two premiers in consecutive weeks, Hawthorn have more challenges to come in the Western Bulldogs and Adelaide.
Rampaging Collingwood have blown Hawthorn away by 51 points at the MCG, inflicting a third-straight defeat upon the Hawks.
Under more pressure than any other team during the week after a 33-point loss to Brisbane, Hawthorn just couldn't go with the red-hot Magpies in front of 83,706 fans.
Collingwood slammed through six straight goals from late in the second quarter to midway through the third term, setting up the 16.11 (107) to 8.8 (56) win.
In an added blow for the Hawks, ruckman Lloyd Meek is facing a suspension after making late contact with Collingwood's Patrick Lipinski in the third quarter.
Meek crashed into Lipinski from behind and the winger was forced from the field, where he later failed a concussion test.
Collingwood players immediately flew the flag for Lipinski, sparking a mini melee, before kicking an easy goal from the goalsquare after a 50m penalty paid.
The match review officer is unlikely to look kindly on an incident in which a player arrived late, resulting in the injured rival entering concussion protocols.
Refreshed Magpies veteran Steele Sidebottom (27 possessions and two goals) was superb, banging through long goals and going on one run down the wing which included four bounces.
Superstar Nick Daicos (32 disposals, one goal) was typically influential, while veteran forward Jamie Elliott continued his outstanding, career-best season.
Elliott's five-goal haul took him to equal top of the Coleman Medal, level with Geelong star Jeremy Cameron on 33.
The 32-year-old is set to smash his highest goal tally in a season of 39 back in 2023.
Not even a lively outing from Jack Ginnivan against his former team could spark Hawthorn into action.
After blitzing the Magpies with two goals and 31 possessions last year, Ginnivan turned it on early with three first-half majors.
But unlike last year when Hawthorn cantered to a 66-point win, Ginnivan refrained from over-the-top goal celebrations.
The Magpies premiership player was still routinely booed by the parochial Collingwood crowd.
Hawks coach Sam Mitchell highlighted Ginnivan's performance as the only positive from the match.
"We've got some work to do where we can get our players in positions to tackle more often, because you're not going to beat a side like that if you can only lay 38 (tackles)," Mitchell said.
Dubbed the 'Hollywood Hawks' following their brilliant run to last year's finals, Hawthorn suddenly find themselves in a rut at 7-5.
After missing the finals last year following their 2023 premiership triumph, Collingwood have surged to 10-2, sitting atop the AFL ladder.
"It'd be close to it," McRae said when asked if it was Collingwood's best game of the season.
"The game up in Brisbane was really strong ... I just really loved our maturity tonight, and particularly the last quarter."
Shown up by the last two premiers in consecutive weeks, Hawthorn have more challenges to come in the Western Bulldogs and Adelaide.
Rampaging Collingwood have blown Hawthorn away by 51 points at the MCG, inflicting a third-straight defeat upon the Hawks.
Under more pressure than any other team during the week after a 33-point loss to Brisbane, Hawthorn just couldn't go with the red-hot Magpies in front of 83,706 fans.
Collingwood slammed through six straight goals from late in the second quarter to midway through the third term, setting up the 16.11 (107) to 8.8 (56) win.
In an added blow for the Hawks, ruckman Lloyd Meek is facing a suspension after making late contact with Collingwood's Patrick Lipinski in the third quarter.
Meek crashed into Lipinski from behind and the winger was forced from the field, where he later failed a concussion test.
Collingwood players immediately flew the flag for Lipinski, sparking a mini melee, before kicking an easy goal from the goalsquare after a 50m penalty paid.
The match review officer is unlikely to look kindly on an incident in which a player arrived late, resulting in the injured rival entering concussion protocols.
Refreshed Magpies veteran Steele Sidebottom (27 possessions and two goals) was superb, banging through long goals and going on one run down the wing which included four bounces.
Superstar Nick Daicos (32 disposals, one goal) was typically influential, while veteran forward Jamie Elliott continued his outstanding, career-best season.
Elliott's five-goal haul took him to equal top of the Coleman Medal, level with Geelong star Jeremy Cameron on 33.
The 32-year-old is set to smash his highest goal tally in a season of 39 back in 2023.
Not even a lively outing from Jack Ginnivan against his former team could spark Hawthorn into action.
After blitzing the Magpies with two goals and 31 possessions last year, Ginnivan turned it on early with three first-half majors.
But unlike last year when Hawthorn cantered to a 66-point win, Ginnivan refrained from over-the-top goal celebrations.
The Magpies premiership player was still routinely booed by the parochial Collingwood crowd.
Hawks coach Sam Mitchell highlighted Ginnivan's performance as the only positive from the match.
"We've got some work to do where we can get our players in positions to tackle more often, because you're not going to beat a side like that if you can only lay 38 (tackles)," Mitchell said.
Dubbed the 'Hollywood Hawks' following their brilliant run to last year's finals, Hawthorn suddenly find themselves in a rut at 7-5.
After missing the finals last year following their 2023 premiership triumph, Collingwood have surged to 10-2, sitting atop the AFL ladder.
"It'd be close to it," McRae said when asked if it was Collingwood's best game of the season.
"The game up in Brisbane was really strong ... I just really loved our maturity tonight, and particularly the last quarter."
Shown up by the last two premiers in consecutive weeks, Hawthorn have more challenges to come in the Western Bulldogs and Adelaide.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
West Australian
3 hours ago
- West Australian
Fremantle Dockers forward Murphy Reid rated equal best on ground by coaches during western derby
Exciting Fremantle youngster Murphy Reid would have tied for the Glendinning-Allan Medal if Justin Longmuir and Andrew McQualter were voting for the award after the western derby on Saturday. In another boost for his AFL Rising Star hopes, Reid polled eight votes for his 23 disposals, 15 score involvements and one goal. The half-forward finished third in Glendinning-Allan Medal voting behind Hayden Young and Andrew Brayshaw, but the AFL Coaches Association votes told a different story. Longmuir and McQualter were required to submit votes on a 5-4-3-2-1 basis and Reid was locked with Young on eight votes. While individual voting remains confidential, one coach gave Reid five votes and the other handed him three. Brayshaw and Michael Frederick both received six votes, while Caleb Serong and Shai Bolton had one vote each. Reid has had a wonderful first season in the AFL and is one of the favourites to win the Rising Star award. He is competing with Adelaide's Daniel Curtin and Brisbane's Levi Ashcroft for that prize. Longmuir said Reid's consistency had set him apart from the other contenders this season when speaking after the win and defender Jordan Clark said his teammate reminded him of Collingwood superstar Scott Pendlebury. 'It sounds like a bit unrealistic comparing him to Scotty Pendlebury but he is a player like that who is not blessed with super speed but he sees the game and is very sharp in his mind,' Clark told The West Australian. 'He sees the game very well and he's very clean. I think he did watch a lot of Scotty Pendlebury growing up, so he's a very classy little player. I think he's got a lovely mix that works for him. 'I don't want to use it loosely and it's probably disrespecting Scotty Pendlebury in a way because he's one of the greatest players in the game. 'But you watch him and he's in positions where you think someone shouldn't get out of that, but he does. He's not a fast bloke, he's not massively built, he's just clever and classy. I think he thinks and sees the game ahead before people see what is going to happen.' Collingwood's Nick Daicos extended his lead for the AFLCA award with a best on ground performance against Richmond. Noah Anderson is now four votes behind him after picking up eight votes in Gold Coast's win over Brisbane, Serong has dropped from third to fourth after Geelong's Bailey Smith overtook him and is now 14 votes behind Daicos with four games remaining.
West Australian
14 hours ago
- West Australian
Motormouth Mitch: The mature Eagle who West Coast need to demand more of to help younger teammates
From the mature Eagle who didn't stand up in the western derby, to the Fremantle star who needs to find form. Football writer Mitchell Woodcock takes a no-holds-barred look at the week of footy. Eagles' Lack of Baz Ball West Coast need to ask more of Bailey Williams. It was disappointing that he wasn't able to stand up on Saturday afternoon and be more of a presence to ease the pressure on his younger teammates. Williams has been admirable over the past few seasons as the Eagles' No.1 ruck since the retirement of Nic Naitanui. But he had to be better than he was in a forward line which was being spearheaded by two teenagers against Fremantle at Optus Stadium on Saturday night. Jobe Shanahan and Archer Reid were left to shoulder too much for the Eagles. Williams was the forward-ruck on the night and while he shouldn't be expected to kick a bag, he had to have more of an impact. The 25-year-old has now played 85 AFL games. That is more than enough to have an expectation put on you to lead when called upon. Williams didn't take one mark against the Dockers, which is damning enough for the 201cm powerhouse. But what was more disappointing was his lack of physicality in the contest. He laid only two tackles and there weren't any signs of him trying to impose his body on the contest. Williams should've been crashing packs and making his size felt even if it cost them a few free kicks. Instead, he was barely sighted throughout the contest. Williams is finally in his preferred role with the forward-ruck split and should be thriving as a big man about to enter the prime of his career. Shanahan and Reid are going to be good players for the Eagles, hopefully for the next decade. If they are going to get there though, they need more from the likes of Williams around them as they develop. West Coast need to demand Williams shoulders this responsibility. It's his time. Cyclone Warning There is a big watch on the form of Josh Treacy in the back half of this season as the Dockers drive towards finals. For the sixth time in the past 12 games Treacy went goalless and while it isn't affecting Fremantle yet, they will be hoping it clicks for the big Cohuna sooner rather than later. Treacy was one of the top forwards in the AFL earlier this year when he kicked 20 goals from his seven games to have tongues wagging. Since then, he has kicked only 12 in as many games, and it has seen him drop well out of the race for the Coleman Medal. I argued when Jye Amiss was battling that if Fremantle were getting six to eight goals a game out of the combination including Pat Voss it didn't matter too much. But there is a strong sense that if the Dockers are going to be more than just playing in the finals, they're going to need Treacy at his damaging best. His presence on a field can be game changing and there are few in the purple chevrons who can grasp the moment better than the intimidating 193cm beast. If Treacy can get off the leash against Carlton or Port Adelaide in the next two weeks, it could kick-start him back into the form of earlier this year. And this could be the difference between them going deep into finals or being bundled out. It's not panic stations right now, but coach Justin Longmuir would love for Cyclone Tracey to get to a category five sooner rather than later to help blow their premiership window wide open. AFL's Equalisation Woes Forget in-season tournaments. Forget 20th teams. Forget Tasmanian stadiums. The AFL has an urgent problem they need to fix and it's equalisation. For weeks now only nine teams have been able to realistically make finals and while that isn't ideal, it's just sometimes an anomaly. But what is clearly poor for the game is the one-sided affairs that are becoming all-too commonplace each week. West Coast have won only one game this season. North Melbourne couldn't even outscore Jeremy Cameron in a 101-point defeat to Geelong. And a wounded Essendon looked like a VFL side at times against a talent-filled Western Bulldogs outfit, while the Showdown was one of the most one-sided in history, with Adelaide claiming a 98-point win. It's not going to get any better next week. Gold Coast will likely smash Richmond. Essendon aren't going to get an easy game from Sydney at the SCG. And if Fremantle head the words from Longmuir about being ruthless, Carlton could be headed for disaster in their trip to WA. The AFL has made player movement easier than ever but right now it is only making the strong teams stronger and the gap between the good and the bad is growing. Bailey Smith choosing to go to Geelong when he left the Western Bulldogs rather than a cashed-up club like a North Melbourne or an Essendon is not surprising but tells you all you need to know about where the AFL's issues lie. Bad teams can't attract good players no matter how much they're willing to pay. And this year's draft is going to be so compromised with academy and father-son selections that there isn't going to be much help for those at the bottom of the ladder. It's going to get worse when Tasmania come in and get heavy draft concessions to build their inaugural list. Whether West Coast deserve a priority pick or not is one thing, but there should be no argument when it comes to whether they should ask for one. The AFL must find a way to bridge the ever-growing distance that is coming between the two halves of the ladder or risk having too many unwatchable games. Fixture Chaos The WAFL were the biggest losers by the AFL's fixtures this weekend when the western derby was played at 2.15pm on Saturday. It overlapped with three of the four state league games this weekend and will undoubtedly have hurt their crowds. There is nothing the WAFL could do about it. They don't have a fixture like the AFL where they lock in the dates and times for the first half and then roll the second half out within the season. They can't do that because of ground availability among several other factors. West Coast and Fremantle should ask not to play on a Saturday afternoon, especially against each other. The state leagues are vital for the game. They develop players for the AFL. And financial hits when crowds are sitting at home watching the western derby rather than attending WAFL games is too much to cover. There was no reason why the derby couldn't have been played at 6.10pm on Saturday. The WAFL then could've brought the league games forward a bit and likely had at least marginally bigger crowds. And a bonus is we wouldn't have had that horrible shadow over half of Optus Stadium that was an eyesore both live and on TV early in the derby. It is just a little thing for the AFL, but for WAFL clubs they are big and should be factored in better.
7NEWS
a day ago
- 7NEWS
Nick Daicos firms as Brownlow fancy after insane masterclass against Richmond
Brownlow Medal favourite Nick Daicos put on a clinic as AFL ladder leaders Collingwood ended a two-match losing skid with a hard-fought 36-point win over Richmond. Daicos shone in the wet conditions and was clearly the best player on the ground in the Magpies' 13.15 (93) to 8.9 (57) victory at the MCG on Sunday. It ensured Collingwood (15-4) finished an 11th consecutive week on top of the ladder, ahead of a huge clash with third-placed Brisbane next round. Daicos almost certainly claimed another three Brownlow votes against the Tigers as he tallied 42 disposals — one short of the personal best he set a week earlier — to go with three goals, 14 score involvements and 884 metres gained. Daicos switched with brother Josh (30 disposals) between midfield and half-back, and also pushed forward with great effect, in the highest-rated performance of any player this season. 'Whatever the measure is, to be the most of anyone in the competition this year says a lot about his game,' Pies coach Craig McRae said. 'That's two weeks in a row he's been able to create off half-back in moments and then still not lose that dynamic stuff around the ball, and even moving deep forward. 'That's a year full of planning somewhat, and then finding out what the game needs and what we need.' Tom Mitchell (29 disposals) and Ned Long (23, six clearances) were also busy for Collingwood, and Tim Membrey (two) was one of four multiple goal-kickers on return after a week off. Richmond slumped to a 5-14 record, but the rebuilding Tigers were far from disgraced, taking the fight to their opponents despite a gulf in class. Tim Taranto (calf) was a late withdrawal, leaving Jacob Hopper (33 disposals) and Tyler Sonsie (28) to win the bulk of the Tigers' ball in the middle. Steely Green kicked two goals on his return, including an audacious effort from the boundary line, and Taj Hotton also kicked two in his third senior game. Richmond showed plenty of pluck and were within two points midway through the second term when Green converted a free kick. But the Pies kicked the next three goals without reply before halftime, opening up a 7.6 to 4.4 lead by the main break. Daicos was a class above every other player in wet conditions, tallying 22 touches, two goals and seven score involvements to that point. Green and Noah Balta kicked the opening two goals of the second half for Richmond, while Collingwood lost Lachie Sullivan to a suspected season-ending posterior cruciate ligament injury. But the Pies again accelerated, with Daicos's brilliant left-foot goal one of five in a row that pushed the margin out to a game-high 41 points before three-quarter time. They were never challenged from there, winning as expected after successive defeats by single-figure margins against Gold Coast and Fremantle. Richmond coach Adem Yze said he decided against tagging Daicos, opting to keep the plan simple for his young players. 'You've got a responsibility as a midfielder when you're leaning on someone, but he's just such a talented kid,' Yze said. 'The three goals probably did hurt us in the end, but the last few weeks he's had 40 (touches) and it hasn't guaranteed wins for them. 'My eye was more to what we were doing, and in the last quarter I didn't think he had a huge influence, and we kept playing our way.'
