Veteran Steele Sidebottom was close to best on ground from the wing,while Brayden Maynard put in another solid shift in his 150th game.
Loading
Umpires back in the spotlight
Whether it was the free kick paid against Darcy Moore for a deliberate rushed behind or the 100- metre penalty against Taylor Adams,Collingwood fans were not happy with the umpires on Sunday. And they voiced their disgust after the game by booing them off the ground. The decision against Moore appeared a brutal one,particularly given the slippery conditions. Moore kicked the ball off the ground outside the goal square while being chased by Jesse Hogan,but then appeared to touch the ball on the line after realising what may happen. Minutes later,Adams was cited for encroaching on the protected zone. He then delivered a mouthful to the umpire who paid another 50 metre penalty for abuse. Rightly or wrongly,the game’s officiators are finding it difficult to remove themselves from the spotlight in 2022.
Go back to go forward
The Nick Haynes forward experiment would have been far more successful if he didn’t kick for goal like a defender. It wasn’t long ago that Haynes was one of the more feared interceptors in the competition,but the changing magnets at GWS has seen him playing forward alongside Jesse Hogan. While Haynes has been a solid target,he missed two straightforward set shots in the first quarter which killed his team’s momentum. With Harry Himmelberg making the reverse switch into defence and with Phil Davis back from injury,how - or will - the Giants transition Haynes back to where he belongs?
Jamie Elliott was a highlight for the Magpies.Credit:Getty Images
What’s Jamie worth?
Early in the game,when the GWS were dominant and the Pies were struggling to get a foothold in the contest,it was Jamie Elliott who kept his team alive. He booted two first-quarter goals and continued to be a dangerous threat inside forward 50 for the remainder of the match. With all the talk around bad boy Jordan De Goey,Elliott’s contract status has flown relatively low under the radar. Out of contract at season’s end and turning 30 in August,it will be intriguing to see what the Magpies offer him. He’s never kicked more than 35 goals in a season,but there would be rival clubs keeping a close eye on what transpires at season’s end.
COLLINGWOOD
3.4 5.9 9.17 11.22 (88)
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY
2.4 2.4 5.4 12.5 (77)
GOALS
Collingwood: Elliott 2,Mihocek 2,Cameron 2,Henry 2,Sidebottom,McCreery,Ginnivan.GWS: Hogan 4,Riccardi 2,Ash,Whitfield,Green,Coniglio,Greene,Kelly.
BEST
Collingwood: Sidebottom,Cameron,Maynard,Daicos,Elliott.GWS: Hogan,Himmelberg,Kelly,Coniglio.
CROWD – 30,804 at MCG.
VOTES
Steele Sidebottom (Collingwood) 9
Darcy Cameron (Collingwood) 9
Jesse Hogan (Greater Western Sydney) 8
Harry Himmelberg (Greater Western Sydney) 7
Brayden Maynard (Collingwood) 6
Keep up to date with the best AFL coverage in the country.Sign up for the Real Footy newsletter.