Champion injuries
Christian Petracca was taken to hospital for scans on suspected broken ribs in a marking contest with Darcy Moore. And Nick Daicos was subbed out of the game with a leg injury. Petracca went to the rooms for treatment at quarter-time. He returned and tried to play on in the second term before succumbing to injury. He was subbed off before half-time. The Demons have a bye after this game. They need to regroup as they were thoroughly outplayed again. The looked too slow and,damningly in a game when they were beaten on the scoreboard,they were out out-tackled by 21.
The young Magpie limped to the boundary with a few minutes remaining in the third quarter and was assessed by doctors. He injured his leg in a marking contest when he collided with his shadow for the day,Alex Neal-Bullen. He returned again to the three-quarter-time huddle and resumed in the final quarter,but he was subbed out soon after Harvey Harrison had goaled and the victory was assured. The club said Daicos had a corked calf from the collision,but coach Craig McRae later revised that to a corked shin. He had largely been subdued by Neal-Bullen for the day,finishing with a lower-than-normal 15 touches. He did still manage a set-shot goal from 50 metres.
Happy days:Nathan Kreuger celebrates a goal.Credit:Getty Images
The Maynard showdown
The anticipation of this game after the fallout to the qualifying final and the Brayden Maynard collision with Angus Brayshaw was how Maynard would be received. The answer was,the heat was in the stands,not on the ground. Maynard went to Petracca in Melbourne’s forward line at the start of the match,and the pair,who are friends,warmly embraced. There was barely a push,a shove or a snarly word seemingly offered on the field to him.
Given Melbourne were accused of letting the Brayshaw injury hijack their finals,the message was clear from the coaches to the players and beyond – we’ve moved on. Melbourne fans were less ready to forget;their boos accompanied every touch Maynard got in the first half before the scoreline left the fans muted.
Maynard was one of Collingwood’s best players on the day. Likewise,Steven May was reminded by Collingwood fans what they thought of his comments after the grand final when he said the Demons were a much better team than Collingwood and should have “smoked them”.
But there was this … Nick Daicos limps from the field with a leg issue.Credit:Getty Images
Inclusions hit the mark
In his first nine games of AFL football,Nathan Kreuger had booted four goals. Twice last year,he was subbed out of games. Often when he looked promising,he picked up an injury. On the King’s Birthday public holiday,he booted three goals and was the presence the Magpies were searching for in their undermanned forward line. Collingwood brought Kreuger in with Will Hoskin-Elliott,a premiership veteran. They had two goals each to half-time.
Hoskin-Elliott,who can often hide his aerial ability when he is pushed to play hard running roles,was encouraged to be a target forward and he delivered. He booted the first goal of the day and his hanger helped create another.
Kreuger was the surprise. He presented in the air and took one towering mark late in the game to boot his third goal. Early,Kreuger took a pack grab,which ended up being a chest mark in front of Max Gawn. He converted from the boundary,with a well-threaded drop punt on the difficult side for most left-footers. The Demons looked uncertain in defence,strangely enough struggling to defend slow balls when the numbers flooded back.
Lachie Schultz was found on his own – he booted a goal – despite every Melbourne player being in the arc. At other times,it was Collingwood’s speed and kicking from defence that opened Melbourne up.