CTV> Watch the Final Siren with Blake Caracella

Collingwood's assistant coach, Blake Caracella, believed it was a good team effort which helped put Collingwood’s season back on track with a 14-point win against St Kilda on Saturday night.

Speaking on CTV’s weekly match review show the Final Siren, Carcella was impressed with the two debutants, Chris Dawes and John McCarthy.

“To win a game like that, we haven’t had a great last two months, and to get up and all the boys play well, the first gamers have a crack and Dawesy kicked two goals.   Johnny McCarthy played well it was a really good team effort”, Caracella said.

“You have got to play well the whole game and it’s always good to get in front of a team and make them chase you and (when) we got up by five goals in the second and third quarters, St Kilda came at us in the last quarter.  (We) were good enough and strong enough to resist that challenge and kick a few goals late.”

Collingwood headed into the main break with a four-goal lead.  The message from the coaching staff was a simple one.

“Continue doing what you were doing.  We were playing well (and) the boys down forward were giving a good contest. 

"We weren’t taking too many marks down forward but we managed to kick goals from crumbs and even Paul Medhurst, who has kicked a lot of goals for us this year, didn’t kick a goal tonight.   But he was involved in four or five goals through his crumbing work and winning contested ball and it was great to see Jack Anthony kick three goals again tonight too.”

During the third quarter Medhurst was pushed in the centre of the ground where he added to his game-high, eight inside 50s.

“Medders has actually done a lot of preseason work in the midfield and hasn’t had much of a chance to play there so a few of our players might have been a bit sore in the game.  Medders has always been wanting to get back in the midfield through the season and got that chance and actually played well.”

Caracella thought ruckman Josh Fraser was back to his career best form, playing his second consecutive game coming back from a knee injury.

“Fraser was fantastic.  Obviously came back last week and copped a bit of criticism after his performance but this week he is back to his best.  He might have had 20 touches and 20 hit outs and had a fantastic tap on to John Anthony in the goal square in the last quarter which results in a goal.”

Collingwood will look to keep up their form when they take on Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium on Friday night.