Head to head: Brisbane Lions 17 wins, Collingwood 19 wins
Last time: Collingwood 12.23 (95) d Brisbane Lions 8.7 (55), round 18, 2009 at the MCG
MISSING IN ACTION
Brisbane Lions
Sean Yoshiura (knee) - TBC
Daniel Merrett (hamstring) - 2-3 weeks
Jamie Charman (ankle) - 4 weeks
Jared Brennan (ankle) - 4 weeks
Niall McKeever (knee) - 6 weeks
Jed Adcock (foot) - indefinite
Josh Drummond (knee) - indefinite
Xavier Clarke (knee) - indefinite
Collingwood
Paul Medhurst (foot) - test
John McCarthy (hamstring) - test
Tristan Francis (quadriceps) - test
Luke Rounds (shoulder) - test
Sean Rusling (calf) - 1 week
Anthony Corrie (knee) - 1-2 weeks
FORM
Brisbane Lions: LLLLL
Collingwood: WWWWL
SUMMARY
Once sitting pretty atop the AFL ladder, the Brisbane Lions are in freefall as injury and a loss of form threatens to ravage their season. Five straight losses - some of them by considerable margins - have coach Michael Voss scrambling for answers.
This side was supposed to be built around the weekly output of star goalkickers Jonathan Brown and Brendan Fevola, but despite five goals from Fev last week both are sore and aren’t moving as the coach would hope. Voss will be hoping for a win or two before the split round when his team can rest, regroup and launch an attack in the second half of the year.
This side was supposed to be built around the weekly output of star goalkickers Jonathan Brown and Brendan Fevola, but despite five goals from Fev last week both are sore and aren’t moving as the coach would hope. Voss will be hoping for a win or two before the split round when his team can rest, regroup and launch an attack in the second half of the year.
It seems some are happy to write off Collingwood as a legitimate contender after last week’s loss to Geelong. However it was only the Pies’ second defeat of the year - the other coming to the other grand finalist of ’09 - and Mick Malthouse’s team is second on the table. The Cats may have been too good last week but that doesn’t take away from what the Pies have achieved so far this year. They have belted many teams and emerged as one of the true contenders. Several stars were down last week, but expect them to bounce back against the Lions, given Collingwood’s consistent form over the past six weeks.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Pacy goalkicker Justin Sherman is an important component of the Brisbane Lions’ forward half. When he’s not running through the middle, his ability to crumb off the Lions’ power forwards is vital. He loves a goal and with Brown and Fevola labouring with injury, he might need a big night for the home side to end its losing run.
Collingwood ruckman Darren Jolly continues to be serviceable for his new club, but the Pies were hoping he’d be a little better than that given they gave up their first- and third-round picks to secure the former Sydney Swan. This week he will spearhead the Pies’ ruck team against Matthew Leuenberger and Mitch Clark, and Collingwood will hope for a bigger output from its prized off-season recruit.
QUESTION MARKS
After booting their way to some massive wins in recent weeks, Collingwood was stopped in its tracks and managed just 6.14 against Geelong last week. Can Mick Malthouse’s team rediscover its spark up forward?
With Merrett, Brennan, Drummond and Adcock all missing, greater pressure is being put on Michael Voss’s lesser lights. The coach traded in the off-season to give his list greater depth, but can that list match the Pies?
Not for the first time this year, Jonathan Brown laboured around the ground at the weekend, sparking concern about his abdominal/groin injury. Can he be expected to lift against one of the best defences in the league?
WHO WILL WIN AND WHY
All things point to a Collingwood win.
Its form on the road is the envy of many rival teams, the Pies having won their past six interstate trips as well as two of their past three at the Gabba. Last week they were perhaps a little too conscious of shutting down the high-scoring Cats and went into their shells, but they’ll attack the battle-weary Lions, who look to be struggling not only for run but also for confidence.
It’ll take a mighty effort from either Fevola or Brown to get the home side the win, and one doubts either man will be capable of that against a super-disciplined Pies unit hell-bent on making amends for last week.
PREDICTION
Collingwood by 38 points.
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The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
