Head to head: Carlton 123 wins, Collingwood 112 wins, four draws
Last time: Collingwood 14.10 (94) d Carlton 4.16 (40), round 17, 2009 at the MCG
In front of almost 85,000 fans at the MCG, Collingwood got home on the back of dominant first and final quarters. But the match was a bit of arm wrestle throughout, with the Pies’ five-goal-to-one opening term setting up the easy win. Leon Davis booted 3.4 from 28 possessions while ball-magnet Dane Swan racked up 38 touches. Scott Pendlebury (28 disposals), Heath Shaw (28), Tarkyn Lockyer (24) and Ben Johnson (25) also won plenty of the footy. Heath Scotland, Marc Murphy and Kade Simpson got amongst it for the Blues, however Brett Ratten’s side wasted many of its chances.
MISSING IN ACTION
Carlton
Mark Austin (groin) - test
Paul Bower (leg) - test
Brad Fisher (knee) - 6-7 weeks
Shaun Hampson (hamstring) - test
Rhys O’Keeffe (hip) - test
Bret Thornton (ankle) - test
Andrew Walker (collarbone) - TBC
LAST WEEK
Carlton 15.14 (104) d Geelong 9.14 (68) at the MCG
Carlton was simply too good for the Cats last week. One wouldn’t have thought the Blues’ midfield would have been able to match their opposition but they not only did that, they outshone a slow-looking Geelong side. Down back Andrew Walker - who will be missing this week - and Bryce Gibbs provided run and carry while in attack the Blues had Setanta O’hAilpin providing a contest. Their small men provided a spark and pace at ground level. Most pleasing for Brett Ratten was the fact he had contributors across the park.
Leading goalkicker - Setanta O'hAilpin (11)
Leading ballwinner - Andrew Carrazzo (139)
DANGER MAN
Bryce Gibbs shared his time between the middle and defence last week and was superb for his team. He is the best kick at Visy Park and, after having 25 and 30 possessions in his two matches against the Pies last season, will need to be closely monitored.
WHAT’S AT STAKE
Apart from the four premiership points, the arch rivals will also do battle for the Richard Pratt Cup. The captain of the winning team will be presented with the cup in the rooms following the game. The cup, a tribute to the late Richard Pratt and his contributions to the Carlton Football Club, football and the community, is designed to raise awareness of prostate cancer.
HOW’S STAT?
The Blues are fast starters, having won four of their five opening quarters this season. On the first-quarter ladder, they sit equal at the top with St Kilda, which has also won four. The Magpies have won three of five.
WHAT THE OPPOSITION SAYS
"The start of the game will be really critical. They’ve got off to really big starts and kicked seven goals [in the first quarter] last week and some of their performances through the first five weeks have seen them really jump their opposition at the start of games and really control the situation. I suppose that was one thing we really tried against Adelaide and Geelong, was to make sure that we were in the game, that the opposition couldn’t dictate terms. It was really important for us and it will be the same this weekend." - Carlton coach Brett Ratten
WHAT THE PIES SAY
"Carlton-Collingwood games are all big. If you go and ask a Collingwood or a Carlton supporter I don’t think there’s one upcoming game that they’d rate above the other, but obviously in retrospect there’s some fair rivalry that’s taken place. Carlton has come off some fantastic form in the last couple of weeks, so that’s a fantastic challenge for us and another big game at the MCG is a real fillip for our players." - Collingwood assistant coach Nathan Buckley
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the club.
