Collingwoodfc.com.au has enlisted David Natoli aka DaVe86 to write this year's match previews.  David writes what are arguably, the most popular Magpie previews published on the internet.  This is his second season writing for the club website.  Please note his views are not of the clubs but of a passionate, knowledgeable member of the Magpie Army.

The 2011 home-and-away season kicked off with a bang last week with a brilliant opening round which has left us with many discussion points. We saw eight terrific games of football (well seven and a half if you disregard the opening half of the Friday night game between the Saints and Cats). The new substitute and concussion rules had immediate impact and we saw every club tussle with the correct way to manage their interchange bench. The style of play was also a point of interest with all clubs employing forward zones, yet opening the game up in the last quarter as players fatigued.

Perhaps the increased fatigue levels were the result of the new substitute rule. Or perhaps it was just typical of round one  encounters where players are not 100% match fit and the intensity level increases from pre-season practice matches.

Regardless of all the debate, one thing was reassured at the conclusion of round one...Collingwood is still the team to beat in 2011. Despite the rejuvenated Bombers claiming top spot on the ladder, the Magpies were rampant in their opening encounter against Port Adelaide, running out 75-point winners.

Collingwood faces North Melbourne this week, a side coming off a gallant yet disappointing loss to the West Coast Eagles. I say gallant because the Kangaroos were forced to go into the game with no recognised ruckman, played in 36 degree heat and at Subiaco where the Eagles rarely lose. Nevertheless, the Eagles suffered two major injuries and were left one short on the bench. Yet, the Kangaroos were overrun in the last quarter after leading at three-quarter-time.

The loss is compounded this week by the fact that they face the reigning premier with one day less rest after coming off the hardest road trip in football. An 0-2 start to the year is not what the Kangaroos would’ve been hoping for; especially since I truly believe North Melbourne is a genuine top-eight contender. 

On a positive note for the Kangaroos, it looks set to regain a number of key players and will be making a stand by wearing the traditional jumper this week after been forced to wear an alternative strip over the past two years when facing Collingwood. This stance is reflected in its membership campaign which calls on supporters to ‘earn your stripes’.

What we learned about the Roos and the Pies in round one
Turning the focus back onto Collingwood, we learned that the Magpies are capable of flicking a switch and clicking into gear when challenged. The Magpies were tested in the third quarter by Port Adelaide who turned a nine goal deficit into a 16 point deficit. As if stung into action, the Magpies then kicked 10 of the next 11 goals to win by a massive margin. It’s a scary message to the competition as Collingwood was far from its best on the weekend, yet were still able to win so comfortably.

Nevertheless, it did show some vulnerabilities in the Magpies game. Both Essendon (In the NAB Cup Grand Final) and Port Adelaide were able to get the momentum against Collingwood despite the fact that the Pies had skipped away to comfortable leads. This shows that if Collingwood’s pressure drops off a little bit that their defensive structures can be penetrated.

What was most interesting for me was the fact that it was when the Bombers and the Power begun to win centre clearances, the Magpies looked most vulnerable. Collingwood relies on getting the ball forward and locking it in. If sides can win cleanly out of the centre, then the Magpies are unable to set up their structures. It also ensures that the defenders are exposed to one-on-ones as opposed to having teammates peel off their opponents to add assistance.

The Magpies have a terrific on-ball division and will rarely be beaten around stoppages. However, opposition coaches will be realising that to beat Collingwood, their side has to win the clearances. Collingwood has dropped off around the stoppages during 15 minute patches in its last two games, so Malthouse will definitely be addressing this area.

The Kangaroos have some of the most exciting kids in the competition coming through. Much of the talk is centred on Melbourne and Richmond, however I think North Melbourne has recruited as good as anyone. They have a very solid defence and a number of forward options.

The midfield is young and will be inconsistent, but once Atley, Cunnington, Anthony and Ziebell fully develop it will be a strong unit. Despite the youth through the middle, it is well led by Swallow and has pace with Wells and Harvey. Adams is also a terribly underrated player.

I also think Brad Scott is the right man for the job and has not been afraid to get the kids in their early. They are getting plenty of experience into their rookies and have a pretty nice blend of youth and experience.

Recent History
Collingwood was comfortable victors against North Melbourne when these two sides last met in round seven last year. It was really a battle of men vs boys as the Magpies ran out 66 point victors. The game was dominated by Dane Swan who polled one vote with 38 possessions. Steele Sidebottom really announced himself with five goals and polled two votes. Alan Didak was given the three votes with a 29-possession and two-goal game. For the Roos, Rawlings and Harvey each had over 30 disposals, whilst Lindsay Thomas kicked three goals.

Prior to 2010, the history between these two sides has been pretty even. North Melbourne typically enjoys playing Collingwood and always lift for the occasion. Collingwood has won the past two encounters, but it was the Kangaroos won the two prior to that.

At the Selection Table
Starting with North Melbourne this time and Brad Scott looks set to boost his side with the inclusions of Drew Petrie, Nathan Grima and Todd Goldstein (who was a late withdrawal last week due to a cold).

Finding spots will be hard. McKinley looks set to be dropped after a disappointing debut for his new club and Petrie will take his spot. However, Scott gave very limited game time to guys like Atley and Cunnington so will be unlikely to drop them. Pederson was solid on debut and was asked to take the ruck duties despite only standing at 193cm. With two ruckmen coming in, his spot may not be entirely secure, however there is no way he’ll be dropped after he tried his guts out on the weekend. Ziebell looked a bit out of nick and cramped late in the game, while Ben Warren did little as the substitute so both may face the axe this week as well.

Switching to Collingwood, and Malthouse also has some selection dilemmas. Nick Maxwell is still likely one or two weeks off and will not be rushed back following his kidney injury. However, Leon Davis will come back into contention after he was a late withdrawal due to illness last week. Malthouse has also flagged the potential inclusions of Keeffe, McCarthy, Sinclair and Fasolo as he is keen to increase the Magpies depth to around 30 players who are capable of stepping into the 22.

Keeffe in particular could be a smokey to debut this week to play on Drew Petrie. With Petrie alongside Hansen, North’s forward line is tall and strong and may require a second big-bodied defender.

A big question mark will remain on Macaffer as well who was the late inclusion for Davis. Macaffer played around 10 minutes of the game last week after coming on as a sub late in the match. Macaffer impressed, kicking a goal with his first kick, however is still short on match fitness and may have to go back to VFL to get some miles back into his legs.

Simon Buckley was iffy in his debut for the Magpies and looks the one who may make way. However, he still kicked two goals and Malthouse typically likes to give new players a few weeks to settle in. Buckley’s decision making looked slow and seven of his 11 kicks were clangers. He was accountable however and should hold his spot for now as he re-adapts to the pace of the game.

Player Analysis

North Melbourne:
Drew Petrie - Petrie returns to the Kangaroos side after only managing two games last year. He was terrific in the pre-season challenge games, however was suspended for round one. As I flagged earlier, I feel Petrie is the most important player at North Melbourne. He is also a perfect modern day backup ruckman, standing at 197cm and capable of playing forward and back as well. Petrie is a terrific contested mark and adds real structure to the side. His inclusion cannot be understated and he typically always lifts for big games. Collingwood in particular has been a favourite opponent of his in the past. He will likely face Ben Reid as an opponent which would be a terrific battle.

Lachlan Hansen - The player who will benefit most from Petrie’s inclusion will be Hansen. He shouldered the majority of the forward line work last, and was also asked to back-up ruck and swing across half back. He could’ve taken the game apart early, but was inaccurate, kicking 1.4 for the match. Nevertheless, he will cause headaches for Collngwood as he is a terrific contested mark and very versatile. He’ll probably get Tarrant as an opponent this week.

Cameron Pederson - Pederson would’ve nearly fainted last week when he heard Goldstein was a late omission and he would be faced with the task of been his side’s number one ruckman against Dean Cox. Standing at only 193cm and on debut, Pederson gave his absolute all for his sides cause. Let’s be honest, he got absolutely smacked by Cox who had 29 possessions, 29 hitouts and two goals. Nevertheless, Pederson had 20 disposals and worked hard into defence where he was very solid with the ball. At worst, he forced Cox to work harder and the Eagles champ cramped up severely in the last quarter and could not ruck. For a debutant to be given such a responsibility, I thought Pederson showed a lot of heart and stood up to the pressure.

Leigh Adams - Such an underrated player for the Kangaroos and is one of those guys a coach would love. He gives his all and has a bit of that old fashioned shinboner spirit in him. He kicked two goals from 18 disposals last week and continually slips under opposition radars. He’ll be important again for North Melbourne this week through the middle. Injuries have been the biggest burden for Adams to date.

Brady Rawlings - I thought his career would come to a very quiet end two years ago after I thought the game had passed him by. Since that point, he has re-invented himself as one of the best back-pockets in the game. Not only does he shut his opponents down, but he earns himself 30+ disposals with regularity. He had 32 again last week. He’ll most likely get the match-up Didak this week or Sidebottom so he will have his hands full.

Andrew Swallow - Although his brother will take most of the press this week as he debuts for the Gold Coast, it is Andrew who remains one of the more underrated players in the game. His inside work is brilliant and he continues to find the ball. He had another 26 disposals and eight tackles last week and was one of the few who ran the game out with gusto. The battle between he and Luke Ball through the middle will be a highlight as both will not take a backward step and go in head first for the footy.

Brent Harvey - Not often does Boomer have two bad games in a row. He was tagged out of the game by Selwood last week and only managed 11 disposals with one goal. Typically, when Harvey is well held, he comes out the following week like a man on a mission. Ben Johnson or Wellingham will be given responsibility for Boomer and will have to be on their guard as he typically plays well against the Magpies.

Robbie Tarrant - Just a quick mention about Chris Tarrant’s brother who has been given the centre half back position this year and had a very impressive game against West Coast taking Kennedy as an opponent and also picking up 21 disposals. May get the big job on Dawes this week or Leigh Brown.

Collingwood
Chris Dawes - Dawes looks set for an absolutely dominant year. He backed up his pre-season form with a four-goal game against Port Adelaide and he looks confident. He actually is taking the mantle over from Travis Cloke as the main forward target and he provides the added bonus of being a reliable shot on goal. Dawes has perhaps toned up a little bit over summer, but still remains a mountain of a man to stop. His attack on the footy is brilliant and always forces a spillage for the crumbers. He is also earning a lot of free kicks as defenders grapple for position against his enormous strength. An improved Chris Dawes makes Collingwood  that little bit more scary. Will probably get Grima or Thompson as an opponent this week, or Robbie Tarrant who was very impressive last week.

Andrew Krakouer - One of the big beneficiaries of Dawes’ contested work will be Krakouer who is one of the more cleaner crumbers in the game. He made his debut for Collingwood last week and was terrific, kicking a goal, getting 19 disposals and five tackles. He really looks to have added something to the Magpies and it was heartening to also see him get a bit of midfield time as well. What is standing out to me with Krakouer is how good his disposal is and his goal sense. He rarely makes an error by foot and is very crafty around congestion. Some of his work in close to find a teammate is breath-taking.

Jarryd Blair - I wondered if Blair would find himself displaced from the side with the inclusion of Krakouer and the impressive pre-season of Leon Davis. However, he has actually taken his game to a new level. He looks quicker and played a really good four-quarter game on the weekend with 22 disposals and three goals. He is another who is brilliant in close and sneaks under the radar. His tackling is also top notch.

Ben Johnson - I questioned Johnson’s form in the preseason as I thought he looked a bit rusty. As usual, he answered critics with a BOG performance on the weekend with 33 disposals two goals and a few assists as well. All this while he was tagging Pearce. It was a dominant Ben Johnson game, yet as is often the case it received little praise. Jonno is a tireless worker who offers such drive off half back. He is also one of the best shots for goal on the run in the competition. He will likely get the job on Boomer Harvey this week, or even Daniel Wells, highlighting his importance to the team.

Chris Tarrant - Taz is having a patchy start to the year. No doubt he adds a lot to the Magpie team, especially without Maxwell and Nathan Brown at the moment. However, he is still working out the structures at the moment and learning to gel with Ben Reid and co. His opponents were able to kick goals on him last week. He started on Schulz and moved onto Westhoff. However, he was generally pretty solid and was sure with the ball in hand. I think he’ll get better as the year wears on...much in the same way as Ball and Jolly did last year.

Heath Shaw - Without Maxwell, Shaw has really taken charge of the defence and has started the year in the same form he ended 2010 in. He never gives up, again making a terrific run down last week when a goal looked certain. His run and drive is again a feature, and if anything he has been given more of a licence to move up the ground if necessary. He was also responsible for Robbie Gray last week and did a fair job on him, highlighting a terrific all-round game. He is a real leader at the club and is in terrific form.

Alan Toovey - I think the football world has finally acknowledged the worth of Alan Toovey. Though he is not a high possession winner, nor a fancy footballer, he had eight tackles last week and shut down his opponent. His ability to chase down his opponent is a real feature, as is his deceptive pace. A few of his teammates dropped the intensity levels for 10 minutes last week, but not Alan Toovey. His aggression is consistent from start to finish and his fitness is also a feature. Plus, you have to love the ‘TOOVEESSS’ call from the crowd.

The Wrap Up
I actually think North Melbourne will put up a really good showing this week and will be tough to put away. However, I think the Perth road-trip from round one will start showing in their legs in the last quarter and the Magpies should be able to put the game away. The substitute rule will not help with the fatigue levels of the Kangaroos either.

The inclusion of Petrie should give North Melbourne a boost. I just question how so many young midfielders will stand up against the experience of the Magpies side. You should never write off a North Melbourne side though.

Pies by 25

By David Natoli
Aka DaVe86