Head to head: Collingwood 118 wins, Essendon 98 wins, four draws
Last time: Collingwood 15.12 (102) d Essendon 9.13 (67), round 14, 2009 at the MCG
The Magpies, and in particular Josh Fraser, erased some of the heartache of their Anzac Day failings from earlier in the season by upstaging the Bombers on a greasy night at the MCG. After copping a whack from the media for his performance against Paddy Ryder in their early-season meeting, Fraser responded by being best afield as he gathered 23 disposals and booted a vital goal late in the third term when Essendon were posing a challenge. But in reality, a seven-goal-to-one second term set up the Pies’ win, with Alan Didak (35 possessions) and Dane Swan (29 disposals) prolific. Brent Stanton (27 disposals) was arguably the Bombers’ best.
MISSING IN ACTION
Essendon
Darcy Daniher (quad) - test
Ben Howlett - (ankle) - 1-2 weeks
Mark McVeigh - (elbow infection) - test
Angus Monfries (quad) - test
Michael Quinn (quad) - 1 week
Brent Stanton (back) - test
John Williams (ankle) - test
Mark Williams (ankle) - test
LAST WEEK
Essendon 11.12 (78) lost to the West Coast Eagles 15.11 (101) at Subiaco
Essendon was pretty ordinary against the Eagles last week. The Bombers were outclassed, outrun and lacked polish against a team that isn’t expected to figure prominently at the business end of the year. The loss was a big wake-up call for Matthew Knights’ team just a week after they had beaten arch rival Carlton.
Leading goalkicker - David Zaharakis (7)
Leading ballwinner - Jobe Watson (106)
DANGER MAN
Earlier this week Essendon coach Matthew Knights labelled Jobe Watson his only genuine A grader. Watson’s recent performances against the Pies suggest Collingwood will be desperate to stop the Bombers captain from igniting his team’s engine room. Watson has collected 30, 41 and 27 disposals in his past three matches against the black and white, with his typical grunt and clearance work a feature.
HOW’S STAT?
The 16th installment of the annual clash between Collingwood and Essendon will break the deadlock between the two clubs in Anzac Day fixtures. Since 1995, the two clubs have each had seven wins and played a famous draw.
TALKING POINT
The form and success of the Darren Jolly-Josh Fraser combination continues to be a point of contention with Pie fans. Neither man has set the world on fire this season and while both men will take time adjusting to new clubs and positions in 2010, Sunday’s clash might provide the perfect platform for them to silence the doubters.
WHAT THE OPPOSITION SAYS
“Part of the great part about our team last season was the resilience to keep coming at times, so we’ve got to get that back a little bit. I’d prefer Zaharakis and Lovett-Murray not to leave the run so late this week, and we can edge our noses in front a bit earlier. Underdog status? [That] shouldn’t be a factor. But obviously we will go in this week as underdogs with Collingwood in pretty purple form, so it sits with us fine and we’ll go hard at it.” - Essendon coach Matthew Knights
WHAT THE PIES SAY
“If anyone said it’s a normal game they haven’t played in it. It is a four-point game but that’s where it ends. It is very much a big-stage game where players are tested mentally [and are] always going to be tested physically. Quite frankly I thrive on ... seeing if I can see into the soul of players to see how they cope with those moments on the big stage. These games mean a hell of a lot more than the four points.” - Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the club.
