CTV> Shannon Cox is looking forward to the start of the home and away season CTV> Brad Scott addresses the media after the loss to Geelong on Friday night
COLLINGWOOD'S impressive NAB Cup campaign has been stopped at the grand final with a 76-point defeat at the hands of Geelong.
Such was the Cats' dominance that the only time the Magpies looked to be on level-pegging was in the opening term. They kicked two of the first three goals and went into quarter time with scores level.
From there it was all Geelong, slamming on six goals to none in the second quarter and sending an ominous message to the rest of the competition.
The final scores were 0.18.19 (127) to 1.6.6 (51).
Collingwood looked to take the early momentum when ruckman Chris Bryan received a 50m penalty on the wing and promptly put through a nine-point goal.
That six-point lead was cut by the Cats but spectators looked set for a contest that would continue the way it started.
However, three quick goals to Steve Johnson, Paul Chapman and Travis Varcoe and relentless pressure around the ground threw Collingwood to the ropes.
Soon the Pies' deficit was 36 points and they were feeling it most in the midfield. Joel Selwood was inflicting the damage, finishing the game with 33 possessions and the Michael Tuck Medal as best afield.
Collingwood's only scoring chance came when Sharrod Wellingham took a set shot from just outside 50, but fell short, and the margin was 40 points at the main break.
Scott Pendlebury (14 possessions), Tarkyn Lockyer (20), Shannon Cox (17) and Dale Thomas (15) were trying hard, but the biggest challenge was getting hands to the contested ball.
Almost a half of football had passed when Thomas finally found the Pies' third goal 13 minutes into the third quarter.
Youngster Dayne Beams has had an impressive pre-season so far but he was given a football lesson by Selwood and was soon moved off him.
But Beams went some way to redeeming himself in the third term when he threw himself into a contest with scant regard for his own safety. Less than a minute later, he snapped a goal to complete Collingwood’s best passage of play for the night.
Those efforts were eroded by an error by Bryan at the other end, which created a goal for Mathew Stokes. The bungle was indicative of Collingwood's evening.
Wellingham did a reasonable job on Gary Ablett to begin with but the Geelong champion soon broke away and finished the game with 35 disposals.
Geelong's only lowlight of the night came late in the first quarter when defender Josh Hunt seriously injured his left knee in a contest with Paul Medhurst. Hunt was stretchered off the ground and will undergo scans on Saturday morning.
Cox and Lockyer worked well out of the back line despite the constant defensive pressure from Geelong.
Martin Clarke set up plenty of drive and Shane O’Bree had 13 possessions but his disposal, particularly by hand, was poor.
The game was well and truly over by three-quarter time, but Ablett continued – kicking two goals from deep in the pocket.
It was a disappointing conclusion for Collingwood, but performances in recent weeks against West Coast, Richmond and Essendon showed good signs ahead of the season proper.
Geelong 0.3.5 0.9.10 0.13.15 0.18.19 (127)
Collingwood 1.2.2 1.2.3 1.4.5 1.6.6 (51)
GOALS
Geelong: Nine-point goals: Nil Goals: Ablett 3, S. Johnson 3, Selwood 2, Chapman 2, Lonergan 2, Stokes 2, Gamble, Varcoe, Tenace, Bartel
Collingwood: Nine-point goals: Bryan Goals: Thomas 2, Clarke, O'Bree, Beams, Cloke
BEST
Geelong: Selwood, Ablett, Chapman, Taylor, S. Johnson, Bartel
Collingwood: Cox, Thomas, Lockyer, Pendlebury
INJURIES
Geelong: Josh Hunt (knee)
Collingwood: Nil
Reports: Nil
Umpires: McLaren, Jeffery, Donlon, M. Nicholls
Crowd: 37,277 at Docklands
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the club.
