Collingwoodfc.com.au will be providing a detailed statistical look into every match courtesy of Champion Data.

From the opening bounce it was clear there was a new-look Collingwood outfit up against the Western Bulldogs on Sunday afternoon with ruckman Darren Jolly and midfielder Luke Ball involved in the first contest.

Centre bounce combinations
Ball was involved in 71% of the centre bounces which was the highest for his side.  Last year’s Copeland Trophy winner Dane Swan was next highest with 66% while veteran Shane O’Bree was in the middle of the ground 46% of the time.

It is interesting to note that the two hard-ball specialists, Ball and O’Bree, lined up next to each other for the centre bounce on nine occasions (9% of the time). 

In what might be a sign of things to come for the young Magpie, Sharrod Wellingham was used in 12 (34%) centre bounces and gathered three first possessions (second most for the side behind Ball with four).

Ruck contests
Jolly was used in 71% of the centre bounces and 67% of the overall ruck contests.  Josh Fraser relieved Jolly for 33% of the ruck contests.

Random stat
Collingwood had the second highest number of rotations on Sunday, rotating players 138 times (139 North Melbourne).  No surprises with Swan interchanged the most (12), followed by Alan Didak (10) and then Scott Pendlebury and O’Bree (9 each).

Defenders Nick Maxwell and Harry O’Brien played 100% of the match.

Looking ahead

Targets inside 50
Melbourne’s midfielders went inside the forward 50 arc 42 times against Hawthorn with Brad Miller targeted seven times to lead his side while Ricky Petterd was locked on six times.

Danger man
Brent Moloney was one of the best for the Demons collecting 22 possessions and using it extremely effectively (86%).  The runner-up in last year’s best and fairest gained the most metres kicked (537 metres) and was involved in 23 centre square bounces (tied with James McDonald for the most in his side).