Both teams started with a man loose inside defensive 50 – Heath Shaw for Collingwood and Andy Otten for Adelaide. Robert Shirley lined up next to Alan Didak, Scott Thompson and Dane Swan went head to head, and Bernie Vince surprisingly started on the bench.
FOUR QUARTERS
Q1: Collingwood 1.4 (10) v Adelaide 6.3 (39)
Adelaide dominated the quarter with a record 148 disposals, as well as starving the Magpies of any quality time in possession. The Crows first three goals were a direct result of Collingwood mistakes. Vince was influential once on the ground and Ivan Maric and James Seller gave the Crows midfielders plenty of supply. The potency of Adelaide’s forward set-up meant Collingwood defenders had to worry about their man instead of zoning off. Didak and Leon Davis were shut down as the Pies pushed two back to stem the bleeding, but could not get their hands on the ball.
Q2: Collingwood 3.5 (23) v Adelaide 7.7 (49)
Adelaide continued to amass big numbers, with Vince best on ground and well supported by David Mackay, Scott Stevens and Graham Johncock. The Crows negated Collingwood’s loose men inside their forward-50 by going long to tall targets but the Magpies slowed Adelaide down late and kept it to just the one goal for the term. Importantly, Didak and Leon Davis started to find the ball. Collingwood win the quarter but still trail by 26 points.
Q3: Collingwood 9.7 (61) v Adelaide 7.9 (51)
The Crows started the quarter without Knights as the Magpies rediscovered their intensity and pressure. A six-goal quarter was the result , with young Pies Steele Sidebottom, Sharrod Wellingham and Brad Dick all pivotal. importantly, Ben Johnson led the way on the scoreboard and Didak continued to work his way into the match. The Magpies blocked the corridor which stopped the Crows run.
Q4: Collingwood 12.11 (83) v Adelaide 11.12 (78)
Momentum swung in a dour final quarter with both teams taking the ball from one end of the ground to the other like a pinball machine. The Crows won the quarter by a goal but looked tired even with an extra two days break. The Magpies defenders got control of the game the longer it went and were well served by Dick and Sidebottom. A late John Anthony goal grabs the lead and the match by five points.
TACTIC THAT MATTERED
After trying to push numbers back in the first half, Collingwood reverted to man-on-man to great effect. The Crows were restricted to five goals after quarter time, while the Pies kicked 11. Malthouse also showed great faith in Sidebottom, Wellingham and Dick who all responded in wonderful fashion. Collingwood also used the interchange to its advantage, exposing the Adelaide bench minus Knights.
THE COACHES
Mick Malthouse
One suspects Malthouse delivered some home truths at half time and whatever was said worked a treat. The coach certainly asked for a greater effort and demanded his players take responsibility for a man. Malthouse instigated a greater concentration of Collingwood players through the corridor which forced the Crows wide and backwards. As a result, they became indirect and indecisive.
Neil Craig
Craig wasn’t able to find any answers once the Magpies went one on one. His ability to rotate was impacted with Knights going off in the second quarter and his players tired badly after the main break.
HOW THE GAME WAS LOST
The Crows didn’t handle being pushed wide in the second half and once the Magpies upped the ante, Adelaide made too many unforced errors. After booting six goals in the opening term the Crows couldn’t find multiple avenues to goal outside of Kurt Tippet. To many Adelaide players allowed their opponents to run unchecked in the third and fourth quarters, when they had them under control in the opening two quarters.
HOW THE GAME WAS WON
Forget the first half – the game was won with a blistering third term which netted six goals for Collingwood. The Pies clogged up the middle of the ground and forced the Crows outside. Collingwood went back to basics by playing one on one which meant Adelaide didn’t have the freedom it enjoyed in the first half. The Pies got great service from their younger players who were well supported by the leaders in Didak, Swan and Maxwell ,as well as a couple of important cameo roles from Brent Macaffer and Leigh Brown when it matter most.
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
