Australian Football

Match Report

Clashes between Collingwood and Carlton almost invariably live up to the blockbuster status routinely attributed to them but Sunday's night's game between the Pies and the Blues failed to live up to that on two counts, as Collingwood comfortable accounted for the Blues at the MCG. The first aspect of the failure was the crowd. The AFL has trialled several Sunday night games in 2014 but the reaction has been lukewarm at best. This "blockbuster" drew just 40,936 to the game, the lowest MCG crowd to se these two teams since 1921. The cold and miserable weather may have played a part in the poor turnout but the AFL announced in the days after the game that they would not be scheduling further Sunday night games in 2015.

The second factor in the failure of this match to live up to blockbuster status was Carlton. The Blues got off to a slow start and were playing catch-up footy for the rest of the evening. Though they did manage to get within nine points at one stage in the last quarter, there was never really a sense that the Blues could snatch the game. 

Though Carlton got the match off to a perfect start, with Chris Judd goaling at the three-minute mark, the rest of the first quarter was owned by Collingwood as the Magpies kicked six of the next seven goals - two of those to skipper Scott Pendlebury - to take a 25-point lead into quarter time. The Pies extended hat to 31 when Travis Cloke kicked the first goal of the second term but the Blues, to their credit, then worked themselves into the match, kicking four of the next five goals - the last of those to ex-Magpie Daisy Thomas - to cut the margin to 17 points at the long break. 

The third term was not unlike the weather, a dour affair, and the two teams between them managed just three goals. Two of those were to Collingwood and the Pies' lead was back out to 23 points at the last change. Carlton attacked strongly when the final term began but could convert that to a score of only 1.3, bringing them to within 14 points of the Pies. Dayne Beams responded for the Pies and when Clinton Young kicked another at the eight-minute mark, the margin was 26 points and the Magpies looked to have the game won. But Carlton came again, dominating the play between the 10 and 20-minute marks and goals to Marc Murphy, Lachie Henderson and Troy Menzel gave the Blues a sniff of victory as time-on began. Finally, at the 27-minute mark, Steele Sidebottom kicked a long bomb for Collingwood to put the result behind doubt and the Pies prevailed by 15 points.

Sidebottom (33 disposals, nine tackles) and Pendlebury (11 tackles, 24 possessions) were magnificent for the victors, while Chris Judd (27 touches and three tackles) played a fine game for the Blues.

The Magpies, in sixth place with nine wins, face a tough match against eighth-placed Gold Coast next Saturday while the Blues, languishing in 14th place on the ladder with a poor 4-10 record, will take on St Kilda at Docklands the next day.

GOALS
Collingwood: Pendlebury, Young, Ball, Sidebottom 2; Keeffe, Goldsack, Cloke, Witts, Beams
Carlton: Everitt, Henderson 2; Judd, Casboult, McLean, Gibbs, Thomas, Menzel, Murphy

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Collingwood: Sidebottom, Macaffer, Swan, Pendlebury, Dwyer, Beams
Carlton: Judd, Gibbs, Curnow, Robinson, Simpson, Jamison

BEST - THE AGE
Collingwood: Pendlebury, Beams, Sidebottom, Swan, Young, Lumumba, Frost, Macaffer
Carlton: Judd, Yarran, Gibbs, Robinson, Henderson, Rowe
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INJURIES
Collingwood: Elliot (hamstring), Langdon (concussion) replaced in selected side by Kennedy
Carlton: White (knee) replaced in selected side by Armfield

SUBSTITUTES
Collingwood: Jamie Elliot (hamstring) subbed out for Ben Kennedy in the third quarter.
Carlton: Dennis Armfield subbed out for Blaine Johnson in the third quarter.

REPORTS
Collingwood: Dayne Beams for striking Ed Curnow.
Carlton: Mitch Robinson for striking Taylor Adams.

UMPIRES: Nicholls, Ryan, Jeffery

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Seven Network

COMMENTATORS: Bruce McAvaney, Dennis Cometti, Leigh Matthews, Tim Watson, Nick Riewoldt, Cameron Ling