In 2017, David Natoli, aka DaVe86, returns to Collingwood Media to file his famous, in-depth tactical match previews.

Since publishing his first report on Nick's Bulletin Board in early 2005, DaVe86 has become a weekly favourite among the passionate online Magpie Army receiving thousands of views for each article.

The articles are lengthy and have been published in their entirety as the club did not want to hinder DaVe86's creativity during the writing process.

The views expressed in DaVe86's previews are solely of the author and do not reflect the views of the Collingwood Football Club.

Collingwood will make the long trip across the Nullarbor to face Fremantle at Domain Stadium this Sunday.

Collingwood has won back-to-back games for the first time this season and should be full of confidence ahead of one of football’s toughest road trips. With two games before its mid-season bye, Collingwood has a real opportunity to breathe some life into its season, and prepare for a big run to the finals in the back end of the year.

But the Dockers will prove no easy assignment, especially on their home turf and with Aaron Sandilands returning.

The Dockers have been a real surprise packet of 2017, and currently sit in seventh position on the AFL ladder with six wins. But a 100-point loss to Adelaide last week has put a dampener on a terrific start to the year. The Dockers will be keen to atone for their terrible performance last week, so expect quite a fired-up Fremantle outfit this round. In fact, Ross Lyon had never experienced a 100-point defeat in his entire coaching career until last week.

The Pies have not beaten the Dockers at Domain Stadium since 2011, so the home ground advantage will tip scales into Fremantle’s favour. But Collingwood has travelled well in recent times, and its midfield should enjoy the open spaces of Domain Stadium.

Recent History
You have to go back to round 14 last season for the last meeting between these two sides, where it was Collingwood who had a comfortable 48 point victory at the MCG. Fremantle were held to only five goals for the match, and only one in the first half.

Adam Treloar polled the three Brownlow votes with 33 disposals and a goal, while Ben Reid proved a rock in defence with 12 marks, earning him the two Brownlow votes. The one vote went to Scott Pendlebury with 25 disposals.

At the Selection Table
With the game to be played on Sunday, extended squads have been named. Final teams will be released at 5pm on Friday evening.

It will be interesting to see whether Mason Cox returns to help assist with the monster task of curtailing Aaron Sandilands. Ben Crocker looks as if he will replace Alex Fasolo up forward for his first game of the year, while Callum Brown is a chance to be Collingwood’s first debutant of the year.

The big news for Fremantle is the return of Aaron Sandilands after he missed last week with hamstring tightness. His effectiveness can’t be underestimated, and he makes Fremantle a much better side. Danyle Pearce has been dropped for the second time this year, while mature-age recruit Luke Ryan is a chance to debut.



Jeremy Howe marks during Collingwood's win over Fremantle in round 14, 2016.

Focus on Collingwood
Collingwood would have been pleased with its 45-point victory against Brisbane last week, but will also be left ruing it’s inaccuracy. Thirty-nine scoring shots to 19 should have resulted in a 100-point victory, but the Magpies kicked 21 behinds, and were only able to put the game to bed late in the last quarter when the Lions ran out of legs altogether.

Collingwood got away with such poor kicking against the Lions, but won’t be so fortunate against the better sides in the competition. The Magpies are ranked last in the competition for accuracy (44 per cent), so it is becoming crucial that this area is cleaned up as quickly as possible.

The other concern to arise out of last week’s victory was the four goals Brisbane kicked from stoppages. Dayne Beams and Dayne Zorko, in particular, got off the leash. Collingwood has prided itself with its stoppage work so far this year and has barely conceded any goals in this area.

On a more positive note, all other key statistical categories were heavily in Collingwood’s favour, including disposals (444-310), inside 50 (72-33), contested possessions (289-180), uncontested possessions (298-180), clearances (38-32) and hitouts (43-27). It was an absolutely dominant display by this star-studded Collingwood midfield, but it just didn’t reap the rewards on the scoreboard.

In general, Collingwood’s form has been really positive over the last five rounds. The one anomaly was the loss to Carlton, which can be somewhat excused by the fact it was Collingwood’s third game in a 12-day period. Otherwise, it has scored victories against Geelong, Hawthorn and Brisbane, and nearly beat Greater Western Sydney. Performances have been more consistent which has also been a pleasing sign.

Player Focus – Collingwood
Josh Smith – Smith continues to fly under the radar but manages to accumulate impressive numbers across half back. He is averaging over 20 disposals a game this year, but a criticism from some quarters has been his lack of effectiveness. I thought he was really damaging last week, with 25 disposals, and even pushed forward for a beautiful goal from outside 50. His one-on-one defensive work has also really improved, and he isn’t getting exposed in this area. I think as he continues to gain experience, he’ll become more confident to take the game on with his terrific foots kills, and will continue to improve his disposal under pressure.

Matt Scharenberg – It was great to see Scharenberg play his first game since the last round of 2015 after under going a second knee reconstruction. He had a slow start to the game, but never looked out of place, with his classy ball-use on full display. As the game wore on, he really got involved, with 16 disposals and an impressive efficiency on 87 per cent. He has worked so hard to get himself back into the senior team, and fingers crossed he becomes a permanent fixture of the backline.


Focus on Fremantle
After losing the first two games of the year, Fremantle’s season looked extremely gloomy. But in the weeks that followed, the Dockers won six of the next seven games, and now sit comfortably in the top eight. Adelaide issued the Dockers a reality check last week, but in general there is plenty to be positive about with this Fremantle side. The return of Aaron Sandilands will be a big boost, and the Dockers have bounced back from losses well this season.

The improvement has largely come from the terrific recruiting over the off-season. Bradley Hill has returned to some of his best form and is enjoying playing alongside his brother Stephen, while Cam McCarthy and Shane Kersten have really improved the dynamic of the forward line. Joel Hamling has also added solidity to the defence, which has been quite miserly since round three. The return of Aaron Sandilands and Nat Fyfe has also bolstered the midfield. When Sandilands is fit, it adds a whole different dynamic to this side.

Ross Lyon has never been known as purely an attacking coach, but this Fremantle side has a different feel about it. Although the Dockers are still far from an offensive juggernaut, they are definitely a lot more willing to take the game on with some outside run. The Magpies will struggle to contain the likes of the Hill brothers, Lachie Neale, Lachie Weller, Nat Fyfe, David Mundy and Michael Walters.


Player Focus – Fremantle
Nat Fyfe – After missing the majority of 2016 with a leg injury, Fyfe seemed to return to form almost immediately early this season, although his form has definitely tapered in recent weeks. A superstar like Fyfe doesn’t stay down for too long, so I’m expecting quite a sharp response from him this round.

Connor Blakely – Blakely has cemented his spot in the side and is averaging a respectable 23 disposals a game. The impressive part of Blakely’s season to date has been his ability to shut down opponents and play defensive tagging roles. With so much emphasis on Fremantle’s improved attacking play, Blakely has become quite important as one of the more disciplined and hard-working midfielders in the side.

The Wrap-Up
It is such an important game for both sides this week. The ladder is so even, and every win and loss has a big say as to the make-up of the top eight. If Fremantle wins, it could potentially sneak into the top four, and if it loses it could fall out of the top eight altogether. On the other hand, a loss for Collingwood will leave it at least two games out of the top eight, while a win could see it knocking on the door.

It will be a big test for Brodie Grundy up against the tallest player in the competition. Grundy has been in terrific form, but will need to be at his best this week. He may not win the hitouts, but should give Sandilands a run for his money around the ground. Both sides boast strong midfields, so, for mine, this game will be won or lost in that area.

It will be interesting to see how Fremantle responds from its big loss last week, and it will be equally interesting to see whether Collingwood can make the most of its opportunities when they present.

By David Natoli
Aka DaVe86