CHAOS. Simply chaos.
Big goals, a pinging footy, a roaring crowd, and a smattering of tension, St Kilda and Collingwood closed Opening Round in an enthralling fashion.
Ultimately, it was Collingwood who came away with the four points, posting an 11.12 (78) to 9.12 (66) victory in Victoria’s only clash of the weekend.
With a bucketful of expectation, St Kilda fans turned out to the MCG in numbers to help the side to its biggest home and away crowd in history, with 82,528 people through the turnstiles.
A combination of fast footy and brute force left tensions bubbling throughout the game, with Saint Hugo Garcia and Pie Brayden Maynard regular instigators of spotfires. Former St Kilda forward Tim Membrey also had some words with his ex-teammates as the sides parted at the main break.
While the intent to play an attacking brand of footy to balance its historically defensive style was evident from St Kilda, it was let down by poor decision making and execution in the front half.
Early in the piece, there was a clear clash of styles at play. St Kilda was a little stagnant – well-structured and working hard to be measured in its ball use – while Collingwood slung the footy from its back half like a bull at a gate.
Flicking the ball by hand at pace, the Pies were able to create a number of dangerous opportunities close to goal thanks to the space afforded by such speed. The Saints, although equalling the inside 50 count at 11 for the term, was forced to work in congestion and its entries didn't necessarily offer their forward best opportunity to leap at the footy.
That all changed after the first break, however, as the home side turned its forward pressure all the way up, and its capacity to win the ball from the middle meant impressive territory control and a neatly set up intercepting layer 80m from goal. New addition Jack Silvagni (nine intercepts) and freshly minted co-captains Callum Wilkie (nine intercepts, two contested marks), and Jack Sinclair (35 disposals, seven intercepts) led the way for the line.
Where Collingwood was using that rebounding bounce to score in the first term, it simply couldn't exit its defensive half in the second.
But for all their dominance in the quarter, the Saints only returned three goals from six scores, leaving them vulnerable to the next wave of Collingwood brilliance.
The injection of Beau McCreery (16 disposals, two goals) into the middle gave the Pies a sense of purpose once more, teaming up with veteran Scott Pendlebury for two goals in two minutes after the main break.
Where Collingwood was using that rebounding bounce to score in the first term, it simply couldn't exit its defensive half in the second.
But for all their dominance in the quarter, the Saints only returned three goals from six scores, leaving them vulnerable to the next wave of Collingwood brilliance.
As Collingwood champion Scott Pendlebury pulled up alongside Michael Tuck for all time games played – now sitting equal-second in the League's history – he unleashed a whole new way to impact. Pendlebury rode the pine to start the first two quarters, only to come on and offer an elite link in the attacking half. In his 10 first quarter minutes alone, Pendlebury recorded six disposals and three goal assists. His game time was a lever used as needed, with him taking the field 12 minutes into the second term as his Pies struggled to get a handle on the Saints' increased pressure, and starting in the forward line for the third. He finished the game with 26 disposals, including a game-high five goal assists as he remains a talisman for Collingwood in season No.21.
ST KILDA 2.4 5.7 7.10 9.12 (66)
COLLINGWOOD 4.3 5.5 10.10 11.12 (78)
GOALS
St Kilda: Owens 2, Sharman 2, Hall, Higgins, Hill, Ryan, Wanganeen-Milera
Collingwood: De Goey 3, Schultz 2, McCreery 2, Cameron, Elliott, McStay, Steele
INJURIES
St Kilda: Marshall (concussion)
Collingwood: Nil
Crowd: 82,528 at the MCG
