We’ve got a good one in Finlay Macrae

In just his eighth game, Pies fans should be ecstatic with the Finlay Macrae’s output this season. Kicking his first goal, a running goal from 45 meters out, Macrae showed promising signs against the Hawks.

The young midfielder has shown he is very capable at the level and a natural ball magnet. He accumulated 20 disposals to go with his goal from just 61% game time.

Robert Harvey spoke to Macrae’s performance after the game:

• “He’s learning against some very season and experienced guys, he’s only going to get better”.
• “He’s getting a lot of responsibility in an AFL midfield, there’s a lot to work with there”.

With a full pre-season under his belt going into 2022, it’s going to be exciting to see what Macrae can put together for the Pies next year.

Darcy Cameron, the perfect second fiddle

The role that Darcy Cameron plays in this Collingwood side goes largely under appreciated and undervalued by those outside the club. The perfect second fiddle to star ruckman Brodie Grundy, Cameron allows Grundy to rest while also causing issues for his opponent.

Cameron had a game-high four contested marks on Sunday afternoon, 10 hitouts, 11 disposals and a goal. His ability to be a dangerous forward that is very serviceable in the ruck, which is a great asset for the Pies.

Jack Ginnivan continues to impress

You can't be more pleased with the string of games Jack Ginnivan has put together for the Pies. Five goals, three of those coming on Sunday afternoon against the Hawks, Ginnivan looks to be a player.

It’s his ability to impact the game regardless of how many disposals he has that is most impressive, his first 3 kicks all resulting in goals. With two games left in the season, he’s another player that will cherish the opportunity to play at senior level.

Who know’s what 2022 will bring with a full pre-season under his belt.

The Pies love a contested game

Hawthorn were able to keep the ball out of the hands of the Pies for a majority of Saturday afternoon’s match, a game style that has been effective against Collingwood in 2021.

Earlier in the season, teams put an emphasis on a high marking game against the Pies. The Hawks implemented this same plan to good effect, preventing Collingwood from moving the ball quickly through the middle of the ground.

The Hawks average 88 marks per game in 2021, but against the Pies managed 137. Equally, they had 320 uncontested possessions, while their season average is just 235.

Character unquestioned

After a disappointing first half, the character of this Pies team is unquestioned. This team has faced continued adversity throughout 2021 and after being behind by 30 points at half time, the Pies were able to win the second half.

A variety of statistics indicate effort wasn’t the issue, the Pies winning the contested possession count by three and amassed 15 more tackles.

Tellingly, the Pies have run out games well this year. A trend that continued on Saturday afternoon against the Hawks.