Collingwood’s 108kg wrecking ball, Travis Cloke, is back in town and has torn North Melbourne’s defence apart at the MCG.
After just four goals in the opening four rounds of the AFL season, Cloke returned to his dominant best on Saturday with four goals in his side’s 35-point win.
The Magpies led by 33 points at halftime and won 13.15 (93) to 8.10 (58). Both sides managed only three goals in the second half in front of a crowd of 57,116.
It was Collingwood’s third win of the season, giving the Magpies a confidence boost before Friday’s Anzac Day blockbuster against Essendon.
Cloke also pulled down a game-high five contested marks.
North’s defeat ends a three-match unbeaten run, and the report of fullback Scott Thompson for striking Cloke in the stomach adds to the Kangaroos’ concerns.
Not only was 2013 All-Australian Cloke looking dangerous and should have probably bagged six goals, but tagger Brent Macaffer gave another big performance.
Macaffer, whose holding tactics were under scrutiny in the media this week, kept Nick Dal Santo to 21 disposals and limited the triple All-Australian’s influence.
Brownlow Medallist Dane Swan was dominant with a game-high 35 touches for the Magpies, and Steele Sidebottom was also in tremendous form.
Onballer Ben Cunnington was among North’s better players.
Lindsay Thomas, who limped off at the end with a possible corked thigh, and Ryan Bastinac kicked two goals each for North, but big Drew Petrie was goal-less.
Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley praised his side for pressuring the Kangaroos into mistakes and forcing turnovers.
Pressed on Cloke’s performance, Buckley added: “We expect the same effort and attitude and competitiveness from him as we do from any one of our players.
“He brought it in spades today,” Buckley said.
Buckley said it was Collingwood’s most-complete performance of the season.
“I rate them as a side. They’re up and about and we were able to blunt them pretty early, which was important,” he said.
North coach Brad Scott said Cloke had been unstoppable early.
“We were certainly on the backfoot with the way we succumbed to their pressure early and we couldn’t respond,” he said.
“And certainly the way Cloke got a hold of the game in that first and second quarter (was influential).”
Asked about Thompson’s report, Scott said the defender had the old-fashioned attitude that forwards should be made to earn their kicks.
“You’d be shattered if you got a week for that, wouldn’t you,” Scott said.
North travel to Perth to play Fremantle on Friday.
Strapon1
Guest
How many frees will duck selwood get Monday who knows depends if his team is behind or in front as bad as superman who played for the bombers the grass chucker
Axle an the guru
Guest
Haha you boys down Geelong way Gene seem to have a rivalry that matches the best football has to offer hahaha
micka
Guest
Performing 1 game from 5 makes you a wrecking ball? Blokes like cloke are a dime a doz. Being mass with safe hands isn't special. Combine this with a decent kick and you have a Coleman medallist. Everyone loves a rolling maul full of 36 athletes though. Why learn how to kick 6 goals if you can sprint for 2 hours.
Samuel Gates
Roar Pro
Teams have much more dynamic forward lines these days and look to get a high number of scoring options. Sydney won the 2012 with their top goal kicker getting only around 40 odd.
Samuel Gates
Roar Pro
I agree with Andy. Everyone knows he's the best contested mark in the competition so he has been heavily marked. Elliot is taking his game to the next level this year and Collingwood is getting some great scoring contributions from many of their run with midfielders.
Cat
Roar Guru
certainly won't be until these full forwards learn to convert at better then 50% rates.
Axle an the guru
Guest
There will never be another player kick the ton, the day of the leading full forward are gone, and i dont know if we will ever see that type of full forward again, the modern kick chasey brand dont allow for that type of player. I love watching Cloke play when he is hot, it just dont happen that often enough.
andyincanberra
Guest
Exactly, while he may not be kicking them himself, he's being double or triple teamed, drawing opposition players and creating space for the likes of Elliott and Beams.
andyincanberra
Guest
I can't see another 100 goal kicker anytime soon, if ever. Agree, 65 is pretty much Coleman territory.
Pillock
Guest
4 or 5 goals is about the best a quality forward seems to be doing these days against any reasonable side. Might see a few blow outs of 7 plus against the lesser sides. Wonder if any of the online bookies run a book on the number of goals it takes to win the Coleman. About 65 would be the mark.
Floreat Pica
Guest
Still, happy to take them when they come!- with White emerging and a midfield and small forward list contributing a spread of goal kickers I'm more than happy with cloke's contest this season- bringing the ball to a favourable position even if the bag isn't always his. Clearly he is a confidence player when it comes to putting the score on the board, and this week was a massive boost to that confidence, but irrespective of his form by foot its hard to take anything away from cloke's efforts each week.
Michael huston
Guest
No point in kicking a bag once every blue moon.