The oft-maligned Jack Watts equalled his career high with four goals as Melbourne extended Collingwood’s poor start to the AFL season with a 35-point victory at the MCG.
With son of a gun Jack Viney and skipper Nathan Jones dominant in the midfield and Watts the most effective forward on the ground, the improving Demons led all day and won 16.6 (102) to 9.13 (67).
Ever since being selected at No.1 ahead of Nic Naitanui in the 2008 national draft, Watts has been as heavily scrutinised as any player in the competition.
But he extended a fine start to the 2016 campaign with 17 possessions, eight marks and four goals in his 119th senior game.
Viney – the son of former Melbourne skipper Todd Viney – Jones, Dom Tyson and towering ruckman Max Gawn were among the Demons’ best.
Magpies ruckman Brodie Grundy gifted a major to Melbourne’s Sam Frost with an ill-advised handball in the first quarter and Tom Langdon made an even worse error in the third term when his shoddy kick across goal was easily picked off by Dean Kent.
Collingwood lost Ben Sinclair to concussion shortly before halftime, while key forward Travis Cloke suffered an arm injury in the final quarter.
Collingwood slipped to a 1-3 win-loss record, with their only victory of the year being a one-point escape against fellow battlers Richmond in round two.
Dating back to the mid-point of the 2015 season, the Magpies have now lost 12 of their past 15 games.
The Magpies must regroup in time for the Anzac Day blockbuster against Essendon while the Demons face another winnable assignment against Richmond next Sunday.
ColDee
Guest
Tarrant, Davis, Fraser, Didak, Thomas, Pendlebury, Reid, Brown, Sidebottom, Grundy, Kennedy, Broomhead, Scharenburg, Freeman, De Goey, Moore..... That is a lot of first round draft picks in the same time period, surely Collingwood didn't tank to get priority picks and the like.
dan in devon
Guest
Definitely the wrong game plan - total absence of cover defence when the ball is turned over. Against St Kilda I counted 9 Collingwood players around the stoppage compared to 4 StKilda player; beyond the stoppage St. Kilda had unmarked men in space. They need to take a leaf out of Shaun Edwards defence patterns with/in the Welsh rugby team. Simply too many loose opposition players being able to accra the ball at leisure. It seems to me that players are either lacking confidence or do not understand their defensive role. IN any case, they should have shut the game down against Melbourne by playing man-on-man football when things started to go awry mid-way through the first quarter. It appears the Collingwood players are unable to respond to the circumstances of the game.
Bretto
Guest
I'm a Pies supporter but am hoping Essendon win on Anzac Day. That would surely be the last straw. A lot of us have been very patient with Buckley taking us from playing in a Grand Final to 12th. The calibre of players to leave the club says something about the coach and culture. They are either not playing for the coach, or the game plan is a joke. Either way the coach has to go.
peter
Guest
Gee Hal - perhaps you weren't aware of this: http://www.afl.com.au/news/2013-02-19/afl-full-statement-melbourne-tanking-penalties or this http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/integrity-intact-demons-20130219-2epml.html Regarding the 1990's - there were a number of reasons why it was such a rollercoaster ride but the reality is from 1987 until 2006 the Demons had issues with consistent performances. Melbourne were fined $500,000 - although nothing was proved- at a time where they were financially struggling. A fine like this might be nothing to Collingwood, Essendon, or Carlton but it was a great deal to a club that was struggling with debt due to exceptionally poor management over a period of years. The 500,000 fine was the third-highest penalty in league history despite there being no evidence the club's board, management, players or then coach Dean Bailey deliberately set out to lose games to secure draft picks Carltons former assistant coach claimed they tanked for picks http://www.abc.net.au/news/2008-03-13/carlton-tanked-liberatore/1071980. Jon Worsfold defended experimentation http://www.westcoasteagles.com.au/news/2011-08-03/experimentation-not-tanking-worsfold Don't let the facts get in the way. It is your right to claim that Melbourne are cheats.
hal
Guest
There are few games that I barrack for Collingwood, but this is one of them. Melbourne never received adequate punishment for tanking. No matter what you think of the Essendon saga, no one can say that Essendon did not get their right wack. No matter what you think of Carlton cheating the salary cap, no one can say that Carlton did not get their right wack. Adelaide, on the other hand, did not, but that is another story. Melbourne have been tanking for years to manipulate the draft. In the 1990's they would have one up year and then a down year. Evidence suggests that Melbourne knew that they were not premiership contenders so they would tank to top up on draft picks so they could have a better shot the following year. Melbourne got a mere slap on the wrist for tanking. They should have been stripped of their points the following season and disqualified from the draft. To add insult to injury the AFL paved the way for Melbourne to secure Paul Roos. Melbourne also lucked out and missed out on further wooden spoons because the expansion clubs were brought into the competition. As much as I dislike Collingwood, at least they are not cheats. Melbourne are cheats.
Bobbo7
Guest
Hardly a shock. Collingwood are rubbish.