The return of Josh Kennedy and Jack Darling proved crucial in a big win for West Coast, but the result has been marred by what could prove to be a serious knee injury for Nic Naitanui.
Final score
Collingwood Magpies 9.13.67
West Coast Eagles 15.12.102
Sunday afternoon football takes us to the home of the game, as the Collingwood Magpies host the West Coast Eagles in what might be a classic. Join The Roar for live scores and a live blog from 1:10pm AEST.
What a clash this could be. Both these teams are 11-4, both have near identical percentages and both have been among 2018’s surprise packets.
Yet it’s Collingwood who hold a considerable advantage in terms of the venue, having beaten the West Australians at the ‘G each and ever time they’ve played here… for the past 23 years.
Form wise, it’s the Magpies who’ve been in better touch. Their last outing was a tough victory over arch-rivals Essendon, coming after relatively easy wins over stragglers the Gold Coast and Carlton.
This clash, though, begins a tough patch of the year for Collingwood, as they face North, Richmond and Sydney in the three weeks after West Coast.
Wrest Coast snapped a three-game losing streak with a fine victory in Perth over the Giants, but a very poor few weeks before that game had many questioning how good this team genuinely is.
However, they were disadvantaged by missing men in Kennedy, Darling and LeCras – something that won’t (baring late changes) effect them today.
Speaking of missing forwards, this will be a high scoring clash, with both teams at the pointy end of the scoring statistics this year.
Team-wise, there’s plenty to discuss. Collingwood has made a duo of changes, with Ben Crocker omitted and first-year Magpie Flynn Appleby out with injury. Travis Varcoe and the important Darcy Moore return to the side.
West Coast – at very long last – have use of Jack Darling, Mark LeCras and Josh J. Kennedy, whilst youngster Jake Waterman also returns. Brendon Ah Chee, Nathan Vardy, Brayden Ainsworth and Oscar Allen have all been dropped to make way.
Prediction
This’ll be a good game, I’m thinking. Perhaps game of the round, barring last night’s thriller between Richmond and GWS.
Collingwood’s been in the better form, but EWest Coast’s best is perhaps better again. Tough to pick, really.
I’d love to tip Collingwood, but on the basis of the teams, I’m going to have to go against the realm of popular opinion and choose the Eagles to break their long losing streak at the MCG. Narrowly.
Screw ‘good’ game…. this might be a beauty.
West Coast by 7 points
Join The Roar for live scores and a blog of the match, starting from 1:10pm AEST.
Pieman
Guest
Hahaha...i dont masquerade as anything but i certainly dont blindly follow anything the stooges dish up.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Funny Powa has gone missing since as well.
Bretto
Roar Rookie
Schadenpowa - the feeling one has after dropping a game and then seeing a top 4 competitor lose to an unfancied opponent.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Considering we were second last week, that may well be the most ridiculous comment I have ever read in here. You are clearly not a Pies fan but a masquerading Richmond one.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
You went a bit early Powa and forgot your side had to beat Fremantle first. How humiliating for you. Go Dockers!!!
Pieman
Guest
I dont see it as you do Peter the scribe...West Coast at the MCG is a should win ... every team has injuries ... that doesnt cut it for me . They drafted injury prone players like Wells and Varcoe etc ...they cant use that as an excuse for losses. Peter i dont see pies finishing better than 8th then if in yhe finals they will drop out in the first week. My gripe is Buckley has had it all on a platter and he still isnt delivering. This is year number 7 .... we have had to endure a ridiculously long apprenticeship of ed buckley and walsh and they still wont succeed. Thank goodness for the decent support coaches otherwise we would be a joke.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Jim if WCE can play like you did in the second half, you will have a shot at beating the Tigers at the G.
User
Roar Rookie
Nah only chance we had at the tigers all that was proved is your mob is as weak as their away guernsey colouring. Will be sweet taking the cup of your mob at their home ground. We can travel you see TTF nowhere makes us timid, your boys best raise their standards cause farout that was a depleted gws they failed against.
Lroy
Guest
Yes when I heard the big fella was out I felt it might be the bit of luck the Eagles needed to break their ''Pies'' hoodoo. They are 2 from 2 at the G now, and are 5 from 7 on the road all up, thats a pretty good result for any team. Hoodoo is a bit of a cliche anyway, the Eagles tend to play at Etihad anyway when in Melbourne, so its not like they havent beaten the Pies at all since 1995, just not at the MCG.
Jungle Jim
Guest
Yeah! finally broken that hoodoo, now we can move on (media?). Tough for NN, but we'll cope without him - Lycett+Vardy.
Jungle Jim
Guest
Pies will be a dangerous side when their best team is back on the park. It was great to have a win there finally, if only to get the media off our backs.
gameofmarks
Roar Guru
Where's IAP. A real shame about Nic Nat, not only the WCE will miss him, but the game will miss him as well. Well done Scotty Lycette. Thought he at least halved it against Grundy in the second half. He will get his contract signed this week I reckon And won't have to wait for Gov and Gaff to put pen to paper. Well done Eagles.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
7 wins in a row Pieman and that's the best you have? No Cox today hurt as our only down the line option was Mihocek. WCE handled the wind better than us second half. They deserved to win but we should've been a few goals up at half time. The loss itself doesn't matter as WCE are a good side. What matters is how we respond.
The Brazilian
Roar Rookie
So the Eagles still haven't beaten a decent team in Melbourne! They may be in for a rude shock!
MARK TKOCZ
Guest
Has the injury list caught up with the Pies? Good win to the eagles and credit to Adam Simpson as he was BOG outclassing Bucks in the coaches box, Credit to the pies for winning 7 in row before today but the loss of Cox was huge before the game and sure he would have made McGovern and Hurn more accountable. Looks like we will have some players coming back over the coming weeks if all goes well as we will need them in Aish, Elliot and to lesser extent Fasolo (not sure about his defensive pressure ) as in my view Daicos and Crocker are just making up the numbers at the moment and need some VFL time to improve their skills for next year.. Good win Eagles and hope Nic Nat injury is not serious as love to see the stars of the game play. Go Pies lift for next week against the Roos
Pieman
Guest
Like i posted a few days ago...Collingwood havent beaten a serious team yet.. and again they fall short when the pressure is on...much like Buckley.....
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Settle down Powa, lots of good players to return next few weeks, missed big Cox today.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Great call AD
powa
Guest
VINDICATION I have been telling people on here for weeks collingwood are pretenders that cant beat good sides, I hope everyone who wrote an article about them being more of a flag threat than west coast and port are eating crow right about now
Liam Salter
Roar Guru
Thanks for joining me today. Enjoy the week, everybody.