Pies off line but in front MARTIN BOULTON
March 6, 2010 COLLINGWOOD 3.4 9.10 11.11 11.24 (90)
RICHMOND 2.0 4.1 8.5 9.8 (62)
GOALS
Collingwood: McCarthy 2, Anthony 2, Corrie 2, Barham, Jolly, Ball, Sinclair, Lockyer. Richmond: Morton 4, King 2, Polo, Vickery, Roberts.
BEST
Collingwood: McCarthy, Lockyer, Wellingham, Anthony, Ball, Sinclair. Richmond: Tuck, Jackson, Morton.
CROWD
2000 (approx) at Visy Park.
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COLLINGWOOD won a lopsided NAB Challenge match against Richmond by 28 points yesterday, but still has plenty of room to improve before its season begins against the Western Bulldogs on March 28.
After controlling most of the contest at Visy Park the Magpies kicked 13 straight points in the last term, failing to register a major score.
Assistant coach Scott Watters said afterwards there was ''always positives and negatives'' in games and keeping the ball in their attacking zone at least gave them opportunity to kick goals.
''Did we convert as well as we'd like to? No, but at the start of the year … it seems to be one of the last things you need to refine,'' he said.
''The good thing was we were able to keep that ball [up forward] for a long period of time.''
Both sides emerged unscathed from the game and Watters said recruits Luke Ball and ruckman Darren Jolly were both delivering in their early days at the club.
''Their impact on the field has been very good and 'Bally' put in a pretty polished performance today,'' he said.
''Darren Jolly is going to be a really handy player for us, he didn't kick well today, but he's definitely a threat when he goes into [an attacking] role.''
The Tigers struggled to get the ball forward. Mitch Morton kicked three of their four goals to half-time, while Dean Polo contributed one goal from a set shot late in the first term.
Morton kicked the first goal of the game, but Collingwood defenders Ben Reid, Simon Prestigiacomo and skipper Nick Maxwell repelled the Tigers' few forays forward in the opening half.
Richmond also suffered from turnovers and fumbled the ball at crucial times which allowed the Magpies to sweep the ball forward time and again. By half-time Collingwood had 19 scoring shots to Richmond's five.
Graham Polak played forward alongside Morton, but had little impact, while rookie Relton Roberts made the most of his chances by pumping the ball forward from half-back. The 24-year-old slipped in and out of the contest after half-time.
John Anthony had two goals for the Magpies by half-time and took several contested marks when he was outnumbered.
Without Scott Pendlebury, Alan Didak, Dane Swan, Dale Thomas, Heath Shaw, Dane Beams, Harry O'Brien, Leigh Brown and Leon Davis the Magpies still showed too much class for the Tigers, who went in without regular players Ben Cousins, Jack Riewoldt, Trent Cotchin, Nathan Foley, Richard Tambling and skipper Chris Newman. Highly rated first-round draft pick Dustin Martin was also rested after two impressive pre-season games.
Watters said the absence of so many regular Magpies gave valuable game time to less experienced players.
''Young Benny Sinclair has been a real revelation so far and some of his pressure today for a young player was outstanding,'' he said. ''Sharrod [Wellingham] stepped into a bit more of a midfield role and showed he's not out of his depth there.''
The second half began more productively for Richmond with goals from Tyrone Vickery and two from Jake King.
Morton kicked his fourth straight goal to help narrow the gap, but ex-Lion Anthony Corrie continued his good work from the first-half and bobbed up with his second goal for the Magpies.
''Corrie has probably been starved of opportunities over the past two or three weeks and he grabbed his opportunity today, a couple of great chase down tackles and his intensity was very good,'' Watters said.
Travis Cloke (with more fresh ink on his back than a printing factory) celebrated his birthday with a win, but had a quiet day for the Maggies.
The margin was back to 24 points at the last break largely due to Richmond's improved attack on the ball.
A lacklustre contest deteriorated in the final term to the point of absurdity with the Magpies failing to add a goal.
New Tiger coach Damien Hardwick has one more hit-out before his side takes on Carlton in the opening match of the season.
http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/pies-off-line-but-in-front-20100305-povl.html
