Where and when: MCG, 7:50pm (AEDT)
Last time they met: R1 2020: Western Bulldogs (34) touched up by Collingwood 13.8 (86)
The Pies had winners everywhere; Brodie Grundy manhandled Tim English to be best on ground with 37 hitouts, one goal, three behinds and 19 disposals, while Taylor Adams dominated in the middle and Brody Mihocek booted three goals. Scott Pendlebury was typically influential in the first quarter as the Pies put on a 26-point lead by quarter-time, while the Dogs struggled to simply get the ball into their forward arc and managed one goal from just two entries.
Match Preview: Collingwood produced an underwhelming campaign last season as they finished eighth and despite winning their first game in the finals, could not back it up the following week. They will hope for better this season and that begins with their opening clash against Western Bulldogs. The Dogs finished just one better on the ladder but were defeated in their only game of the finals so they too will feel they did not hit the heights that they were capable of. The pair will be eager to get off to a good start to 2021 tonight.
Collingwood
I want to see how the team responds on the field to the turbulent offseason they’ve had. First the “fire sale” of a lot of their talent (one of whom, Adam Treloar, lines up against them tonight eager to inflict as much pain as he can) and then the distractions of the racism report and Eddie stepping down. Player-wise, I’ll definitely have my eye on Grundy – I’m looking for a marked improvement in his output in 2021 – and the new boy, Henry.
Western Bulldogs
What a goldmine of SC talent we have on display here! Macrae, Bontempelli, Dunkley, Treloar, Smith, Daniel, the list goes on and on. The midfield battle with Pendles, Adams and De Goey should be an absolute ripper!
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To Bont or not to Bont! I’ve got Macrae and the Bont in my midfield currently and am shitting myself but am also excited. Does anybody have any intel that could ease my nerves? Or a bit of clarity on whether to change it up?
Cheers lads!
Which one have you put the V on?
I’ve got the V on Macrae
Vice captain
TU Bont
TD Macrae
Stick
Fat
TU – Keep Macrae and go with 6 prem mids, 2 prem fwd
TD – Trade to Danger and have 3 prem fwd, 5 prem mids
Tonight may give us a better understanding of the ruck scoring potential this year. Grundy usually dominates the dogs. It may have a huge influence on captain choices throughout the year.
Just remember that he struggles with Stef Martin and he traditionally starts slow so I wouldn’t read into a slow start for Grundy.
with the exception that he has dominated English – up against Martin, not so much. When Martin was at Lions, he played Grundy pretty well from memory.
I like to live dangerously…. The only midfield Dog I’m starting with is Treloar!
No late changes
Subs are Callum Brown and Rhylee West
Tu) Grundy VC
Td) Macrae VC
Just Grundles, Macca, Dunks (and the two doggies rooks) for me in this one
bulldog rookies – Mcneil & Scott
TU – whos got both
TD – only one
comment: none
tu. McNeil
td. AScott
VC on Macrae tonight. Couldn’t afford Lachie Neale this year, broke my heart to leave him out. Don’t let me down Jack!
Macrae, hunter and maynard tonight for me.
Lets go!!
TU- McNeil
TD – Berry
Both named.
So who’s Dunkley gonna play with next year?
No McNeil or O Henry for me.
I’ve gone Scott (benched.)
Dunkley Forward and..
Bont V/C.
Go the Doggies.
First trade next week Grundy OUT
English IN
Grundy doesn’t look the same player at the moment. Maybe just a little rusty but worth keeping an eye on.
Heaps of advice and reason why it was a bad idea to start Prem rucks in 2021 given during pre-season but nobody listened to it/accepted it.
I half accepted it and only started 1 prem ruck. sadly it was grundy
Dja…we are 1.5 games into the season.
I listened. Martin, Flynn Meek.
Half time, and it’s too early to call. But the way game is flowing does look like it might unfold. It’s hard not to have bias based on your selections, but I did think Grundy was a bit overs with his half time score.
That’s a pair of watermelons you have there and it’s paid off in one game at least.
When I posted the team, you actually told me that if that’s how I felt, I should go the whole hog. So I did. Nearly wavered today. With the extra cheap rookies coming through, I could actually have afforded to go Martin to Grundy. Would have made it 14 premos. But I resisted, and to be honest, your feedback definitely helped. Yeah? Only one game. But it’s going to be good backing my judgment, even if it is ultimately a fail. Thanks
I started Gawn and 2 rookies.
A few things.
1) Plenty of people listened to it. Grundy was on 50 AFL fantasy at half time. hard to believe from watching the match, but that’s certainly on for a 100 point SC game.
2) It’s one match, where the dogs are fired up. Honestly the dogs probably have the best midfield in the comp. Hard for Grundy to get big HTA in that circumstance.
3) Honestly the dogs should have been 5 goals up at half time, and yet the match isn’t over. Go figure.
4) A bad score in round 1 only counts in your pricing cycle once. Hold fast. If he posts a bad score in round 2 then reconsider, but a round 1 score only counts 1/3 as much as a bad score later in the season for pricing.
5) Premos are premos for a reason. If you start trading them out based on a bad quarter you will never complete a full premo team.
6) Let’s see how long Meek and Hunter last in their respective teams before we jump on the rookie express, hmm?
Am I a Dunkley inspiration or what…….LOL
O Henry come on please!
Too many other good forward rooks to be owing Henry surely?
Henry…. move it
Lachlan McNeil 5 pos. 2 marks 1 goal… 4 clangers for 19 points.
Understatement to say he needs to clean up his play but to be fair lots of pressure by Pies backline.
26 points 8 clangers 33 % disposal efficiency 74 % tog.
yeah – doesn’t scream “inspire” me for the coach does it??!! Some kind of game though … without those clangers he could have had a good score …
Have we got any keen geelong supporters in here ? Would love to know your thoughts on Atkins? He’s got that half back role and rumoured to be absolutely killing it back there hand picked by Matty Scarlett for the role .. I almost prefer him over J Clarke especially for JS
Would need to average 89 to make $150k. Not the worst option though with a new role in a top 4 side.
He’s been in and out of my team, currently out.
Absolutely killed it against the bombers in the pre season and my personal hope is that he does a Daniels, but I’m not sure he’s quite as skilled.
Could be a nice little pod . Just not sure how I got him in unless I pick him over Ziebell. Which is Not completely out of the question. Will AVG similar and has the durability and natural improvement in his favour still being young and being in a top 6 side helps
Grundy has 30 hitouts approaching 3/4 time and only 51 points … losing all his taps to the Dogs mids – Pies have no decent mids to win his hitouts it seems … will hurt his scoring this year
He is putting food straight into the dogs bowl
Pies were crap. Dogs were good. Grundy won’t score 120 each week. Grundy WILL end the season as top 3 ruck.
It’s only round 1.
3 qtr time scores
Collingwood Magpies: 5.7.37
Darcy Moore 102
Brayden Maynard 82
Scott Pendlebury 78
John Noble 68
Jack Madgen 66
Jeremy Howe 66
Jack Crisp 56
Brody Mihocek 56
Jordan De Goey 55
Brodie Grundy 52
Isaac Quaynor 51
Mason Cox 45
Jordan Roughead 43
Tyler Brown 37
Josh Thomas 36
W. Hoskin-Elliott 35
Jamie Elliott 34
Brayden Sier 34
Taylor Adams 29
Josh Daicos 22
Trey Ruscoe 10
Oliver Henry 5
Callum Brown 1
Western Bulldogs : 9.7.61
Bailey Smith 98
Jack Macrae 94
Bailey Williams 87
Tom Liberatore 84
L. Vandermeer* 83
Tim English 82
Patrick Lipinski 81
Josh Dunkley 80
M. Bontempelli 79
Lachie Hunter 74
Caleb Daniel 71
Stefan Martin 59
Josh Bruce 58
Alex Keath 57
Taylor Duryea 57
Bailey Dale 56
Adam Treloar 53
Aaron Naughton 45
Ryan Gardner 45
Anthony Scott 43
Mitch Wallis 40
Lachlan McNeil 27
Rhylee West 1
For those panicking about Grundy….relax
Has he had a good night? No. Will he average 115 this year? Maybe. 110? Absolutely.
There are plenty of ordinary ruckmen in the league, he will feast most weeks. Just worry about your rookies and understand he’ll come good.
Martin & English combined had 19 hitouts Grundy had 39 (same as his ave hitouts when he ave 130SC) he had 8 kicks, 3hballs,3mrks and 4 tackles. When he ave 130SC with an ave 39 hitouts he ave 8kicks, 13hballs, 4mrks, 5tickles.
10 less hballs, 1 less mark, 1 less tackle = 59 less SC points.
It’s probably just because the impact of 205cm+ rucks on the game is less with the new game style. The new game is too fast for lumbering oxes like Grundy to have any real impact
I wouldn’t be so sure about what any rucks would average until the season stabilizes a bit with new rules and new scoring, but he’ll still be in the top 3 or 4 rucks for overall points.
Certainly the risk factors were there. A go home factor amplified by covid, then apparently choosing money over family. Trouble in the offseason at the club. Losing their best CBA midfielder. The horror bye.
For me, he was almost in my side but the high defensive scores, low ruck scores and that nagging feeling was enough to change in the week before round 1.
Still a long season to go. He’ll make his way back in to my side I’m sure, at a more reasonable price.
How’s my tipping going?
Tipping clear favourites is so difficult!
Margins are spot on mate!
What’s the go with grundy?
Are we stupid to chop?
Tu; hold grundy
Td; trade grundy
Relax man, he got two manned tonight but 2 pretty good ruckman while his midfield got pumped by one of the best midfields in the comp.
After 1 week, yes! People above made some very good points.
1 – Martin is a strong ruckman who typically plays Grundy well.
2 – Doggies midfield crushed it and sharked a lot of taps.
The two things above are both rare, and are not going to happen in the same game very often.
Umpiring is killing my joy for this game
as are the new rules. The standing still on the mark and the 50m for slight indiscretion is a farce … and the “injury sub” was off to a somewhat dodgy start last night … but not ‘abused’ tonight it seems …
Full time scores
Western Bulldogs : 10.9.69
Bailey Smith 125
Bailey Williams 121
Jack Macrae 120
Josh Dunkley 109
Tom Liberatore 108
Caleb Daniel 106
Lachie Hunter 100
L. Vandermeer* 98
Tim English 96
Patrick Lipinski 95
M. Bontempelli 94
Stefan Martin 94
Alex Keath 87
Taylor Duryea 80
Josh Bruce 76
Bailey Dale 72
Ryan Gardner 66
Adam Treloar 63
Aaron Naughton 61
Anthony Scott 56
Mitch Wallis 45
Lachlan McNeil 26
Collingwood Magpies: 7.11.53
Darcy Moore 119
Brayden Maynard 106
Scott Pendlebury 102
John Noble 88
Jack Crisp 83
Jeremy Howe 83
Jack Madgen 79
Brodie Grundy 71
Mason Cox 70
Jordan De Goey 69
Brody Mihocek 66
Jordan Roughead 66
Isaac Quaynor 62
Tyler Brown 52
Jamie Elliott 50
Josh Thomas 47
W. Hoskin-Elliott 47
Taylor Adams 43
Brayden Sier 41
Josh Daicos 30
Trey Ruscoe 13
Oliver Henry 9
Grundy with 39 hitouts to 19 for both Martin and English together – but only scored 71 points – one look at all the big scores for the Doggies mids, is one reason why his score is low
Thanks Macca
You pick Grundy for the season, not one round. He was always gonna have a mare tonight up against Martin and the best midfield in the comp. Still made it into the 70s. Jump off now and you miss the highs that will come as his average corrects across the season.
I’m more pissed that CD don’t seem to rate Dunkley’s game tonight. Maybe his DE was down (not sure), but he had way more tackles than he was credited with, a heap of one percenters, pressure acts and at least 3 critical smothers that created turnovers. Way more impactful than Bailey Williams…
don’t get me started with the way CD scores … not in only the second game of the first round …
I’ll take a few deep breaths and try to wait a few rounds before I get too wound up by them …
It’s sad knowing that you WILL “get too wound up by them” and it’s only a matter of time.
Probably not worth trading out Grundy this week. Maybe give him an extra week to see if it really is the ‘new grundy’ that had a final 10 game ave of 106 last year.
If he scores sub 90 next week he has to go though.
After his horrible 71 in round 1
If Grundy scores
130 each week for the next 2 weeks he will only drop 13.8k
120 each week for the next 2 weeks he will only drop 22.8k
110 each week for the next 2 weeks he will only drop 31.8k
100 each week for the next 2 weeks he will only drop 40.7k
after round 3
If he ave 110 from here on he will only drop 50k after round 8.
Maybe Max will drop a lot more?
This isn’t the way to look at premiums you already own. Yes he may drop in price 20-30k, but you haven’t “lost”anything unless you trade him out after the fact.
He’s still going to be a top 2 ruck at seasons end, so if you started him there’s no incentive to trade him out.
Another stat worth pondering in the Grundy discussion is that 10 of his hit outs were sharked by the Dogs Mids which equates to negative SuperCoach pts.
Also in 7 career games in Round 1 he has only score of 100 History ready to repeat itself for those that hit panic stations and jump off just like Gawn last year.
Should be 100 plus.
Sorry late night post above it should be Grundy only has scored 100 plus once in 7 career Round 1 games.
I’m a Grawndy owner. Yes. I’m ‘old school’. For all the naysayers…we’re 2 games into a new season. Time will tell.
My issue is not with Grundy’s score though.
My issue is with Pies fans booing Treloar. WTF? Your club booted him. What right do you have to boo the man that any club would’ve bent over backwards to keep??
Oh, but his partner went to play for another state. Traitor. (And we can’t afford to pay you). (And, Eddie has since left). (And, would treloar still be playing for the pies if Eddie disappeared 6 months ago???)
Glad I dont have Henry on the field but not happy that I own him. Scoring a lowsy 9 points is really concerning and makes me assume he will be dropped next week. Need to hope this score is a 1 off and will only effect his price once
So far 758 pts from 7 players with VC on dusty to come, ill take it. 5/7 players hitting 100
English looks great!!!!
Breakout year