MAGPIES BLITZ CATS IN FIRST QUARTER TO HAND CATS SHOCK LOSS
Ben Jensen 22 May 2016

AFL ROUND 9 2016: COLLINGWOOD MAGPIES V GEELONG CATS WHILE MANY GEELONG observers including ourselves thought this a danger game not many would have tipped Collingwood to do the job on us. But fix us up Nathan Buckley's boys did, breaking the Cats' six game winning streak with a 24 point win. A seven goal to none first quarter by the Magpies was too much for the Cats to recover from, although winning the next three quarters it was too little, too late with the Magpies winning by 24 points, while kicking five additional goals. Briefly in the final term it appeared as though the Cats were about to run over the Magpies after booting the opening two to make four consecutive goals to make the margin just 9 points, but the Magpies then went on their own run, three unanswered goals putting the match beyond doubt.

While Collingwood certainly played a great team game, finally doing coach Nathan Buckley proud, the match stats told a pretty sorry tale of missed opportunity by Geelong. Costly misses of relatively simply shots for goal from the likes of Patrick Dangerfield and even Jimmy Bartel heaped the pressure on the Cats heading into half time, trailing by 32 points while having three goals and four behinds for the term to Collingwood's two straight goals. Despite wins by Greater Western Sydney and the Sydney Swans the Cats remain in second spot on the AFL ladder, ahead of GWS (just) and the Swans on percentage. In brighter news today the VFL side had another win down at Frankston by six goals squaring their le. The VFL Cats have a bye next week.

COLLINGWOOD: 7.5, 9.5, 11.7, 16.8 (104) DEFEATED
GEELONG: 0.3, 3.7, 6.10, 11.14 (80)

GOALS
COLLINGWOOD: Motlop 4, Kersten 3, Caddy, Duncan, Enright, Lang, Menzel, Stanley
GEELONG: Hawkins 4, Motlop, Menzel, Duncan, Lang, Caddy, Stanley, Smith

BEST
COLLINGWOOD: Sidebottom, Pendlebury, Howe, Treloar, Adams, Grundy, Greenwood
GEELONG: Bartel, Enright, Duncan, Lang, Blicavs, Caddy

CHANGES
COLLINGWOOD: Nil
GEELONG: Tom Lonergan, replaced by Tom Ruggles due to concussion

INJURIES
COLLINGWOOD: Nil
GEELONG: Nil

REPORTS: Nil

UMPIRES: Dalgleish, Jeffery, Ryan

CROWD: 59,864 at MCG, Melbourne

VFL RESULTS

GEELONG: 7.4, 9.4, 14.6, 16.8 (104) DEFEATED
FRANKSTON: 1.0, 3.3, 7.7, 10.8 (68)

GOALS
GEELONG: B. Rees 3, P. Lucey 3, M. Luxford 2, S. Dobson, A. Hickey, J. Tsitas, N. Vardy, J. Murdoch, S. McLachlan, J. Cowan, W. Sexton
FRANKSTON: N. Gardiner 3, J. Pickess 2, J. Cass, A. Wilson, J. Newman, K. Gray, B. Wells

BEST
GEELONG: W. Sexton, J. Tsitas, B. Smedts, M. Luxford, B. Rees
FRANKSTON: C. Buchan, A. McInnes, J. Wilsen, B. Cavarra, J. Pongracic, J. Cass

VENUE: Frankston Oval, Frankston

VIEW FROM THE FRED FLANAGAN ROOM, COURTESY WELCON HOMES