Global News Post Fastest Global News Portal
Related Articles
When long run historians analyse the wreckage of Hawthorn’s 51-point humbling by the hands of Collingwood, the quantity that can immediately soar of the web page is 82-38.
That’s the take on benefit the Magpies had over the Hawks on Friday evening – the seventh-largest differential on report, the most important in Pies historical past, and the perfect since 2021.
Often, despite the fact that, the narrative round a take on quantity as ghastly as Hawthorn’s revolves round effort; a staff no longer keen to position within the exhausting yards defensively being comprehensively proven up and deserving of an almighty rocket.
But if the Magpies proved anything else on the MCG, it’s that now and again a staff may also be truly untacklable. And with the bottom moderate of tackles in contrast season (and handiest Brisbane and GWS even come shut), it’s value looking at precisely how the Pies so constantly moved the ball at will clear of Hawks warring parties whose palms may as smartly were painted on.
Remarkably, the Hawks in fact comprehensively received the clearance rely (40-30 in the event you’re ) and contested possessions (107-119). Hell, they even shaded the inside-50 rely.
But what the Pies are masters of potency in 2025: no staff rankings extra according to within 50, and handiest two – the Hawks and Geelong – have a greater charge of marks according to within 50. With 18 grabs within the arc from 44 within 50s on Friday evening, the Pies obviously proved extra fatal than one of the most two groups above them, too.
The Magpies love a handball chain – watch them across the ball and it turns into transparent that their first intuition after they win the ball – both by way of turnover or from clearance – is to flick the footy round till they have the option transparent of visitors.
Take this ownership chain from a centre soar clearance win in the second one quarter:
After Scott Pendlebury wins the ball, his first intuition is to dish off to a close-by Nick Daicos; however considering briefly, he realises that giving there’ll position his teammate below force from an encroaching Jai Newcombe from left of display screen.
There’s a greater course into area; with a snappy shimmy, Pendlebury spins transparent of Conor Nash’s tried take on and shoots out to the best.
He doesn’t contact the ball within the chain, however Daicos nonetheless has a power within the Pies’ surge ahead: Josh Ward, dressed in Steele Sidebottom like a glove on the ball-up, comes off him to make a beeline for the No.35 the second one Pendlebury even considers handpassing to him.
It manner, as Pendlebury works unfastened, he has Sidebottom in area forward of him to provide that handpass to; and Sidebottom’s kick within 50, off the left foot thoughts you, is a factor of attractiveness to seek out Patrick Lipinski.
It’s a perilous mixture of ability and technique: Craig McRae has 3 stunning kicks in Daicos, Sidebottom and Pendlebury across the footy on maximum events – with the fierce tackling and dependable force of Ned Long as a counterweight to let that trio strut their stuff – whilst they perceive their roles smartly sufficient to fan clear of congestion as briefly as conceivable to permit more than one choices, none of that are to bang the ball lengthy and hope for the most productive.
Similarly, in transition, the Pies love a dangerous handball: they’re in fact backside 3 for efficient handball proportion this yr, forward of handiest Richmond and (bizarrely) Geelong, however at 79.5 according to cent, it’s nonetheless greater than sufficient to be fatal with the dare they display.
Have a have a look at this Josh Daicos handball in a transition play:
Most groups would appearance to realize territory right here except there’s an glaring goal close by: Daicos’ handball inboard is to anything else however, and could be a horrible turnover chance if it doesn’t hit a working Long with out breaking stride, rushing via an opening in a sea of brown and gold.
Once once more, the Pies purpose from this chain with out being tackled; despite the fact that it’s value noting the true purpose took some absolute magic from Jamie Elliott to be scored.
Conversely, when the Hawks received the ball round stoppages – which was once regularly – they had been infrequently able to be destructive with it; regardless of Hawthorn’s clearance dominance, they had been as soon as once more outdone in rankings from stoppages by means of 5 targets to 4.
There’s a rising tendency from their on-ballers to hack the ball aimlessly ahead somewhat than appearance to make use of the footy extra successfully, which is handiest exacerbated by means of the lack of the silky-smooth Will Day; and with a ahead line that, like Collingwood’s, is way more deadly for its smalls than talls, it’s no longer a profitable gambit.
Take this case: from a stoppage simply out of doors attacking 50, James Worpel does excellently to learn Darcy Cameron’s faucet and shark the ball …
… however the Pies are in a position for him, Lipinski and Lachie Schultz converging from the entrance and denying him any area to burst into.
With no teammates providing any toughen – any other creating worry – Worpel has little choice however to briefly put the ball at the boot and ship it within 50; manna from heaven for the Pies, who flip a Jeremy Howe intercept mark into an end-to-end purpose with the best of ease.
The Pies of 2022 and 2023 had been all about chaos; surging the footy ahead with frenetic tempo at the ball, with sufficient silky ability from the likes of the Daicoses, Sidebottom and Pendlebury to capitalise extra regularly than no longer.
That led to 2024 as groups started to clamp down on their electrical ball motion and grasp them up, inflicting turnovers galore of their defensive part; the reaction this yr to up the keep watch over and paintings the footy evenly out of congestion with rapid fingers has been a in point of fact spectacular transformation.
But it could be remiss not to point out how Jamie Elliott suits into this new-look Collingwood.
In his 14th season, Elliott is having a occupation yr; he wishes simply seven targets for the remainder of the season to put up a brand new non-public perfect, and is, remarkably, a real Coleman Medal probability.
Three marks within 50 towards the Hawks – and it felt like extra taking into consideration how menacing he regarded on every occasion the ball went in his neighborhood – takes his 2025 tally to 33, at the back of handiest Mitch Georgiades within the league. Every unmarried different participant within the most sensible 11 in that stat is a key ahead, whilst Ben Long and Toby Greene are the one different mid-sizers within the most sensible 20.
As the Magpies’ inner most ahead for a lot of the yr, Elliott is being given unfastened reign within the ahead 50, and his mixture of footy smarts, underrated agility and velocity at the lead are a deadly mixture.
The Hawks did themselves no favours by means of beginning with Blake Hardwick, their perfect natural small defender, within the ahead line for the primary part; matched up towards Josh Battle, Elliott led his taller, slower guy a merry dance to position on 5 targets in two and a part quarters.
The 32-year outdated is a frightfully tough match-up at complete health and with the Pies giving him such silver carrier – and acres of area within 50 to paintings with.
Exceptional overhead for his dimension – as is, by the way, Bobby Hill – and deceptively sturdy one-on-one, no longer simply any small defender can guy him; and because the Hawks came upon as first Battle, then Jack Scrimshaw, and in any case Josh Weddle lagged at the back of him all night, a historical past of accidents turns out to have price him little velocity and no more nimbleness when the ball is coming his approach.
Defensively, too, he’s sensible; from chasedown tackles on runaway defenders, to the force placed on right here to motive a Hawks turnover and result in a Daicos purpose, he’s a ways from a legal responsibility with out the ball that many goalkicking forwards may also be.
Everything concerning the Magpies set-up is in order that clever: their ball use is pinpoint as a result of they’ve their perfect customers across the footy, even to the level of Sidebottom, a wingman for lifestyles up till remaining yr, changing into an All-Australian within midfielder this season.
Defensively, they don’t give an inch, whether or not it’s remaining down area from stoppages to disclaim Hawthorn the risk to make use of their clearance dominance to any impact, or putting in place to near down the Hawks’ once-electric ball motion.
In assault, a ahead line revolving round Elliott, any other supremely clever footballer, is paying dividends too.
They’re premiership favourites for a explanation why – and Friday evening’s masterclass was once a great blueprint on simply how susceptible Hawthorn may also be made to appear.
