Sandringham broke a six game losing streak when it squeaked home by three points over Collingwood at Victoria Park on Saturday as Luke Mason reports.
The Magpies led for most of the day, but again lamented their inability to close out the match, as the visitors steamed home with a five goal to two final quarter.
Irish youngster Tommy Walsh, in his second season at St Kilda, put the Zebras in front with less than a minute remaining on the cliok. The 23 year old broke free from the clutches of Kris Pendlebury to snap his sixth goal for the day from the forward pocket, leaving the Zebras poised to record an unlikely victory.
Collingwood had one last roll of the dice, winning possession at half back and switching the ball to the outer forward flank, where Kirk Ugle was spoiled on the siren by desperate Sandringham defenders. Some Magpies players turned to the umpires immediately in the hope of a free kick, but the result stood, meaning Sandringham held onto to win its sixth game of 2011.
The move of Walsh into attack by coach Brett Lovett, after spending most of his season in defence, paid dividends with the rookie kicking six majors and adding potency to a Sandringham forward line that has relied on Michael Lourey for much of the year. The goals have dried up for Lourey in recent weeks, but he also benefited from having another focal point alongside him, kicking four of his own.
A fact to note when running the rule over this match is the lack of AFL experience on both teams, with Collingwood taking in only two players with at least one AFL game to their name (Cameron Wood and Luke Rounds) and Sandringham six St Kilda senior players (of them, only Michael Gardiner had played more than five games). Gardiner himself did not complete the game, leaving the field with a hamstring complaint in the second term. It continues a wretched run of injury for the luckless big man, who has not played an AFL game this season.
Despite the result, Collingwood ended its season on something of a positive note courtesy of the highlights provided by Paul Seedsman and Josh Thomas. The pair have been named as senior emergencies in recent weeks and gave pointers as to what might be to come in 2012. Seedsman kicked three goals and may have kicked the sealer late in the last quarter when he ran into an open goal, only to miscue his kick and put it out of bounds on the full. Irrespective of his one clanger, his name will be right in the frame for a NAB Cup berth next February.
It was VFL stalwarts in the form of David Gallagher, James Magner and Marcus Marigliani who kept the Sandringham engine room ticking over in the absence of big name Saints players. Gallagher, in particular, has had a stellar two weeks leading up to his 150th game this coming Saturday, and continues to excel when the game is up for grabs.
The win keeps the Zebras slim finals chances alive, after all hope looked gone a week ago when they were pipped by the Box Hill Hawks. They require other results to go their way in round 22, needing to defeat Geelong by at least 10 goals, and Port Melbourne to do them a favour by knocking off Box Hill by a similar margin. Their effort against the undefeated Port (leading them half way through the last quarter of their round 17 match) suggests that they are capable of mixing it with the best in the heat of the September kitchen.
On the other hand, it is curtains for Collingwood in 2011, with the side scheduled for a bye in round 22. Scuttlebutt suggests the possibility of the side playing a series of practice matches to keep its senior players fit in the coming weeks. First year coach Tarkyn Lockyer may have only four wins to show for his debut season, but they advanced in the second half of the season, with a number of players progressing to the point where they earned AFL selection. Further improvement is likely in the early stages of 2012, with a number of players set to gain confidence from their first full pre-season.
Sandringham 16.9 (105) d Collingwood 15.12 (102)
Photo: Damian Visentini
Last Modified on 23/08/2011 09:29