One of the league’s in-form sides will end an outstanding winning streak this weekend, as Collingwood and Geelong do battle in this weekend in Round 17 of the Peter Jackson VFL. James Szabo previews the top 8 clash.
Both sides, who haven’t lost a game in over a month, will be looking for full points from the blockbuster clash to set up a strong position heading into the finals.
The Cat’s, sitting in sixth place, recorded their fifth straight win after running away from Essendon by 78-points.
After losing to the Bombers earlier in the season, Geelong made sure they got off to the best possible start and held a strong 32-point lead by half time.
Shane O’Bree’s side continued their dominance by booting six goals to one in the third quarter, and the defence held up well in the last to finish off the impressive win.
Darcy Lang (32 possessions, nine clearances, two goals), George Horlin-Smith (26 possessions) and Scott Selwood (31 possessions, one goal) were all good performers for the Cat’s – further pushing their case for AFL selection.
The Magpies put in arguably their best quarter of the year in the 66-point win over Frankston two weeks ago.
Collingwood, who sit in third place after having the bye last weekend, kicked an incredible 11 goals in the final quarter to notch up their eighth consecutive win.
Dale Tapping’s side were able to produce a spread of 11 individual goal kickers on the day and continue their classy form coming into the last five games of the season.
Lachlan Ferguson (ten kicks, five marks, four goals), Lachlan Howe (22 possessions, nine marks, five clearances) and Adam Oxley (32 possessions, 16 marks, three rebound 50’s) were some of the Magpies’ best.
Adrian Indovino was named as the best player on field, after one of the most influential games of his short VFL career. The small forward made an impact all day, collecting 24 disposals and kicking two goals in both the second and final quarter.
This Saturday’s matchup could result in some crucial changes to the ladder, with the positions of eighth to first being extremely tight.
Geelong are sitting on 32 points, just four points out of the top four – with Essendon just one win behind them in eighth spot.
Collingwood are on 40 points and a win could see them finish the round as high as equal-first. Sandringham and Port Melbourne are keeping the pressure on the Pies, sitting 4 points behind them in fourth and fifth spot respectively.
The Magpies came out on top by 20-points last time these sides met, although both teams have lifted to another level since the round six clash.
It’s set to be an enthralling contest, with the potential to be one of the games of the season.
The high-scoring, exciting brand of football both sides produce, along with the array of talent on display, has made this a highly anticipated match not to be missed.
The game starts from 12.00pm this Saturday 30 July at Victoria Park and will be live video streamed via the Collingwood website – CLICK HERE for full media coverage information.
In other games:
Last Modified on 29/07/2016 22:43