SANFL premiership defender Michael Chippendale might be just what Collingwood’s Peter Jackson VFL team needs following an inglorious exit from the 2016 finals.
The Magpies succumbed to a rampaging Footscray outfit to the tune of 119 points in a preliminary final, conceding 27.19 (181) to the eventual premier.
24-year-old Chippendale played 70 senior SANFL games for Norwood from 2012-16 – including the Reglegs’ 2012 flag victory – primarily as a 190cm intercepting backman.
Having relocated from Adelaide to Melbourne over the off-season, Chippendale will add extra height to a defence led by Ryan Pendlebury and Jordan Kelly (both 191cm) which couldn’t weather the Bulldogs’ 73 inside-50 entries in September.
“I would describe myself as a pretty strong one-on-one defender that reads the play quite well, and I hope to get a few intercept marks throughout the game that can benefit my side,” Chippendale said.
“Reading the game is one of my biggest strengths. Especially with how the game’s played these days, intercept marks are highly valued. I think that’s what made me attractive to Collingwood.”
Chippendale was playing as a forward in 2012 before then-coach of Norwood Nathan Bassett saw him perform well in a match in defence upon return from injury. He was called into the Reglegs’ senior line-up mid-season and wasn’t budged for the remainder of the premiership campaign.
Chippendale said good personal form on the field in 2016 made the decision to follow his girlfriend – who had moved across the border earlier in the year for work opportunities – “a little bit harder”.
But the promise of AFL-standard facilities and access to some of football’s best human resources were too much of a drawcard for someone still holding out hope of making the elite level.
“As much as you want to be playing with good footballers, you want to be playing with good people and be surrounded by good people,” Chippendale said. “That helped with the decision (to choose Collingwood), as well the club’s facilities.
“I’ve been at Norwood – including juniors – for years. It’s a special place to me and I didn’t necessarily want to go searching for a place that would recreate the experience I had there.”
Chippendale graduated with a Masters of Teaching midway through last year, but can see a potential teacher for himself in new Collingwood VFL senior coach Jared Rivers.
32-year-old Rivers only retired from a 13-year, 194-game AFL career at the end of 2015 and has quickly graduated from a development coaching role with the Magpies in 2016.
Rivers made his AFL living as a reliable one-on-one defender capable of thwarting and repelling opposition attacks – not unlike the career Chippendale carved out in South Australia.
“When I heard that ‘Riv’ was taking over as senior coach from (new Brisbane midfield coach) Dale Tapping, it excited me knowing what sort of player he was and being able to relate to him somewhat,” Chippendale said. “I think we play a similar brand of football, so I thought that was going to be an opportunity for me to learn a lot from a defensive point of view.
“Being just over 12 months out of the game, he’s still in touch with the players’ needs. I think his ability to build relationships with the players is one of his biggest strengths, and it’s quite like teaching – you just don’t get anywhere until that relationship’s been developed. Once that’s there, you’ve got that respect and trust.”
While Collingwood frailties were laid bare by Footscray last September, the combined defensive pedigree of Rivers and Chippendale should go some way to addressing the problem.
* Photo: Michael Chippendale (right) representing Norwood in the SANFL
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Last Modified on 22/02/2017 09:57