Are Collingwood Magpies timing their run or working out of time after loss to Hawthorn Hawks?

Craig McRae decried their lack of effort. However is it greater than that?

They appear unsettled, over-coached maybe. Their well-known talent of “managing the minutes” to win shut video games has more and more seemed prefer it’s develop into about their efforts to handle their gamers by way of the season as soon as they determined they’d certified for finals once they chalked up their 14th win of the season 5 video games in the past.

That’s what comes with having an previous (and skilled) group enjoying in massive matches each week.

The poor run began with a loss to Gold Coast when Scott Pendlebury, not for the primary time, began because the sub. His introduction to the sport modified the group’s fortunes, however they nonetheless misplaced.

They deliberate Jordan De Goey and Bobby Hill’s minutes within the loss to the Brisbane Lions. They performed fairly properly (Hill missed towards the Hawks by way of sickness), however integrating them again has been difficult.

Ned Lengthy’s kind (and his confidence, a sense the coach doesn’t imagine in) has dropped and Tom Mitchell’s inclusion has unsettled the midfield.

A tough coaching part designed to have them charging on the proper time stays open to judgment, whereas accidents to Beau McCreery and Jeremy Howe haven’t helped.

It’s uncovered an absence of depth as Collingwood have used simply 35 gamers this season, their least in a 12 months since 2011.

Giving kids, akin to Wil Parker and Ed Allan, restricted alternatives means little stress has been positioned on many core gamers who’re each off form, and in addition questioning about their subsequent contract.

Then, on Thursday night time in a must-win recreation, Nick Daicos began on the bench for the primary time, and completed along with his lowest share of recreation time since spherical two, and the sixth-lowest share of recreation time in his profession (two of these six he was subbed off with an harm).

It was nothing uncommon, McRae mentioned post-game. However coaches don’t make such strikes with no cause.

Maybe it was one other case of managing the minutes. Everybody has their flip, McRae mentioned, even leaders. He’s proper, however some take their flip greater than others. Dan Houston hasn’t began there this season, however Josh Daicos has loads of instances.

It appeared a refined reminder to the precocious youthful Daicos that group trumps all the things when, in actual fact, at the moment of the season, successful does. Hawthorn had two objectives on the board and Jeremy Howe was out for the depend earlier than Daicos entered the fray and momentarily modified the look of the sport.

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McRae spoke post-match about his gamers being too outcome-focused quite than dealing with the subsequent second. But each resolution the Magpies have made prior to now month appeared extra outcome-focused than specializing in what’s in entrance of them.

McRae didn’t mince his phrases post-game as no time is left for mucking round. The Magpies must bounce again towards the Crows, so, even when they lose, they take some momentum into finals.

The various punts the membership have taken because the finish of final season are about to be realised.

In the meantime, the Brisbane Lions’ loss to Sydney was their fourth loss of their previous eight appearances at their Gabba residence. It just about ruins their hopes of internet hosting a qualifying last their, but in addition places a top-eight spot in danger.

The Lions in 2025 have morphed into your typical teenager: higher away from residence than at residence.

However the reigning premier has not accomplished a lot flawed, past dropping floor balls and being inaccurate, as their coach Chris Fagan identified after the shattering loss.

Accidents to key gamers have harm, with Lachie Neale’s absence not as dramatic as dropping premiership defenders Brandon Starcevich, Jack Payne, Noah Answerth and Ryan Lester from their backline on Saturday. Their ahead line is weaker, too, with out Joe Daniher, and with Charlie Cameron and Eric Hipwood off form.

The Lions stay a contender, nevertheless, as their draw has been more durable than anybody, having performed the highest 9 groups 11 instances to this point with matches towards Fremantle and Hawthorn to return, making it 13.

They twice beat the Cats, who could have performed top-nine groups simply 10 instances by season’s finish.

Adelaide have performed top-nine groups 11 instances and face Collingwood – which has performed the top-nine groups 10 instances to this point – in a blockbuster Saturday night time match in Adelaide.

Fremantle have solely performed the top-nine groups eight instances to this point, with the Lions and the Bulldogs to return. Even the Gold Coast will end the season with 11 matches towards top-nine groups.

Within the first season ever the place 15 wins could be required merely to make finals, the Lions’ job has shone a fiercer gentle than ever on how the distorted fixture has actual ramifications for the ladder and, probably, the finals.

Again with the flight, Darcy stamps himself

If the Bulldogs make something of this season they’ll have Sam Darcy to thank.

Not solely has he kicked 45 objectives in 15 video games, however he took an extremely courageous mark within the last minute of a cliffhanger on the MCG to make sure his group stays in finals competition with an thrilling win towards the Demons.

The sport formed because the traditional banana-peel match for the Bulldogs, who would have identified on Tuesday that the issue of their job had been elevated by Simon Goodwin’s sacking as Demons coach.

Since 2013, the new-coach bounce has seen the underdog win seven of 16 matches. And Melbourne had been uncommon in that their new coach, Troy Chaplin, was taking up a group that had gained its earlier match by 83 factors.

The Demons made the Bulldogs work as laborious for victory as any group has this season.

Marcus Bontempelli, with 10 last quarter touches, Aaron Naughton (5 objectives) and Ed Richards (14 clearances) led the way in which, whereas Joel Freijah’s fingers within the last quarter had been the explanation the Bulldogs kicked six objectives to return from behind.

However because the father-son debate heats up, it was Darcy’s impression of Nick Riewoldt or Jimmy Bartel’s well-known marks going again with the flight that was, ultimately, the distinction in what can solely be described as a very good loss by Melbourne.

Shiel’s case may very well be recreation altering

Dylan Shiel’s tribunal case will likely be fascinating after the AFL match evaluation officer sought to remind everybody that a participant owes an obligation of care to all different gamers, not simply their opponents when referring him to the tribunal for tough conduct.

The cost was for pushing Geelong’s Mark O’Connor right into a contest. However the motivation, it appeared, was due to that motion’s domino impact.

O’Connor, propelled ahead by the push, tunnelled Shiel’s Essendon teammate Luamon Lual, who was flying for the mark. Lual landed on his head and neck and will have suffered a severe harm.

The choice to ship it to the tribunal is cheap because the push within the again (a rule uncared for for much too lengthy) did contribute to the result. However the argument to mitigate Shiel’s culpability will likely be attention-grabbing, as will the ramifications of the choice.

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As Gerard Whateley fairly requested on SEN on Saturday, does the case need to show Shiel endangered O’Connor, or does it need to show he endangered Lual?

Lual was flying in from the facet, so it could be robust to argue the push’s eventual end result was foreseeable, as Shiel might additionally argue he was seeking to defend the drop zone. If the tribunal finds he wanted to think about whether or not his actions had been prone to endanger his teammate, many different unfortunate incidents in soccer may come underneath the microscope.

As will the obligation of care reminder relating to different points such because the bump. Former Cat Gary Rohan left his teammate Jeremy Cameron concussed in 2023 after a mistimed bump put the pair on a collision course. Rohan had no case to reply. However would a participant now in his place be answerable?

And whereas we’re on obligation of care, area umpire Andrew Stephens didn’t seem to obtain a head harm evaluation when he was knocked to the bottom by chance by Port Adelaide’s Connor Rozee within the last quarter after he bounced the ball within the centre of the Adelaide Oval. He could have been winded, and it was unclear whether or not Rozee’s head hit the again of Stephens’ head or his again.

However a mere ‘are you OK?’ from his colleague earlier than play resumed appeared lower than what was required, given the significance of his well being and, clearly, decision-making. His failure to pay a mark to the Dockers’ Patrick Voss not lengthy after was merely a mistake. However who, apart from Stephens himself, was assessing if the knock was affecting him?

Hunter or the hunted?

Hunter Clark is hard. The Saints utility has overcome all types of setbacks on his strategy to 111 matches.

However one factor he can’t appear to beat is a propensity to present away free kicks.

In 2025, Clark has given away 29 free kicks and obtained simply 4. The 4 he obtained had been for holding the ball, however the 29 embody 10 for top tackles, eight for holding the person and three frees after opposition disposal. That’s a excessive share for somebody who has laid 55 tackles this season.

Over his profession, he has given away twice as many free kicks as he has obtained (134 frees towards and 67 for). He’s additionally but to obtain a Brownlow Medal vote, proving umpires and Clark are world’s aside.

On Saturday, he gave away three extra free kicks to make it 11 from his previous 5 video games with out receiving any.

Soccer is a tough sufficient recreation as it’s, as Clark properly is aware of, however he’s making it tougher on himself.

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