HOT PIES FREEZE DEES
COLLINGWOOD silenced the doubters and claimed its first scalp against a top-eight side, smashing Melbourne by 42 points at the MCG, while more than $6 million was raised to help find a cure for MND.
COLLINGWOOD coach Nathan Buckley says his side will not be reassessing where it sits this season, playing down yesterday’s convincing 42-point win over Melbourne.
The Magpies sit sixth on the ladder with an 8-4 record heading into a bye this weekend, needing only one more win to equal last season’s tally of nine.
Buckley said his side was playing to its strengths and were invested in the program but there was still plenty to prove.
“We’re enjoying our work but we’re enjoying our preparation, we’re enjoying the environment of the place, but we’re not going to forget the building blocks of what we need to put in place,” he said.
“I think our players are invested, they’re working hard, they’re playing for each other, there’s a lot of care. Guys know exactly what their strengths are and how they can bring them to the table, so that’s been really positive.
“We’ve taken the first couple of steps and we’ll continue to explore our football and see what we can turn that into but you can only do that week by week.”
Playing a new predominantly midfield role, Jordan De Goey led the way for the Magpies with 30 disposals, including 10 score involvements and three goal assists, setting the tone from the start.
“We look forward to him doing that more as a midfielder as he understands his capabilities and the requirements of playing that position,” Buckley said. “It’s a pretty exciting start.” In his 31st AFL game, American Mason Cox took out the Neale Daniher Trophy with a starring five-goal performance.
“We were able to access him at the right times when he had isolation with his direct opponent,” Buckley said.