Crucial Magpie goal a Mihocek specialty
THIS time last year Brody Mihocek was preparing for a VFL grand final.
This year, the mature-age recruit is preparing for the biggest AFL preliminary final in recent history when he and his Collingwood teammates take on defending champion Richmond at the MCG on Friday night.
Mihocek’s remarkable story continues the journey that has taken him from Burnie to Maribyrnong Park in the Essendon District Football League to VFL clubs Werribee and Port Melbourne before reaching Collingwood as a contracted rookie.
He is far from a star of the competition but the 25-yearold knows how to fight for every scrap, given his passage to the big time, and he is not going to die wondering.
Mihocek had only nine touches in the Pies’ 10-point win over the Giants on Saturday night, but he kicked a vital goal with a smart banana kick in the third term with Collingwood just a point ahead.
Teammate Jeremy Howe did what Howe does — take hangers in the back half — but the high flyer has added extra responsibility this season. He has sacrificed his own game to a degree because of injuries to key defenders such as Lynden Dunn and Darcy Moore, being forced to lock down on bigger opposition forwards.
Despite being pitted against the Giants’ star forward line, Howe still had 23 touches and four marks — including a trademark hanger over Harry Himmelberg.
The duo will be up against the Tigers (including Tasmanian pair Jack Riewoldt and Toby Nankervis) on Friday night in front of what could be a 100,000-strong crowd for a spot in the grand final.
IN THE MIX
TSL Tigers recruit Kieran Lovell will be playing in this week’s VFL grand final after his Box Hill Hawks held on to a one-point win over Williamstown yesterday.
Lovell is out of contract this season and his future is unknown having not played an AFL game this year, his third since being selected with pick 22 in the 2015 draft.
It is the second year in a row he has failed to play an AFL game since playing two matches in his debut season, 2016. Yesterday, he kicked a goal in the third term and had seven kicks, seven handballs and four marks.