Pretty Black and White Wrap UP Geelong V Collingwood AFLW – GMHBA Stadium Saturday 2 February 2019

​Collingwood
Collingwood got off to a good start with a tight defensive game especially from Jaimee Lambert and the team veteran Cecilia MacIntosh. Sophie Alexander produced the first goal and first point from a long kick.
The Pies continued to apply defensive pressure to the Cats and kept them to one goal and 2 behinds for their first quarter.
Sharni Layton made her debut and did a reasonable job of it starting forward and then moving into the ruck.
Ash Brazill proved to be too good for the Cats attempt at goal by touching the ball on the line keeping them to a point.
The second quarter saw Stratton relentless in defence and Livingstone giving great backline defence but that didn’t stop the Cats from scoring just before half time. Emma Grant required a bit of strapping on the left thigh but continued to show good form on the field.
Early in the third term Sharni Layton collected the main goal kicker for the Pies, Sophie Alexander, with Alexander having to be stretchered from the field with a possible concussion. Laura Butler was called in to fill Alexander’s shoes. Despite losing Alexander the Pies Sarah D’Arcy, kicked a goal within minutes of the restart of play.
The Pies continued their defensive efforts with good tackling by Jordan Allen chasing down and tackling Geelong with what threatened to be a goal.
Lambert left the field briefly after a clash of bodies and returned with a strapped ankle, had a bouncing shot at goal and was rewarded with 6 points.
Sensational footwork by Brazill in defence sent the ball into Collingwood’s end. Grant chased hard  but with no one home it made the conversion near impossible but free kick saw Stratton add a point to the tally. The 3rd quarter defensive pressure from the Pies saw the Cats kept to just two points with the Pies clocking up 2 goals and 2 behinds leading into the break.
The final term saw the Pies hopeful to win a season opener, but this was not to be. The Cats managed to open up their game and doubled their defensive efforts. The scores were levelled with the umpire calling “play on” after what looked like a push in the back for McIntosh on the Collingwood 50 metre line. Geelong showed their desperation with the ball making its way back to their end and a free kick for an obvious push in the back was awarded. The ball hit post giving Geelong the one-point lead that won them the game. With two minutes left in the final quarter the Pies were unable to answer the Cats.
Geelong
The Cats start looked promising, but they could not break through the Collingwood defence even with the outstanding athleticism of Nina Morrison.
Maddie Boyd stepped up in her debut game and impressed Cats fans with their first goal and her first AFLW goal. The Cats were inspired by Boyd’s efforts and worked hard to level the score.
The second quarter saw Jodie Orr demonstrating why she is an asset to the Cats and Clifford managed to crumb a mark resulting in a goal.
Geelong found a free kick through the inexperience of Collingwood and gave Maddie Boyd her second goal before the halftime break leaving the Pies scoreless for that quarter.
With the stop start of the third quarter the Cats were unable to gain any momentum and were kept to just two points.
The final term saw the Cats come out swinging against a very tough Collingwood defence. Ivey levelled the score and Morrison put an end to the Pies dream of winning an opener, by a kick to the post.
Injuries and Umpires
Sophie Alexander will have scans during the week for a suspected concussion as will Jamie Lambert on her ankle.
I do think that if the free had been paid to MacIntosh for the push in the back, the end result may have been different. However, I was impressed by the consistency of the umpiring and I think that they saw and called the bulk of the penalties.
Final Score  Pies 3 5 23   Cats 3 6 24
My Take
The Pies opened their season well and unfortunately were not rewarded for their efforts. If this first game is an indication of the season, then it looks like the Pies will have a good competitive season with a few wins. Hopefully they don’t dwell too much on the loss and continue to improve on their current form and their accuracy. Collingwood has some real talent in the team and I’m looking forward to a good season.
Geelong has a lot of talent and can’t find their targets easily but do seem to be a cohesive group. With consistency, improved defence and tackling, they should see a successful season.