COLLINGWOOD has provided its NAB AFLW rivals with the blueprint to end Melbourne’s winning run in its narrow loss to the Demons on Sunday.
The Magpies had two late chances to win the game against the Dees but missed both shots in the final minute to go down by four points in a hard-fought contest at Victoria Park.
But Pies coach Sam Wright’s game plan, in which Collingwood denied Melbourne the uncontested possession that proved so damaging in big wins over the Western Bulldogs and St Kilda in the first two rounds, could unlock the opportunity for other teams to knock off the Demons, former Lions premiership player Kate McCarthy said.
“Sam Wright put on a coaching masterclass this afternoon at Vic Park, McCarthy told The Wrap on Sunday night.
“He saw that the uncontested possession game, if we have a look at the numbers from Melbourne in the first three rounds – plus 34 against the Bulldogs, plus 79 against the Saints – they won that category this afternoon, Collingwood, they won by plus 23.
“They took away the uncontested possessions from the Dees. They limited that handball backwards. They’re No.1 in the competition for uncontested possessions, Melbourne. (Collingwood) took away the handball [backwards] but then they also stopped them from moving the ball how they want to out of their D50.”
McCarthy also heaped praise on the desperation of the Magpies’ defenders, who stuck diligently to their task of denying Melbourne’s powerful forwards.
The Collingwood defence looked under-strength in the absence of skipper Ruby Schleicher but they kept the Demons to comfortably their lowest score of the season – just 32 points, compared to the 62 points scored against the Bulldogs and the 89 piled on against St Kilda.
“Tarni White was one of them. She had nine intercept possessions, just threw herself at everything, and really started a lot of the change of play,” McCarthy said.
“Then you’ve got Annie Lee as well, she had some massive moments in this game, some big tackles and then Lauren Butler, who was captaining the Pies for the first time this afternoon with the absence of Ruby Schleicher and did she have a captain’s game!
“They rolled up their sleeves, they were undersized, but they made it so tough for Melbourne in their forward line to get any ascendancy.”
The Magpies are 1-2 after three rounds and face reigning premier North Melbourne this Sunday, with the Kangaroos riding an AFLW-record 15-game winning streak.
