NAB Cup Grand Final Preview - Collingwood vs. Essendon | Thebigtip

You would be forgiven for forgetting there was actually a Grand Final this week. Between Ricky Nixon’s return to Australia, an interview with a 17 year old girl and the soap opera which is Brendon Fevola and Nick Maxwell’s ribs, the hype surrounding this year’s NAB Cup Grand Final has been non-existent. Yes it is only the pre-season competition, but it is also a clash between 2 of the biggest rivals in the AFL with a capacity crowd anticipated for Friday night’s game.

Reigning premiers Collingwood face a revived Essendon at Etihad Stadium at 7:45pm this Friday night. Essendon has been the real story of the pre-season competition, putting in place a new game-plan with a new emphasis on defensive pressure under rookie coach James Hird. In direct contrast, Collingwood has not quite kicked into full gear yet and has rotated key players throughout the NAB Cup. Nonetheless, the Pies have done all that is necessary to beat its lower ranked opponents and should field a side close to full strength in the final.

Mick Malthouse will re-take control of the side this week after letting his assistants step in as head coach over the past 3 weeks. Malthouse has never won a pre-season competition in his career as a senior coach, so will surely be looking to tick this final conquest off his ‘to do’ list. The media is already building this up as a battle between master and apprentice in the coaching stakes. However, my interest revolves around the fact that both sides are playing a very similar game-plan. James Hird has implemented a very strong forward press and all opponents to date are finding it extremely difficult to clear Essendon’s attacking 50. This is a game-plan that won Collingwood the premiership last year and will be replicated by most teams in 2011. The decisive battle therefore may become which midfield can take control from centre-clearances. In other words, you can’t implement a forward press if you are not getting the ball forward!

The other point of interest for me will be how each side strikes a balance between playing to win the pre-season premiership and keeping the focus on preparations for Round 1. Both sides will be bringing back some big names for their first runs of the year. Didak is expected to play for Collingwood, as is Hille for Essendon. You would expect the game-time of these players to be managed and you would also expect them to be a bit rusty first up which could be an issue in a Grand Final.

Many expert commentators are still sitting on the fence when it comes to predicting Essendon’s fortunes this year. Personally, I think the top 8 is an achievable goal, however you would think they would still fall just short in 2011. If the Bombers are able to knock off Collingwood this Friday night, I may be forced to re-think my prediction.

Essendon are very new to their game-plan, whereas Collingwood have been refining it over a number of years. You would expect the expertise of Collingwood to shine through. However, Essendon is clearly the side who have shown the best form throughout the NAB Cup. Collingwood has been winning in very workmanlike fashion and has looked far from sharp. The Bombers on the other hand are moving the ball with much more freedom and their intensity has been a lot higher. They will strengthen their defence this week with the inclusion of Dustin Fletcher, whereas Collingwood will be without their skipper Nick Maxwell. So the contest is very even in my books at this stage of the year.
 
A Closer look at the Bombers

Essendon will no doubt be treating this game as a real measure of how much they have improved over the off-season and whether their forward press will stand up against the benchmark of the competition.

As mentioned earlier, the Bombers look set to regain Fletcher and Hille. David Hille’s impact in particular could be telling. There is no doubt that the new substitute rules are going to suit Essendon in 2011 as both their ruckmen are more than capable forwards. This means that they can focus their rotations on midfielders, and rest their rucks up forward. It is a strategy which Collingwood has used so well to date, however the Bombers have a huge advantage when their rucks go up against Leigh Brown who is much shorter.

Despite the fact that Essendon has been naming a strong side, they still have a fair injury list. Pears, Danniher, Davey, Welsh and Slattery are all unavailable. Scott Gumbleton has not played the last few matches either. So they still have good players to return to every position on the ground.


The New Game-Plan

There is no doubt that Essendon has taken a lot out of Collingwood’s 2010 game-plan. James Hird wrote an article during the finals series last year analysing the forward press, so it is clear he has been studying it for some time.

Undoubtedly, this strategy works, however it requires a level of intensity that not all sides can maintain. So far, Essendon’s forward pressure has been fantastic. Most importantly, smalls like Jetta, Davey, Monfries, Lonergan and Howlett have been very menacing. You need these tackling smalls in the forward half of the ground to successfully implement the forward press.

A noticeable difference has also been the willingness to kick wide. Last year, Essendon was drilled to run through the middle and try to open the game up. This high risk strategy was exciting to watch, however turnovers were costly. Again, this boundary-hugging game-plan has been a hallmark of the Mick Malthouse style for years now. Although it may not be the most attacking style, it is safe as it does not require pin-point passing. If under pressure, defenders can simply kick wide to a contest and let the ball go over the line whilst the side resets its structures.

The Bombers have also been pushing their half forward flankers high up the ground. This opens up the forward half, but congests the midfield. Again, this makes the game scrappy, however suits a team with good in and unders. Considering Essendon possess one of the best in Jobe Watson, it is a strategy that has been working.

Finally, Hird has reshuffled his side and moved players into different positions. So far it is working. Mark McVeigh has been moved back into the midfield to add toughness. Hurley has settled at Full Forward/CHF. Hardingham has been used as a utility, mostly spending his time down back where his athleticism has been a real highlight. Longergan is another tougher body who has been thrown into the midfield.

Further, Hird has given youngster Dyson Heppell a really good crack during the pre-season, along with mature-aged recruit Michael Hibberd. Both have added something to the side already.


Player Focus:

Leroy Jetta – A much maligned player to date, Jetta is looking the best he ever has and appears totally committed to his football. His career seemingly took a turn towards the end of last year, and he has carried the momentum through under the new coach. Jetta is fit, quick and has terrific skills. He had 13 possessions and 2 goals in the first half last week against St.Kilda and totally lit the game up. His forward pressure in particular was stunning with 5 tackles. Only his accuracy let him down early. Leroy only managed 1 possession in the 2nd half and drifted right out of the game, however he is the sort of player that can change a game in a short period of time so he doesn’t need a lot of possessions to have an influence.

Michael Hibberd – I have already touched on both Heppell and Hibberd, however I’d like to take a moment just to focus on the mature-aged VFL recruit. Considering Pears and Danniher are out, Hibberd has an important role to play across half back. So far, he has been a great link-up player across half back and has pretty good foot-skills. He adds depth to the Bombers backline and will be a popular fantasy footy recruit. Hird has already talked Hibberd up over the off-season and looks set to give him plenty of opportunities. He has done nothing wrong over the pre-season so far, apart from the odd occasion where he has been caught holding the footy.

David Myers – The Bombers faithful have waited a long time for Myers to start delivering on his talent. Reports are that he has had a terrific pre-season and looks set to have a real impact in 2011. James Hird has used him very deep in defence to date, often playing him on dangerous mid-sized forwards (last week he was played on Ryan Gamble). He has then used his run as a real weapon to launch counter attacks. He is still very prone to the odd clanger, however he has really bulked up and looks incredibly fit. He will be a big part of Essendon’s plans in 2011 and it is definitely time he is given consistent game-time.

Stewart Crameri – He is a rookie listed player, but has been a real feature for Essendon during the NAB Cup. He is a goal-kicker and has the ability to win plenty of the ball. His work-ethic has been great. He is another who has been applying good forward pressure and is a difficult match-up. You’d expect him to see game-time in 2011 and is one to watch this week in the NAB Cup Grand Final.

David Zaharakis – Zaharakis looks to be one of the younger Bombers midfielders who looks set to really break-out in 2011. He has been kicking goals during the NAB Cup and winning his share of the ball. He just seems to have composure and strikes me as one of those players who will step up on the big stage (as many Magpie fans would remember from ANZAC Day a few years ago). Along with Melksham and Heppell, Zaharakis leads the young brigade of Bombers midfielders coming through.