GREATER Western Sydney and Collingwood are both counting the cost following a day of injury carnage in the AAMI Community Series clash at Giants Stadium on Sunday.
While Leon Cameron's side rounded out the pre-season with an impressive 41-point win over the Magpies, both clubs lost three players with some set to face a race against the clock to be fit in time for the opening round of the season.
GIANTS v MAGPIES Full match coverage and stats
In the space of 30 minutes, Collingwood's two trade period signings Patrick Lipinski (ankle) and Nathan Kreuger (concussion) exited the game, with GWS youngster Conor Stone (hamstring) and forward Daniel Lloyd (concussion) also departing ahead of the main break, before Magpie Nathan Murphy (ankle) and Giant Harry Perryman (face) also suffered injuries.
The Pies could also be without Brayden Maynard for new coach Craig McRae’s first game in charge of the club, after the star defender was reported for making high contact to the head of GWS forward Daniel Lloyd.
Lloyd was left with concussion after his head hit the ground and took no further part in the game, but could still be available for the Giants' round one clash in 13 days' time.
"I think anything in regards to a guy leaving the field with a head knock you'd be concerned if you're involved in the incident. We'll have to wait and see what that looks like," McRae said afterwards.
GWS returned to a co-captaincy model over the pre-season, with Josh Kelly and Toby Greene voted in to share the responsibility with Stephen Coniglio, who has led the club for the past two seasons. And so far, it looks like a winner.
Greene didn’t play on Sunday – and won't until round six due to suspension – but Kelly has picked up where he left off last season when he earned his second Kevin Sheedy Medal, months after triggering an eight-year extension, while Coniglio looks set to put two seasons riddled by injury and form concerns behind him in 2022.
Kelly was immense for four quarters, amassing 23 disposals in the opening half before finishing with 41 – 10 more than any other player on the ground – to go with eight clearances in a standout performance.
Nine days after making an early statement against the Swans in Albury, Coniglio flaunted the benefits of an unblemished pre-season, moving across the ground with the acceleration and confidence his game has missed for the past couple of years, finishing with 27 disposals to arrive at the starting line in red-hot form.
"We thought it was reflective of his pre-season to be honest. He's come back in really good order," Giants assistant coach Mark McVeigh said. "It's well-documented how he's battled body issues over the past few years in terms of injuries. We're quite happy about how he's come into the pre-season, injury-free and not miss a beat really. We think his performance today is reflective of being able to do most of the pre-season. We're really happy with where he's at."
With Greene still to serve five of the six games he was hit with following an incident with umpire Matthew Stevic in last year's elimination final, Leon Cameron will look to small forward Bobby Hill and star midfielder Tim Taranto to fill the void.
Months after trying and failing to execute a trade to Essendon, Hill terrorised Collingwood's defence and hit the scoreboard, kicking three goals from 12 touches, while Taranto split his time between the middle and attack, adding two goals to 31 disposals.
Jordan De Goey has been the biggest talking point at Collingwood this summer for a variety of reasons, both on and off-field, and the star midfielder-forward banked some crucial game time ahead of the season-opener.
He started at the opening centre bounce on Coniglio, won the clearance and then kicked a goal before too long, ending any lingering concerns regarding his broken ribs.
McRae will return to Melbourne with plenty to think about after losing both new recruits and a potential replacement to solve Collingwood's back six issues, following a second half that removed some of the gloss off a polished pre-season.
New faces
If last week was just a sample, this week was the main course. Nick Daicos hasn’t played much football during the pandemic, but it might not have any impact on his output in 2022. The No.4 pick starred across half-back for the Magpies, amassing 17 disposals in the first half, before finishing with 31 disposals and 455 metres gained in just his second pre-season outing in the black and white stripes that was the major positive for the Pies. With Jesse Hogan under an injury cloud and no guarantee to be fit for round one, former Eagle Jarrod Brander got some minutes against the Pies – more than first expected, after playing a half in the VFL game earlier in the day.
Round one chance
Jake Riccardi struggled to build on his impressive debut season in 2021, kicking only two goals from nine appearances, but the Werribee product looks poised to reclaim a spot in Leon Cameron's round one side. He kicked three goals in the practice match in Albury and then added another three goals and some strong contested marks against the Pies. It is Matt Flynn or Braydon Preuss in the ruck for round one and both niggled and went hard at Collingwood star Brodie Grundy for four quarters. After slotting three goals against the Hawks in Morwell, Mason Cox was well held by young key defender Sam Taylor and Lachie Keefe, who restricted him to two marks and zero goals. With Jordan Roughead set to miss the first month of the season due to a shoulder operation, the Magpies need a replacement in a defensive key post. That looked like Charlie Dean before he suffered a fractured bone in his foot - and would have been Mark Keane if he didn’t return to Ireland. Jack Madgen looms as that man to support Darcy Moore. Oliver Henry put his hand up for a spot against the Saints after providing some energy in an attack that struggled to fire, slotting three goals.
Medical room
New recruit Patrick Lipinski limped off the ground after rolling his ankle at quarter-time, went down the race and didn't return to action. Collingwood's other trade period acquisition – Nathan Kreuger – was left with concussion following a massive collision with GWS veteran Callan Ward. Former first-round pick Conor Stone strained his hamstring in the second quarter chasing Scott Pendlebury and took nearly a minute to walk off the ground from the goalsquare to the bench and looks like he won't be available for round one. Minutes later, during a period of carnage, Daniel Lloyd was left groggy following an incident with Collingwood star Brayden Maynard that could attract scrutiny. Nathan Murphy exited the game in the third quarter with an ankle issue that forced the trainers to help him off the ground.
Fantasy watch
All eyes were on the most popular AFL Fantasy Classic pick, first-round draftee Nick Daicos (MID, $284,000). He didn't disappoint and his 57 per cent ownership is set to increase off the back of his 99-point game that saw him rotate from half-back to midfield. In a similar role, Scott Pendlebury (MID, $708,000) had 28 disposals and 90 points as he looks to be a lock to gain DEF status ahead of round six. The big takeaways from the match were the massive numbers from the Giants midfielders. Once again, the Pies look like they'll be giving up plenty of points to their opposition. If you've got a gun midfielder playing Collingwood, they should be in consideration as your captain! Scoring 120, Stephen Coniglio (MID/FWD, $695,000) looks back to his best and offers value in Fantasy Classic and Draft. Josh Kelly (MID, $870,000) had 41 disposals and 122 points while Tim Taranto (MID/FWD, $904,000) certainly outperformed his asking price, also racking up 122. However, we can't get too excited as he appeared to play more time in the forward line which has hampered his scoring in the past. Braydon Preuss (RUC, $367,000) has been significantly discounted in Fantasy Classic and enjoyed a great game with 85 points. He'll most certainly make some cash early on, but will his scores be high enough sharing the load with Matthew Flynn to justify the selection?
GWS GIANTS 4.0 7.3 11.5 15.10 (71)
COLLINGWOOD 2.2 3.5 6.9 8.10 (82)
GOALS
GWS Giants: Hill 3, Riccardi 3, Himmelberg 2, Hopper 2, Taranto 2, Bruhn, Lloyd, Peatling
Collingwood: Henry 3, De Goey, Elliott, Ginnivan, Macrae, McCreery
BEST
GWS Giants: Kelly, Taranto, Coniglio, Green, Riccardi, Ward, Whitfield, Hill
Collingwood: N.Daicos, Pendlebury, Crisp, J.Daicos
INJURIES
GWS Giants: Lloyd (concussion), Stone (hamstring), Perryman (face)
Collingwood: Lipinski (ankle), Kreuger (concussion), Murphy (ankle)
