Blog log from R22 of 2024: Sydney vs Collingwood

Howe comes in hot to tackle Hayward who was fumbling, ball knocked clear and Howe is a touch unlucky to be pinged for holding the man. Hayward gets the first goal from the hotspot. (Q1 1:59)
Rowbottom blazes wide right from behind a stoppage 30m out. (Q1 4:30)
Schultz snaps near side right from a pack 40m out on the flank. (Q1 7:33)
Jordon tries the same trick up the other end, his wobbler goes through. On such fine edges do footy games turn. (Q1 9:00)
Crisp marks a short pass near the boundary 40m out, rain falling now making a tough spot even trickier… but he nails the drop punt! (Q1 13:15)
After the ball sailed through, Blakey dropped Elliott in the square to concede a very silly charity goal. (Q1 14:00)
Fox has a moment in possession near the hotspot but chooses not to shoot on the left, too many Magpies in the zone though and eventually Heeney blazes wide from the HFF. (Q1 16:15)
Amartey roves a Fox speculator from outer wing to the hotspot but grubbers wide left. (Q1 17:42)
Long roves a throw-in to 20m and throws the ball on the boot, McDonald is supposed to be goalkeeper but he doesn’t get back in time, umpire signals goal with confidence! (Q1 19:25)
Of course there’s a review, which shows Rowbottom got a thumb on the kick off the boot so it was always a point anyway. (Q1 20:01)
McCreery flies at the top of the square to provide a crumb that flips over the back and skids up, Long gets there ahead of three Swans to volley home the goal! (Q1 22:15)
Bytel is unlucky to be pinged for insufficient intent in the back pocket for a ball that bounced into his boot, Parker curls in the goal off the left from 20m. (Q1 23:10)
McCreery was built for conditions like this, his hands on a ground ball on the HFF are elite, he has Cox over the back to mark easily 15m out for the goal. (Q1 28:45)
Rowbottom handballs straight to Nick Daicos at a stoppage on members wing, quick long ball to the hotspot, Elliott provides the crumb for Quaynor (!) to rove and goal! (Q1 31:00)
Heeney is unlucky not to get a contact free in defence, Sidebottom gets one 45m out in front but misses, footy gods smile. (Q1 32:43)
Jordon kicks long from the centre to the pocket for Parker to mark on the slide 25m out. Another screwing set shot, this one off the right… swerves in for his second goal. (Q2 0:51)
Amartey takes a link mark on outer wing and goes quickly to the top of the square for McLean to mark and goal, yet again Sydney wakes up from their Q1 slumber straight after QT. (Q2 2:45)
Grundy misses Roberts with a short pass in the centre, McCreery starts the quick counter but Rampe’s work deep in defence ensures the result is just a point. (Q2 6:30)
Heeney is confronted by three Magpies in possession in the pocket, does the Neo bullet time thing to jink clear for an inside give to Chad Warner who converts from the hotspot. (Q2 7:45)
Campbell kicks OOTF from a ball up in the back pocket 20m out, Crisp gets the free which suits his left boot… but he hits the near right post. (Q2 12:17)
Cox flies in front of Grundy and Blakey to mark from a long Elliott kick from outer wing to the pocket 25m out. Shank kick is roved by Hoskin-Elliott, feed to McCreery, goal! (Q2 15:39)
Heeney gets away from Crisp at a stoppage on the HFF and has an age to settle over a snap on the lope from 45m… but it fades right into the post, disappointingly. (Q2 17:29)
Josh Daicos chooses to soccer a loose ball on outer wing but Campbell puts his body over it to start an attack, Chad Warner bounces away and feeds Amartey who misses from 45m. (Q2 20:46)
Long provides a crumb to a high ball to the pocket for Hill who hits the post from 30m. (Q2 23:46)
Both sides are sending an extra mid up to midfield, making for some very crowded spaces on the small SCG. Thus we don’t have a lot of scoreboard action in Q2. (Q2 26:44)
Apart from those two forwards zoning up to mids, there is an unusually high amount of man-on-man marking in this match. (Q2 28:30)
Nick Daicos tumbles a snap from a throw-in from the pocket 25m out, McCartin is better positioned as goalkeeper this time and fumbles it for a point. (Q2 28:52)
Sidebottom passes to Elliott 50m out on a slight angle, his set shot drops in the square and is spoiled to the front where Lipinski goals! (Q3 0:57)
McStay marks 20m out on a slight angle and kicks another goal, just like Sydney did at the start of Q2. Hopefully that’s not the end of a goalscoring in Q3. (Q3 3:58)
Another centre clearance to Collingwood, McCreery jinks on the HFF and pokes a pass inside to Schultz 30m out in the corridor… but he misses badly to the right. (Q3 5:26)
Cameron juggles a repeat inside 50 kick to 40m on the flank in front of McDonald, his kick starts near side right but fades left and in for another one! (Q3 6:40)
Gulden skids a snap across the body off the left from 45m on the flank across the face. (Q3 8:56)
Cox spoils defensively to the front of a contest 35m out on a slight angle in front of McLean but Hayward is front and centre, his curling right-foot snap across the body is in! (Q3 10:39)
Hill is late to the mark after a Blakey mark in midfield, set shot from 40m in front is hooked to the right. (Q3 13:00)
Florent intercepts just inside 50m on the flank and sails through a lovely drop punt inside the near right post. (Q3 14:09)
Warner roves a long Heeney speculator to the hotspot but snaps OOTF off the right. (Q3 17:38)
Hill beats Campbell one out to mark a long Long ball from members wing to 20m out in front, he converts. (Q3 18:49)
Jordon gives to Heeney with his back to goal in the pocket, Heeney spins and shoots but it’s across the face from 20m. (Q3 20:12)
Crisp centres from members wing for McStay 50m out on a slight angle. McStay’s kick is long enough but starts left and slices further left for a point. (Q3 22:24)
Blakey kicks high and blind from a pack at the Magpie hotspot, ball floats to the pocket for Sidebottom to mark on his chest 25m out but miss the curling set shot. (Q3 24:24)
Gulden decides not to dump a rebound kick from the back pocket but kicks to the bootlaces of McCartin who is pinged for HTB under a Pendlebury tackle 30m out… for a miss. (Q3 26:44)
Hill has two Swans on him chasing a loose footy in the pocket after a stoppage, his grubber is blocked but bounces back up for him to jink away and goal over his shoulder from 15m! (Q3 28:34)
McCartin dithers after a give by Grundy at a defensive stoppage at the hotspot but Long flies in to catch him HTB and goal. Collingwood almost home already! (Q4 1:27)
Hayward plays on after marking outside CHF but tugs his kick left under pressure. (Q4 5:52)
McDonald lopes from the back pocket looking for a target upfield, Hoskin-Elliott flies in to catch him HTB 40m out near the boundary… but kicks OOTF. (Final Siren)
Hayward takes a pack mark at the hotspot despite strong challenges from Moore and Maynard from a Blakey centring ball from the HFF, he boots goal number three. (Final Siren)
Sydney started the season 12-1 but are staring at a 1-6 run since then. It’s hard to pin down exactly why, but belief is a part of it and they have to believe they can win here. (Final Siren)
Parker clears from the next bounce to CHF where McDonald has switched forward to mark in front of Maynard, he bangs through a big set shot for his first goal in a while! (Final Siren)
Gulden tackles Sidebottom on the HFF to provide a spillage for Warner who snaps across the body to an empty square, ball pitches and bounces very high… and through! (Final Siren)
Lipinski snaps a point from the pocket 30m out after a stoppage. (Final Siren)
Wanrer roves a Pendlebury fumble at a stoppage in the pocket and goes to the square where Heeney stands tall in front of Crisp to mark and goal! Margin back under a straight kick! (Final Siren)
Gulden has had a very quiet night by his standards but he and the Sydney crowd go ape droppings after he curls in a sensational stoppage snap off the left from the pocket 30m out! (Final Siren)
Elliott has a moment to size up a running snap from the boundary 30m out, that one flies across the face for a point. No heroics as yet from Billy, but still time for that. (Final Siren)
Josh Daicos speeds inside from a stoppage on members wing, McStay with the link mark but the kick to the pocket is out for a throw in, 28 seconds to go! (Final Siren)
Cox down to Blakey, dump kick to the back flank, Parker bombs to the wing, he has Heeney over the back, Sydney have iced it and come from the clouds to win! (Final Siren)