The Collingwood Victorian Wheelchair Football league (VWFL) team played in an exciting double-header clash on the weekend against Richmond and Hawthorn at the Melbourne Sport and Aquatic Centre (MSAC).
Game 1 v Richmond
The first match of the double-header was predicted to be a physical one against a consistently impressive Richmond team.
Coach Andrew Paddle discussed before the match the importance of asserting dominance early and not being afraid of contact between chairs.
For one of the first times this season, Collingwood’s entire list was available to play which meant a packed rotation full of depth, skill, and the crucial ability to perform during all four quarters.
The match remained tight heading into quarter time with only a one point lead to Richmond.
The second quarter saw Collingwood starting to create more space by keeping their chairs moving which allowed for more goal scoring opportunities.
It was this style of play paired with consistent physicality that enabled the Pies to score five goals to one to take the lead heading into half-time.
Collingwood’s forward connections were stellar with Ben Jankovski, Anthony Perito, and Martyn Ford all scoring multiple goals in the match.
It wasn’t only the forwards who were impressive, the Pies backline combined well with Will Crooks and Arnold Razon keeping Richmond to only 6 goals for the whole match.
With a strong win, this clash looked to be Collingwood’s best team performance so far this season.
Game 2 v Hawthorn
Coming off a win earlier in the day, Collingwood knew they needed to use their energy wisely in the second game of the double-header against Hawthorn who were heading into the game fresh.
The team used the same rotation that was successful for their first win against Richmond in a hope to see similar results against an in-form Hawthorn side.
With a tough match ahead of them, the Pies aimed to put scoreboard pressure on as early as possible to give themselves the best opportunity for another win.
At quarter time, the scoreboard couldn’t split the two teams but Collingwood’s game plan along with a ‘never quit attitude’ meant that no matter how hard Hawthorn played, the Pies were able to dig deep and match their efforts.
After a close match, it was the fourth quarter that ensured the win despite low energy levels after a mammoth day of games.
The team was impressed with their ability to hold on to the lead and run the clock down to solidify the win.
Josh Christian was outstanding in the centre position working meticulously up and down the court to assist both defenders and forwards for the entire game.
With a clean sweep, the Collingwood VWFL team looks to their upcoming matches to continue this form.
Upcoming matches for both teams are as follows:
Collingwood VWFL – Sunday, August 6th against Essendon starting at 2pm at the Boroondara Sports Complex.
Collingwood CWFL – Sunday, July 30th against St Kilda and Richmond starting at 11am at the Boroondara Sports Complex.
VWFL TEAM RESULTS – GAME 1 RICHMOND
Collingwood 3.1 8.3 13.4 17.5 (107)
Richmond 3.2 4.4 4.6 6.8 (44)
Goals:
Collingwood: Jankovski 7, Perito 6, Ford 4.
Richmond: Henderson 3, Weinert 2, Mavroudis.
VWFL TEAM RESULTS – GAME 2 HAWTHORN
Collingwood 3.1 5.3 8.6 10.8 (68)
Hawthorn 3.1 4.2 7.2 9.4 (58)
Goals:
Collingwood: Perito 4, Jankovski 3, Ford 3.
Hawthorn: Broadbent 8, Hill.
