Round 2 1993
Collingwood 5.2.32 8.5.53 12.9.81 17.11.113
Geelong 4.7.31 6.9.45 8.11.59 15.13.103
VENUE: Victoria Park
DATE: Saturday 3 April
CROWD: 24,147
UMPIRES: Rich, Vernon
PRE-MATCH
Through the early to mid-90’s Collingwood and Geelong staged several epic encounters. In this period Geelong was a force to be reckoned with, whereas Collingwood was on a gradual decline – though still capable of some excellent football on their day. Thanks to some Daicos miracles and Brown’s sterling effort in subduing Ablett, the Magpies prevailed by 15 points at VFL Park the previous year. Both teams met disappointing ends to 1992; Collingwood unluckily bowing out after one final, Geelong succumbing to the rampant Eagles on Grand final day.
Symptomatic of the time, the AFL exerted pressure on Collingwood to switch the game to the MCG to accommodate a potential 60,000 plus crowd. President Allan McAllister wouldn’t have a bar of it, and the game remained at Victoria Park.
Both teams enjoyed a Round 1 victory – Geelong accounted for St Kilda by four goals and Collingwood defeated Footscray by 20 points in front of 58,000 at the MCG. On a glorious sunny day at Victoria Park, the crowd eagerly anticipated what promised to be a high standard shootout; Ablett up one end, Daicos the other. They weren’t to be disappointed.
THE GAME
Geelong gained the early ascendancy with Ablett’s three goals by the 17 minute mark of the first quarter. Ablett found himself in space 40 metres out for his first, the second came via a clever Mensch knock-on, and the third from a strong lead honoured by Couch. Collingwood’s only answer came via a dubious free to Daicos for a high tackle. The Cats’ midfield, led by Riccardi, was running amok, forcing Matthews to reset his lineup. McGuane replaced Richardson in the centre and high priced recruit Barry Mitchell was replaced by Crosisca up forward. The desired effect was achieved and Collingwood managed to hit the front by quarter time with three late goals, including two by Daicos – one a typical opportunist left foot snap, the other precipitated by a wobbly yet effective pass by Russell.
The Woods’ momentum continued in the second quarter as McGuane racked up 10 kicks, ably supported by Francis with 10 possessions. Not only that, their chasing and harassing set the bar for the rest of the team. Daicos had his fifth before half time when McGuane honoured another effective lead. Ablett was still in the thick of the action, now playing the villain – reported by two umpires for striking Gary Pert with a forearm to the head. Then a split second after a strong mark, Glenn Sandford showed little regard for the Geelong champion, sitting Ablett on his ample backside. The crowd certainly appreciated the burly debutante’s boldness, for which he earned immediate cult status.
A flop-haired Scott Russell came to the fore with nine kicks in the third term, as Collingwood consolidated its position, winning most contested situations. For Geelong, Stoneham was battling manfully – having kept Rocca quiet he was shifted to centre half forward to lend Ablett some support (in lieu of an ineffectual Brownless and injured Mensch). Stoneham’s battle with the brash Sandford was fascinating and evenly contested sideshow.
Leading by 22 points at the last change, Collingwood needed an early goal to take the sting out of the Cats. This was achieved in spectacular fashion by the famous number 35, with an inspirational running goal. Willison snapped a quick reply for the Cats however Stoneham missed another great opportunity after a terrific mark. Sandford showed courage in several instances but the Magpies continued to blaze long to contested situations at half forward. Finally a more dangerous attack reaped benefits when Fraser kicked long to the square, the ball bounced off Rocca’s head, and Daicos roved beautifully for his seventh. McGuane hammered what might have been another nail in the Cat’s coffin, however a contentious free in front to Ablett was followed at the next bounce by a good sequence of Geelong teamwork resulting in a Stoneham goal. Halfway through the final quarter Barry Mitchell made a long overdue reappearance, but only managed a couple possessions (leading supporters to wonder why big dollars were spent on a superfluous midfielder). Fortunately Stoneham missed a sitter before Daicos again delivered what appeared to be a knockout blow. Ablett soccered through a clever one to bring the margin back to within four majors, and with five minutes remaining, Barnes hoofed a monster goal. Rocca, who had a quiet day, was freed in a ruck contest and his 45m conversion eased the tension. To their credit Geelong kept coming, managing yet a couple more to garnish a score that threatened, but was never going to overtake a determined Collingwood team on their own dung heap.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Matthews made several telling moves during the game, notwithstanding their reactionary nature. McGuane’s move into the fray, having been assigned a minding role on Couch in the backline, was necessitated by Geelong’s midfield dominance. Riccardi, who had 10 kicks on Fraser in the first term, thereafter was effectively marked by Lehmann who found plenty of ball himself. Matthews showing faith in Gavin Brown, who had four goals kicked on him by Ablett to half time, was instrumental. Whilst seven goals represents a pretty good day at the office, Ablett went AWOL after the break – until late in the game when a few late goals took the gloss off Brown’s effort.
The game appeared to be over 30 seconds into the last quarter when Richardson intercepted Hinkley’s pass and kicked the ball out to the flank in Daicos’ direction. Daicos recalled his younger days as he scooted around the boundary, even finding space for a couple bounces. Daicos didn’t really have a ‘wrong’ foot, so with a defender lunging desperately, he employed his left from deep in the shadows of the R.T. Rush stand, and slotted a trademark goal that ignited the terraces.
Daicos again answered the call just as Geelong made a charge later in the final term. This time a snap out of a congested situation was so adroitly executed that fans sipping their beverage at the wrong moment would have missed it. Geelong continued to play catch-up, but the Magpies always had the answers to keep them at arm’s length.
AFTERMATCH
The post-match buzz was of course the Daicos and Ablett show, the Magpie maestro just getting better and better as the game progressed. Perhaps the Magpies should have won more comfortably, but in the glorious Autumn sunshine at Victoria Park, this was the epitome of the Collingwood supporter’s perfect day. Perhaps Daicos himself best summed up the feeling;
“I would have loved to have been in the outer at the 20 minute mark of the last quarter and seen how some of the other guys were acting. It’s all part of the emotion of the game.”
In less positive news, popular tagger Mick Gayfer strained an adductor muscle – a precursor to an abrupt end to a career in which he extracted every morsel. For the Cats, enigmatic big man David Mensch suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament.
THE HERO
Peter Daicos (Collingwood)
‘Dakes’ bore the brunt of enormous media speculation and criticism towards the end of the failed 1992 campaign. Perhaps harsh, considering he had been his usual dominant self for the first half of the season until a shoulder injury, and then later the birth of his first child, impacted on his mind and body’s ability to produce anywhere near his usual standard. Was he washed up they asked? An average performance in Round 1 against Footscray fueled the doubters, his lack of pace and fitness appearing chronic. But Daicos was a champion that rarely let his devoted fans down, and his eight goals, including the regulation miracles, was crucial to a gratifying win.
POSTSCRIPT
Collingwood started 1993 with a bang and upped the ante against Essendon the following week. By round eight the Magpies were sitting pretty, favourites for the Flag. Curiously, the season imploded thereafter – a loss to Fitzroy and a caning by North Melbourne (McAdam 9 goals) at Victoria Park set off a downward spiral. A mostly absent Daicos (having injured his knee against Essendon) did not help, but the North game was the watershed moment – where years later Leigh Matthews admits his post-game tongue-lashing ‘lost’ the players. Ultimately Collingwood just failed to make the finals, but was never up to speed in any case. As even the Geelong game showed, a super midfield was too often let down by a predictable, one dimensional forward line. The racism imbroglio of ’93 also served to distract, and combined with poor recruiting, a painful and protracted slide was inevitable.
Daicos’ persistent knee injury allowed just four more appearances in the black and white stripes, just eking out a 250th and last game against Sydney at Victoria Park. He tried to saddle up for one more year, though after one pre-season game Matthews made the call every coach dreads. But every supporter at the ground who saw this performance against Geelong prefers to recall this game as the true epitaph to the Macedonian Marvel’s brilliant career.
WHAT THEY SAID
“I felt early that the ball was falling for them and all you can do is persevere and not give up. Eventually we were able to get our nose in front and keep it there…our whole group of midfielders was pretty good.”
“I thought we looked the better side for most of the day, but it just goes to prove that they (Geelong) have some terrific finishers. We were never able to drop them off. It was just a matter of keeping our nose in front.”
Leigh Matthews’ summarises a game where the Cats were too good to completely shake.“We just did not capitalize on our opportunities. We tried to close down their runners and I think we did a pretty good job. But it was two bursts of three goals that hurt us.
Geelong coach Malcom Blight rues a couple costly lapses.“I owe a lot to my wife Colleen and my daughter (Madison). If I had any doubt, I talked to her and she never had any doubts. She was always positive.”
Daicos thanks his family for getting him through uncertain times.“I’m still here. The people around this place have been fantastic but they can’t single one player out. I don’t get any special treatment, that’s where your family and friends help.”
A poignant remark by Daicos after his shootout with the equally gifted, but not so grounded Ablett.“People get into me; so be it. You set a standard and it’s hard to maintain. All my effort this season is going into keeping my focus, both physical and mental, on playing the game.”
The curse of the gifted. Sadly Daicos’ mind was willing, but the body no longer able.
COLLINGWOOD
B Gayfer Pert A Richardson
HB Crosisca Christian Watson
C Wright Brown Fraser
HF Russell Starcevich Williams
F Daicos Rocca Mitchell
FOLL Monkhorst, McGuane, Francis
INT Sandford, Lehmann
COACH Matthews
GEELONG
B Steele Neeld Simpson
HB Hinkley Stoneham McGrath
C Riccardi Couch Willison
HF Ablett Handley Forssman
F Scott Mensch Mansfield
FOLL Barnes, G Hocking, Bews
INT Brownless, S Hocking
COACH Blight
BEST
COLLINGWOOD – Daicos, Francis, Monkhorst, Williams, McGuane, A Richardson, Starcevich
GEELONG – Stoneham, Riccardi, Ablett, G Hocking, Hinkley, McGrath
GOALS
COLLINGWOOD – Daicos 8, Starcevich 3, Rocca, Crosisca 2, Russell, McGuane
GEELONG – Ablett 7, Stoneham 3, Willison 2, Barnes, Scott, Hinkley
Collingwood's 50 Most Sensational Games 
This is probably my Sensational Collingwood Game.
It was a pearler even after I was no longer actively barracking for the club. Daicos was still a hero.
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