Collingwood Game: Youngsters Impress as GIANTS Pip the Pies at KGM Centre
The collingwood game at the KGM Centre saw Collingwood go down to the GIANTS by 16 points in a seesawing VFL contest shaped by strong Melbourne winds and late momentum swings.
What Happened in the Match?
Strong winds dictated ebb and flow. Collingwood opened brightly: an early goal from 2025 draftee Angus Anderson followed a rapid succession of majors from Charlie West, Zac McCarthy, Lachie Sullivan, Jack Buller and Noah Howes that built a 32-point advantage at the first break. The GIANTS responded with four consecutive goals in the second quarter, and Collingwood entered the third term with a six-point lead before extending that margin to 22 when the breeze returned in their favour. In the final term the GIANTS exploited the wind to kick four quick goals in six minutes, taking the lead for the first time since the opening minutes; a late Howes goal narrowed the gap but Collingwood lost by 16 points.
Collingwood Game — Who Impressed?
The collingwood game highlighted a raft of individual performances that supply genuine positives for the coaching group.
- Midfield engine: Edward Allan finished with a team-high 29 disposals, eight inside 50s and seven tackles.
- Debut and draftee impact: Angus Anderson opened Collingwood’s 2026 account and finished with 20 disposals and six score involvements; Oskar Faulkhead completed his Collingwood debut with 21 disposals, six intercept possessions and six score involvements.
- Defensive work: Jakob Ryan and Sam Swadling each finished with 25 disposals (12 contested); Ryan added 11 intercept possessions and six marks while Swadling produced six intercept possessions.
- Forward contributions: Charlie West kicked two goals and took five marks; Noah Howes also finished with two majors; Will Hayes and co-captain Brady Grey supplied important goals during the match.
- Other contributors: Jack Buller finished with 18 disposals and seven clearances; Brynn Teakle provided strong intercept numbers in defence; Harvey Harrison kicked his first VFL goal in 728 days after returning from ACL injury.
What Comes Next?
VFL Senior Coach Matthew Lokan and staff face a clear assessment agenda: weigh on-field production against match management in wind-affected conditions and continue fitness and readiness checks for players returning from long-term injury. The performances of youngsters and recent recruits supply selection talking points as the coaching group sorts through form and availability ahead of coming selection windows. Monitoring will focus on consistency from the midfield engine, intercept work in defence and the ability of developing forwards to influence tight matches; staff will also track recovery and match load for players returning from ACL setbacks. Taken together, those priorities frame how the game’s lessons will be applied in training and selection discussions for the next collingwood game
