Saturday’s AFL 2018 Finals Week 2 match is between Collingwood Magpies and Greater Western Sydney Giants. The opening kick is set to commence at 19:25 local time with the game to be played at MCG. The away team Greater Western Sydney Giants are the favourites for the match.
View our preview and teams for the game between Collingwood Magpies and Greater Western Sydney Giants.
When: 19:25 | Saturday 15/09/2018
Where: MCG
Preview:
The AFL has been criticised for scheduling this game on Saturday rather than Friday, but it’s a non-issue for me.
The six-day break with have no bearing on the outcome of next week’s game.
Collingwood return to Melbourne after going down to the Eagles in Perth but they were terrific for three quarters before being overrun by the Eagles in the last quarter.
There were many positives to take out of the match including Tyson Goldsack, who returned from a knee injury to play his first game of the year.
Collingwood’s defence face a tough test against the Giants’ forwards and their banged-up defence is their biggest weakness but with Jeremy Howe and Tyson Goldsack having a run under their belt, they should be better for the run.
This will be a brutal game in the midfield which is both teams’ strength.
The Giants will probably be without their best player Josh Kelly which is a massive advantage for the Pies.
KEY BATTLE: Rory Lobb v Brodie Grundy
Lobb v Grundy in the ruck is the area the Pies can really get on top.
This duel is so one-sided towards Collingwood and gives them a distinct advantage.
The Verdict
Collingwood in front of a 90,000-strong crowd at the MCG will be good enough to hold off the brave Giants who have been smashed by injury all year.
The Pies lead the Giants 5-2 since 2010 and have a 12-8 (60.0 percent) line record in night matches at the MCG since 2014.
Odds:
Tip: Greater Western Sydney Giants at $2.45
Value Bet: First Goal Scorer: Toby Greene at $9.50
More Info:
Teams:
Collingwood Magpies: 
B: Maynard, Langdon, Crisp
HB: Howe, Goldsack, Varcoe
C: Treloar, Pendlebury, Phillips
HF: Hoskin-Elliott, Mihocek, De Goey
F: Thomas, Cox, Stephenson
FOLL: Grundy, Adams, Sidebottom
I/C: Sier, Aish, Mayne, Greenwood
EMG: Brown, Daicos, Madgen, Reid
Unchanged
Greater Western Sydney Giants: 
B: Williams, Davis, Kennedy
HB: Haynes, Tomlinson, Buntine
C: Reid, Ward, de Boer
HF: Shiel, Himmelberg, Deledio
F: Taranto, Cameron, Greene
FOLL: Lobb, Coniglio, Hopper
I/C: Griffen, Keeffe, Whitfield, Langdon
EMG: Bonar, Cumming, Perryman, Lloyd
IN: Griffen, Keeffe
OUT: Perryman (omitted), Kelly (injured)
AFL News:
Injured GWS star Josh Kelly’s availability for a knockout semi-final against Collingwood will become clearer when the AFL club receives scan results on his damaged knee on Monday.
Kelly limped off the SCG late in the first quarter of Saturday’s elimination final against Sydney and played no further part in the match, which the Giants won by 49 points.
GWS believe the star midfielder, among their most important players, has a torn meniscus.
“It could be minor,” coach Leon Cameron said.
“We’re not ruling out next week. Touch wood.
“It’d be great to see him get up next week.”
The Giants aren’t the only premiership contenders with injury issues.
Hawthorn’s Ben Stratton and West Coast’s Brad Sheppard will battle to take any further part in the finals series after suffering hamstring injuries.
Scans showed Stratton’s injury to his right hamstring is not severe, but he won’t play in this week’s semi-final against Melbourne and will need a lot to go his way to play in a potential grand final.
Sheppard’s injury is feared to be much worse, the Eagles defender potentially suffering tendon damage early in his side’s win over Collingwood at Optus Stadium.
Tigers star Alex Rance copped a knee to his left foot against the Hawks but was able to play out the game.
Clubs will keep close tabs on a host of star players who returned from injury in the first week of the finals.
They include Melbourne’s Jack Viney (toe), West Coast’s Josh Kennedy (shin), GWS trio Toby Greene (hamstring), Zac Williams (achilles) and Brett Deledio (calf) and Collingwood’s Tyson Goldsack (knee), Adam Treloar (hamstring) and Jeremy Howe (thigh).
