Dwayne Russell couldn’t believe his eyes as he watched Collingwood’s 60-53 Qualifying Final win over Melbourne unfold.
While the Demons dominated the inside 50 count 69-37, they couldn’t turn them into scores as they kicked just seven goals to Collingwood’s nine.
Russell wasn’t shocked that those entries didn’t turn into goals though as he felt the Demons kept bombing the ball long and high to the advantage of the opposition.
He compared it to a gambler playing roulette that kept doubling down on red, even though they had the same odds of scoring with every long bomb they tried.
“Melbourne looked like a gambler doubling up on red every time a black was rolled,” Russell said on SEN Afternoons.
“With their long bombs forward they were thinking, ‘Oh, red has got to come up eventually’, not realising that it doesn't work like that.
“Each spin, each long bomb forward is the same odds. It’s the same parameters as the last time you long-bombed it or the last time you put your money on red.
“Collingwood just kept taking their money last night.
“It was laughable at times. Collingwood just kept saying, ‘Yeah, put your chips there, we’ll just keep taking your money if you're going to play that kind of game’.”
Russell pondered whether kicking long and high was a Melbourne game plan and if modern-day players were even brave enough to change what they’re doing without direct instructions.
“It was easy to read but Melbourne kept doing it,” Russell said.
“Maybe we’re in this era where players aren't playing on instinct, they're just playing to what they're told to play to a game style.
“They don't change things in game. Once upon a time, players would just change it like, ‘I long bombed the last two to the top of the square. It didn't work. So next time I get it, I'm not going to do what I did stupidly the last two times’.
“But once upon a time you had players with instinct who would make their own decision in their own mind, they didn't need a runner to come out and say, ‘Hey, we're changing our game style now. We're not going to long bomb it at the top of the square’.
“Unfortunately, that's the era we're in right now, unless the game plan changes.
“I wouldn't be surprised if Craig McRae said to the Collingwood defenders at half-time, ‘They're going to change what they're doing here. They'll probably try and short-pass it inside 50. So, get ready for that change because they can't continue to be that silly’.
“The first couple of short passes that Melbourne did go for after half-time were cut off as if Collingwood was ready for the change because they knew that the same stupid stuff couldn't be done.”
Collingwood have now won four of the last five games head-to-head against Melbourne.
In those clashes, they’ve only won the inside 50 count once and overall have a -71 differential.