With all eyes on Nick Daicos, his dad singled out another Pie’s big moment
When Collingwood great Peter Daicos was asked to dissect the magic moment that helped the Magpies snatch a thrilling six-point victory over Carlton on Friday night, the answer was not the one expected.
While his son Nick swooped sublimely on a loose ball to slot the match winner from the pocket and earn glowing accolades across the football world, it was the poise of a first-gamer who caught his father’s attention.
Daicos snr said on Saturday that Lachie Sullivan’s first goal with his first kick when he came on as a substitute for the injured Beau McCreery (concussion) was a team-lifting moment that showed great “football temperament”, and reminded him of a young Taylor Adams.
“He was terrific, wasn’t he? It was just perfect for him, what a way to start,” Daicos snr said.
“He gets virtually the whole team, 17 guys jump on him, and he must have felt 10 foot tall. I’m so happy for him because, you know, his journey hasn’t been an easy one, and he clearly has a hell of a lot of patience to keep at it. A lot maybe would have chucked in the towel.”
Yes, Daics, but what about Nick? When pressed, he admitted he took “a bit of joy” from his son’s latest heroics, and said his ability to seize the moment came down to confidence, practice and touch.
Nick Daicos of the Collingwood Magpies celebrates a goal during the round 8 match against the Carlton Blues.
“It gets back to his awareness. He’s got really good awareness, and he’s fully invested when he plays,” Daicos said. “He’s in game mode, I can sort of tell. It was a nice finish.”
Nick Daicos has firmed into equal-third favourite in the Brownlow market following a five-week period in which he and the Magpies have recaptured their premiership-winning form.
On Friday night, the 21-year-old Magpie amassed 32 disposals, 15 contested possessions, gained 626 metres, laid seven tackles and kicked two goals, claiming the Richard Pratt Medal for best on ground in the clash for the Peter Mac Cup. But don’t mention the Brownlow hype to his father.
“I’ll be honest, it is something that we never talk about. We never talk about any of that stuff,” Daicos snr said.
“The boys are only interested in what happens with the team. I know, the first three weeks, they were ropeable about the losses. So, honestly, it is not a conversation.
“And it is not something I would entertain anyway because there’s enough pressure on them, so the last thing I want to be doing is talking about individual awards. We never, ever bring those up. Ever.”
Nick’s return to touch comes at a vital time for the Magpies, with Jordan De Goey battling a groin injury, and Tom Mitchell managing a plantar fasciitis issue. De Goey remains doubtful for next Sunday’s clash against West Coast at Marvel Stadium.
The praise for Nick spread far and wide on Saturday, with four-time premiership player Luke Hodge comparing his ability to turn a game with his brilliant Hawthorn teammate Cyril Rioli.
“Some blokes have their own rules,” Hodge told SEN. “We had a person, Cyril Rioli, if he felt he could do something to win a game, to change a game, to burst through a stoppage, he was able to do it. And the rest of us had to cover because we knew he was a match winner.
Nick Daicos kicked the winning goal in the Magpies’ win against the Blues.
“Collingwood have almost got the same rules with Nick. He’ll make mistakes at times, but the rest of them cover for him.”
Pies coach Craig McRae could not even wait until he got home to watch Nick’s match winner again, the Collingwood premiership coach whipping out his phone in the change rooms to relive his brilliance as the Magpies celebrated a six-point triumph over Carlton that could pump life into a flag defence that started with three straight losses.
A forward-50 stoppage that began with a mess of players desperately trying to wrangle the Sherrin transformed into a show-stopping moment as a timely Harvey Harrison tap into Daicos’ path set the MCG alight.
The 21-year-old superstar read the play better than everyone, and there was no catching him once he hit top speed – but it was his spectacular snap finish, with barely a minute on the clock, that left McRae and co in awe.
“What a player,” McRae said. “That late in the game, to be running with that intensity [is incredible]. If you watch it, and you’re tracking how hard he’s working, and then the finish – wow, what an exceptional talent.”
Patrick Lipinski was the closest Magpie to Daicos before and after his match-winning second goal, trailing two metres behind, but feared initially that his teammate had missed his shot at glory.
“It was the best finish, one of the great finishes,” Lipinski, who gathered 24 disposals and four clearances, told The Age.
Patrick Lipinski celebrates a goal with Will Hoskin-Elliott on Friday night.
“Him and Bobby [Hill] have both kicked some great goals in that pocket. I thought it missed, but he was going to the crowd, so I was very happy – he’s a star.
“I think his first goal even was unbelievable: he baulked through a stoppage and snapped it. He just does things that other players can’t do, and he really breaks open the game, most games … I’m very lucky to play with him and can’t wait to keep doing it.”
Carlton were gaining ground on the Pies as the AFL’s close-game kings until Friday night’s result, but coach Michael Voss’ immediate reaction was to pay credit to Daicos.
Asked whether he could pinpoint what Collingwood did better than his side in the dying minutes, a deadpan Voss said: “Daicos was all right … they got that one little breakthrough, and he was good enough to finish, from a very tight angle, mind you, so a bit of class stood up at the right time.”
McRae was most impressed with Daicos’ defensive performance, which was evident from the first quarter, including one passage of play where he charged down separate Blues on the wing within a matter of seconds to force a boundary throw-in.
“When he plays like that, he’s one of the best players in the competition. Everyone can see that,” McRae said.
“He was hard to stop tonight and … I was really happy with the defensive side of his game. His pressure was as good as I’ve seen since he’s been playing with us. Funnily enough, the other parts of his game really expressed themselves on the back of good defence, so I’m really pleased with that part, in particular.”
The Magpies are unbeaten in their past five games, a period in which they defeated the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba, Hawthorn, Port Adelaide and the Blues, as well as the draw with the Bombers.
“We’re just building and building,” Lipinski said. “We’ve been struggling to play a four-quarter game, but that was pretty close to it, so it was a great win.”
McRae echoed those sentiments, admitting he would have had a “sour taste” in his mouth if they had not secured the four points after amassing 61 inside 50s to the Blues’ 38, including a 21-5 advantage in the final term.
“That’s a nourishing win,” the coach said.
“A couple of weeks ago, I said you don’t get style points, you only get four points – but we had a bit of style to it tonight. I felt there were some things in our game that sort of expressed themselves.
“We looked really well-connected at times. It’s not a perfect game, a minute to go, and the scores are level, but we’re not really aiming for that … that’s a deeper win than potentially we’ve had this year.”
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