Round 22: Collingwood 115 Port Adelaide 64

THE FACTS

2018 AFL Round 23 COLLINGWOOD v FREMANTLE Time & Place: Saturday August 25, 4:35pm EST Perth Stadium Fox Footy 4:30pm EST Weather: Min 9 Max 19 Chance of rain 0%: 0mm Wind: W 17kph Betting: Collingwood $1.25 Fremantle $4.00

COLLINGWOOD   4.2.26  9.7.61  10.11.71  17.13.115
PORT ADELAIDE  4.1.25  7.2.44     9.4.58      10.4.64

GOALS - Collingwood: Stephenson 2, Phillips 2, Mihocek 2, De Goey 2, Sier, Varcoe, Adams, Oxley, Sidebottom, Cox, Grundy, Mayne, Thomas

BEST - Collingwood: Adams, Grundy, Pendlebury, Sidebottom, Mayne, Maynard

INJURIES - Collingwood: De Goey (leg)

REPORTS - Collingwood: Nil

OFFICIAL CROWD - 46,286 at the MCG

TALKING POINTS

1. Polec's Exhibit A on his trade appeal Port Adelaide wingman Jared Polec has "quite unique offers" to mull over, as his coach Ken Hinkley put it – namely a reported $3.5 million dollar, five-year deal from North Melbourne. For all the Roos' midfield grunt, they need a line-breaking runner who can drive the ball forward. That's why it would be money well spent on Polec, who is enjoying a career-best season. He had a goal-square blunder where he dropped a chest mark and cost the Power a goal, but he quickly made up for it. Receiving the ball on the defensive side of the centre square, Polec chipped the ball forward to Aidyn Johnson, followed up to receive the handball, then twice sold candy to opponents before rifling through a magnificent left-foot goal. He's exactly what North needs, but that sexy skillset is why Hinkley and the Power are so keen to keep him, too. 2. Plenty of candy to go around The American Pie, Collingwood's 211cm friendly giant Mason Cox, clearly had a look at what Jared Polec did earlier. Cox found himself in a foot race with Jack Hombsch near the boundary and did wonderfully to push the Port defender off balance and barely keep the ball inside the field of play. What came next was even better – Cox used his Inspector Gadget arms to great effect, faking to go right, only to dish a handball to Brodie Grundy then follow up with a tackle. Order was restored soon after when Cox plucked a one-hander from the sky, but we'll always have the Magpie forward's 'little-man' moment. 3. Was this the turning point? Steven Motlop was one of Port's best, but his hit to the chest of Magpie Brayden Maynard gifted Adam Oxley a 50m penalty and goal at a crucial time in the third quarter. That stretched Collingwood's margin to 12 points and was the first of eight straight black and white majors. No matter how you look at it, the Power never recovered from that moment – and the true cost will be known next Friday night when its finals hopes go on the line. 4. Adams contracts a severe case of leather poisoning It's nothing new for Taylor Adams to feature prominently on the stats sheet, but his second quarter at the MCG on Saturday was outrageous even by his standards. By the time Adams banged through a 50m goal nearing half-time, he had 16 disposals (five contested), two clearances (one out of the centre), 229 metres gained and four score involvements for the term. The Magpie is often chastised for his kicking, but the most telling part of his outburst was that 13 of his possessions were effective. That should silence the doubters for another week. 5. Jordan can De Goey anywhere It wasn't only Jordan De Goey's new haircut that sparked discussion on Saturday. He looked up and about early in attack with a goal in the opening minute, but he had only five touches to his name at half-time. Nathan Buckley went to Plan B, switching his game-breaker into the middle in what proved a masterstroke. De Goey doubled his possession tally and ignited the Magpies in the third term just as Port Adelaide threatened to overrun them. He added four more disposals and a second goal by the time Collingwood put him on ice midway through the final term. What is De Goey's best position, you ask? The answer seems to be wherever he is most needed.

THE MEDIA

SUPERFOOTY LOCK it in, Eddie. Collingwood made the right call when it re-signed Nathan Buckley last August amid a declaration from the president that the club’s list was playing for its coach. Saturday’s 51-point win against a Port Adelaide line-up treating the Round 22 clash as a final sealed the Magpies’ return to the finals. There were valid reasons to turf Buckley last year, most notably the declining six-year graph from fourth to 13th. There are valid reasons why this season could’ve been a failure, most notably an injury list longer than Mason Cox’s arms. But it has been a success, and one which would become resounding with a climb into the top four next week. Parking the 14 wins, this has already been a home-and-away season filled with positives. There has been the emergence of Brody Mihocek and Tom Phillips, the resurgence of Josh Thomas and Chris Mayne, the elevation of All-Australian prospect Brody Grundy, the explosion of Jordan De Goey and the revelation of Rising Star favourite Jaidyn Stephenson. Strong midfielder Brayden Sier suddenly looks a find and Nathan Murphy opened his AFL innings with 14 disposals. Murphy became the club’s seventh debutant against Port Adelaide and the No. 39 draft pick became the 39th player used in a testing campaign. Power stars Ollie Wines and Robbie Gray had set-shots for the lead in the third quarter and from there the visitors were crunched. The Magpies slammed on the next eight goals, and North Melbourne players watching on from Adelaide would’ve enjoyed the percentage points being drained from Port. The high stakes were evident with a glance at the early match-ups. Collingwood high-flyer Jeremy Howe noted from the radio box that Darcy Byrne-Jones was tagging Steele Sidebottom, Levi Greenwood was tracking Chad Wingard and Tom Rockliff was following Scott Pendlebury. It worked for the visitors. At quarter-time Sidebottom and Pendlebury had combined for just three disposals. But with the silk in the shade, Taylor Adams picked up the slack. Adams’ 17th disposal of the second quarter was a set-shot goal as the Magpies pushed three goals clear. It was a first half played in patches. After De Goey goaled in the opening seconds of the game, the Magpies travelled 13 minutes without an inside 50m as Port Adelaide peeled off three goals. Then, the Magpies added 3.1 in the first two minutes of the second quarter as they recorded 24 of the first 25 disposals. Jared Polec provided the game’s highlight. The man in demand sold candy to dance past two Magpies and into the 50m before slotting a snazzy goal on the run. It was Mick McGuane-esque and Polec owed his teammates. Minutes earlier, the dashing playmaker dropped a mark on the goal line, gifting Stephenson his first major. At halftime this looked a cracker. That changed as quickly as the pre-game weather, with a 20-minute patch in the third quarter warranting the Benny Hill soundtrack. Fans must’ve felt like they were watching a tennis match, swivelling their heads from left to right as a litany of turnovers were committed in front of the MCC wing. Finally, a 50m penalty — albeit a soft one, paid against Steven Motlop — calmed the match as Adam Oxley converted a simple set shot. Magpie fans would’ve been nervous as he approached, with several Oxley errors leaving them shaking their heads in the first half. Cox drew three free kicks with his size challenging Port and Buckley is cashing in on his longstanding faith in the American. And Eddie is cashing on his longstanding love for Buckley. AFL COLLINGWOOD has kept its top-four bid alive and left Port Adelaide's finals hopes hanging by a thread after a rampaging seven-goal final quarter set up an emphatic 51-point victory at the MCG on Saturday. The Magpies led by just six points in the dying minutes of the third quarter after the teams had waged the type of hard-fought contest you'd expect of clubs looking to position themselves for successful September campaigns. However, the game turned decisively when Steven Motlop conceded an undisciplined 50m penalty late in the third term. It sparked a run of eight unanswered Collingwood goals and, with the Power not adding another major until the dying seconds of the game, the Magpies cruised to a 17.13 (115) to 10.4 (64) victory that broke a four-game losing streak against Port. Collingwood, who started the round fifth on the ladder less than three per cent behind fourth-placed Hawthorn, climbed to third after their win, but will likely slip back to fifth by the end of Saturday if Greater Western Sydney beats Sydney at Spotless Stadium and the Hawks defeat St Kilda at Etihad Stadium. There had been heavy rain in the lead-up to the game, but the sun came out in time for the opening bounce and kept shining for much of the afternoon. Magpies fans were smiling just as brightly at the end of the game as they looked forward to their first final series since 2012. Collingwood led by one point at quarter-time and 17 points at half-time, but knowing their season was on the line the Power responded, closing to within four points after kicking the opening two goals of the third term, through Robbie Gray and Paddy Ryder. The game then descended into a defensive scrap – it had rained briefly at the start of the third quarter – as both teams struggled to find a decisive way forward, with backwards handballs, hurried kicks and turnovers the order of the term. The Power let the Magpies off the hook late in the quarter, however, when Motlop gave away the fateful 50m penalty after hitting Brayden Maynard in the chest. It was not forceful enough to warrant a report, but it was enough to put Adam Oxley within scoring distance and the Magpie defender made no mistake with his set shot to give Collingwood a 12-point advantage. Brodie Grundy (25 possessions, 41 hit-outs, eight clearances and eight tackles) was outstanding in the ruck for the Magpies, as were Taylor Adams (30 possessions – 23 in the first half – seven tackles and five clearances), Steele Sidebottom (33 possessions, five tackles and one goal) and Scott Pendlebury (25 possessions, seven tackles and five clearances) through the midfield. Brayden Maynard (23 possessions and eight tackles) mixed stingy defence with damaging counter-attack, while Chris Mayne (27 possessions) continued his resurgence this year. Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley was understandably pleased with his team's ability to put Port to the sword late in the match. "We didn't think we started the game that well … our backs held up really well for the majority of the match, but early they were able to win some one-on-ones," Buckley said. "They found some shots on goal (and) they nailed them all, but I thought on ground, as much as off ground, in the breaks we were able to make some adjustments that just reinforced our strengths and took some of the opposition's away. "The last 45 minutes was a really consolidated brand of football – on both sides of the ball and the contest – so that was a good example of us playing pretty solid footy." Port's loss was its third in a row and its fifth from its past six matches. After round 16 the Power had sat fourth on the ladder, but to make the finals they will now have to defeat Essendon at Adelaide Oval next Friday night and hope other results fall their way. "It was really disappointing with so much to play for in that last quarter. Collingwood just kept applying the pressure and they kept turning the heat up and we were unable to go with them at any stage in the last quarter," Port coach Ken Hinkley said after the game. "We probably hung in as best we could because we didn't look convincing at any stage. They just kept hunting us and we kept feeling their hunt. "The scoreboard got us right by the end, I thought that was the margin between the two teams. One team was playing really strong aggressive football and one team was playing quite passive football." Port captain Travis Boak (27 possessions, five clearances and two goals) led from the front, and received able support through the midfield from Motlop (28 possessions and five clearances) and Ollie Wines (29 possessions and four clearances). Mobile tall Justin Westhoff (22 possessions, 10 tackles and one goal) worked hard all over the ground, while Paddy Ryder (three goals) was noticeably restricted by his hip and Achilles tendon issues but at least gave the Power a target in attack. MEDICAL ROOM Collingwood: Jordan De Goey spent the final 15 minutes of the game on the interchange bench icing his leg, but coach Nathan Buckley stressed post-match that this had been a purely precautionary measure. NEXT UP The Magpies play Fremantle next Saturday afternoon at Optus Stadium, in what will be their first game at the new home of West Australian football. REAL FOOTY What was a free-flowing, entertaining contest through the first half degenerated into a tense, error-ridden clash as the stakes rose in the third term at the MCG on Saturday. It was understandable, for Collingwood and Port Adelaide had much to play for in the penultimate round of the home-and-away campaign. For the Magpies, there was the chance to rubber-stamp a finals berth for the first time after five years of frustration, debate, reviews and calls for sackings. For the Power, finals were also on the line. While the number of mistakes rose, the Magpies' will did not falter, and this proved pivotal in what ultimately was a crushing 51-point win. The Pies have stared down adversity all season, largely through a long injury list, and this determination will stand them in good stead come September. They are a legitimate premiership contender, particularly if Adam Treloar can return, and could finish in the top four should they edge Fremantle in Perth next week. A third-term arm-wrestle became a final-term procession as the Magpies slammed on seven goals to one, the Power's only major coming with one second remaining. Taylor Adams has endured criticism over his disposal efficiency but he was resolute against the Power. He was regularly in the thick of the action, an area the Magpies dominated their opponents. The Pies had 31 more contested possessions, with Adams, ruckman Brodie Grundy and Scott Pendlebury central to this. Pendlebury had only three touches to quarter-time, when held by Tom Rockliff, but he worked his way into the contest and finished with 14 contested touches. "We treated it as a mini-final ... we battled all day. We put scoreboard pressure on in the final term and kept the foot on the throat," Pendlebury said. Grundy was arguably best on ground. While Paddy Ryder, nursing hip and Achilles tendon issues, took to the field, and booted three goals, Grundy dominated the hit outs and was typically industrious around the ground. He, surely, will poll strongly come Brownlow Medal night. Steele Sidebottom was also quiet early but had important touches when the contest was at its fiercest. Jordan De Goey had been relatively sedate up forward before he was sent into the middle in the third term. Three touches in a minute helped to lift his confidence heading into a final term the Magpies dominated. "We put him (de Goey) in the midfield rotations halfway through that third quarter and he had an impact for us," Pies coach Nathan Buckley said. "Having said that, we have got some boys that played some pretty strong games in there, great leaders in Tay (Taylor Adams), 'Pendles' and Steele, and Brayden Sier keeps backing up and playing his role. Josh Thomas, Levi Greenwood - we have got some guys who have stood up and executed pretty well." Leading by 13 points, the Pies were imperious with finals there for the taking. De Goey was busy until he spent the final eight minutes on the bench icing his right lower leg. Nathan Murphy, once a promising cricketer, was composed across half back, having become the Magpies' seventh debutant this season, while a reborn Chris Mayne had a career-high 27 disposals on a wing. "'Murph', in the last couple of weeks in the VFL, had been in great form, was in his best form of the season, so he came good at the right time," Buckley said. "It was probably due to his training form, in no small part. We had 15 minutes of match practice on Thursday and he played on Jordy (de Goey) and won 80 per cent of the one-on-ones he found himself in." The Power were disappointing, although it should be remembered they had lost four of their past five heading into this contest. Steven Motlop, Travis Boak and Jared Polec provided run, defender Dan Houston had the better of Will Hoskin-Elliott but the Power lacked the necessary line breakers. The Magpies' fast finish belied their slow start, when red lights were flashing in the coaches box through the game's opening 15 minutes. The Power had three goals on the board within the opening eight minutes, the Pies only one, while prime movers Sidebottom and Pendlebury were in the wrong postcode - the former with one touch, the latter yet to find the ball. The Power dominated inside 50s 7-1 and uncontested marks 13-3 but slowly the wheel turned, and the Pies' hard work meant they had a quarter-time lead after Tom Phillips, Brayden Sier - coming after crashing tackle on Riley Bonner - and Brody Mihocek, taking advantage of a free kick to Mason Cox, hit the scoreboard. This momentum continued early in the second term. Travis Varcoe, who caused trouble all day in his 200th match, snapped successfully, while Jaidyn Stephenson quickly followed up when Polec fumbled a mark while running back with the flight of the ball. When Sidebottom contributed to Mihocek's second major, the Pies had a 20-point lead. Could the Power respond? Polec, considering a multi-million dollar offer to join North Melbourne, rebounded with a clever goal of his own, while Boak made the most of being awarded a controversial mark about 20m out. It became something of an arm-wrestle from that point, with Adams leading the way for the Pies with 16 touches for the term. The home side enjoyed a 15-8 advantage in inside 50s for the term, and should have led by more than three goals at the main break.