A Dale Thomas-inspired third-quarter burst has delivered Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley the first AFL win of his reign, over an error-riddled Richmond.
The Magpies bounced back from their opening round loss to Hawthorn to down the Tigers 12.13 (85) to 8.16 (64) at the MCG on Saturday night.
The win came at a cost, though, with veteran defender Chris Tarrant subbed off in the first quarter with a calf injury, which will concern the Magpies ahead of next Friday night’s huge clash with Carlton.
Inaccuracy from both sides contributed to an uninspiring, low-scoring first half, with the Magpies ahead 5.10 to 2.10 at the long break.
But Collingwood destroyed the contest with five goals without a miss in the space of seven minutes to open the third term, pushing their lead out to 48 points.
Thomas, who had just eight touches in the first half, booted three goals in the third quarter, while youngster Alex Fasolo chipped in with two.
Thomas’ first came just 13 seconds into the term, as he sped out of the centre square and goaled on the run from outside 50m.
Travis Cloke, who had given Magpies fans a scare when he went to the rooms with an apparent shoulder injury in the second quarter, then took a commanding mark to kick his third for the night and Collingwood’s second of the third term.
Thomas chimed in again, with another major, after marking in the goalsquare, before Fasolo booted two in two minutes, the first a powerful 50m shot within an instant of receiving the ball from Cloke.
The Tigers were never in the hunt from then, despite kicking six of the last eight goals of the game to keep the margin respectable.
Midfield stars Scott Pendlebury and Dane Swan were both important, while Ben Reid performed well on Tiger star forward Jack Riewoldt.
For the Tigers, Brett Deledio was excellent with 34 disposals and two goals and Alex Rance performed well in defence, with 34 touches, despite Cloke kicking three goals on him.
Richmond, beaten by Carlton in the opening round, have a better chance to notch their first win of the year next weekend when they meet Melbourne at the MCG.
Who’s in your ultimate team? Pick the best team and compete with other fans for daily prizes on Draftstars. For the best odds on the game try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Think. Is this a bet you really want to place? Set a deposit limit.
Geelong coach Chris Scott has hit out at the AFL Tribunal's decision to clear Charlie Cameron for his dangerous tackle on Jake Lever, saying…
Collingwood premiership defender Nathan Murphy has been forced into a premature and immediate AFL retirement through concussion to prioritise a "full and healthy life"…
It’s high stakes with five teams having lost their first three games of season 2024, and in desperate need of a win.
It could be a weekend for contenders to emerge, teams to hopefully break droughts, o and overall footy to have a party.
We’ve already seen what Jack Ginnivan is capable of at Collingwood with his ability to grasp big moments - how will he go against his former teammates?
Collingwood veteran Scott Pendlebury has escaped suspension for his uncharacteristic off-the-ball whack on Brisbane Lions star Lachie Neale. Neale was left doubled over in…
