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Reigning premiers Collingwood resisted a stubborn challenge from the West Coast Eagles to seal progression into yet another preliminary final with a 20-point win at the MCG today.
The Eagles were on the back foot from before the bounce with Daniel Kerr a late withdrawal due to a recurring back injury. But they started strongly, racing to a 14-point lead as they kept the Pies scoreless until late in the first quarter.
Perhaps stunned by the Eagles’ early pressure, Collingwood came out fighting in the second quarter, putting in a six-goal second term to wrestle back the lead and head into the main break with a 13-point buffer.
But in a seesaw affair in the second half, the Eagles kept on coming, getting to within a straight kick late in the last quarter, despite some key errors from youngster Luke Shuey and the loss of influential ruckman Dean Cox to what appears to be a back injury.
As the Eagles fought desperately to get the upper hand and cause one of the upsets of the season, Collingwood kept calm and held on to their lead, helped by an impressive display from substitute Alex Fasolo.
Luke Ball’s late snap killed off the Eagles’ charge and sealed the win, while Fasolo added the icing on the cake with a goal after the final siren, to extend the margin to a flattering 20 points.
While a relieved Collingwood enjoy a week off, one game away from yet another grand final appearance, the Eagles head home for a semi-final against the winner of tomorrow’s elimination final between Carlton and Essendon, sweating over the fitness of Cox and Kerr.
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