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Highlights: Demons shock Magpies

17th April, 2016
6

The oft-maligned Jack Watts equalled his career high with four goals as Melbourne extended Collingwood’s poor start to the AFL season with a 35-point victory at the MCG.

With son of a gun Jack Viney and skipper Nathan Jones dominant in the midfield and Watts the most effective forward on the ground, the improving Demons led all day and won 16.6 (102) to 9.13 (67).

Ever since being selected at No.1 ahead of Nic Naitanui in the 2008 national draft, Watts has been as heavily scrutinised as any player in the competition.

But he extended a fine start to the 2016 campaign with 17 possessions, eight marks and four goals in his 119th senior game.

Viney – the son of former Melbourne skipper Todd Viney – Jones, Dom Tyson and towering ruckman Max Gawn were among the Demons’ best.

Magpies ruckman Brodie Grundy gifted a major to Melbourne’s Sam Frost with an ill-advised handball in the first quarter and Tom Langdon made an even worse error in the third term when his shoddy kick across goal was easily picked off by Dean Kent.

Collingwood lost Ben Sinclair to concussion shortly before halftime, while key forward Travis Cloke suffered an arm injury in the final quarter.

Collingwood slipped to a 1-3 win-loss record, with their only victory of the year being a one-point escape against fellow battlers Richmond in round two.

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Dating back to the mid-point of the 2015 season, the Magpies have now lost 12 of their past 15 games.

The Magpies must regroup in time for the Anzac Day blockbuster against Essendon while the Demons face another winnable assignment against Richmond next Sunday.

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