Australian Football

Match Report

Collingwood retains an outside chance of a top four finish after seeing off a valiant Adelaide team at the MCG on Friday night. The final margin was 27 points but this was probably an unfair reflection of the effort from the Crows and the closeness of the encounter for long periods of the match.

As they had done the previous Friday against Carlton, the Magpies got off to a slow start against Adelaide. The Crows kicked six goals to two in the first term and took a 25-point lead into the first break. But as happened against Carlton a week earlier, Collingwood clicked into gear in the second quarter, kicking 7.3 to the Crows' 2.4 and at half-time it was the Magpies by five points.

Collingwood looked to have broken the back of the Crows in the third quarter, kicking the first four goals of the term. The Magpies led by 25 points at the 25-minute mark but the Crows mounted a late challenge and two goals to Jarryd Lyons saw the lead cut back to 13 points at the last change.

Richard Douglas kicked the first of the last quarter for the Crows at the four-minute mark, and when Tom Lynch followed up with another three minutes later, the margin was just two points. But Collingwood settled and goals to Dane Swan, Scott Pendlebury, Travis Cloke and Pendlebury again saw the Pies home by four and a half goals.

Pendlebury was magnificent for Collingwood, garnering a career-high 42 possessions to go with his two last-quarter goals. He received strong support from Dane Swan (31 touches, two goals) and Luke Ball, who had 30 disposals and kicked a goal in his 200th match. The Crows' best included Lynch (four goals and 22 disposals), Douglas (24 possessions and a goal) and Ricky Henderson (25 touches).

Collingwood's win leaves it in seventh place, three games inside the eight and a game and a half away from fourth-placed Sydney. The Magpies will take on Gold Coast at Carrara on Saturday afternoon. For Adelaide, the loss leaves it in 12th place on the ladder, two games outside of the eight and with only a slim chance of seeing September action.

BEST - THE AGE
Collingwood: Pendlebury, Swan, Sidebottom, Ball, Reid, Young
Adelaide: Douglas, Thompson, Lynch, Henderson, Crouch

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Collingwood: Pendlebury, Swan, Ball, Beams, Dwyer, Williams, Sidebottom
Adelaide: Lynch, Lyons, Crouch, Henderson, Douglas, Porplyzia, Rutten

INJURIES
Collingwood: Young (hamstring)
Adelaide: Dangerfield (right shoulder)

SUBSTITUTES
Collingwood: Jamie Elliott replaced by Josh Thomas in the fourth quarter
Adelaide: Matthew Wright replaced by Matthew Jaensch at three-quarter time

Umpires: McBurney, Stevic, Stewart