Australian Football

Match Report

At the 10-minute mark of the second quarter at the MCG on Saturday night, Nathan Buckley's coaching career was surely hanging by the thinnest of threads. After a brave performance - but ultimately a heartbreaking loss - against GWS a week earlier, the Magpies were expected to at least account for Hawthorn this week, the Hawks struggling for form and severely depleted by injury.

But somehow, 10 minutes into second term on Saturday night, Collingwood found itself more than seven goals in arrears of the brown and gold, and more than a few of the black and white army must have seriously considered going home. Yet the Pies persisted, slowly at first, but then with greater purpose, and the goals began to flow - slowly at first, but then regularly. By three-quarter time Collingwood had drawn level and though the Hawks regained the lead early in the last term, the Magpie march was inexorable, and they kicked the last four goals of the match to record an 18-point win, one that could revive their season and save the career of their coach. 

The early signs weren't great for Collingwood, with Hawk Paul Puopolo scoring the first goal of the match after gathering a loose ball at the four-minute mark. But the Magpies at least managed to stay in touch for the next 10 minutes, with neither side scoring. However, a second goal to Puopolo after he was taken high sparked an avalanche of Hawthorn goals, with Liam Shiels, Ty Vickery, James Sicily and Luke Breust all getting in on the act before the Magpies registered their only score for the quarter, a behind to Darcy Moore. At quarter time the Hawks were ahead by six goals.

Collingwood finally got a goal on the board when Brayden Maynard kicked his first at the three-minute mark of the second term, but the Magpies' relief appeared to be only temporary, as Breust and James Sicily followed up with majors for the Hawks. At that stage the Magpies were 43 points behind, and the match - and in the eyes of many, Buckley's coaching career - looked to be over.

From there, though, the complexion of the match began to change. The Pies kicked the next goal through Levi Greenwood and had chances to kick several more but their efforts yielded only four behinds. Sicily's second goal took Hawthorn's lead back out to 40 bit Collingwood kicked two of the three goals in time on to close the margin to 34 to give Magpie fans a glimmer of hope.

Tom Mitchell, who had been collecting possessions at will, had a chance to settle the Hawks early in the third quarter but his running shot missed and when Jeremy Howe goals at the other end at the six-minute mark, the margin was back to 28 points and the door was ajar for the Magpies. Sensing the shift in momentum, they took full advantage, and majors to Moore and Jamie Elliott had them within 14 points as the term entered time on. Collingwood did not stop there, and further majors to Moore and Jack Crisp amazingly had the scores tied when the three-quarter time siren sounded.

A nice snap from the forward pocket by Breust at the four-minute mark of the final term gave him his third goal and restored Hawthorn's lead but that proved to be the Hawks' last gasp. When Elliott kicked his third eight minutes later, the Pies had hit the front by a point and would not relinquish the lead. Captain Scott Pendlebury added another goal at the 16-minute mark and further goals from Steele Sidebottom and Josh Smith franked a remarkable come-from-behind win for Collingwood, keeping its slim finals hopes alive and perhaps ending Hawthorn's.

Pendlebury played a great captain's game for the victors, picking up 36 possessions and laying nine tackles, while Tom Mitchell finished with an incredible 50 disposals, the highest ever recorded by a Hawthorn player, and also found the time to lay eight tackles.

Both sides now have a 3-6 record, but Collingwood's percentage of 94.47 is significantly better than the Hawks' 76.84. The Magpies will have a chance to improve their record when they take on bottom side Brisbane at the MCG on Sunday while Hawthorn will face a resurgent Sydney at the SCG on Friday night.

GOALS
Collingwood: Elliott 3; Moore 2; Maynard, Greenwood, Treloar, Howe, Crisp, Pendlebury, Sidebottom, Smith
Hawthorn: Sicily, Breust 3; Puopolo 2; Shiels, Vickery, McEvoy

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Collingwood: Pendlebury, Howe, Adams, Treloar, Moore, Smith
Hawthorn: Mitchell, Puopolo, Shiels, Smith, Breust, Burton

BEST - THE AGE
Collingwood: Pendlebury, Howe, Adams, Treloar, Sidebottom, Elliott, Crisp
Hawthorn: Mitchell, Shiels, McEvoy, Breust, Puopolo, Smith

INJURIES
Collingwood: James Aish (fractured cheekbone)
Hawthorn: Tim O'Brien (hip) replaced in selected side by James Sicily, Kaiden Brand (illness) replaced in selected side by Kurt Heatherley, Paul Puopolo (knee), Jack Gunston (knee/ankle)

UMPIRES: Donlon, Rosebury, O'Gorman

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Seven Network

COMMENTATORS: Luke Darcy, Basil Zempilas, Matthew Richardson, Cameron Ling