Australian Football

Match Report

An incredible match between Collingwood and Adelaide has ended in a draw, the third of this season, with the Crows securing a share of the points after Mitch McGovern marked within seconds of the sounding of the final siren, and then kicking truly after the bell to see scores level at 103 apiece.

Earlier, Collingwood had led by as much as 50 points before somehow letting Adelaide back into the match. The Crows cut the margin to just three points at the six-minute mark of the final term before the Magpies bounced back with three consecutive goals to seemingly secure a win. But Adelaide came again, with two majors to Andy Otten and one to Brodie Smith bringing the margin back to six points before McGovern's post-siren heroics saw the match end in a tie.

Adelaide went into the match as strong favourites and Tom Lynch gave the Crows the perfect start with a goal two minutes in but Collingwood surprisingly took charge after that and a goal to Ben Reid followed by two to Taylor Adams, suddenly had the Pies out to a 14-point lead midway through the first term. The Crows settled with a goal to Paul Seedsman but Jarryd Blair gave Collingwood its fourth goal of the quarter at the 24-minute mark, and the Magpies took a 14-point buffer into the first change of ends.

An early second-quarter goal to Will Hoskin-Elliott extended Collingwood's lead to 20 points but when Crows captain Taylor Walker responded with his first soon after, there was a sense that Adelaide would soon turn the match around. Nothing could have been further from the truth. The Magpies looked as good as they have all season over the next 25 minutes, piling on another four goals - one each to Josh Thomas, Adams, Daniel Wells (who was playing a great game) and Jamie Elliott, and against all odds they took a commanding 38-point lead into the long break.

Again after the half-time break there were prevalent thoughts among football pundits that the Crows would turn things around, but when Darcy Moore and Adam Treloar opened up the third quarter with a goal each inside the first three minutes, Collingwood's lead was 50 points and an Adelaide comeback seemed virtually impossible. But the impossible began with the man who would ultimately end it - Mitch McGovern. Moved from defence to attack, he marked and goaled at the five-minute mark to kick off a Crows run that proved difficult to stop.

McGovern followed up with another mark and goal three minutes later, and further majors to Josh Jenkins and McGovern again suddenly had the Crows back within 27 points. Wells steadied the Collingwood ship with his second goal at the 18-minute mark but it was virtually all Adelaide for the rest of the quarter, and majors to Charlie Cameron, David Mackay and Jenkins had the deficit back to 17 points and Magpie fans undoubtedly very nervous.

Those nerves would have been further frayed in the first 10 minutes of the final term, with the Crows dominating the play and kicking 2.2, the goals going to Riley Knight and Josh Jenkins. Adelaide was within three points and had all the momentum. But a goal from Magpie Ben Reid against the tide turned things around, and follow-up goals from Blair and Wells had Collingwood back out to a 22-point lead midway through the term.

But the tide turned again and majors to Otten and Smith saw the Crows back within four points as the term entered time on. Darcy Moore had a chance to seal the deal but his shot missed and then a rushed behind had the Magpies' lead at an even goal after 25 minutes. Adelaide attacked heavily from there and a mark just outside 50 by Jake Kelly saw him send the ball back into the Crows' forward line where McGovern took a huge pack mark, sealing the draw with the resultant post-siren kick.

Wells played perhaps his best game for the Magpies, collecting 34 touches to go with his three goals, while Adams, with identical figures (34 disposals, three goals) was also highly influential. For the Crows, Matt Crouch (36 possessions, 10 tackles) continued his fine season with another great game.

For Collingwood, the result leaves its chances of playing finals as virtually non-existent, as it is now two and a half games out of the eight with four rounds to go. The Magpies will play North Melbourne (16th, five wins) at Docklands on Sunday. Despite the draw, the Crows remain clear at the head of the ladder, a game plus percentage ahead of Geelong. They will meet Port Adelaide (fifth, 11 wins) in the year's second Showdown at the Adelaide Oval on Sunday. 

GOALS
Collingwood: Adams, Wells 3; Reid, Blair 2; Hoskin-Elliott, Thomas, Elliott, Moore, Treloar
Adelaide: McGovern 4; Jenkins 3; Otten 2; Lynch, Seedsman, Walker, Cameron, Mackay, Knight, Smith

BEST - AFL.COM.AU
Collingwood: Wells, Sidebottom, Adams, Howe, Moore 
Adelaide: Crouch, Walker, Smith, McGovern, Douglas, Jenkins, Mackay

BEST - THE AGE
Collingwood: Wells, Adams, Sidebottom, Treloar, Scharenberg, Howe 
Adelaide: Crouch, McGovern, Jenkins, Walker, Douglas, Smith

INJURIES 
Collingwood: Blair (nose)
Adelaide:Keath (wrist)

UMPIRES: Margetts, Meredith, Ryan

TELEVISION BROADCAST: Seven Network