A RESILIENT Collingwood, minus captain Scott Burns, has booked a spot in next week's semis after beating Adelaide by 31 points in a see-sawing elimination final at a sun-drenched AAMI Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
In a sometimes surreal encounter that saw 21 of the game's 33 goals kicked at the venue's northern end, the Magpies regrouped from a lacklustre second term to kick seven in the third and five in the fourth to post an emphatic victory – 19.11 (125) to 14.10 (94).
A week after a dismal performance against Fremantle in the west, Collingwood is now poised to meet the loser of Sunday's qualifying final between Geelong and St Kilda at the MCG.
For Adelaide, the season is over after 13 wins and nine losses in the qualifying rounds – including a gritty victory over the Western Bulldogs to take fifth spot and this home final.
Led by six goals from surprise forward Scott Stevens, Adelaide had many chances to enforce a potential match-winning lead generated by a dominant second quarter.
However, the Magpies discovered replies and crucial efforts at the contested ball each time the Crows threatened to break away, even when they were as much as 24 points ahead.
They were best served on many fronts by midfielders Dane Swan, Shane O'Bree, Dale Thomas and Scott Pendlebury along with a complement of youngsters including John Anthony and Chris Dawes, who kicked three goals each.
The Crows were led by veterans Andrew McLeod and Tyson Edwards, and defender Nathan Bock beat Pie target Travis Cloke, while Nathan Bassett also had a solid outing in what became his farewell game.
It was Collingwood that got the early jump, starting the match with intensity befitting of a match that had a sudden-death outcome.
Adelaide was sluggish in contrast, and found itself 20 points behind after goals to Shannon Cox, Dawes and Leon Davis.
Davis was by far the busiest Pie, collecting 11 possessions and creating many opportunities for his side, with Collingwood's forward pressure stopping Adelaide from graduating the ball from half-back.
Fittingly, the Pies had 16 entries inside 50 to the Crows' seven for the term and, after a behind to big man Kurt Tippett, Stevens earned the first strike of his afternoon to bridge the gap.
Acting Collingwood captain Josh Fraser and Edwards traded blows, with the Adelaide midfielder kicking beautifully from a tight set shot after the siren.
The second quarter belonged to the Crows, who leaped from their 13-point deficit through goals from Johncock, McLeod and Stevens again, who was causing Collingwood's defence plenty of headaches.
Pie Paul Medhurst, who saved his best for later in the game, skimmed the post from a potential reply and, if not for a steadier to Nick Maxwell and two in two minutes from Swan, the visitors would have been more than 12 behind at the main break.
Stevens had kicked two of his own in as many minutes, making it three for the quarter, while David Mackay's dashing effort from half-back to the end of the chain at half-forward lifted the crowd.
Whatever Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse said to his charges worked, with a complete turnaround from the effort displayed in the previous term.
It produced four of the first five goals – with McLeod's second the only response from Adelaide – while Collingwood had some fortune with a 50m penalty paid to Cloke and a contentious mark awarded to Dawes.
Dawes' goal wrenched the lead back and Rhyce Shaw and Tarkyn Lockyer locked it in, despite the rare sight of Bassett drifting forward for his own major.
But Collingwood's reversal was summed up by how it closed the quarter, as the returning Thomas, who had missed the previous fortnight, gave a nod to the importance of his inclusion by plucking a third-man knock from Cox to belt through a long goal as the siren sounded.
The 20-point gap of the final change was cut to seven by Stevens' fifth and Nick Gill's first, but Collingwood – orchestrated by Medhurst's late energy – ensured at least another week of its finals campaign would come with the last four goals of the contest.
Collingwood 4.3 7.6 14.9 19.11 (125)
Adelaide 2.2 9.6 11.7 14.10 (94)
GOALS
Collingwood: Dawes 3, Anthony 3, Swan 2, Maxwell 2, Cox, Davis, Fraser, Cloke, R. Shaw, Lockyer, Thomas, Clarke, Medhurst
Adelaide: Stevens 6, McLeod 2, Mackay, Edwards, Maric, Johncock, Bassett, Gill
BEST
Collingwood: Swan, O’Bree, Maxwell, Pendlebury, Anthony, Medhurst
Adelaide: Stevens, Bassett, McLeod, Bock, Edwards, Moran
INJURIES
Collingwood: Nil
Adelaide: Nil
Reports: Nil
Umpires: James, Stevic, McLaren
Official crowd: 37,685 at AAMI Stadium
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
