The Magpies had an inspired 20.14 (134) to 7.6 (48) victory before a huge MCG crowd of 78,206 people.
Collingwood had 22 players committed to the cause and maintained a level of intensity that produced the club’s best home and away game for several years. They dominated Geelong in the crucial areas of contested marks, tackles and entries to the forward 50.
Alan Didak and Travis Cloke led a forward line which outflanked Geelong’s much vaunted defence and created mismatches throughout the game. The Magpies had winners across all lines and didn’t have one poor player. Some, such as Harry O’Brien who blanketed Steve Johnson, and Marty Clarke, deserve special mention.
Geelong had no excuses, even though they lost Paul Chapman before the match.
From the opening bounce Collingwood flew into action with an irresistible blend of superb tackling and hard running that had Geelong on the back foot.
The Magpies were unrelenting in their tackling and were always prepared to leave their man and attack the ball. Collingwood had done their homework on match-ups, and even pairings like Sharrod Wellingham on Gary Ablett and Dale Thomas on Jimmy Bartel which looked doubtful on paper, worked successfully.
Thomas was in everything at the start with five touches in the opening minutes and Wellingham won his share of the ball early, although Ablett came back hard later.
The core of Collingwood’s early dominance was pressure. They had the first 10 tackles before Geelong registered one. Leon Davis and Heath Shaw capped the good work with goals in the opening minutes and the Magpies were away to a flyer when Heath Shaw ran deep into attack and crumbed another.
When Ben Johnson slammed home the next major, Geelong was again left to ponder a poor start. But unlike other occasions so far this season, this time there would be no escape.
Geelong was set back on its their heels. At every contest Collingwood seemed to have the numbers, and even the major loss of Leon Davis with an ankle injury didn’t make them skip a beat.
Geelong looked unsettled and had only a couple of players mounting a challenge. One of them was Cam Mooney whose quick hands while he was lying on the ground produced the opening goal to Travis Varcoe.
But the Pies hit back leaving the normally unflappable Geelong defence looking disjointed. Didak was also creating havoc on Tom Harley who had initially been troubled by Paul Medhurst. Didak sunk Collingwood's sixth goal deep in time-on .
Geelong was under constant pressure and when Rocca marked a high kick into attack at the start of the second term, Collingwood had slipped away to a 32-point lead.
Normally assured players were making errors and James Kelly made two critical mistakes, the second conceding a goal to Medhurst when he was caught by Medhurst in a superb tackle.
Ablett’s clever goal brought only momentary relief for the Cats as Marty Clarke tore through in the next passage of play from the centre bounce and goaled.
Geelong had no space to breathe as Cloke unleashed a monster goal from 55 metres. He was right back in form and was slicing up young Harry Taylor. Geelong’s decision making was poor because they had no time. Even young Joel Selwood looked uncommonly hurried in disposal and was having a terrible night.
Fraser’s goal from the pocket gave Collingwood a massive 51-point lead at half time.
Geelong, perhaps inevitably, hit back hard after the break kicking three goals in four minutes.
Collingwood needed a steadier and it came from Didak – a major force all night. Soon after, Travis Cloke who bagged his fourth and the match was as good as won.
Didak looked to be carrying an injury as he came off amid chaos on the bench with six players standing near the line as Magpie interchange manager tried to sort them out in accordance with the new rules.
He was soon back in action however and his dominance over Harley was causing big headaches for Geelong . When Davis kicked another, the Pies had re-established their 52-point lead. Lockyer kept the foot firmly on Geelong’s throat with another goal and by the time Scott Pendlebury scored his first, all Geelong hope had drained away as they went to the final change 63 points in arrears.
The Magpies never looked like easing as Medhurst opened the final term with their sixth unanswered goal. All the sting had gone out of the contest when Dale Thomas executed a piece of footballing wizardry by skidding a low spinning kick from side on for a goal. In contrast, Geelong went to the other end and Travis Varcoe kicked out on the full.
It was that sort of night.
COLLINGWOOD 6.4 11.6 16.8 20.14 (134)
GEELONG 2.2 3.3 6.5 7.6 (48)
GOALS
Collingwood: T Cloke 4, P Medhurst 3, L Davis 2, A Didak 2, S Pendlebury, M Clarke, A Rocca, T Lockyer, J Fraser, B Johnson, H Shaw, C Bryan, D Thomas,
Geelong: G Ablett 2, D Wojcinski, T Hawkins, R Gamble, C Mooney, T Varcoe
BEST
Collingwood: M Clarke, D Thomas, T Cloke, T Lockyer, D Swan, S Pendlebury, A Rocca
Geelong: G Ablett, J Corey
Umpires: S McBurney, H Kennedy, S Jeffery
Official crowd: 78,206 at the MCG.
The views expressed in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or clubs.
