COLLINGWOOD’s three-match winning streak has been halted by the Western Bulldogs at Telstra Dome on Sunday afternoon.
The Magpies looked to have set up their fourth straight victory with a dominant second quarter, but the Bulldogs answered the Pies' challenge in the third term and ran out 33-point winners, 20.15 (135) to 14.18 (102).
Collingwood kicked six goals to three in the second term and entered the third 17 points up, but the Dogs bettered that and slotted seven goals to two in the ‘premiership’ term to take an 11-point lead into the deciding stanza.
From there, it was an avalanche of Bulldog goals as the Pies struggled to find a consistent match-up for young goal-sneak Shaun Higgins, while a number of Dogs made themselves accountable in attack – the home side registering five goals to one in the final term.
Tarkyn Lockyer was outstanding in his 150th game with 25 possessions, while Scott Pendlebury (21 touches) was also prolific, and Leon Davis (18 touches) tried hard in a midfield role after returning from an in-house suspension.
Mick Malthouse showed his trust in developing defender Harry O'Brien by giving him first crack at Dogs' skipper Brad Johnson (one goal), while Simon Prestigiacomo took responsibility for Luke Darcy (two).
Up the other end, Bulldog Brian Harris settled in for another tough duel with Anthony Rocca (3.2), while Magpies' defender Nick Maxwell started up forward and attracted the attention of rebounder Lindsay Gilbee early on.
Dane Swan, who ran with Scott West early in the term, picked up nine possessions in the first term, as did Daniel Giansiracusa, while youngster Brad Dick converted an impressive snap late in the quarter to level the scores at the first change.
There were five lead changes in the first term alone, but for the first half of the second, the Bulldogs held the lead before the Magpies slammed on six straight goals.
A goal to Rocca from a difficult angle at the 16-minute mark gave the Pies the lead, and an even more impressive major from Davis on the run blew the margin out to 10 points.
Rodney Eade threw Johnson into the middle as a result, and sent Scott West to full-forward, but nothing seemed to work as the Magpies continued to exploit the Dogs' lack of height in defence.
A long goal to Didak and an accurate set shot from Cloke gave the Pies some added breathing space and the margin drifted to 23 points, but a late major to Cooney drew the difference back to 17 at the long break.
The Bulldogs opened the second half with a bang courtesy of another goal to Cooney, but the Pies were then gifted a goal when Gilbee stepped over the line on a kick-in and prompted a bounce in the goal-square, which Rocca roved and snapped truly.
The Dogs then slowly started to whittle the Pies' lead away, and when Jason Akermanis soccered the ball through at point-blank range to narrow the difference to 14 points, the crowd went wild.
The Pies' attack on the scoreboard simply dried up after that with Dick and Ben Johnson both kicking points while Higgins, Matthew Boyd and Giansiracusa found the big sticks, and Rocca driving a set shot – that could have regained the lead for his side - out of bounds on the full.
Ryan Hargrave kicked a goal on the run late in the term while West could manage only a point from a difficult set shot after the siren – the three-quarter time margin 11 points in favour of the Dogs.
The Pies kicked the first goal of the term via Scott Pendlebury, but suffered the yips after that with Swan and Rocca both spraying shots while Darcy, Akermanis, Gilbee and Higgins (twice) were more accurate.
Rocca spent time off the ground after suffering a heavy knock, but even his return couldn't spark the Pies, and the Dogs cruised to victory to claim the Robert Rose Cup – Boyd winning the Bob Rose/Charlie Sutton medal for his 26 possessions and two goals.
Collingwood will now travel to the Gabba to meet the Brisbane Lions next Saturday night, while the Bulldogs head to Canberra to tackle Sydney at Manuka Oval on Sunday.
Western Bulldogs 5.3, 8.8, 15.12, 20.15 (135)Collingwood 5.3, 11.7, 13.13, 14.18 (102)
GOALSWestern Bulldogs: Cooney 4, Higgins 4, Boyd 2, Darcy 2, Akermanis 2, Hargrave, Giansiracusa, Eagleton, Hahn, Gilbee, Johnson. Collingwood: Rocca 3, Cloke 2, Davis 2, Didak 2, Fraser 2, Burns, Pendlebury, Dick.
BESTWestern Bulldogs: West, Cooney, Higgins, Boyd, Hargrave, Cross, Akermanis, Giansiracusa, Street. Collingwood: Lockyer, Burns, O’Brien, O’Bree, Pendlebury, Fraser.
INJURIESWestern Bulldogs: Nil.Collingwood: Nil.
Reports: Nil.
Umpires: Margetts, Chamberlain, McInerney
Official crowd: 46,990 at Telstra Dome
