COLLINGWOOD has staked its claim for a top-four berth at season's end with a 23-point win against the Sydney Swans at ANZ Stadium on Saturday night.
The Magpies led by three points at the last change before Leon Davis and Alan Didak sparked a last-quarter avalanche that resulted in a 13.11 (89) to 9.12 (66) victory.
It was Collingwood’s seventh successive win against the Swans, extending a run that began in round 13, 2005.
Davis booted three goals in the final term and Didak capped an outstanding game by booting the sealer with 10 minutes to play.
Didak was clearly the most influential player on the ground, with his clean disposal a feature on a night when pressure made errors prevalent.
Heath Shaw and Shane O’Bree (two goals) also impressed, while Harry O’Brien and Simon Prestigiacomo were good on their respective opponents Adam Goodes and Barry Hall.
Swans Ryan O’Keefe (two goals) and Brett Kirk excelled in the middle, Ted Richards and Lewis Roberts-Thomson were strong down back and Darren Jolly had the better of Josh Fraser in the ruck.
The Swans’ hopes of ending a four-year losing streak against the Magpies looked remote when the visitors booted the first three goals of the game.
Collingwood looked far sharper than the home side and it was only through Kieren Jack’s nose for goal that the Swans remained in touch in the first quarter.
The midfielder drifted forward to rove two goals midway through the term to leave his side a goal down, despite the Magpies’ dominance.
O’Bree’s late goal after an overzealous Kirk tackle gave Collingwood a 12-point lead at quarter time.
Collingwood’s midfield ascendancy continued in the early stages of the second term, to the point that the Swans were forced to send all 18 men behind the ball to slow the Magpies’ advance.
It mattered not; O’Brien simply launched one long goal over the zone and a Dale Thomas intercept of Rhyce Shaw’s kick-in ended with O’Bree’s second goal.
O’Keefe pulled one back for the Swans to cut the margin to 21 points after almost 20 minutes and Goodes lifted the local fans with his first goal soon afterwards.
Both sides exchanged goals in the late stages of the term to leave the Magpies 16 points up at the long break.
The signs looked good for the Pies when Didak extended their lead early in the third quarter with a typically classy finish on the run.
But a fortunate free kick and subsequent goal to Hall – who had been well held by Prestigiacomo – signalled a change of fortune for the Swans.
The home side booted the next three goals to edge in front for the first time as their desperation and pressure took its toll on the previously clinical Magpies.
The Swans looked set to lead at the final change but Swan made Richards pay for an overly adventurous run out of defence with a goal on the siren to put Collingwood up by three points.
The Swans squandered several chances to take the lead and predictably, they suffered for their profligacy.
Davis – who had been quiet to that point – kicked truly from Didak’s instinctive pass and converted another after a 50m penalty conceded by Richards.
It was fitting that Didak iced the game with his second goal, receiving a sneaky handpass from Swan and splitting the middle after winning the centre clearance that ended in his teammate’s arms.
Davis sent the travelling Collingwood fans into raptures with a trademark goal from the boundary for his third major of the term.
Sydney Swans 2.2 5.3 9.6 9.12 (66)
Collingwood 4.2 7.7 9.9 13.11 (89)
GOALS
Sydney Swans: Jack 2, O'Keefe 2, Hall 2, Goodes, Moore, Barlow
Collingwood: Davis 3, Didak 2, O'Bree 2, Dick, Brown, Anthony, O'Brien, Fraser, Swan
BEST
Sydney Swans: O'Keefe, Kirk, Jolly, Richards, Roberts-Thomson
Collingwood: Didak, Swan, Shaw, O'Brien, Prestigiacomo
Injuries
Sydney Swans: McVeigh (shoulder)
Collingwood: Brown (knee) replaced in selected side by Wood, Pendlebury (medial ligament)
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Stevic, Chamberlain, Meredith
Official crowd: 41,042 at ANZ Stadium
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs
