The inclusion of last year’s No.1 draft pick Jack Watts couldn’t inspire the Demons, who were never really in the contest and were eventually blown away 19.12 (126) to 8.12 (60).
It took Melbourne until the ninth minute of the second term to register its first goal and, while that did spark a revival of sorts, it was never going to be enough.
After a downpour early in the third term, the Magpies again hit the accelerator and burnt clear to show ominous form ahead of the second half of the AFL season.
Scott Pendlebury was everywhere with 39 touches, while Dane Swan followed up his 48-possession game last week with another 32. Brad Dick booted a career-high five goals, Alan Didak was dangerous (33 disposals and two goals), and Josh Fraser’s stellar season in the ruck continued.
For Melbourne, Colin Sylvia continued his good form with 32 touches and three goals, and while Brent Moloney and Aaron Davey tried hard, their opponents probably had the better of them.
Watts, meanwhile, finished the match with just eight disposals and 0.1 on a day not suited for forwards. But he didn’t look out of place and showed some poise when he did get his hands to the ball.
There had been plenty of hype in the lead-up to the debut of last year’s top draft pick, and while the young Demon started on the bench, the 61,287 fans at the ground didn’t have to wait long to see the kid in the No.4 jumper.
He came onto the ground as the clock ticked past six minutes and immediately felt the pressure of top-level footy as he was wrapped up in a three-man tackle.
Eager to make a statement to the young Dee, the Magpies were perhaps a little overzealous and gave away a free kick for holding on too long, giving Watts his first kick in league footy. However the Pies had sent their message.
That tackle set the tone for Collingwood’s opening term. While its intent and aggression was above their opponent, it was more the difference in skill level that set up a seven-goal buffer at quarter-time.
Not even a couple of nice touches from Watts could lift the Dees as Collingwood went on a blitz in the first 30 minutes.
Davis and Swan seemed to run around without opponents, while Didak and Dick ran amok close to goal.
Collingwood seemingly had options galore – as well as space inside their attacking 50 – but it was the speed and smarts of its smaller forwards that did the bulk of the damage in booting 7.4 to 0.4 in a dynamic first quarter.
At the other end, Melbourne couldn’t get anything cooking on the few times it went forward.
After a rocket from Dean Bailey, the Dees responded with a much brighter second term.
Sylvia, Nathan Jones and Cameron Bruce worked their way into the game and Russell Robertson showed signs he might be able to offer something in attack. More importantly, Melbourne lifted its intensity around the ball.
As a result, the Dees booted five second-quarter goals while Collingwood was limited to three, and coach Mick Malthouse was showing signs of frustration – particularly after Heath Shaw gave away a 50m penalty which led directly to a Demons goal.
The margin was 31 points at the long break, and Melbourne might have sniffed a chance of an upset.
However, after the break, it was back to the Collingwood of the first term. The rain didn’t help the Demons’ chances of erasing a deficit, and with the Pies’ small forwards looming as the difference, it was a matter of Bailey’s men trying to hang on.
They couldn’t stop the flood in the third term, with Didak booting a couple – one a spectacular mid-air soccer following a brain-fade by Demons ruckman Paul Johnson – and backman Marty Clarke capping the six-goal-to-one onslaught with a major of his own.
The Magpies had doubled their lead to 62 points by the final break and, as the rain again tumbled in the final term, it was simply a matter of how much percentage Collingwood might achieve.
Both teams have a break next weekend before playing in the second week of the split round. Melbourne plays Essendon at Docklands on June 19, while Collingwood travels to ANZ Stadium to take on the Sydney Swans the following evening.
Collingwood 7.4 10.7 16.11 19.12 (126)
Melbourne 0.4 5.6 6.9 8.12 (60)
GOALS
Collingwood: Dick 5, Anthony 3, Lockyer 3, Didak 2, Clarke, Cloke, Davis, Pendlebury, Sidebottom, Swan
Melbourne: Sylvia 3, Bate 2, Bruce, Jones, Robertson
BEST
Collingwood: Swan, Dick, Pendlebury, Didak, Fraser, Shaw, Davis, O'Bree
Melbourne: Sylvia, Jones, Bruce, Davey
INJURIES
Collingwood: N.Brown (jarred knee)
Melbourne: Nil
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Stevic, H.Ryan, S.Ryan
Official crowd: 61,287 at MCG
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
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