COLLINGWOOD withstood a dramatic fightback from the Brisbane Lions to register a hard-earned, but richly deserved 12-point win at the Gabba on Saturday night.
The Magpies led by as many as 53 points during the third term but were given an almighty scare when the Lions booted the last seven goals of the match to almost pinch an unlikely victory.
However, a visibly tired Collingwood outfit dug deep and found a way to hold on for the 12.14 (86) to 11.8 (74) result.
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The win was soured by the injury to Steele Sidebottom with the midfielder to miss a few weeks after breaking his right thumb.
Compounding the Lions' hurt, skipper Tom Rockliff suffered suspected broken ribs after copping a knee to his side midway through the third quarter.
The collision occurred in a marking contest with Collingwood's Travis Varcoe, with Rockliff in clear agony as he was substituted out of the match and later taken to hospital.
Rockliff was his team's best at that stage with 18 possessions and four clearances.
Lions skipper to spend night in hospital
Star Lions recruit Dayne Beams also saw plenty of the football, amassing a game-high 32 disposals in his first match since his move from Collingwood - but he only kicked the ball seven times, and was minded closely by Taylor Adams for most of the night.
After missing almost all of the 2014 season following a knee reconstruction, Daniel Rich made a sensational return to football with 29 possessions and two goals.
Quelling fears their midfield would struggle without the former All Australian and 2010 premiership star, the Magpies easily outpaced, outmuscled and outmanoeuvred the disappointing hosts for most of the night in front of 31,240 fans - the Lions' best crowd in five years.
The humid conditions didn't help but the Lions were too clumsy with the ball and often timid going forward when the game was up for grabs - in stark contrast to Collingwood's rapid play.
All the pre-match focus was on the home team's improved midfield and their hopes of a top-eight breakthrough following the key additions of Beams and Allen Christensen.
But it was Collingwood's usual suspects Dane Swan (31 possessions) and Sidebottom (19) who ran riot, while Taylor Adams (29) and Scott Pendlebury (25) were equally impressive.
Travis Cloke was the game's dominant forward with two goals, manhandling defenders at will and providing his side with exactly the kind of focal point the Lions lacked.
Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley said his side's control of stoppages slipped in the second half, allowing the Lions back into the contest.
"We basically dominated the game for the best part of three quarters and gave the opposition a sniff because we didn't finish a couple of chances," he said.
"We gave ourselves a bit of a scare but the leadership and the pluck in that last eight minutes to hold the game and do what we needed to do was pretty good.
Lions coach Justin Leppitsch was struggling to wrap his head around why his side were so poor early and so good late.
"It's extremely frustrating to start like that," he said.
"Three quarters of watching us get completely obliterated in contested possession and effort and tackling and all those key indicators, to somehow turn it around ... I'd love to know (what it was).
"I'd love to get to the bottom of it because we've been pretty competitive in the pre-season and that's probably as poor as we've gone."
Steele Sidebottom dishes off a handball under heavy pressure from Tom Rockliff. Picture: AFL Media
BRISBANE LIONS 2.3 3.5 7.6 11.8 (74)
COLLINGWOOD 3.3 7.6 12.11 12.14 (86)
GOALS
Brisbane Lions: Green 2, Christensen 2, Rich 2, McStay, Leuenberger, Zorko, Taylor, Adcock
Collingwood: Cloke 2, Sidebottom 2, Blair 2, White 2, Fasolo, Varcoe, Crisp, Elliott
BEST
Brisbane Lions: Rich, Zorko, C.Beams, Paparone, D.Beams, Taylor
Collingwood: Adams, Sidebottom, Swan, White, Pendlebury, Grundy
INJURIES
Brisbane Lions: Rockliff (ribs)
Collingwood: Sidebottom (thumb)
SUBSTITUTES
Brisbane Lions: Sam Mayes replaced Tom Rockliff in the third quarter
Collingwood: Jordan De Goey replaced Adam Oxley in the third quarter
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Bannister, Stephens, McInerney
Official crowd: 31,240 at the Gabba
