Cameron taps inside from a throw in in the pocket to De Goey who snaps the first goal of the night off the left. (Q1 2:13)
Petracca roves a pack at the hotspot after Viney gets a free for the next inside 50 kick, he has two Magpies draped all over him but uses brute strength to snap the goal! (Q1 3:45)
De Goey gives to Josh Daicos at half back who gets mown down by a Salem tackle 45m out on a slight angle to give up a HTB free. Salem kicks truly. (Q1 5:10)
Jackson gives wide of a throw in to Viney on the boundary 25m out, he is on his left boot but manages to screw it home for a fine finish! (Q1 7:46)
Lipinski passes to Elliott 40m out on a slight angle who kicks his first goal of the evening. It’s a red hot start in this game, both sides with attacking intent. (Q1 10:37)
Neal-Bullen checksides a grubber towards the square from half forward, Moore is pinged for a hold on Melksham to concede the goal. (Q1 13:30)
That goal started from a stripping tackle by Salem on De Goey in midfield. (Q1 14:30)
Sidebottom kicks to Hoskin-Elliott with two on him on the HFF, Dees rebound around outer wing, Brown taps to Spargo who hits Gawn at the hotspot… who stabs wide left. (Q1 18:30)
Howe kicks long on a switch play to Cox leading back to 25m on a slight angle who takes a nice contested mark in front of Jackson. Cox pops that one through. (Q1 22:31)
Fritsch is one out with Murphy and takes a big contested grab 20m out in front, leaping early to engage bodies. He converts. (Q1 25:01)
Pendlebury lopes away from the next centre bounce and places the Sherrin gently on the left nipple of Johnson leading to 45m on a slight angle. Johnson kicks straight. (Q1 26:31)
Hibberd dithers after roving a stoppage at the Pie hotspot and gets caught HTB by Elliott, who boots his second goal. (Q1 29:01)
Petracca does a quality one-two with Gawn to escape traffic on outer wing, he goes long to the teeth of goal where Fritsch gathers and feeds Pickett a Joe the Goose special! (Q1 32:31)
Moore smothers a Petracca snap from the top of the square to prevent a goal just before QT. (Q1 33:49)
Johnson is pinged under the stand rule to bring Salem from wing to 30m on a slight angle, he misses to the right. (Q1 34:46)
Murphy drops an intercept mark in the pocket, Petracca is front and centre but screws wide off the right from 25m. (Q2 2:57)
Repeat inside 50s piling up for Melbourne early in Q2, Langdon runs away from a pack on the wing and passes to Melksham 30m out in the pocket, who misses. (Q2 3:33)
Pies can’t clear half back and the ball keeps pinging back in, Oliver wobbles a speculator from the HFF to the hotspot where Langdon marks and rides the boos for the goal. (Q2 4:43)
Brayshaw lopes away from the next centre bounce and goes to Gawn who leaps in front of Howe to clunk a mark 40m out on a slight angle, and miss again. (Q2 6:43)
Petracca passes to Sparrow 45m out in the corridor after Collingwood again can’t clear half way on the rebound. Sparrow runs in crooked but kicks straight. (Q2 8:43)
Ginnivan sends a bit of a chaos ball through hands at the hotspot, Jordon roves but Elliott catches him HTB and boots his third goal. (Q2 10:28)
Collingwood have been belted in general play, particularly in Q2, and are just hanging in through some insanely good forward efficiency. (Q2 10:54)
Johnson takes a key link mark on the wing to keep a Pie rebound going, Hoskin-Elliott halves a ground contest with Lever on the HFF and it’s Mihocek who snaps truly! (Q2 14:12)
Moore intercepts and tries a kick up the guts, Hibberd misses it and De Goey sets Hoskin-Elliott off to have two bounces then kick limply to the square for Petty to rush. (Q2 16:48)
Brown marks a Brayshaw pass 40m out on the boundary, plays on a screws through a very long snap right over the goal umpire’s hat! (Q2 20:34)
Josh Daicos kicks to the hotspot where a pack mills about, ball goes to ground and the Demon defenders just manage to prevent first Elliott then Mihocek from snapping the goal. (Q2 22:01)
Fritsch gets a 50m penalty for timewasting by Howe to bring him to 50m on a slight angle, he kicks truly. Big red time score, that one. (Q2 23:59)
Fritsch roves a Brown contest and misses from 20m in the pocket. (Q2 28:27)
Pendlebury marks the kick in at CHB and goes to Sidebottom on the wing, he release Noble to run and kick long to the pocket, Johnson roves ands goals from 20m! (Q2 29:29)
Petracca bullocks his way through a stoppage in the pocket but tumbles a snap across the face from 20m just before the HT siren. (Q2 31:07)
Neal-Bullen gives to Pickett who misses on the run from 40m on a slight angle after the choking Melbourne zone forces a turnover. (Q3 4:22)
McCreery did not touch the footy before half time but he is on his own in the square for a quick ball by Mihocek on the end of a fast rebound for a goal. (Q3 7:46)
McCreery catches May HTB just inside 50m on the flank, his kick is wide and rushed. (Q3 9:14)
Brown marks a Neal-Bullen kick 50m out on the flank, the Pie crowd boos as he trots in then cheers as his kick is short and rushed. (Q3 12:04)
Carmichael storms through CHF but just misses a flying snap to the right. (Q3 15:54)
Melksham gathers a Petracca kick to grass in the pocket and gives inside to Spargo whose grubber from 20m just avoids Murphy on the goal line for a steadying goal. (Q3 19:14)
Spargo passes short to Melksham 50m out on the flank, his kick is short and rushed. (Q3 20:44)
Mihocek takes a diving mark from a De Goey kick to the top of the square behind May, he converts. (Q3 22:29)
Ah, but the goal umpire called it a behind! A review overturns that decision and confirms the goal. (Q3 23:30)
Ginnivan roves a Gawn intercept attempt 40m out on the flank, rides a challenge and gives to Lipinski who screws through the goal off the right! (Q3 26:55)
Gawn has a chance for a snap from the hotspot but can’t get the mechanics right for a checkside and tumbles it OOTF. (Q3 28:15)
Petracca marks near true CHF, shapes to shoot then passes to the boundary for Brown to mark in front of Murphy 25m out, who misses. (Q3 29:15)
Lipinski passes to Elliott to leap in front of Hibberd and mark 20m out in the pocket. This for his fourth major… short and marked by Johnson on the behind line! (Q4 6:37)
But Johnson fluffs the set shot, OOTF. (Q4 6:37)
Hibberd roves in the back pocket and gives Viney a hospital handball, Elliott pounces to catch him HTB 15m out and goal. (Q4 10:12)
A point in it now, Collingwood operating on the smell of an oily rag but they are within striking distance of the reigning premiers despite getting dominated. (Q4 10:52)
Johnson dives in front of Lever to mark a clearance kick by Sidebottom to 40m on a slight angle. This for the lead, amazingly… it’s good! (Q4 12:47)
Brown marks a Gawn pass intended for Fritsch that lands in his lap 30m out on the flank, he delivers the go-ahead goal. (Q4 15:52)
Noble gives to Josh Daicos who snaps on the turn from 45m on a slight angle, that one sails through to give the Pies the lead again! (Q4 19:39)
Chain of handballs out of the next centre bounce by Melbourne, Neal-Bullen on the end of it and he rams through the goal from 40m in front! (Q4 20:55)
Petty is pinged for some fairly soft contact on the back of Johnson 30m out on a slight angle as they go for a Lipinski ball, it was there though. Johnson kicks truly. (Q4 23:23)
6:54 to go and it’s now a true heavyweight title fight, haymakers swinging from both sides! (Q4 24:23)
Ball living at half forward for Collingwood is the past few minutes, Melbourne needs to get a wriggle on. (Q4 29:13)
Sidebottom gives to Crisp 45m out in front after a stoppage, he snaps off the left, bounces high and into the post! (Q4 30:36)
Repeat stoppages inside 50 for Collingwood, the Dees are just about out of ideas. (Q4 31:49)
Melbourne can’t clear the footy from defensive 50, this is a mammoth tackling effort by the Magpies. (Q4 33:23)
May dumps a kick off balance to CHB but Crisp intercepts, Collingwood will win again, it’s fair dinkum unbelievable! (Q4 33:51)
Crisp doesn’t score, another close margin! (Q4 34:26)
