COLLINGWOOD has thrown the premiership race wide open with a gripping 26-point win over Adelaide at AAMI Stadium on Saturday night.
Never leading by more than 12 points throughout, The Magpies bombarded the Crows in the final term, holding them goalless to triumph 10.15 (75) to 6.13 (49).
The win maintains Collingwood's impressive away record, having won 14 of its past 15 games outside of Melbourne.
The Crows led by seven points at the final change, but Scott Pendlebury set the momentum the Pies' way with a goal within the first three minutes.
A severe-looking knee injury to defender Lachlan Keeffe halted the run briefly as the Pies' injury-riddled backline took another hit.
A 14-minute stalemate was then broken when in-form midfielder Dayne Beams streaked forward and watched his kick dribble through from outside 50m.
When Sharrod Wellingham toed a miracle goal from 25m just over a minute later, the match was all but over as the Magpies showed they are far from a spent force in the race for the flag.
Beams was enormous for Collingwood, collecting 36 disposals and kicking two goals while fellow midfielders Dale Thomas and Steele Sidebottom shone.
For Adelaide, defender Ben Rutten kept Travis Cloke goalless and to just four possessions, Cloke's worse return since his debut season of 2005.
Veteran Brent Reilly battled admirably in a Crows midfield that was hurt by the lack of damaging possessions from in-form pair Patrick Dangerfield and Scott Thompson.
More to come
ADELAIDE 3.1 4.5 6.10 6.13 (49)
COLLINGWOOD 3.2 5.6 5.10 10.15 (75)
GOALS
Adelaide: Tippett 2, Smith, Wright, Petrenko, Henderson
Collingwood: Goldsack, Beams, Sidebottom 2, Shaw, Didak, Pendlebury, Wellingham
BEST
Adelaide: van Berlo, Rutten, Sloane, Tippett, Dangerfield, Jaensch
Collingwood: Beams, Pendlebury, Sidebottom, Thomas, O'Brien, Blair
INJURIES
Adelaide: Nil
Collingwood: Keeffe (knee)
SUBSTITUTES
Adelaide: Richard Douglas replaced Graham Johncock in the fourth quarter
Collingwood: Jamie Elliott replaced Alex Fasolo in the fourth quarter
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Stevic, Meredith, Bannister
Official crowd: 44,238 at AAMI Stadium
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL
