Collingwood Football Club showed extraordinary tenacity in a scintillating contest against Fremantle. They were rewarded with the win, 83-72, at Perth’s Optus Stadium on Saturday. The Magpies showed loads of spirit, and Jamie Elliott was the standout performer and match-winner.
Elliott joined him in making a spectacular return to form with six goals from 14 disposals. His two important set shots in the last quarter made sure Collingwood were victorious. His performance showed his individual greatness, but it underscored the overall team’s knack for coming back when things got tough.
Night 1 – Nick Riewoldt focuses on Collingwood’s resilience under pressure. He continued, “This group, in my opinion, does more of it, and more consistently, than any other team in the league.”
Collingwood proved they can win in stunning fashion even with key personnel missing. All of Scott Pendlebury, Jordan De Goey, Brody Mihocek and Brayden Maynard were out for the match. While the team surely would have struggled without their absence, the other players filled the void spectacularly. Jack Crisp was the key, however, notching 29 disposals, six clearances and 718 meters gained while kicking one goal.
After a nervously contested opening, the match opened up with Fremantle taking early control of the momentum. After first, Josh Treacy opened the scoring with a pair of early goals, creating a strong cushion for the home side. Isaiah Dudley would score next to further increase Fremantle’s lead to 21-1. Here’s the thing though, Collingwood didn’t just respond, they responded literally within minutes and very strongly.
As the match continued, Fremantle’s Jordan Clark was a key contributor in their defence, with 33 disposals. Classy West Coast pick 2 Andrew Brayshaw was equally impressive through the midfield, collecting 33 disposals and six clearances. Even with those moves from Fremantle, the tough-as-nails Collingwood attitude was evident.
The match took one of those dramatic turns when Lachie Schultz got a concussion in the last quarter. This tragic situation raised profound and important questions of player safety on the field. Collingwood’s Steele Sidebottom was pulled from the match in the first quarter. At the same time, Sean Darcy was forced to leave in the third with a calf injury. These recent changes injected drama into an already high stakes, competitive race.
Bobby Hill had a game-defining impact for Collingwood, scoring three important goals to open up Collingwood’s scoring bank. His effort along with Elliott’s magic meant that Collingwood was always in touch, despite being outplayed for most of the game.
