Collingwood went on to demolish Adelaide by 39 points in their qualifying final. It was Steele Sidebottom’s best on ground performance that was instrumental in their victory. The 34-year-old marvel began a critical shift in momentum himself, with two left-footed snaps—one curling, one arcing—that kicked off a game-changing four-goal barrage. His efforts were key in helping Collingwood to a 14-goal drubbing over their hapless opponents.
The classic, played last week, turned out to be a dramatic back-and-forth struggle filled with intensity. Sidebottom’s explosive burst of energy seemed to be contagious and ignited the rest of his teammates. It was emblematic of how the rest of the game would play out. Collingwood’s offense thrived as Jordan De Goey joined in, contributing 26 disposals and mirroring Sidebottom’s brilliance with a near-identical major.
Though Collingwood was the bright star, Adelaide provided brief outbursts of defiance. He was perhaps the most important player on the ground for the Crows, kicking three goals but showing his quality as a potential match-winner. On top of that, Taylor Walker kicked two goals for the night to celebrate his 300th game of AFL footy, capping off a special occasion in style.
Deep defensively, Josh Worrell was clearly Adelaide’s best defender, needing 26 touches and six marks to keep the Lions at bay. No matter how much he tried, it wouldn’t be enough to stem the tide of constant pressure that Collingwood’s defense put on the game.
After the final siren, Collingwood’s Brayden Maynard and Adelaide’s Ben Keays got into a spat. That fiery exchange sparked tension and drama throughout the contest. The two players found themselves locked in a heated battle that needed widespread support from fellow players and umpires to separate the two superstars from each other. This incident raised the stakes even further in what was already an electrified mood.
In addition to Sidebottom and De Goey, Collingwood’s Nick Daicos and Josh Daicos proved prolific in ball-winning, further solidifying their dominance over Adelaide. Defensively, Darcy Moore made his mark with six intercept marks by halftime and finished the game with ten grabs.
