COLLINGWOOD flexed their premiership muscles with a commanding 51-point defeat of Carlton on Friday night under the MCG lights. They went on to win an emphatic victory 17.13 to 8.11. The match attracted a passionate crowd of 75,827 fans. They witnessed a world class show of Australian Rules Football at its best.
The game started fast with Collingwood taking the early advantage, ending the first quarter up 4.3 to 3.3. In a great example of this, Carlton’s flicking Jesse Motlop kicked his very first goal. He dedicated it to the late Liverpool star Diogo Jota, bringing an emotional element to this year’s competition.
With the game under way, Collingwood made their advantage apparent. Most notably, defenders Darcy Moore and Isaac Quaynor helped set the tone all throughout. The extra effort showed as the team won contested marks 22-7. Collingwood displayed their sheer attacking prowess through the third quarter. They scored 8.4 from just 15 F50 entries, which pretty much won them the game.
Josh Daicos was Collingwood’s most influential player, leading their charge with 27 disposals. At the same time, Nick Daicos led all comers with a scintillating 36 disposals and seven clearances. Jamie Elliott was a household name when he hit the 40-goal mark earlier this season marking a career-best total. He added a hat trick to the team’s tally that game.
The mood changed in an instant, as hostilities escalated between partisans on the first tier of The Olympic Stand. A fracas ensued after a physical altercation arose between Collingwood and Carlton fans, forcing security to break up that scuffle. The doc notes on the day of sale, numerous fans were ejected from the venue in a safety enforcement initiative.
“The MCG maintains the dispute remained verbal, but was significant enough that the fans were escorted from the venue,” stated Xander McGuire, highlighting the seriousness of the situation without escalating it further.
Leading into the final quarter, it was Carlton who would come up against an intimidating challenge. When Zac Williams ruptured his ACL, it left the side in disarray. Try as they might, Carlton’s best was not good enough as Collingwood slowly began to stamp their authority all over the contest.
Collingwood’s debutant Roan Steele celebrated his team’s impressive win, marking a memorable night for both him and the supporters. That victory not only reinforced Collingwood’s place as a league powerhouse but revealed the team’s depth and talent on the pitch.
