Collingwood coach Craig McRae has admitted his side is “running out of time” to make the finals after falling to a third straight defeat on Friday night.
Geelong claimed a hard-fought 20-point win over Collingwood to leap into the AFL top four and strike a blow to the reigning premiers’ finals aspirations.
In a see-sawing game in front of 73,435 fans at the MCG on Friday, the Cats stepped up when it counted in the final quarter to shake off the Magpies and claim a 13.13 (91) to 10.11 (71) victory.
Geelong (44 points) leap to third with their third win on the bounce, ahead of yet-to-play Fremantle and Essendon, while Collingwood (36 points) sit 10th.
Following the game, McRae remained his usual positive self, but admitted that his side faces an uphill battle to make the top eight.
“We’ll take many positives away, but also the reality is there is six games to go, time is running out,” he said.
“We’ll look to reward all the behaviour that makes us who we are, but time is running out.
“We’ve got a number (of wins) in our head that we thought would get the job done to make finals, this year has been probably like no other, but we don’t talk about the future.
“I know the ladder and wins and losses is where most of the judgement comes from, but internally we go, ‘Hey, let’s get Monday really well done and keep getting better at our centre bounce or our ability to fight in these little moments’. We live in that space, but we’re also realists – six games to go, running out of time.”
Cats skipper Patrick Dangerfield (22 touches, 10 inside-50s) and Max Holmes (27 disposals) were explosive through the midfield.
Jeremy Cameron kicked three goals and young defender Lawson Humphries impressed.
Shannon Neale booted two goals but was substituted out after a hit to the throat.
Magpies star Nick Daicos collected 32 disposals and 11 clearances, while Jamie Elliott (two goals) made a fine return as he led an injury-hit and undersized attack.
Magpie Darcy Cameron dominated the ruck from a hitouts perspective (58), but Sam De Koning (22 touches) had plenty of the ball.
Geelong ran hot early as they kicked the first three goals of the game, including two inside the first 40 seconds.
But Collingwood settled and responded with four majors on the bounce.
Elliott kicked a marvellous goal from the pocket and blew a kiss to the crowd in celebration as he gave the Magpies a one-goal lead at quarter time.
Cats superstar Cameron jagged two early goals to restore their lead early in the second term.
Magpies gun Nick Daicos grabbed at his left hamstring after an accidental knee from Tom Atkins, but played on.
The Cats took a four-point lead into half-time.
Cameron snapped his third to give Geelong a 10-point lead before Elliott teed up Jordan De Goey for one goal, before taking a hanger and kicking truly himself to put the Magpies back in front.
Tyson Stengle and Ollie Dempsey struck to deliver Geelong an 11-point lead heading into the final change.
Tom Stewart and Lachie Schultz had a nasty head clash early in the fourth quarter, leaving the star Cat with a split eyebrow, while the Collingwood forward was substituted out of the game.
Former Magpie Oliver Henry kicked a terrific goal from the pocket late in the term to effectively seal victory.
The Pies play Hawthorn at the MCG next Saturday while Geelong hosts the Western Bulldogs at Kardinia Park that night.
AAP
Check out our live blog below for all the action as it happened on Friday night.
Key events
Collingwood v Geelong scoreboard
Full-time stats from the MCG
It ended up being a relatively comfortable win for Geelong and the stats show they were deserved winners tonight.
Here’s how the major team stats looked.
- Disposals: Geelong 392-337
- Inside 50s: Geelong 62-41
- Clearances: Geelong 42-35
- Centre Clearances: Geelong 16-6
- Marks: Geelong 145-75
Here were the top three ranked players on the ground.
- 1.Darcy Cameron (COLL) – 18 disposals, 58 hitouts, four clearances, one goal
- 2.Gryan Miers (GEEL) – 27 disposals, five clearances, nine score involvements, one goal
- 3.Max Holmes (GEEL) – 27 disposals, nine marks, 511m gained
FT: Pies premiership defence on thin ice after another loss
The siren sounds and it’s a 20-point win to Geelong here at the MCG!
Three in a row for the Cats now after they had that slump in the middle of the year, and they’re right on track for a top four finish.
Meanwhile, it’s another blow to Collingwood’s premiership defence.
The undermanned Magpies were already out of the eight coming into tonight, and it’s going to be a tough ask to reach the finals now.
Cameron snaps through consolation goal
Darcy Cameron snaps one through from close range, but time has run out on the Magpies.
Just 44 seconds left on the clock now.
Stengle seals the deal for Geelong
That is the game!
The Cats have been awesome in this final quarter, and Tyson Stengle gets out the back to kick his second of the night.
Geelong’s lead out to a game-high 26 points now.
Collingwood have been the masters of the comeback, but they haven’t been given a sniff at all in this quarter.
Time running out for Magpies
Collingwood needs four goals to hit the front, with the Cats holding a 19-point lead.
We’ve ticked just under six minutes left on the clock. It’s a very tough equation for the Magpies.
It’ll be a couple of minutes until the Cats wind some time off the clock.
Henry silences Magpies crowd with brilliant snap
Ollie Henry gives it back to the Collingwood crowd!
He takes a mark deep in the pocket for the Cats and then calmly slots it with his non-preferred left boot.
After the ball sails through, Henry turns around and gives it to some Pies fans sitting near the boundary.
Meanwhile, Tom Stewart has returned to the ground.
Geelong’s lead a dangerous 18 points now.
Schultz subbed off after head clash
Collingwood has wasted no time making the change.
Reef McInnes coming on and Lachie Schultz’s night is done after that head clash.
Stewart still on Geelong’s bench getting his eye patched up. It remains to be seen whether he makes it back out onto the ground.
Bowes extends Geelong’s lead
Geelong back out to that 11-point lead after Jack Bowes kicks his first goal of the evening.
A lovely kick inside 50, and Bowes takes the mark going back with the flight of the ball directly in front 20m from goal.
Stewart and Schultz off after huge head clash
Both Tom Stewart and Lachie Schultz having concussion assessments after a head clash in a marking contest.
Collingwood sub Reef McInnes looks like he’s getting ready to come on, while Stewart has blood coming from just above his left eye.
The Cats have already made their sub, so they’ll be one short if Stewart can’t come back on.
Sidebottom gets Pies off to perfect start
Collingwood strikes the first blow of the final quarter, and it’s through 325-game veteran Steele Sidebottom!
It was important for the Pies to start this quarter well, and Sidebottom finds himself free off the back of a stoppage inside 50, and Daicos finds him with a handball and Sidebottom drills it on the run.
Final quarter underway at the MCG
We’re off and running in the fourth quarter at the MCG!
All the big names in the middle once again for both sides.
Geelong has activated its sub, with Ollie Henry coming on for Shannon Neale.
3QT: Late goals give Geelong a handy break
It’s been a quarter of two halves at the MCG as the Cats take an 11-point lead into the final change.
Collingwood started the quarter like a house on fire, but the Cats end up kicking three goals to two to win the quarter.
Nick Daicos still the leading ball-winner with 28 disposals, while Max Holmes has 23 touches of his own.
One quarter to go and it’s anyone’s game.
Dempsey makes it two in a minute for Geelong
The Cats kick away again at the MCG!
Ollie Dempsey makes no mistake on the set shot from 40m out on a relatively simple angle.
What a season this man is having! Dempsey up to 12 disposals in this match.
The Cats have four goals to one from centre bounces tonight.
Stengle puts Geelong back in front with brilliant snap
Tyson Stengle hits the scoreboard and the Cats are back in front, what a game this is!
After a fast start to the quarter by the Magpies, the Cats have settled well in the last 10 minutes.
Stengle picks up the ball in heavy traffic inside Geelong’s 50 and bananas it through on the right foot.
Pies running hot in the third quarter
Geelong needs to weather the storm here, because the Pies are up and about.
The Magpies have 10 inside 50s to five so far in the quarter and 21 contested possessions to 11.
Steele Sidebottom is running hot and is up to 19 disposals now, the second most on the ground behind Nick Daicos.
Despite all that dominance, Collingwood’s lead is just three points, a good sign for Geelong.
Elliott skies high to put Magpies back in front
That is vintage Jamie Elliott!
A kick inside 50 from Jack Crisp gets deep into Collingwood’s attacking territory, and Elliott climbs all over his defender to take a brilliant mark 20m out directly in front.
Elliott goes back and drills his second of the night.
Collingwood on top early in the third quarter here, they’ve got all the momentum.
De Goey strikes back instantly for Magpies
Collingwood stays in touch!
A lovely short kick inside 50 from Jamie Elliott finds Jordan De Goey unmarked 40m out on a tough angle.
De Goey goes back and absolutely flushes the set shot for his first goal of the night.
Cameron begins the third as he began the second
Jeremy Cameron, you SUPERSTAR!
How on earth as the Geelong gun kicked this one?
It’s a ball under heavy congestion deep inside the Cats’ forward 50 and Cameron somehow grabs it and in one motion flings it onto his left boot and kicks it while he ends on the turf.
That’s Cameron’s third goal of the evening.
Second half underway at the MCG
We’re ready to go in the third quarter!
Darcy Cameron and Sam De Koning contest the first bounce, Tom Stewart and Patrick Dangerfield in at the centre square as well.
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