ON A SATURDAY night in the middle of last winter, Jordan De Goey reignited his season in Frankston in a rare but required VFL appearance. Fast forward almost 12 months and he reignited Collingwood’s season with another signature performance.
Nick Daicos will also poll votes on Brownlow Medal night after he starred with 41 disposals, 14 contested possessions, nine clearances, 10 score involvements and a goal and goal assist of his own in the 11.12 (78) to 6.15 (51) win over Port Adelaide in front of 40,860 people.
With rain pouring before the first bounce and then falling at varying levels for almost the entire 120 minutes, De Goey was instrumental again, keeping the Magpies in the hunt for a wildcard spot in the 28-point win at the MCG.
When Collingwood needed a spark on Saturday night, it was De Goey that kept the Magpies’ campaign alive with two crucial goals just before half-time, finishing with three for the game to go with two goal assists from 26 disposals, 11 contested possessions and nine inside 50s.
Craig McRae hasn’t had a trump card holding down a key post inside 50 this year, using a range of options, but on Saturday night Tim Membrey converted his chances to finish with three majors in a low-scoring affair.
Membrey kicked the first goal of the game, via De Goey, before Roan Steele produced a moment out of the World Cup, soccering a cross that was marked by a lunging Lachie Schultz. Mitch Georgiades produced his own volley to put Port Adelaide’s first goal on the board. Both would have been handy in Seattle earlier in the day.
With no Brayden Maynard or Darcy Moore down back, Collingwood’s defence was under siege for most of the first quarter, but the Power didn’t make them pay.
Ed Allan was given the job on Zak Butters and restricted the superstar free agent to just four first-quarter touches, but it’s hard to hold one of the best players in the AFL for long. Butters kicked the first of the second quarter and let Allan know all about it.
Port Adelaide kicked five consecutive goals and looked in complete control until De Goey ended a 40-minute drought for Collingwood. Then he did it again, swooping on the front of a pack at pace before snapping a second on his left in a matter of minutes to continue his rich vein of form.
Then to continue the soccer theme, Nick Daicos put the ball in the back of the net from deep in the box after tracking the ball all the way to the line. Suddenly, the Pies were within a point after being outplayed for a large chunk of the first half.
Collingwood kicked all five goals in the third quarter and weren’t troubled from there. The term was not only a disaster on the scoreboard for the Power, but they also lost key players in Jack Lukosius (calf), Ewan Mackinlay (ankle) and Esava Ratugolea who was taken from the ground on a stretcher with what appeared to be a serious knee injury.
Port Adelaide didn’t kick a goal after half-time, although the Magpies also failed to slot a major in a rare goal-free fourth quarter.
The Magpies snuck back into the wildcard spots overnight at 10th on the ladder, winning for the first time since the day Scott Pendlebury broke the all-time VFL/AFL games record against West Coast a month ago.
COLLINGWOOD 2.2 6.6 11.8 11.12 (78)
PORT ADELAIDE 2.5 6.7 6.10 6.15 (51)
GOALS
Collingwood: De Goey 3, Membrey 3, Schultz 2, N. Daicos, McStay, Swadling
Port Adelaide: Whitlock 2, Mackinlay, Butters, Georgiades, Bamert
INJURIES
Collingwood: Nil
Port Adelaide: Lukosius (calf), Ratugolea (knee), Mackinlay (ankle)
40,860 at the MCG
