COLLINGWOOD has thrown the premiership race wide open with a gripping 26-point win over Adelaide at AAMI Stadium on Saturday night.
Never leading by more than 12 points throughout, the Magpies bombarded the Crows in the final term, holding them goalless to triumph 10.15 (75) to 6.13 (49).
The win maintains Collingwood's impressive away record, having won 14 of its past 15 games outside of Melbourne.
Click here to like the Magpies on Facebook.
The Crows led by seven points at the final change, but Scott Pendlebury set the momentum the Pies' way with a goal within the first three minutes.
A severe-looking knee injury to defender Lachlan Keeffe halted the run briefly as the Pies' already injury-riddled backline took another hit.
The injury came as a further blow to Collingwood who had substituted Alex Fasolo out for Jamie Elliott just minutes earlier.
A 14-minute stalemate was then broken when in-form midfielder Dayne Beams streaked forward and watched his kick dribble through from outside 50m.
When Sharrod Wellingham toed a miracle goal from 25m just over a minute later, the match began to slip from the Crows' reach.
Watch all the CTV highlights from the 26-point win.
Goals to Pies Alan Didak and Steele Sidebottom completed the final quarter rout.
In the first term, the Crows struggled to find a trusted scoring avenue apart from Kurt Tippett (two goals) after Collingwood jumped them early.
The Magpies kicked two goals within the initial five minutes to stun the sell-out 44,238-strong crowd and led by seven points at half-time.
Collingwood was propelled during their heartening opening half by smooth-moving Pendlebury, who set up two of his side's goals, while Beams collected 21 disposals to the main break.
Hear more about Lachlan Keeffe's knee injury from Nathan Buckley.
The Crows, however, rallied with a dominant third term which went largely unrewarded on the scoreboard.
Adelaide kicked a wasteful 2.5 for the quarter, with Graham Johncock also spraying a shot at goal, kicking it out of bounds on the full.
But the inaccuracy in attack was complemented by a stingy defence led by 18-gamer Daniel Talia which kept the Magpies goalless.
Collingwood mustered four behinds for the term as Adelaide created a one-goal buffer at three-quarter time that proved easily surmountable for the Pies.
Beams was enormous for Collingwood, collecting 36 disposals and kicking two goals while Sidebottom and fellow midfielder Dale Thomas shone.
For Adelaide, defender Ben Rutten kept Travis Cloke goalless and to just four possessions, Cloke's worst return since his debut season of 2005.
Recap the win by viewing the best photos from the clash with the Crows.
Veteran Brent Reilly battled admirably in a Crows midfield that was hurt by the lack of damaging possessions from in-form pair Patrick Dangerfield and Scott Thompson.
The win moves Collingwood to 7-2 for the season, equal to Adelaide, and maintains a winning streak that now stretches to six.
ADELAIDE 3.1 4.5 6.10 6.13 (49)
COLLINGWOOD 3.2 5.6 5.10 10.15 (75)
GOALS
Adelaide: Tippett 2, Smith, Wright, Petrenko, Henderson
Collingwood: Goldsack, Beams, Sidebottom 2, Shaw, Didak, Pendlebury, Wellingham
BEST
Adelaide: van Berlo, Rutten, Sloane, Tippett, Dangerfield, Jaensch
Collingwood: Beams, Pendlebury, Sidebottom, Thomas, O'Brien, Blair
INJURIES
Adelaide: Nil
Collingwood: Keeffe (knee)
SUBSTITUTES
Adelaide: Richard Douglas replaced Graham Johncock in the fourth quarter
Collingwood: Jamie Elliott replaced Alex Fasolo in the fourth quarter
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Stevic, Meredith, Bannister
Official crowd: 44,238 at AAMI Stadium
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the club
