The Magpies won the clearance through Jarryd Blair, who passed to Andrew Krakouer.
The pass fell short, but Krakouer redeemed the situation with one of those head-shaking moments.
He sold the dummy, baulked clear, and dashed away to kick truly from inside 50.
A moment to cherish, as was a Krakouer mark in the first 30 seconds of the last quarter, when he soared above a pack to take the mark of the round.
This time, however, he could not convert.