Since ‘proper’ preliminary finals were introduced in 1931, we’ve played in 32 of them for 18 wins and 14 losses. (There were also another six or seven games before then played under different systems that are often described as preliminary finals but weren’t the same. We won three of those)

And boy, haven’t those games thrown up some magical Magpie memories? Here are a few of our favourites.

2018 – Coxy goes bang!

Not too many gave us much of a chance against the rampant Tigers in 2018, but after Coxy went berserk in the second quarter – three big marks and three big goals in a handful of minutes, sending Bruce McAvaney into apoplexy in the commentary box – we all started to believe. Could be a good time for a reprise, Coxy!

2011 – Luke & Daisy steal the show

We were beginning to slow down late in 2011, and for a while it looked like we might not even make it to a Grand Final that had seemed inevitable for most of the year. But with Hawthorn leading late after some Buddy magic, Luke Ball snapped a beauty from a stoppage and Dale Thomas laid a match-saving tackle on Cyril Rioli to send us to the famous first day in October once more.

2010 – The Blitz

Still some of the best football we’ve ever played at any time in our history, that blitzkrieg of a first quarter – seven goals to one – will live long in the memory. Best summed up by the sixth goal, with Dale Thomas’s ferocious tackle on Matthew Scarlett spilling the ball to Dayne Beams, who released Pendles for a right foot goal from 45. The ‘G went wild.

2002 – The Noise

By 2002, we’d been out of finals for – by our standards – a long time. That seven-year hiatus meant there was a lot of pent-up energy festering in Magpie fans, and it all came out when we burst through the banner against Adelaide in the preliminary final that year. It was seriously, ridiculously loud. And when Anthony Rocca goaled from somewhere in Swan Street in the middle of a third quarter charge, the non-existent roof came off.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hWP0izNpsU

1981 – Daicos Magic (and a bit of Kink)

We trailed halfway through the last quarter before Rene Kink – who’d already kicked a freak goal from almost outside the boundary line on his left foot – chipped in with another ripper,  again with his left foot but this time from closer in. Then Peter Daicos stepped up. He’d already kicked three but out of nowhere conjured a magical fourth, marking the ball, playing on, handballing around and ahead of Ian Nankervis and then regathering and nailing it from 35 to put us in front. Daics would later rate it one of his all-time favourite goals.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItbI-nPjQyE

1979 – The Third Quarter Burst (and a rule change)

Halfway through the third quarter of the prelim against North, things were looking grim. North had turned an 11-point half-time deficit into an 11-point lead and were surging. But Collingwood steadied through goals to a young Denis Banks and Rene Kink, then stormed home late with a trio of goals to Craig Davis, Russell Ohlsen and Ross Brewer to set up a winning 14-point platform at the final change. This was also the game where the constant wrestling between Peter Moore and Gary Dempsey at centre bounces led to the introduction of the line across the centre circle.

1973 – False Hope and a Great Goal

OK, we know this game didn’t end well. But we produced some truly dazzling football in the first half of the 1973 prelim against Richmond, to lead by six goals at half-time. The goal scored by Len Thompson at the 32.35 minute mark of this clip is one of our best finals goals ever. Such great teamwork, bold kicking, finished off by a 6’7” ruckman moving like a gazelle. If only we’d hung on to win this game it would be more heralded than it is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oracujfo_CQ

1960 – Burnsy Burns the Roys

The 1960 preliminary final was played in wet and heavy conditions, and it had been a tight and tough affair all day. Keith Burns, the unheralded small man who would go on to play a huge role in the club’s history as under-19s coach and mentor to generations of footballers, nailed a heart-stopping win with a brilliant snap inside the last minute. It was his third goal of the game and the highlight of his playing career.

1958 – The Baby Magpies

We didn’t win the 1958 Grand Final just by belting the seemingly invincible Demons into submission. The flag was also won at the selection table. After Melbourne had thrashed us by 45 points in the second semi, selectors made wholesale changes for the preliminary final against North. A 19-year-old Kevin Rose came in for his first full game at half-back, along with another 19-year-old rookie in Brian Beers and Graeme Fellowes playing just his 11^th senior game. John Henderson, playing just his sixth game at 20, was moved into the centre. These were bold changes – but they worked, both on preliminary final day and also the following week in the Grand Final.

1938 & 39 – Todd Dominates

Only two men have ever kicked 11 goals in a preliminary final. And Ron Todd did it twice. He did it against Geelong in 1938, which was incredible enough. But he then did it the following year too, against St Kilda. Nobody has managed it since. It should have been a sign of things to come, but instead the mercurial, magical Todd went to the VFA and was lost to elite level football.