A CAREER-best five goals from Brody Mihocek has seen Collingwood take top spot with a mature 29-point win over Sydney in front of a bumper crowd at the MCG.
While the Swans are starting to get a few key players back from injury, inaccuracy was a serious factor in the 11.11 (77) to 6.12 (48) result.
It was a fiery game, particularly early, and spot fires everywhere meant it was impossible to tear your eyes away. The niggly Ryan Clarke slotted a beautiful goal from 50 early in the first term, and immediately turned to direct opponent Nick Daicos to let him know about it.
The young gun Daicos has been a constant target for opposition teams struggling to work out how to limit his influence off half-back, and Clarke's bravado led to a melee, and a free kick to the Pies out of the middle at the resumption of play.
After the Swans struggled to handle the frenetic early pace of the game, over-possessing the ball and trying to force passes that weren't viable, the back six began to get the measure of the Collingwood forwards.
Jordan De Goey's snap at the start of the second term had taken the margin out to 20 points, and while the Swans were inaccurate in swirly conditions (4.6 for the quarter), they gradually worked their way back into the game.
The visitors hit the front with three minutes left in the second term via a Hayden McLean soccer-esque strike, eventually taking an eight-point lead into the break.
After such an eventful first half, the third term was a turgid affair, with both sides struggling to find a target in attack, defenders Darcy Moore and Robbie Fox standing tall for their respective teams, and the Swans adding just two behinds.
Billy Frampton's bouncing effort in the fourth term from outside 50m eluded several Pies and Swans, the goal review declaring there wasn't enough evidence to overturn the umpire's call, despite the best efforts of Tom McCartin.
Tom Papley attempted to kickstart his teammates with a typically exuberant celebration after an impressive set-shot conversion from the boundary with 10 minutes left to cut the margin to 17, but no further inroads could be made.
Sydney had 78 more disposals than the Pies, with Errol Gulden (37, 13 marks) finding plenty of the footy on the wing, and Luke Parker and James Rowbottom strong in the contest.
Former Collingwood skipper Scott Pendlebury made a seamless return from an eye injury, Isaac Quaynor provided plenty of bounce out of defence and Mihocek was a strong target up forward, with two of his goals coming in the crucial last term.
Young Swan Marc Sheather's second game saw the former Category B rookie kick his first goal (in unlikely, tumbling fashion), but finished in the second term, hyperextending his left knee.
COLLINGWOOD 3.5 4.6 6.9 11.11 (77)
SYDNEY 1.2 5.8 5.10 6.12 (48)
GOALS
Collingwood: Mihocek 5, Johnson, Hoskin-Elliott, Ginnivan, Frampton, Elliott, De Goey
Sydney: Sheather, Papley, McLean, McDonald, Hayward, Clarke
INJURIES
Collingwood: Adams (left ankle)
Sydney: Ladhams (shoulder/neck), Sheather (left knee)
SUBSTITUTES
Collingwood: Jack Ginnivan (replaced Bobby Hill in third quarter)
Sydney: Aaron Francis (replaced Marc Sheather at half-time)
Crowd: 71,463 at the MCG
