Saturday night’s win over Adelaide saw Collingwood maintain its six-point lead on Geelong and with only one match remaining in the home-and-away season, the Magpies will remain at the top of the ladder heading into September.??
It’s the 18th time the Magpies have finished on top at the end of the season with the club going on to win eight premierships (1902, 1903, 1917, 1919, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930).
The McClelland Trophy was instituted in 1951 named after William McClelland, who played 75 games for Melbourne (1898-1904) and was the president of the VFL for 49 years from 1926.??
Prior to 1991, the McClelland Trophy was awarded to the team with the best record across all three levels of VFL/AFL play including seniors, reserves and under-19s. In 1991, it was changed to its current status, awarded to the side finishing atop the AFL ladder at the end of the home-and-away season.
The Magpies will aim to keep its nine-match winning streak intact on Saturday when they take on Hawthorn. A win against the Hawks will see the Magpies win 10 in a row, a feat last accomplished in the 1965 season.
