COLLINGWOOD has held on in a thriller for its first win of 2024, defeating Gold Coast by three points on a sunny Grand Final eve Friday at the Swinburne Centre.
Coming into the match, the two sides were the only remaining teams without a win this season, leading to a tight, low-scoring game, 4.3 (27) to 3.6 (24). The Suns will rue a missed opportunity to get their first win, conceding three 50m penalties including one late in the game.
It was a tough, contested start with neither team willing to concede first. The ball went from end to end, with Collingwood just leading tackles 21-19 at quarter-time.
The first score didn’t come until the 12th minute, with a snap from the Suns' Maddy Brancatisano just missing to the right. Meanwhile, a fantastic tackle by Pie Eliza James had the home crowd on their feet just on quarter-time, but she couldn’t capitalise with the kick falling short.
The second quarter opened with promising signs from the Pies, winning the first centre clearance. A turnover by Georgia Clayden laid the ball into the hands of Ruby Schleicher, who kicked a huge running goal to score the first of the game.
There was confusion after Jamie Stanton was thought to have scored the Suns’ first from a snap five minutes into the second quarter. The ball returned to the middle, only to be called back for being touched off the boot.
Tarni White won a holding the ball free kick and then was awarded a 50m penalty to take her to the goal square, a costly penalty for the Suns who had been just hanging on. White had seven tackles in the first half, matched by the Suns' Annabel Kievit who had seven of her own.
Without a goal to their name coming close to half-time, the Suns needed one to steady, and Georgia Clayden delivered from a forward-50 chain to cut the margin to five points at half-time.
Unsurprisingly, Charlie Rowbottom led at half-time with 18 disposals, 12 contested, and six intercepts, while Lucy Single had 11 contested possessions and four clearances.
In the third quarter, a second 50m penalty brought Tarni White to 35m out, where she slotted the goal despite the breeze to put Collingwood 14 points up.
With the pressure on to get back into the game, the Suns attacked hard and had reward for effort late in the quarter. A Jamie Stanton snap and strong contested mark and goal by captain Tara Bohanna put the Suns back in front, setting up for an exciting final quarter.
Collingwood took the breeze advantage in the final term, and capitalised with Imogen Barnett taking the ball out of the ruck in a dangerous forward 50 ball-up and scoring straight through the goals.
COLLINGWOOD 0.0 2.2 3.2 4.3 (27)
GOLD COAST 0.2 1.3 3.4 3.6 (24)
GOALS
Collingwood: White 2, Schleicher, Barnett
Gold Coast: Stanton, Clayden, Bohanna
INJURIES
Collingwood: Cann (shoulder)
Gold Coast: Nil
Reports: Nil
Crowd: 1,492 at Swinburne Centre
