Collingwood has signalled it should not be discounted from this year's finals calculations with an impressive 20-point win over Essendon at the MCG on Saturday that continued its recent ANZAC Day dominance.
Few commentators had the Magpies in their predicted final eights ahead of this season but the Pies' unrelenting pressure around the ball against the Bombers helped them seal a 9.15 (69) to 6.13 (69) win that suggests the young side might be ready to return to September action earlier than many thought.
In cold, dark, slippery and – in the last term – wet conditions at the MCG where a crowd of 88,395 saw more turnovers than they would at a Danish bakery, Collingwood did not allow the Bombers to get their potent possession game going.
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After leading by one-point at half-time, the Magpies powered away in the second half, piling on five goals to the Bombers' two to seal their fifth victory from the past six ANZAC Day clashes.
Young defender Paul Seedsman was a star for the Magpies, racking up 31 possessions and 14 inside 50s across half-back to win the Anzac Medal.
Seedsman also put in a nomination for goal of the day with a bouncing kick from 60m at the five-minute mark of the third term.
Pies captain Scott Pendlebury (30 possessions) lead from the front, dominating through the midfield and pushing forward at times to stretch the Essendon defence.
Midfielder Taylor Adams (29 possessions) and ANZAC Day specialist Dane Swan (21 possessions and a goal) were also important players for Collingwood, while key defenders Nathan Brown and Jack Frost teamed well together to limit the influence of Joe Daniher and Jake Carlisle on a tough day for key forwards.
Cale Hooker was a rock for Essendon in defence, cutting off numerous Collingwood attacks with his intercept marking while keeping Travis Cloke to two goals.
Dyson Heppell had a game-high 33 possessions, while Brent Stanton (30 possessions and two goals) and Dustin Fletcher (21 possessions, seven marks and a 60m drop punt goal in the second term that sent a roar around the MCG) were also among the Bombers' best.
Collingwood's win was its 12th on ANZAC Day against Essendon since the teams established the annual blockbuster in 1995, with the Pies now leading the overall count 12-8. The inaugural game was a draw.
The first half was a see-sawing contest.
The Pies jumped out of the blocks from the opening bounce, short-circuiting the Bombers' possession game with ferocious pressure.
Collingwood's dominance of general play was reflected in the inside 50 count (17-10) but its delivery to the forwards was poor and a Brent Stanton goal after the quarter-time siren cut the Pies' lead to eight points.
The Pies started the second quarter in similar fashion but kicked two behinds to start the term.
At that time, they led the inside 50 count 22-11 but from the six-minute mark of the quarter the game turned on its head.
A Joe Daniher behind started a run of Essendon dominance that saw the Dons have the next nine scores – 2.7 – from 15 consecutive inside 50s to open up a nine-point lead at the 18-minute mark of the second quarter.
But the Pies hit back after Jamie Elliott goaled at the 20-minute mark and had six of the last seven scores of the term – 1.5 – to go into half-time one point up.
COLLINGWOOD 3.2 4.9 7.12 9.15 (69)
ESSENDON 2.0 4.8 5.10 6.13 (49)
GOALS
Collingwood: Elliott 2, Cloke 2, Pendlebury, Seedsman, Crisp, Swan, Dwyer
Essendon: Stanton 2, Daniher 2, Fletcher, Zaharakis
BEST
Collingwood: Seedsman, Swan, Adams, Crisp, Brown, Frost, Pendlebury
Essendon: Hooker, Heppell, Stanton, Fletcher
INJURIES
Collingwood: Nil
Essendon: Chapman (knee)
SUBSTITUTES
Collingwood: Sam Dwyer replaced Adam Oxley in the third quarter
Essendon: Will Hams replaced Paul Chapman in the third quarter
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Matt Stevic, Sam Hay, Troy Pannell
Official crowd: 88,395 at the MCG
ANZAC Day Medal voting
9 Paul Seedsman (Collingwood)
3 Dyson Heppell (Essendon)
2 Taylor Adams (Collingwood)
2 Jack Crisp (Collingwood)
1 Nathan Brown (Collingwood)
1 Jack Frost (Collingwood)
Judge voting: 3-2-1
Mark Thompson (3AW, chair) - Seedsman, Adams, Heppell.
Guy McKenna (ABC) - Seedsman, Crisp, Frost.
Danny Frawley (MMM) - Seedsman, Heppell, Brown.
