Collingwood has defied a host of mid-game injuries to breathe life into its finals ambitions with a gutsy 20-point victory over Fremantle at Domain Stadium.
Despite dominating large swathes of Sunday's clash, the Magpies needed to stave off another determined fightback by the never-say-die Dockers to clinch their third-straight victory, 15.15 (105) to 12.13 (85).
The Magpies' fifth win for the season lifts Nathan Buckley's outfit to 10th on the ladder, but the gritty road triumph has come at a cost for two injury-plagued stars.
Big-name recruit Daniel Wells suffered another calf injury during the third term, while Jamie Elliott was carried from the field in the final quarter after hurting his ankle.
Tyson Goldsack suffered a shoulder injury in the second term, but courageously played out the match.
It took until the final 10 minutes when Will Hoskin-Elliott ran into an open goal – after his first shot from 50m out was smothered – and Ben Crocker snapped a clutch major for Collingwood to finally put the home side away.
The Dockers were within striking distance of another come-from-behind victory trailing by 13 points at the final change and leveled the scores after quick-thinking snaps by Hayden Crozier and Shane Kersten.
However, Adam Treloar answered with a superb running goal for Collingwood, and when Bradley Hill missed a sitter form 15m out the wind was out of Freo's sails.
The Dockers responded to last week's 100-point shellacking from Adelaide with an improved effort but their vaunted engine room was overpowered without Aaron Sandilands.
Fremantle's giant ruckman was a late withdrawal pre-match and in-form Pies big man Brodie Grundy provided silver-service to the Magpies' star-studded onball brigade.
Taylor Adams (28 disposals, nine clearances) was outstanding all match while Treloar (35 possessions), Steele Sidebottom (33) and skipper Scott Pendlebury (30) were typically influential.
Elliott booted three majors – all in the third term – before his injury, while Darcy Moore booted 2.2 in an encouraging display.
Collingwood dominated the opening half, but the Pies were shooting themselves in the foot.
Despite thrashing Fremantle around clearances (23-16) and inside 50s (29-15), the visitors couldn’t take full toll.
Buckley vented in the coaches box as the Magpies wasted some gilt-edged chances, booting 3.5 - with one out-on-the-full – in the first quarter alone.
The Dockers ramped up their pressure to start the second term and quick goals to Ed Langdon and Brady Grey – who toe-poked from the goalline after a fumble – saw the home side snatch a two-point advantage.
But Pendlebury stepped up to kick-start a run of four unanswered majors as the Pies broke away to a game-high 22-point lead.
The Pies skipper was in the play again moments later when Bradley Hill burned him off and bounced through the goal of the day to keep the Dockers in touch only 16 points down at the long break.
Freo closed to within 13 points at three-quarter time – inspired by skipper Nat Fyfe's bullocking around stoppages – and threatened another comeback victory when they drew level early in the last quarter.
But the best efforts of Fyfe (24 disposals, one goal), Connor Blakely (26), and Lachie Neale (22, one goal) couldn't haul Freo over the line as coach Ross Lyon – now the longest-serving Dockers mentor – suffered another loss in a milestone game.
FREMANTLE 2.1 5.5 10.6 12.13 (85)
COLLINGWOOD 3.5 7.9 11.13 15.15 (105)
GOALS
Fremantle: Langdon 2, Grey 2, Neale, Fyfe, B.Hill, McCarthy, Mundy, Taberner, Kersten, Crozier
Collingwood: Elliott 3, De Goey 2, Moore 2, Hoskin-Elliott 2, Phillips, Pendlebury, Greenwood, Treloar, Crocker, Howe
BEST
Fremantle: Walters, Blakely, Weller, Fyfe, B.Hill, Johnson
Collingwood: Treloar, Pendlebury, Sidebottom, Adams, Smith, Howe
INJURIES
Fremantle: Nil
Collingwood: Wells (calf), Elliott (ankle), Goldsack (shoulder)
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Margetts, Dalgleish, Ryan, Mollison
Official crowd: 34,259 at Domain Stadium
