1. Moore, please!
The Pies took six contested marks inside their forward 50 in the first half (an AFL-high this season), and it was largely due to the efforts of young gun Darcy Moore. Before his game was over midway through the second term when he left the field with a hip/glute issue, the second-year key forward had contributed three of his team's six goals, from eight kicks and six marks, five of them contested (a game-high, with Eagle Josh Kennedy next best with two). The best of them was a soaring grab followed by his second goal, which kickstarted a five-goal-to-one second term. It was an exciting glimpse of the future that added further credence to AFL great Wayne Carey's belief that Moore has the potential to become a superstar.
2. Eagles' hoodoo continues
This was meant to be the Eagles' best chance in some time of breaking a curse against Collingwood at the MCG that stretches back to 1995, but they have now lost their past 10 clashes against the Pies on the hallowed turf. In the process, the Eagles also did their top-four hopes considerable harm, given they are vying for that honour with a logjam of rivals. Of concern for the visitors was that after they led by nine points at quarter-time and threatened to race away with their cleaner ball use, they were generally outplayed for the remainder of an error-riddled contest.
3. Greenwood enjoys some hang time
Collingwood lured Levi Greenwood from North Melbourne to do unfashionable grunt work, relieve pressure from Pies midfield stars Scott Pendlebury and Steele Sidebottom and tag opposition playmakers. But late in the first quarter, Greenwood took to the skies, assisted by a ride on the back of direct opponent Andrew Gaff to claim a rare screamer. More importantly, he went back and nailed a 45-metre set shot. He couldn't repeat that effort, though, muffing three more scoring chances, including two in the space of a minute in the second term. He sent a dribbling banana kick out of bounds, while a one-step shot from just inside 50 slewed at right angles to the goal and sailed out on the full.
4. Debutants show some promise
Both teams blooded first-gamers, with the Magpies giving an opportunity to mature-age draftee Rupert Wills, 23, and the Eagles elevating third-year player Malcolm Karpany, 21, after Elliot Yeo was a late withdrawal due to illness. Wills was the Pies' sixth debutant this season, and they have now used an equal season-high 39 players, while Karpany was West Coast's first debutant for 2016. Big-bodied midfielder Wills, a former Old Scotch player, was particularly impressive with 17 possessions (eight contested), winning several hard balls and laying 11 tackles (equal second on the field). He was a key factor in the Pies' laying an amazing 47 tackles in the third quarter (a club-high), more than doubling their half-time tally of 44. Meanwhile, the diminutive Karpany, a South Australian, also got involved and showed he might have a future at AFL level.
5. Guv's half-century
It's something of a surprise that Jeremy McGovern has only just reached his 50th game, given his importance to the Eagles' defence over the past two seasons and the fact he plays like a veteran. The 23-year-old didn't exactly celebrate the milestone in style, given he was quieter than usual with just 12 touches and six marks (one contested), and copped a heavy knock in a head-on collision with Travis Varcoe in a marking contest just after half-time. McGovern left the field but soon returned and resumed his drop-off, intercept role.
