CTV> Watch Mick's post match press conference

CTV> John McCarthy speaks to CTV at Adelaide airport

CTV> See the boys celebrate the victory in the rooms after the match

COLLINGWOOD'S fast start was the key to its 31-point win over Adelaide in Saturday afternoon's elimination final, not only to keep the crowd out of the match but to stop the home side from adopting its familiar defensive pattern.

Coach Mick Malthouse likened Adelaide to the German soccer side: "Once they get in front, they’re happy with a one-nil lead and they’ll defend it and win the game" – and added that snatching the lead would influence how the game was played.

That happened early, but then Adelaide hit back in the second term to lead by 24 points deep into time-on.

"You cannot give Adelaide an opportunity to be in front on their home ground, because it’s very difficult to come back. They’ll close the game up on you," Malthouse said.

"That’s why it was so important that we didn’t let them get in front. They did, but we were able to rebound in that third quarter, which was terrific. Then the pressure went back onto the other side, and they had to score.

"Once we got our nose in front [in the third quarter] it was a matter of then seeing how they reacted to get back in front.

"So if we could hold that out, I thought we had a fair chance of winning."

Critical in regaining the lead were two goals late in the second quarter to midfielder Dane Swan, which reduced the margin to a manageable 12 points.

"They were critical, there’s no question about that," Malthouse said. "It was against the play in many respects.

"You don’t get cheap goals against Adelaide … they weren’t cheap, they were well thought out by Swanny.

"I had a go at him four or five weeks ago because he just wasn’t kicking goals. Since then I think he may have missed one or two but he’s kicked pretty well.

"They were very important goals to keep us in touch."