Port Adelaide has survived incredible final-term pressure from Collingwood to edge home three-point winners at Adelaide Oval on Thursday night.

Playing in former assistant coach Phil Walsh's honour, Port hung on as the Magpies kicked four of the game’s last five goals to steal a 9.12 (66) to 9.9 (63) win.

The final siren sounded as the Pies entered inside 50 for the 18th time in the quarter.

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After an incredibly trying week, Port coach Ken Hinkley said he was immensely proud of his players. 

"I was just really proud of what they did tonight. They hung tough, they hung really tough – they got the job done," Hinkley said. 

"We sang the song as a whole club, everyone – normally it's just the players ... for the first time in my time I actually got involved in singing the song."

Jack Hombsch and Matthew Broadbent were brilliant in defence for the Power, while Justin Westhoff (26 possessions, one goal) played his best game this year and Ollie Wines (34 disposals) was a contested ball force.

Taylor Adams (37 disposals) was prolific, captain Scott Pendlebury (28) was great for the Magpies, as was Dane Swan (33) in his 250th game.

The fog of Walsh's death last Friday still hung over Adelaide as both clubs entered the stadium without fanfare – no banners or team songs.

The Power’s start was inspired, out possessing the Magpies early and converting with the first four goals of the game; the second courtesy of a clever step and finish from Jarman Impey.

Failing to match the Power's hardness or spread from the contest, it took until the 19th minute for Pendlebury to weave through traffic and snap his side's first.

Down by 26 points at the first break and with rain forecast, the Magpies enjoyed the start they desperately needed in the second with three quick unanswered goals through Jarrod Witts, Jack Crisp and Jesse White.

Collingwood had another after a tight 10-minute period and should have had a few more.

It was pouring by the time Patrick Ryder won the first tap of the second half and Gray booted the first goal as he did in the first half.

With Westhoff carving around the ground, Taylor Adams tried to distract him with a 'drop knee' to the face – an act that not only drew the ire of Westhoff's teammates but one that's likely to land him in hot water with the Match Review Panel.


A brilliant tap over his shoulder while off balance from Jay Schulz allowed Wines to gift Chad Wingard his second and given the conditions the Power's 22-point buffer looked a match-winner.

But again the Magpies hit back, first through Alex Fasolo and then Travis Varcoe neatly slapped the ball back from the boundary to Jamie Elliot who made no mistake.

Just as the game looked iced, Collingwood attacked again; Jordan De Goey reduced Port's lead to two goals, then Adams somehow floated a snap through from hard-up against the boundary.

The visitors' drive was relentless to the final siren, with Port narrowly hanging on for an emotional and memorable victory.

Magpies coach Nathan Buckley was left to lament his side's slow start.

"The bad start, it was really poor coming out of the sheds when the conditions were half decent," he said.

"Got smashed around the ball…leaked goals, didn't defend particularly well."

COLLINGWOOD     1.1  5.5   7.6    9.9    (63)
PORT ADELAIDE    5.3  6.6  8.11  9.12  (66)

GOALS
Collingwood: Pendlebury, Witts, Crisp, White, Oxley, Fasolo, De Goey, Adams, Elliott
Port Adelaide: Wingard 3, Gray 2, Impey, Westhoff, Schulz, Monfries

BEST
Collingwood: Varcoe, Sidebottom, Pendlebury, Adams, Swan
Port Adelaide: Hombsch, Wines, Gray, Westhoff, Wingard, Boak, Broadbent

INJURIES
Collingwood: Broomhead (shoulder)
Port Adelaide: Nil

SUBSTITUTES
Collingwood: Jordan De Goey replaced Tim Broomhead (shoulder) in the third quarter
Port Adelaide: Brendon Ah Chee replaced Matthew Lobbe at three-quarter time

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Nicholls, Kamolins, Meredith

Official crowd: 45,418 at Adelaide Oval