COLLINGWOOD'S journey in season 2009 has come to an end, with the Magpies succumbing to a rampant Geelong by 73 points at the MCG on Saturday night.

The Pies gave up their chance to meet St Kilda in the grand final after managing just one goal after half time.

In the end, the Cats secured their third grand final appearance in as many years with a 17.18 (120) to 6.11 (47) victory.

Leigh Brown battled manfully at both ends of the ground, while Dale Thomas showed glimpses of brilliance and Alan Didak worked his way into the game after a slow start.

Shane O'Bree's effort was also unstinting, but Collingwood simply did not have the match-winners. Dane Swan was quiet and Leon Davis, Travis Cloke and Heath Shaw had nights they would rather forget.

The loss of Scott Pendlebury, who ruled himself out of the preliminary final in the lead up to the game, was also a big loss for a Magpies midfield that was hurt badly around the stoppages. 

Coach Mick Malthouse will be even more disappointed after the manner in which his side started.

The Pies were on fire early on an MCG that was damp from a heavy afternoon shower. Collingwood harried and hustled the Cats and goals to Ben Johnson and Harry O'Brien followed.

But that was where the Magpies' dominance ended. Geelong rallied, kicking the next three goals, and would have been further in front than 10 points at quarter time if not for some profligate finishing.

Geelong jumped out of the blocks in the second term and went to a 20 point lead on the back of two goals to Tom Hawkins before the Pies – as they had done the week before against Adelaide – turned around the seemingly unstoppable momentum.

With black and white jumpers piling on the pressure, the Cats were suddenly hesitant and struggling to break out of defence. Collingwood ended the quarter with goals to Tarkyn Lockyer and Alan Didak and, by half time, could claim ascendency despite being the best part of two goals down.

But as Geelong showed in the next 10 minutes of football, any Collingwood advantage was illusory.

The Cats slammed on the next four goals and took a 34-point lead into the final change; an advantage that ballooned in a last quarter when all hope had gone for the Magpies.

Brent Macaffer, who showed enough to suggest he could become an important cog in the Collingwood machine in seasons to come, kicked his team's only goal of the second half.

The loss means Collingwood bows out of the premiership race at the penultimate stage.

The fact that the Pies have made a progression from last year's finish of sixth will be of little comfort to a team that could not quite recapture the mid-season form that took it to 12 wins from 13 matches.

Geelong  3.6  7.7  11.13  17.18 (120)
Collingwood  2.2  5.8  6.9  6.11 (47)

GOALS
Geelong: Chapman 5, Hawkins 2, Ablett 2, Byrnes 2, Varcoe 2, Ottens, S. Johnson, Mooney, Corey
Collingwood: L. Brown, Johnson, O'Brien, Lockyer, Didak, Macaffer

BEST
Geelong: Ablett, Corey, Chapman, Ling, Mackie, Taylor, Scarlett, Bartel
Collingwood: O'Bree, L. Brown, Shaw, O'Brien, Didak

INJURIES
Geelong: Nil
Collingwood: Pendlebury (leg) replaced in selected side by Beams

Reports: Nil
Umpires: McLaren, Rosebury, Ryan
Official crowd: 87,258 at the MCG

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.