The AFL has conceded the Sunday night timeslot is being reviewed with this game a test case for whether it works in future. The cold, wet weather didn't help crowd figures, nor did the reduced capacity in the MCG car park because of recent rain, but it was still a surprise that only 40,936 people braved the elements to see the Magpies win on the first weekend of Victorian school holidays. It was the lowest crowd between the traditional rivals at the MCG since the semi-final in 1921, when 37,813 attended, and the lowest home-and-away attendance between the two sides at the MCG. Collingwood president Eddie McGuire told radio station 3AW after the game that the Pies would ask the AFL for compensation on Monday morning given they expected to lose "a couple of hundred thousand" dollars due to the low attendance.
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2. Moments of madness
Mitch Robinson, Dayne Beams and possibly Dale Thomas may have cases to answer for after being involved in separate incidents set to be reviewed. Robinson has frustrated Mick Malthouse a few times and an incident in the first quarter would have had the veteran coach seeing red. Robinson was engaged in some push and shove with young Pie Taylor Adams when he swung his left arm and connected with the former Giant's chin. Robinson was reported by umpire Scott Jeffery and a free kick was paid in the centre as the players reset after a goal by Scott Pendlebury. The colourful Blue was quickly dragged where he no doubt copped an earful from Malthouse on the phone. If he is suspended, it will be the second time this year he's missed a game through ill-discipline after being rubbed out for a week for striking St Kilda's Jack Newnes in round eight. Later, Beams was reported for a blow to Ed Curnow's midriff in the third quarter, shortly after Thomas bumped Swan and caused the Brownlow medallist to seek medical attention on his jaw.
3. Laser-gate no distraction for Judd
A green laser beam apparently shone from the stands was the talking point of the first quarter after it landed on the chest of Chris Judd when he was taking a set shot. Channel Seven's coverage picked up the beam, which didn't affect Judd as he calmly slotted the game's first goal at the MCG's city end, but it did prompt an influx of security guards and police behind the goals in the Ponsford Stand. It is expected the incident will be reviewed by stadium management and the AFL in the post-match debrief. At least the beam didn't cause the controversy it did in the World Cup in Brazil, when Russia insisted its goalkeeper was blinded by a green light and consequently missed Algeria's equalising goal that forced the Russians out of the tournament.
4. Macaffer magic, Murphy misery
Collingwood's Brent Macaffer told the AFL Record this week he often looked at how Fremantle tagger Ryan Crowley played on specific players, and that when preparing for any given opponent, he took confidence from having beaten them previously. While the Blues haven't played the Dockers this year, Crowley kept Murphy to just 13 touches in round 19 last season – and Macaffer restricted him to 20 in round seven this year. Perhaps it was reviewing Crowley's game or the self-belief he gathered from the Pies' first win over the Blues this season that saw Macaffer again reduce Murphy's effectiveness on Sunday night. The Carlton captain had just 15 possessions – six in the first half – in another win for the close-checking Pie.
5. Steele's stunning return
It wasn't an incredible game to watch but the ending delivered in spades. It appeared the Pies would win when successive goals to Beams and Clinton Young put the Pies 26 points clear midway through the final term. But Henderson made up for an earlier miss with a goal at the 13-minute mark before Troy Menzel made both sets of fans nervous when he cut the margin to nine points with six minutes left. Then, Steele Sidebottom - fresh from the three-week suspension he received in round 11 for knocking out St Kilda's Maverick Weller – goaled with two-and-a-half minutes left on the clock. It was a tidy return for Sidebottom, who was extremely remorseful for the Weller incident after it happened, with the strong midfielder racking up 33 possessions.
