Hot 'Pies Belt Toothless Tigers | Thebigtip

Friday, 15th of April
MCG (N)
Richmond vs. Collingwood
Magpies by 71 points

Collingwood
8.6.54
13.9.87
15.12.102
24.17.161

Richmond
2.2.14
5.7.37
11.10.76
13.12.90

Goals
Richmond: Riewoldt (4), Martin (2), White (2), Vickery, King, Miller, Deledio, Graham
Collingwood: Swan (4), Cloke (3), Sidebottom (3), Thomas (2), Dawes (2), Beams (2), Johnson, Pendlebury, Blair, Wood, Brown, Wellingham, Ball, Didak

Bests
Richmond: Deledio, Cotchin, Martin, Newman, Jackson
Collingwood: Swan, Thomas, Blair, Sidebottom, Cloke, Dawes

Injuries
Richmond: Nil
Collingwood: Nil

Reports: Leigh Brown (Coll) for striking Reece Conca (Rich) in the third quarter

Crowd: 58,050
 

Collingwood has seen off a third quarter Richmond revival to beat the Tigers by 71-points at the MCG. The Magpies started the scoring by kicking the first behind but it would not be long until Dale Thomas would find the ball from outside 50 and put through the first goal.

The Magpies' lead was out to 13 points when Travis Cloke was able to break free from his opponent and put through his first. Heath Shaw drilled a long pass to Chris Dawes 15 metres out to give the Pies a 19 to zero start.

Collingwood's accuracy was in question for most of the season last year, but when Ben Johnson's bouncing shot from 50 went through they had a 4.1 start to Richmonds nothing. The Tigers finally got onto the board thanks to Jack Riewoldt, whose great body work in the air got him the mark and goal. Richmond were starting to lift the intensity in the game, but both Miller and Jackson wasted rare Richmond opportunities in front of goal, both kicking behinds.

Dale Thomas was again in the thick of things for the 'Pies when his dribbling pass found Jarryd blair. Blair tried to go for goal but the ball went straight up in the air, finding Swan who kicked the goal. Riewoldt kicked his second after he managed to shrug off Chris Tarrant, bringing the Collingwood lead back to 19 points.

Collingwood went up by 24 points when Shane Edwards lost the ball in a tackle to Luke Ball, who hit Pendlebury on the chest and he then put through his first. Dane Swan found the ball again from the throw in and found Steele Sidebottom who put the Pies up by 32-points.

The well-known inaccuracy from the Magpies reared it's ugly head when Dawes managed to miss, but a Wood freekick led to Jarryd Blair becoming the 8th individual goalkicker in the quarter, putting the 'Pies out by 40-points at quarter time.

A bit of pushing and shoving at the break led to the Tigers looking a bit better in the second quarter, but they were only able to start with a behind. Another throw in, another Collingwood goal, this time to Dane Swan who kicked his second after Dawes found Blair and Swan finished it off.

Tyrone Vickery would bring the Magpies' lead back to 40 points when the ball fell to him off the Collingwood defenders and they were unable to prevent him kicking his first. That was until a classy Dane Swan pick up from the ground and goal put the 'Pies 46-points up.

Brad Miller was taken high and like earlier in the game, he was again unable to find the middle, the Tigers again wasting a rare chance in front of goals. The Tigers were getting more of the ball in the second quarter, and the Magpies were giving away freekicks, this time it was Heath Shaw taking King high. But Jake King didn't trouble the scorers, kicking it out on the full. He was made to pay for this when Cameron Wood kicked his first goal of the season.

The Tigers would get it back though through Dustin Martin who found a way to get the ball passed the Collingwood defenders' legs. A moment later, Matthew White made the deficent 38 points and the Tigers for the first time tonight managed 2 goals in a row.

It was snuffed out in an instant when Reece Conca tried to slap the ball away, leading it to find Luke Ball whose little chip pass found Beams added his name to the long list of goalkickers. A fine piece of soccer skills from Travis Cloke saw Collingwood's lead sudddenly out to 49 points. The 'Pies had the last play before half time with Cloke marking and kicking a behind, the 'Pies going into half time leading by 50-points.

The Tigers started the third quarter the better team as Trent Cotchin managed to find Jake King who with his first two kicks kicked behinds but finally goaled. Collingwood's first scoring shot of the third was a behind again to Travis Cloke. Blair almost turned nothing into something when he smothered the ball, but it hit the post and the Magpies lead was back to 40 points when Deledio found Miller who goaled.

Cotchin with the centre clearance set up Dustin Martin's second goal of the game, and the Collingwood lead was backc to 34-points and the Tigers were on the march. The Tigers' next shot on goal came when Leigh Brown was reported for striking Conca and was given 50. But Conca, like the Tigers have done all night, missed, letting the 'Pies off the hook.

Harry O'Brien's sprinting effort from 50 was another early miss to the 'Pies as Collingwood were unable to find any goals early. Matthew White made it 3 Richmond goals on the trot when he broke away from the Collingwood defenders. It was 4.2 to 3 behinds early in the quarter, the Magpies' first goal came when Dale Thomas broke away from White and ran the ball into the Collingwood' 50. Sidebottom almost coughed it up but he slotted the goal against the run of play.

The Tigers got the quick reply through Brett Deledio who bombed from just on 50 to bring the lead back down to 28-points. Andrew Krakouer down the other end tried his own snap for goal. The ball sailing offline was marked by Leigh Brown and he made no mistake restoring their 32-point lead.

Richmond hit back at the 'Pies, Jack Riewoldt with his first touch of the ball since the first quarter marked from Chris Newman and he went back and slotted his third goal. Collingwood went into the final quarter with a 26 point lead as the Tigers were making their run.

The Tiges started the last quarter as they had finished the last with an inside 50, but it was repelled and Travis Cloke gave the ball off to Swan. Swan lined up and kicked his fourth of the game, putting the Magpies back out to 32-points, Brad Miller found some space in front of Maxwell but failed to score a goal again. Collingwood's lead was out to 37 points when Dale Thomas converted a fantastic snap on goal.

Leon Davis' night almost got worse when his error led to Matthew White having a shot on goal, but again he missed. Cameron Wood followed with a behind to Collingwood before a strong mark by Cloke saw the lead out to 42-points.

Chris Dawes got a holding the ball decision from the throw in and he put the Magpies out to 48-points, the Pies back to dominating the game which saw Dale Thomas pull off a big mark. When Wellingham with the one hand picked up and snapped a goal, the 'Pies were back out to  54-points.

An unselfish bit of play from first Chris Dawes and then Jarryd Blair saw Steele Sidebottom boot his third of the game and the Magpies were now out to 61 points. A series of behinds came before Angus Graham was given a freekick straight in front and he put through a goal.

Luke Ball got the reply, then sub Alan Toovey started a great bit of play from the backline to Didak who then found Dayne Beams and he put through his second, giving Collingwood now a 71-point lead. Alan Didak joined in with his first, giving the Magpies a 77-point lead. With only seconds remaining the ball went down the other end and Riewoldt again beating Chris Tarrant, marked just before the siren and kicked his fourth, reducing the Tigers' loss to 71-points.