Collingwood heaps more misery on toothless Tigers

The Collingwood Magpies have handed interim coach Robert Harvey his first win on the job and the Tigers their fourth straight loss.

The Magpies turned a 20-point deficit at three-quarter time into a famous victory. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

Richmond should completely ignore the advice given by Crowded House in their classic song ‘Don’t Dream It’s Over’.

It’s Over. The three-peat dream is up in smoke and Richmond’s finals hopes are in free fall after they gave up a 29-point lead to crash to a third consecutive loss to a bottom-10 side – this time arch rival Collingwood.

After shock losses to St Kilda and Gold Coast, Richmond looked like they finally managed to lift the stubborn handbrake on the out-of-control runaway freight train that its 2021 season has become.

But seven consecutive goals from the resurgent Magpies across the third and fourth quarters sent sparks flying all over Richmond’s train tracks, causing the Tigers’ season to crash head-on into the side of a mountain.

Collingwood actually controlled the ball for most of the game, finishing with far more disposals (431-338) and marks (118-61), but due to poor ball use and skill errors, struggled to finish off their good work in the first three quarters, managing only six goals from 41 inside 50s compared to the far more efficient Richmond’s 10 from 38.

But to the Magpies’ credit, they kept coming, even after they seemingly shot themselves in the foot with Jack Crisp, Jordan De Goey and Brody Mihocek (twice) all missing gettable shots in the third quarter.

Richmond ground to a complete halt in the final term and, as they did against St Kilda last week, Collingwood ran rampant – only this time, the side ran right over the top of its opponent.

Collingwood was sitting in the bottom three and had only won four matches heading into the match, the side’s worst start to a season since 1999, but like the Saints and Suns did before them, the Magpies belied their underdog status to topple the once-mighty Tigers.

The win was Robert Harvey’s first in the hot seat at Collingwood. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)

Pies cooking with gas

Caretaker Collingwood coach Robert Harvey praised the leadership shown by his star players in the final quarter on Sunday as the Magpies overturned a five-goal margin to steamroll Richmond by 16 points at the MCG.

When Collingwood needed them most, the old firm of Brodie Grundy, Jordan De Goey, Scott Pendlebury, Jack Crisp and Jamie Elliott answered the call and stood tall to ensure the upset result for the bottom-four side.

“I thought there were some really brave efforts from our leaders in the last quarter to get us over the line and that was really good to see,” Harvey said post-match.

“It was consistent. I thought the leadership was good.

“There’s a lot of young guys in our team that you’re trying to impart good habits on for a long period of time, so to see the leadership of the guys to stand up under pressure is a really good message to send those young guys like Trent Bianco and Trey Ruscoe.

“When it mattered he really put his nose to the grindstone and got it done,” he said of Grundy.

“That’s what he does at his best – he’s an All-Australian ruck for a reason and it’s based on his work rate and his ability to compete and that’s what he does so well.”

Given how well the Magpies have been finishing games in recent weeks, especially last round against St Kilda, Harvey wouldn’t have been surprised if his players drew confidence from that as they ran over the top of the Tigers at the end.

“Clearly the way they ran the game out felt like mentally they were ready for it,” Harvey said.

“They looked fresh so that’s a good sign.”

The former champion Saint is hopeful that a performance like that against the best team of the last five years will give his team confidence for the rest of the season.

Harvey agreed that Collingwood had control of the ball for most of the day, but just couldn’t capitalise up forward and he was rapt with his team’s ability to straighten up in the final term and pile on seven goals to Richmond’s one.

The Magpies look like they will be without luckless Will Kelly for at least a few weeks, though, after the injury-prone youngster had to be subbed out due to a quad complaint.

The Magpies have recorded their fifth win of the season. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

Crisp burns Tigers

Jack Crisp was brilliant all day and was one of the reasons why the Magpies were still in it late in the contest. The dashing defender finished with a game-high 33 disposals as well as 10 intercepts, 10 marks and 601 metres gained. Jamie Elliott was also pivotal with 21 touches and three goals, while Jordan De Goey continued his resurgence with 29 and one.

Cameron cuts off Grimes

With just over 3:00 left in the game and Richmond down by nine points, Dylan Grimes won a free kick on the Tigers’ half-back flank and in a desperate attempt to get ball moving up field, he kicked across goal to Trent Cotchin in the centre square, but Collingwood big man Darcy Cameron was wise to plan and jumped over the Tigers captain to take a huge intercept mark and kill off the Tigers’ hopes.

700 up for Jack

Jack Riewoldt became just the 24th player in VFL/AFL history to kick 700 career goals, drawing level with Fremantle great Matthew Pavlich in 23rd spot on the all-time list. The triple premiership forward joined club greats Jack Titus (970), Matthew Richardson (800) and Kevin Bartlett (778) as one of only four Tigers to achieve the illustrious milestone.

Richmond hits the skids

Richmond has now lost four games in a row for the first time since 2017, and three in a row at the MCG for the first time since 2016. But unlike in their premiership season of 2017, the chance of the Tigers winning the flag this year is long gone.

TIGERS 4.0 7.2 10.3 11.5 (71)

MAGPIES 1.1 4.3 6.7 13.9 (87)

LERNER’S BEST Tigers: Short, Bolton, Lynch, Graham, McIntosh. Magpies: Crisp, Elliott, De Goey, Grundy, Adams, Pendlebury, Maynard.

GOALS Tigers: Lynch 3, Baker 2, Collier-Dawkins, Bolton, Martin, Riewoldt, Castagna, Pickett. Magpies: Elliott 3, Cameron 2, Thomas 2, Pendlebury, Mihocek, Adams, De Goey, Murphy, Grundy.

INJURIES Tigers: Nil. Magpies: Kelly (quad).

UMPIRES Foot, Stevic, Howorth

VENUE MCG

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

LERNER’S VOTES

3 J.Crisp (Coll)

2 J.Elliott (Coll)

1 J.De Goey (Coll)

Originally published as Collingwood heaps more misery on toothless Tigers