Footy rewind: Collingwood wins thriller over Richmond in Round 2, 2016
Richmond and Collingwood played out a classic contest in Round 2, 2016. The Tigers looked like they were cruising to victory late in the final term, but the finish was typically ‘Richmondy’. RE-LIVE THE CLASSIC MATCH
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This report was written by Herald Sun footy writer Glenn McFarlane on April 1, 2016. This match was shown on Fox Footy Rewind on Thursday night in lieu of the fixtured match that has been called off due to the coronavirus threat.
Adam Treloar and Trent Cotchin had a sledging match, the Magpie, of course of the now-famed ‘Collingwood has a better list than Richmond’ comments after he chose Collingwood over the Tigers.
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The date line seemed strangely appropriate, but at least Collingwood could see the funny side to Friday night’s remarkable come-from-behind one-point win over Richmond.
For three quarters, this match was not much better than a poorly delivered April Fool’s Day joke, littered with errors and errant kicking, with each side seemingly trying to outdo the other in terms of mistakes.
But in an extraordinary finish to a very ordinary game, Magpies big man Brodie Grundy was able to steal victory from the jaws of defeat, kicking the matchwinning goal of the game with only four seconds left.
Collingwood looked beaten when it trailed by 17 points 20 minutes into the final term after Jack Riewoldt kicked his third goal of the term, but somehow Nathan Buckley’s men were able to get themselves off the canvas.
Alex Fasolo kicked goals at the 23-minute-mark and the 28-minute-mark of the last term, with those two majors taking him to a career-best six for the game.
Yet as the Tigers edged the ball out of defence and with time ticking away, it seemed as the Magpies were still destined for a 0-2 start to the season for the first time since 2005.
I wish @CollingwoodFC were playing Richmond this week! What do you think @brodiegrundy ??? #flagpies2020 pic.twitter.com/TiGhT1yCdd
— GENERIK (@generik_dj) March 26, 2020
But a deliberate out of bounds decision against the Tigers left the door ajar almost as much as Richmond’s woeful inability to close out a game it seemingly had in its grasp.
With 19 seconds left, Darcy Moore drove the ball into the goalsquare and Grundy flew for the ball, lost it, then gained it back. His snap for goal provided their first win of the season — a lifeline after such a poor performance against Sydney last week.
It was hardly a win for the ages, but it might be something that they can build a season on, and the performance of Fasolo, the hardworking efforts of boom recruit Adam Treloar and Scott Pendlebury and a much better showing from the forward line, including a better effort from Travis Cloke, was encouraging.
It’s far too early to decide whether Treloar made the right call last year when he chose black and white over yellow and black, but he would have been pretty satisfied.
Never mind the boos, never mind the abuse that the Richmond supporters gave him. He showed last night the sort of grit to close out what president Eddie McGuire labelled a “week from hell” for the club.
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Fasolo was extraordinary, and five of his six goals came in the second half. He took every opportunity that was presented to him and it was arguably his most important game for the club.
Six days ago, he went head first into the SCG turf. Last night he flew without fear and finished with 6.0, not leaving out the four scoring assists he provided as well.
Importantly, at the other end, Ben Reid showed just how important he is to the structure of the Magpies’ team.
The celebrations of the Collingwood players contrasted with the body language of the Richmond group who slumped to the ground, realising what a massive opportunity they had given up.
Time and again the Tigers looked as if they would had this game in their keepings, but that will mean nothing to Damien Hardwick who deserves to be furious with both the misses early — including 1.6 in the second term — and their lack of poise under pressure.
They conceded 70 points from turnovers and led for 71 minutes. Collingwood had the scoreboard lead for 28 minutes but importantly had it at the end.
Trent Cotchin tried his hardest with 38 touches, Bachar Houli had 35 and Dustin Martin produced a strong second half, taking his tally to 30.
But too much was left to too few. And Collingwood somehow conjured the miracle near the end that it so desperately needed.
Now with games against St Kilda, Melbourne and Essendon to come, the Magpies have a chance to launch a season that looked like careering out of control at stages of Friday night.
SCOREBOARD
COLLINGWOOD 13.9 (87)
def
RICHMOND 12.14 (86)
GOALS
Magpies: Fasolo 6, Grundy 2, De Goey Langdon Aish Cloke Moore
Tigers: Riewoldt Short 3, Lambert Vickery 2, Martin Lloyd
GLENN MCFARLANE’S BEST
Magpies: Fasolo, Treloar, Pendlebury, Ramsey, Reid, Greenwood, Adams
Tigers: Cotchin, Houli, Martin, Riewoldt, B Ellis, Lambert, Short
GLENN MCFARLANE’S VOTES
3 — Alex Fasolo (Collingwood)
2 — Trent Cotchin (Richmond)
1 — Bachar Houli (Richmond)
TOP 5 POSSESSION WINNERS
MAGPIES
Adam Treloar 32
Scott Pendlebury 26
Jackson Ramsay 23
Taylor Adams 21
Levi Greenwood 21
TIGERS
Trent Cotchin 38
Bachar Houli 35
Brandon Ellis 30
Shaun Grigg 30
Dustin Martin 30
TOP 5 SUPERCOACH
MAGPIES
Alex Fasolo 125
Scott Pendlebury 103
Brodie Grundy 102
Ben Reid 93
Ben Sinclair 93
TIGERS
Dustin Martin 125
Bachar Houli 117
Jack Riewoldt 105
Kamdyn McIntosh 105
Brandon Ellis 103
Who remembers this game?
— Taylor Adams (@taylor_adams13) March 26, 2020
I know @brodiegrundy certainly does! Watch it tonight on the @Telstra AFL Live App or https://t.co/CXQ7kZXtvh from 7:25pm #FixtureThrowback pic.twitter.com/ytZY7F2RGV
Stop roving my handy tap work @brodiegrundy https://t.co/OyIqXyxMGb
— Scott Pendlebury (@SP_10) March 26, 2020
Originally published as Footy rewind: Collingwood wins thriller over Richmond in Round 2, 2016
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