Collingwood v Fremantle: All the news and updates from thriller at the MCG

Collingwood have been the close game kings since Craig McRae took the reins, but have no lost two thrillers on the trot. Isaac Quaynor reveals why they’re not worried just yet.

Collingwood defender Isaac Quaynor is adamant the Magpies are not in a form slump after Fremantle charged home to consign the ladder leaders to a second consecutive defeat.

Luke Jackson nailed a set shot to put the Dockers in front with five minutes remaining before they hung on to beat Collingwood at the MCG for the first time in six years.

The Magpies’ losses to Gold Coast and Fremantle came after a month where they were sternly tested by St Kilda and West Coast, but Quaynor said the side was confident its game was still in good shape.

Quaynor said the last month did not bear much similarity to the Pies’ up-and-down finish to the 2023 home and away season, where they were frustrated with multiple aspects of their performance leading into their successful finals campaign.

“I don’t reckon it’s a slump at all. I think we’re playing great football … we’re just not finishing our work, like that last connection inside 50 is not quite sticking, and little things aren’t going our way,” he said.

“I think we’re still playing the football that we want to play, whereas I feel like in 2023 we weren’t, and we kind of strayed away from that.

“We were doing a lot right … playing a front-half game, our pressure was really high. I think that’s just the way footy goes sometimes, and to their credit, they had a lot on the line.

“(Fremantle is) in some good form, and they came to play.”

Quaynor, 25, said he relished the chance to take on taller opponents, but he agreed the Magpies had felt the absence of Billy Frampton (calf) and Jeremy Howe (adductor) as Patrick Voss ripped the game apart with six goals.

Isaac Quaynor had to play on taller players like Jye Amiss against the Dockers. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

Voss was too quick for Darcy Moore on the lead as he booted three first-quarter goals, but the Magpies were slow to change the match-up due to a lack of options.

Brayden Maynard (189cm) began the game on Josh Treacy (195cm) but switched with Moore after halftime to pick up Voss, while Quaynor (180cm) split his time evenly between manning Shai Bolton and the 196cm Jye Amiss.

Key defender Charlie Dean, who replaced Howe in the side on Sunday, was used against Amiss and Jackson when the ruckman drifted forward.

“It’s a dangerous forward line. They’ve got the big three boys, and the smalls are really dangerous too,” Quaynor said.

“It was always going to be tough … we knew going in that we would be a bit undersized, but I’ve got great confidence in a lot of us to be able to play a little bit undersized, and I don’t mind playing on talls.

“But there were definitely points where sheer size sometimes got on top, and that’s just the reality of it.

“I think for the most part, we did as well as we could have back there.”

The Magpies laid a massive 35 tackles inside 50 to Fremantle’s nine and had 23 more forward entries, but were unable to translate their high-pressure performance to the scoreboard.

The loss left the Pies only two points clear of Brisbane on top of the ladder, with Adelaide also within striking distance at four points behind with superior percentage.

Collingwood will meet both the Lions (MCG) and the Crows (Adelaide Oval) in their last five games before the finals.

ANCHORS AWAY: DOCKERS BREAK PIES’ HEARTS IN A THRILLER

— Ronny Lerner

Fremantle have announced themselves as a premiership contender on Sunday after pipping premiership favourites Collingwood by a point in a classic encounter at the MCG on Sunday.

After slipping 22 points down in the final quarter and all looking lost, the Dockers refused to throw in the towel and booted the last four goals to finish the game with a wet sail.

With 2:46 remaining, Collingwood sharpshooter Jamie Elliott had the chance to give the Magpies back the lead when he lined up from 45m out on a tight angle that he usually loves, but the forward missed slightly to the right, levelling up the scores.

Dockers livewire Shai Bolton was then awarded a free kick for being taken too high by Jack Crisp with 89 seconds left, but from 45m out, he too pushed his set shot to the left. Crucially, it gave the visitors a one-point lead.

After a frantic final minute of play, Collingwood had one last chance at stealing victory when Lachie Shultz kicked it deep into attack, but Dockers big man Josh Treacy was there to take the saving mark at the top of the goalsquare and ensure Fremantle a famous 12.7 (79) to 11.12 (78) victory in front of 62,198 fans, which is a record crowd for a home-and-away game between these two clubs.

Collingwood’s pressure was enormous for the majority of the match, and they finished with huge leads in contested possessions (151-131) and tackles (86-65), while they also equalled the record for tackles inside 50 (35). But they couldn’t capitalise on their massive advantage in inside 50s (63-40), as the Dockers were far more efficient going forward.

Patrick Voss of the Dockers kicked a bag of goals. Picture: Michael Klein

VOSS COMES OF AGE

Young forward Patrick Voss was the poster boy for the Dockers’ attacking capabilities, kicking six goals in a breakout game. He already had a career-high four early in the second quarter, and he was proving such a menace that the Magpies had to take captain Darcy Moore off him in favour of Brayden Maynard.

SERONG, DAICOS STAR

Caleb Serong shone brightly for Fremantle too with 37 disposals (16 contstested), nine clearances and a goal, while Luke Ryan (25 touches) and Jordan Clark (24) were pivotal in defence in thwarting the Magpies.

For Collingwood, Nick Daicos was sensational, racking up 43 touches (15 contested), nine clearances, seven tackles and a goal, Darcy Cameron had an impact with 20 disposals (10), eight marks (three) and 32 hit-outs, while Beau McCreery (15) and Ned Long (12) combined for 27 tackles.

Nick Daicos starred for the Pies. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images.

MAGPIES START WELL

Collingwood kicked three of the first four goals but didn’t get full bang for buck and after registering 11 of the first 14 clearances, Fremantle were able to turn the game around with four of the next five majors to lead by six points early in the second quarter.

The Dockers wrested back the ascendancy, but Collingwood maintained their phenomenal pressure and hit back with the next three majors to lead by 13 points.

DOCKERS HANG AROUND

The Magpies also enjoyed a charmed run with the umpires that saw them lead the free kicks 12-2 at one stage, but Fremantle’s forward efficiency kept them in the game and they got back within a point in time on in the second period.

Collingwood jagged the last goal of the first half and the third term was played largely in their attacking zone, as they registered 20 of the quarter’s 26 inside 50s, but for all their dominance they only outscored Freo by two points for the quarter. And it proved to be a decisive let-off that the Dockers took full advantage of.

Originally published as Collingwood v Fremantle: All the news and updates from thriller at the MCG