Collingwood showed plenty in win over Brisbane but proved it still has plenty to work on

LIKE Jamie Elliott’s haircut, Collingwood had plenty of highlights but an inability to put away a young Brisbane Lions shows there’s still plenty of work to do.

Jamie Elliot and Jack Crisp celebrate a goal.

JAMIE Elliott turned up at the MCG rocking a new Justin Bieber-style blond tips.

Then for patches of a topsy-turvy afternoon Nathan Buckley’s boys proceeded to play footy like the Canadian pop star.

All Collingwood needed after the heroics of last week’s victory was an easy and drama-free live kill over Brisbane’s kids.

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Instead, like Elliott’s locks, at times the Pies screamed “showboat”.

Their 13-tackle first quarter saw them stuck in first gear, as Levi Greenwood’s unwillingness to go back hard typified the lack of resistance.

That issue was finally rectified with a much improved second term but they then kicked six straight points in the third stanza to again let Brisbane into the game.

Jamie Elliott kicks a goal in the last quarter. Picture: Michael Klein

Good sides steady, then rally when a pesky upstart like Brisbane begins to show a bit of cheek.

Yet as Archie Smith marked 40 metres out with Brisbane 17 points down and surging hard, Daniel Rich sauntered up to accept the handball.

Lynden Dunn had his head down on the mark, Adam Treloar just watched him cruise by and Rich brought the margin back to 11 points.

And yet as the final siren sounded the Pies were 45 points to the good on yet another bizarre day for the faithful.

Finally the Magpies snuffed out the resistance with a seven-goal last term in a contest when the two Daynes - Beams and Zorko - were simply phenomenal.

The positives were obvious in Darcy Moore’s 10 marks and three goals.

And say what you like about Elliott, but he walked the walk with 4.4 to go with that lairy haircut.

Dayne Zorko was impressive for Brisbane.

With 39 more inside-50s and 5.15 more in scoring shots, what at one stage looked a disaster turned into a canter.

As the dust settled the Pies had poured on 39 scoring shots in a win where nailed execution in front of goal might have easily doubled the margin.

Elliott told the Herald Sun post-match he knew he needed to thrive with a haircut like that.

“I was going to go full bleach but Swanny (Dane Swan) did that first so I thought I would put it back a bit, let it settle and went to the hairdressers this week and they had the bleach and I said, ‘let’s do it’,” he said.

“I was a little worried about playing well because of it but then I tried to come into the game not thinking about it and just played my role.

“If we took opportunities in the third term we don’t give them a look in. We gave them a look in but in the last quarter we played how we wanted to play.

Matthew Scharenberg played his first game of AFL since 2015. Picture: Michael Klein

“We out-pressured them, outplayed them and it all looked after itself. But we want to finish them off.”

Buckley admitted his side hadn’t brought the “heat” in that first term, with Elliott unsure why the Pies came out so flat.

“The first quarter we were off and they definitely outworked us. We were better in the second term when it rained and won the contest and then that last quarter we outpressured them again.”

All of Taylor Adams, Adam Treloar, Steele Sidebottom and Scott Pendlebury racked up a heap of possessions on an afternoon that mixed sun, heavy rain and showers.

But while Daniel Wells screamed class at half forward, Alex Fasolo, Elliott and Darcy Moore are mostly no better than 50-50 in front of goal despite so many chances.

Fasolo, with 2.4, has a deadset case of the yips.

Dayne Beams and Daniel Wells wear No.50 and No.67 to mark Indigenous Round. Picture: Michael Klein

Moore still led hard and flew at the ball, his confidence gradually creeping back, while Matt Scharenberg quietly got through his first game since 2015.

Brisbane’s Zorko was stunning, mixing 10 clearances, 28 touches and two beautiful goals, with another touched on the line.

Former Pie Beams was just as strong in the contest, with that pair in another league to the rest of their teammates.

Lions fans had to content themselves with glimpses of the kids, like Eric Hipwood’s rousing goal on the run from 55 metres after baulking two chasing Pies.

Elliott hopes his Pies are building, just as he is building towards a full bleach for his next party trick.

This season, like Elliott himself, this Collingwood side has been the full mixed bag.

VOTES

3. Dayne Zorko

2. Scott Pendlebury

1. Dayne Beams

COLLINGWOOD: S.Pendlebury, A.Treloar, T.Adams, J.Elliott, D.Wells, J.Smith, S.Sidebottom

BRISBANE: D.Zorko, D.Beams, J.Barrett, H.McCluggage, T.Cutler