AFL Round 10 Collingwood v Adelaide: All the news and fallout as the Crows go down by 10 points

Adelaide has now failed in its past 10 games against Collingwood – but it could have been a completely different story if it wasn’t for a costly third term. Here’s how it all unfolded.

Ronny Lerner

5 min read

May 17, 2025 - 8:19PM

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Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks said his team was sick of regularly falling short of the best teams in the league and that their aim was to emulate sides like Collingwood after losing to the Magpies yet again at the MCG on Saturday.

It was the 10th time in a row that the Magpies got the better of the Crows, and the last five encounters have been decided by an average of just four points.

Adelaide also failed to defeat Gold Coast and Geelong this season and being close enough, but not good enough, against such teams is starting to wear thin on them.

Izak Rankine and Alex Neal-Bullen lead the Crows off. Picture: Josh Chadwick/Getty Images

“We have confidence in where we’re at but there’s also a reality,” Nicks said.

“We have to be better. Walk away from these with a 10-point loss or a one-kick differential - we’re better than that and today there were some key moments which we look back on, as we do on Mondays after a game where we don’t get the outcome we’re after, and we kick ourselves.

“I think we’re sick of that. So we know we’re a good side, we want to be a great side like they are and we have a lot of respect for them.

“They’re an experienced outfit, they proved it week in week out, they don’t make too many mistakes, so we’ve got to get ourselves to that level if we want to be consistent.”

In what was another tight contest between the two sides, Nicks lamented “costly errors” that led to Collingwood goals.

Sam Berry is tackled by Ned Long. Picture: James Wiltshire/AFL Photos

In the third quarter, Darcy Fogarty foolishly knocked the ball out of Darcy Cameron’s hands after the Collingwood ruckman took a mark 75m out from goal. The territory bonus brought Cameron within point-blank range and he made no mistake.

And just seconds before the three-quarter time siren, Beau McCreery’s mongrel punt for goal fell well short, but Jamie Elliott came from the clouds to outmark Reilly O’Brien at the top of the goal square. The Adelaide ruckman had to be stronger against the Pies small forward, and it cost the Crows as Elliott extended his team’s lead to 16 points at the final change.

“Just small things that we know we’ve got to get right if we want to beat the best side in the comp,” Nicks said.

Nicks: Crows aspire to be at Cats' level

The Crows were also let down by wayward goalkicking, especially in the third quarter when the usually-reliable Izak Rankine sent a pair of regulation set shots out of bounds on the full.

“At one stage we were 1.7 from stoppage, so if you’re able to turn that around and finish some of your work off (that would help),” Nicks said.

“It was really important today in a low-scoring game for us to knock through our opportunities, especially when it’s 30, 40m with set shots.”

But Nicks said he wouldn’t need to get Rankine to do extra work on his set shots this week at training.

“I’ll back Izak in anywhere inside 50 more often than not,” he said.

“We’ll probably sit down and talk through it, but it won’t be a panic, it’ll be just giving him some reinforcement that we know he can do it.

“It’s not something that we’ll dwell on.”

Collingwood coach Craig McRae breaks down after AFL victory

Match report: Crows blow their chance to lose the ultimate bunny tag

Collingwood have provisionally moved to top spot on the ladder after outlasting their bunnies Adelaide in another tense affair by 10 points at a soggy MCG on Saturday.

The Magpies have now won their last 10 games against the Crows, who haven’t beaten Collingwood in nine years, and the last five of those victories have been achieved by an average margin of four points.

Izak Rankine reacts during the loss to Collingwood on Saturday. Picture: Michael Klein

For almost three quarters, the match was a seesawing contest that produced eight lead changes.

The Crows had multiple chances to get back in front in the third period, but squandered a host of set shots, including a pair from Izak Rankine that went out on the full.

After Jake Soligo finally gave them back the lead, the Magpies ramped up the pressure and blitzed Adelaide for inside-50s, kicking the next four goals to lead by 23 points early in the final term, as they ran Adelaide off their feet.

It looked like the Crows were done, but with three of the last four goals, they got back within nine points with 2:43 to go after getting back on top in the territory battle.

However, they weren’t able to complete the job, going down 11.12 (78) to 10.8 (68) in front of 67,697 fans, which is a record home-and-away crowd for a match between these two clubs.

Jake Soligo kicked two goals. Picture: James Wiltshire/AFL Photos

A familiar face in Dan Houston got the Pies off to the perfect start. Picture: Josh Chadwick/Getty Images

Like they did last week, Collingwood lost the inside-50 count 47-55, but without captain Darcy Moore, led by Jeremy Howe, their defence held up brilliantly again.

The Pies also got beaten badly in the clearances (39-29), but they had the edge in contested possessions and tackles and, significantly, 66 of their first 77 points came from turnover (86 per cent). The AFL average is 55 per cent from that source.

Nick Daicos had another good outing with 28 touches and seven clearances, while Josh Daicos was effective with 29 disposals (10 contested).

Howe was a rock down back with 17 touches and five marks, and soundly beat Taylor Walker who was subbed out in the third quarter and Ned Long (19 touches) had a game-high nine tackles.

Darcy Fogarty was a beacon for the Crows up forward in the wet conditions with four goals from his seven marks (two contested) and 11 touches. His captain Jordan Dawson also starred with 27 possessions, eight tackles and a goal.

Rankine goals on the run

PIES PRESURE

Collingwood’s heat was noticeable late in the third quarter, and the most consequential example came when Beau McCreery ran down Rankine in Collingwood’s forward pocket to earn himself a holding-the-ball free kick before snapping truly from the boundary to put the Pies up by six points. A few minutes earlier, Sam Berry had the chance to give Adelaide a six-point lead when he ran towards goal, but when he got to 40m out, Long wrapped him up in the nick of time, preventing him from scoring.

Darcy Fogarty was Adelaide’s best. Picture: Josh Chadwick/Getty Images

Was this Wayne Milera handball a throw?

FOGARTY FIRES – AND THEN GIFTS DARCY

Fogarty lit up the City End in the second quarter with all three of Adelaide’s goals, including a magnificent set shot from 52m out on the boundary in the driving rain. The key forward could easily have had a fourth for the quarter, but his snap set shot from the behind line went across the face.

Fogarty then had a moment he would rather forget deep into the third term. With his side trailing by just five points, he foolishly knocked the ball out of Darcy Cameron’s hands after the Collingwood ruckman took a mark 75m out from goal. The territory bonus brought Cameron within point-blank range and he made no mistake.

BRILLIANT BOBBY

Late in the first term, Isaac Cumming attempted to rush a behind for Collingwood with a fist from 25m out, but he didn’t get enough power on it and before it crossed the line, Bobby Hill ran it down and spectacularly soccered it home with the outside of his boot.