Collingwood beat bitterest rivals Carlton at MCG to climb to fourth

It wasn’t easy but Collingwood notched an important 20-point win over their most bitter rival at the MCG yesterday.

Carlton’s Charlie Curnow takes a spectacular mark over Tom Langdon. Picture: AAP

It was not the cakewalk predicted given Carlton’s lowly status, but Collingwood yesterday notched an important win over their most bitter rivals at the MCG, 11.13 (79) to 9.5 (59).

The Magpies were made to work hard by Carlton, who showed significant improvement in intent in comparison to their debacle a week ago against Fremantle, but ultimately proved too classy.

A fifth win in succession resulted in them jumping to fourth on the ladder after 13 matches, just one victory behind Richmond, Sydney and West Coast.

It is the first time since round 12 in 2015 that the Magpies have been in the top four and well-positioned to challenge for a double-chance come September.

The difference in trajectory ­between then and now is distinct, as coach Nathan Buckley pointed out last week.

The Magpies were on the verge of a decline that them outside the eight from round 16 in that year through to this season’s ­resurgence.

But with a clash against the Suns on the Gold Coast next ­Saturday night, Collingwood can entrench themselves in the eight while continuing to build towards September.

Buckley was not particularly pleased with elements of the Magpies’ method yesterday but ­believes they are capable of significant improvement in coming weeks.

“We have played some good footy,” he said. “We would like to be a little bit more consistent than today’s form … but we have some players who are in form and are feeling up and about.

“We are happy where we are but we still have a lot of growth and development in us and we want that as quick as we can.”

A concern is the fitness of Adam Treloar, who had a mixed afternoon notable for flashes of brilliance but also annoyance as he tangled with Carlton taggers.

Late in a match in which he kicked a critical goal and gathered 19 disposals, he appeared to injure his right hamstring while dashing down the wing.

Although he appeared to be walking with some discomfort ­afterwards, Treloar downplayed the problem, instead saying he had cramp.

“I’ll ice both my hammies and have an ice bath when I get home while watching State of Origin,” Treloar told Fox Footy in a post-match interview on the ground.

Carlton’s improved effort began with a strong opening term and another early challenge just after halftime.

But the nightmare continues for the Blues, which passed 100 consecutive weeks outside the eight earlier this season.

Lachie Plowman injured his knee when he was crunched in a contest, with the Blues diagnosing the problem as bone bruising.

They will assess the defender, who was on crutches after the match, to see whether there is any damage to his medial ligament this week. It is not the only injury woe the Blues had to deal with, with Levi Casboult the latest of withdrawals after breaking a finger in the warm-up.

And when ruckman Matthew Kreuzer injured an ankle, the Blues’ hopes were effectively ­curtailed with only two players left on the bench.

It has been some time since this rivalry ensured a genuine blockbuster, as evidenced by the ladder position of the Blues but also in the middling crowd of 53,706. But the match was not without some highlights, nor niggle or lip.

Charlie Curnow’s mark in the second term, where he soared high enough to knee Collingwood ruckman Brodie Grundy in the head, was spectacular. So, too, an effort by Will Hoskin-Elliott in the third term. Curnow added another superb grab in the final term, a hanger over Tom Langdon that drew comparison with Alex Jesaulenko’s “you beauty” mark when the two teams met in the 1970 grand final.

And Magpie skipper Scott Pendlebury, who endured a stirring duel with Patrick Cripps, wove a superb set shot from near the boundary to give his side a handy halftime buffer.

Premiership Pie and now Blue, Dale Thomas, revelled in firing verbal barbs at his old mates, though his prime target Mason Cox was never a teammate.

He is also likely to be assessed by match review officer Michael Christian today for a bump off the ball that flattened Levi Greenwood. Treloar was also targeted and spent the second term more engaged in wrestling than winning the football. The feeling spoiled over into a melee after the halftime siren.

Carlton started the second half as they did the match, with outstanding talents Cripps and Curnow kicking the first two goals to reclaim the lead for the Blues.

But when young talent Jaidyn Stephenson kicked his third for the match, after intercepting a chip across goal from Liam Jones that was never a legitimate option, the Magpies had halted the Blues momentum.