Collingwood Too Good as Sydney Slip to Two and Two

After a Opening Round mishap, Collingwood have now won four games in a row. The fourth victim of Craig McRae’s Pies for 2025 was the injury plagued Sydney Swans, who were dismantled 16.13.109 to 12.6.78.

Collingwood won because of its dominance in the middle. Every time the Pies won the ball at stoppage it usually resulted in a goal for the black and white. For large periods of the night, the Swans simply had no answer.

Adelaide quickly became a happy hunting ground for Ned Long, who had his best game to date. He was helped by Steele Sidebottom earlier in the night, then Nick Daicos joined the party as the game kept going.

Isaac Heeney was far and away Sydney’s best player, while Brodie Grundy had an excellent night personally in his home state. Hayden McLean didn’t look out of place at all as he finished with three goals.

After an even first quarter, the Pies had kicked four goals in a row with 10 minutes to go in the second quarter. After finishes to Will Hoskin-Elliott, Brody Mihocek, Lachlan Sullivan, and Bobby Hill, the Swans were nearly five goals down and were looking knocked out.

However the Swans were able to rally and put the margin back to just 10 points after they kicked three goals in a row. A late goal to Jamie Elliot gave the Pies a 16 point lead.

The Pies were at their brutal best in the premiership term. They kicked an inaccurate 3.4 to Sydney’s 2.2, but it was much more then what happened on the scoreboard.

Collingwood didn’t let Sydney play their style at all, and again it went back to Pies’ midfielders as they simply did as they pleased. A 25 point lead gave the black and white the advantage at three quarter time, but when Elliott’s third goal game at the nine minute mark of the final quarter, Sydney finally relented, and the Pies won by 31 points.

Collingwood: 4.3 10.7 13.11 16.13.109

Sydney Swans: 4.1 8.2 10.4 12.6.78

Goalkickers:

Collingwood:

Elliott, (3), Hill, (3), Mihocek, (3), McCreery, (2), Crisp, Hoskin-Elliott, McStay, Membrey, Sullivan

Sydney Swans:

McLean, (3), Hanily, (2), Heeney, (2), Corey Warner, (2), Campbell, Hayward, Sheldrick

Best:

Collingwood:

B. Hill, N. Long, S. Sidebottom

Sydney Swans:

I. Heeney, H. McLean, J. Rowbottom