Collingwood’s semi-final win over Fremantle simply came off the back of hard work, according to David King, with a Fremantle midfielder particularly exposed.
At the MCG on Saturday night, the Magpies opened up a big lead throughout the first half that was largely held until the final siren, running out convincing 79-59 winners.
Craig McRae’s side always looked dangerous throughout the first three quarters and had the better looks of the two sides, often breaking through the middle of the ground faster than their opponents.
“I’d challenge you tonight (to watch the) second quarter (of Saturday's semi-final), pause it at 6:39 on the clock and just compare Fremantle’s midfielders who hover… versus Collingwood’s midfielders who instantly run,” King told SEN’s Whateley.
“They see they’re going to win that ball, and just before it goes into Collingwood’s hands, they take three steps and get wing-line, goal-side.
“And that’s it, it’s creating the leapfrog effect that takes them all the way down the ground.”
In particular, the dual-premiership Kangaroo singled out Jack Crisp as a dominant force who was simply too quick for Docker Will Brodie.
Crisp was perhaps the best player on the ground at half-time with 14 possessions (five contested), three clearances, three inside 50s, two rebound 50s and a goal.
On Saturday night, King saw numerous occasions of the reason why Gold Coast was willing to let Brodie depart during last year’s trade period.
“Jack Crisp, what he did to Will Brodie on the weekend exposed all the flaws to Will Brodie’s game, and in a lot of ways, that's why you get this guy, because the Suns say, ‘he can’t travel, he can’t run this guy, he can't go with someone that really challenges this guy’,” he continued.
“The amount of times that Crisp put it to him out of stoppage… was just ridiculous. Only Jordan De Goey was better in terms of influence on this game than Jack Crisp.”
Brodie finished with 17 possessions and six clearances, but just the one inside 50.
Meanwhile, Crisp's fellow midfielder De Goey was widely acknowledged as best afield for 24 disposals and a game-high eight inside 50s.
King also singled out Magpie Patrick Lipinski.
“Patty Lipinski, there’s one highlight of Lipinski, it’s four minutes to go in the second quarter, he works all the way from the right-hand side of screen, a 60 or 70-metre run across the half-back flank,” King added.
“If you pause it with four minutes to go, it’s all pairs. Fremantle versus Collingwood opponents, three pairs behind Lipinski, but Lipinski runs 60 metres that no one else was going to run and creates the leapfrog effect.
“It’s all done on work rate, it's all done on effort. It is bloody hard to stop, they don’t need to win contested footy, they don’t need to win clearance, they just need to commit those runs.”
The Magpies now meet Sydney on Saturday in a prelim with a chance to play in the club’s first Grand Final since 2018.