Collingwood have continued their white-hot start to the season by triumphing over Richmond in a messy clash at the MCG.
The Magpies had too withstand a late surge from the Tigers to claim victory, who clawed the margin back to 14 points midway through the final term.
Yet it was simply too late for Richmond, with Collingwood having dominated the majority of the contest with their trademark combination of electric ball movement and pressure.
The Magpies led for all but 5 minutes of the contest, with the final score of 8.15 (63) to 7.7 (49) flattering the Tigers, as Collingwood’s inaccuracy kept them in the match.
Both sides had trouble with clean ball movement in the first half, as the pre-game rain led to a scrappy contest, however once things began to dry up in the second half, the skills began to shine.
The usual suspects starred for the Magpies, with Jordan De Goey, Nick Daicos and Tom Mitchell each collecting over 30 touches.
"SCOTT PENDLEBURY HAS STILL GOT THE MOVES!!"
— AFL Nation (@AFLNation) March 31, 2023
The Magpies continue to be electric!#AFLPiesTigers pic.twitter.com/Uk9DxSId3m
However, as described by Brownlow Medallist Gerard Healy, the performances of some of Collingwood’s fringe players is what was truly impactful.
“The thing that’s standing out to me right now is that (Nathan) Murphy and (Beau) McReery and (Billy) Frampton and (Isaac) Quaynor and (John) Noble, lesser names at Collingwood, just are continuing to get better,” he said on AFL Nation.
“We can always talk about De Goey and Daicos and Tom Mitchell, who’s got a Brownlow but playing at his very best right now.
“Josh Daicos and (Jack) Crisp and (Scott) Pendlebury, (Steele) Sidebottom, they all played brilliantly today, and you can toss a coin as to which one you thought was best, but to me this side is now better because Alex Johnson came in and he had 15 possessions and he just looks a hell of a player.
“Billy Frampton has come in because (Jeremy) Howe is not there, he got hold of probably the best forward in the competition tonight and he had a big game, maybe his best ever game.
“Very impressive Collingwood, they’re playing with great dash, great style and they’ve shown they can do it in the dry, tonight they showed they can do it in the wet.”
For the Tigers, it was a frustrating game, as they were once again plagued by ineffective entries inside 50, being held to their lowest score so far this season.
Richmond will look to bounce back next week, staying at the MCG as they welcome the Bulldogs.
Meanwhile, the Magpies will look to continue their winning ways up against the Lions, travelling up to the Gabba for their Round 4 clash.
FULL SCORE
Collingwood: 2.6, 3.10, 7.15, 8.15 (63)
Richmond: 1.0, 1.3, 4.5, 7.7 (49)
GOALS
Collingwood: Elliott 2, Johnson 1, McStay 1, Hill 1, J. Daicos 1, Mihocek 1, Pendlebury 1
Richmond: Riewoldt 2, Lynch 1, Mansell 1, Bolton 1, Clarke 1, Ross 1,
BEST
Collingwood: De Goey, Mitchell, Frampton, Daicos
Richmond: Baker, Taranto, Ross, Nankervis
INJURIES
Collingwood: N/A
Richmond: N/A
CROWD: 85,241 at the MCG.