Collingwood are through to the preliminary finals after blowing Fremantle out of the water on Saturday night.
The Pies put their foot down from the first bounce and never let up as they raced to an 11.13 (79) to 9.5 (59) victory.
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Although the margin is just 20 points, the Dockers never came close to troubling the Pies who controlled every facet of the contest from the start. Michael Frederick kicked two goals in the final phase to flatter the score.
The win means they now travel to Sydney to face the Swans at the SCG next Saturday afternoon with the Grand Final just one win away.
90,612 fans gathered at the MCG in what is the second largest crowd in AFL history for a game featuring a non-Victorian team (not including Grand Finals). The biggest was GWS/Rich prelim in 2017 (94,258).
After his mid-season saga, Jordan de Goey created a game for the ages as he ripped the Dockers apart in the middle of the pitch.
He finished the contest with 22 disposals, 6 clearances, 8 inside 50s and an absurd 573m gained.
In front of goal it was straight forward Jack Ginnivan who led the charge, finishing with three to his name.
“There’s something magical unfolding about the way Collingwood are playing this year,” Luke Darcy said in a commentary.
Collingwood also has a strange piece of history on its side.
Updates
21:56 September 10, 2022
This has to be one of the strangest pieces of history to be found next to Collingwood.
In VFL/AFL history, the current monarch died 5 times while in power.
1901 Collingwood to GF1910 Collingwood to GF 🏆1936 Collingwood to GF 🏆1952 Collingwood to GF2022 ?
😶 @CollingwoodFC #AFLFinals
— Luke P Gavin (@LukePGavin) September 9, 2022 9:31 pm September 10, 2022
Mason Cox has just put the final nail in Fremantle’s coffin.
The towering Pie came from behind a contest and strode to the goal to push the margin to 38 points. It was also Cox’s 100th AFL goal.
Fremantle kicked four goals all night and would need to kick seven without reply if they are to pull off a miracle.
“The Pies are in a Prelim… A game Mason Cox knows so well!”
– Anthony Hudson calls Mason Cox’s first goal #AFLFinals #AFLPiesFreo
— AFL Nation (@AFLNation) September 10, 2022 9:20 pm September 10, 2022
Collingwood can begin sorting out their plans for a trip to Sydney next weekend to face the Swans in a preliminary final.
With just a quarter to play at the MCG, the Pies have pulled away with a 32-point lead as the Dockers simply can’t get anything to work against the pressing attack the Pies are unleashing.
It was Jack Crisp who pulled the Dockers apart in the first half, but in the third quarter it was Jordan de Goey who tore their hearts out with a brilliant display.
21:09 September 10, 2022
After nine behinds in a row, the Pies grabbed their seventh goal of the competition through Jack Ginnivan.
A long ball inside Collingwood’s 50 hit the cover after Fremantle’s Rory Lobb raised his left hand on a half-mark attempt. The ball went to the front of the pack where Ginnivan was waiting and in the blink of an eye he booted the ball and nailed the second.
Fremantle fans are counting their lucky stars that the Pies have been so inaccurate in front of the big posts.
Two for Jack ✌️#AFLFinals pic.twitter.com/uCXHmsz4DN
— AFL (@AFL) September 10, 2022
18 shots scoring to five. This game should have ended a long time ago. #AFLPiesFreo #AFLFinals
— Brett Sprigg (@BrettSprigg) September 10, 2022 9:00 pm September 10, 2022
Just like in the second quarter, the Dockers kicked the first goal of the quarter.
They have shown better signs early on and are moving the ball quicker going forward and Griffin Logue got the end of one to bring the margin back to four goals.
20:31 on September 10, 2022
Collingwood are suffocating Fremantle all over the MCG. The Dockers barely have a second to react before a swarm of Urses are upon them.
The defensive structure has put the clamps on and the Dockers simply cannot pass quickly enough to make an impact. Every drive forward for Fremantle is taking too long and allows the Pies to set up and then kick when they turn it over.
And when they do get the ball in their hands, the Pies are burning up the turf. They are running in waves and cutting down the Dockers.
Anything can happen over the course of five finals games, so this one is far from over … but it’s hard to see the Dockers pulling this one out.
The crowd is a monstrous 90,362 which is still not the final number. It makes it the second largest crowd in AFL history for a game featuring a non-Victorian team (not including Grand Finals). The biggest was GWS/Rich prelim in 2017 (94,258).
Collingwood absolutely dominate but just let Fremantle hang on, which is never a good idea in a final. #AFLPiesFreo
— Chris De Silva (@cdesilva23) September 10, 2022 8:16 pm September 10, 2022
Fremantle showed in the opening minutes of the second that they were back in the contest, but Collingwood just flipped the switch.
Jack Crisp has had the first half of his life so far, racking up touches and just kicked the Pies’ sixth goal as the lead swelled to 28 points before Schultz finished his and the Dockers’ second.
In more worrying signs for the Dockers, Blake Acres has dropped to the rooms with a knee concern while Bailey Banfield is starting to warm up on the sidelines.
12 touches, 356 yards gained and four catches for Jack Crisp already.
The Pies by 23 points in the second. pic.twitter.com/y8bTfxhHni
— 7AFL (@7AFL) September 10, 2022 8:05 pm September 10, 2022
Unlike last week, where it took them almost halfway through the second quarter, the Dockers have kicked their first major through Lachie Schultz.
The small forward caught John Noble cold and was duly rewarded and made no mistake with his shot from in front 25m out.
10:50 September 10, 2022
The Pies have this contest on their own terms with Jordan de Goey hitting the third goal to extend the margin to 17 points.
Fremantle have shown they are up for the fight, but it is Collingwood’s constant pressure that has them in serious trouble. The Dockers are squandering their chances going into 50 by taking too long and just bombing out.
The Pies head into the first break having kicked four straight to Fremantle’s one. Now let’s not forget, last week the Dockers went down by 34 points in the quarter.
A first quarter as complete as we have seen, which of course has been of no use this September. #AFLFinals
— Ashley Browne (@hashbrowne) September 10, 2022 7:41 pm September 10, 2022
Collingwood have their second through Brody Mihocek in what has so far been a game being played at breakneck speed.
The Pies are running at every turn as the Dockers still embrace the pressure on them.