Collingwood have comprehensively beaten the troubled Demons by 83 points in the traditional Queen’s Birthday clash at the MCG.
The Demons came out firing in the first term taking it up to the Pies, but couldn’t keep up the pace after quarter time.
Melbourne’s pressure in the first term was excellent as the Pies struggled to find free players out of their back half, but both teams failed to put the score on the board. Demon fans would have been happy with their sides intensity, trailing by just one point at the first change.
The Magpies took control of the game in the second quarter, slamming on six unanswered goals to break open the game, including two to second gamer Kyle Martin. The urgency the Demons showed in the first quarter had gone missing allowing the Pies to take a 40 points lead into the main break.
The Demons were dealt a further blow with key forward and ex-Pie Chris Dawes being subbed off with a suspected ankle injury.
Dane Swan dominated around the ground racking up plenty of the ball as the Pies continued their attack in the third term. When Swan and Macaffer kicked their first goals for the game, Collingwood had 10 goals in a row and the margin was out to 63 points.
It would be the Demons co-captain Jack Trengrove who would break the drought and soon after Sam Blease showed his blistering pace as the Demons booted two in a row. When Travis Cloke marked and was given a 50m penalty the difference was an even 10 goals at the final break.
The Pies youngsters hit the scoreboard in the final term, with Ben Kennedy, Kyle Martin and Josh Thomas all booting goals, leaving Martin with three for the game. Cloke also booted his third for the match, but had a number of wayward shots in the last quarter preventing the Pies from handing Demons another defeat over the 100 point mark.
Melbourne – 1.5 – 1.7 – 3.9 – 5.9 (39)
Collingwood – 1.6 – 7.11 – 12.15 – 17.20 (122)
GOALS
Melbourne: Trengove 2, Davey 2, Blease
Collingwood: Cloke 3, Martin 3, Kennedy 3, Thomas 2, Didak, Lynch, Pendlebury, O’Brien, Swan, Macaffer
