MELBOURNE 4.4 6.5 9.6 13.13 (91) COLLINGWOOD 1.4 4.6 7.10 7.12 (54)Goals: Melbourne: B Vince 3 J Hogan 3 J Garlett 2 A vandenBerg J Harmes J Howe J Watts N Jones. Collingwood: A Fasolo 3 J Witts S Pendlebury T Adams T Varcoe.Best: Melbourne: Vince, Jones, Watts, Viney, Gawn, Jetta. Collingwood: Swan, Fasolo, Varcoe, Williams, Adams.Umpires: Chris Donlon, Scott Jeffery, Chris Kamolins. Official Crowd: 37,894 at MCG.
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There's been plenty of debate over the past week about the extent of Melbourne's improvement under Paul Roos. Saturday's 37-point win over Collingwood suggested the dissenters may have jumped a little early.
If the Demons' win at Geelong five weeks ago was seen as a major milestone in the club's pretty sorry recent history, this one surely can't be too far behind, certainly in terms of breaking jinxes.
Melbourne hadn't beaten Collingwood since 2007, one measly draw their best result in 11 attempts. But it was the way the Demons broke that drought which really impressed, the resolve shown not only physically, but psychologically.
Twice in this game, in a dominant opening term and again late in the third, Melbourne squandered chances to put the issue beyond doubt. Those missed opportunities on both occasions saw Collingwood hit back hard enough to suggest the Pies would make them regret it.
Yet both times Roos's team managed to first steady, then resume control. So much so that they'd end up running away with the result with a four-goals-to-zero final quarter.
Right from the start, the Demons' pressure was as good as anything they'd applied this season.
Bernie Vince got things rolling with a nice snap after Jack Watts had hit the contest hard and dished off a clever handball. A few minutes later, Jesse Hogan had the second after a shallow Collingwood kick-in was effectively spoiled by Colin Garland.
Alex Fasolo, very busy early and already having posted two behinds, put the Magpies' first major on the board. But that was only a brief interruption to Melbourne's control, and after Jeff Garlett, then Hogan again goalled, it was four to one.
The Demons' harassment, chasing and tackling was excellent, and the lead in fact should have been a bit more, Jack Viney and Dom Tyson both missing very gettable opportunities to stretch that advantage to the best part of five goals.
Thus came the first of Collingwood's only two surges of the afternoon. Skipper Scott Pendlebury imposed himself. Steele Sidebottom was everywhere, Dane Swan getting busy, even new boy Matt Scharenberg conspicuous. And soon the ledger was restored.
More than restored, in fact, Collingwood hitting the front after goals to Pendlebury, Fasolo's second and another to Travis Varcoe, who again was valuable for the Pies in both a defensive and attacking sense. It was now the Pies dominating the pressure stakes. But not for long.
Garlett put the Dees in front again after a passage of play launched by a daring dash off half-back from Heritier Lumumba and a good long kick from Angus Brayshaw, the antithesis of the sort of piddling possession game Melbourne had peddled in recent weeks.
Soon, the lead was out to two goals again after a nice effort from Aaron Vandenberg. Jack Watts might have made it more, but his intent was admirable if not the execution, the much-maligned No.1 draftee another Demon helping set the tone.
Even the scuffle which erupted at the half-time siren suggested this was a Melbourne which wasn't going to accept playing the part in this game most had anticipated.
Which made their later steadying act less surprising. Late in the third quarter, with a mere final nail to be hammered into Collingwood's coffin, Melbourne faltered again, and seemingly had let the Pies in.
Fasolo sparked the Pies into action again, Taylor Adams kicked a ripper from the bottom of the pack. Collingwood had seven consecutive inside 50 entries without response to drag the gap back to 10 points at the final change.
But that, essentially, was that. Collingwood scored first in the final term, the margin now only seven points. But they'd add only one more behind wh
ile the Demons posted 11 scoring shots, the deal done and dusted well before the actual final siren.
Vince was magnificent for the victors, 30 possessions and three goals leaving him a clear best on ground. Skipper Nathan Jones did as he always does, Watts played one of the better handful of his 100-plus games, while Jack Viney too helped establish the early ascendancy with his fierce tackling.
It was that sort of effort which Melbourne simply sustained for longer. Which leaves Collingwood you'd think more likely than not to miss finals for a second year.
As coach Nathan Buckley noted after the game, effort without emotional reward ends up taking a toll, and it's pretty obvious that's what has happened to the Pies, three very narrow losses against Fremantle, Hawthorn and Port Adelaide giving way to lesser performances against West Coast, then the Western Bulldogs, and now this.
Collingwood, like Melbourne, is looking longer-term than merely this September. But that's little comfort when for a second year in a row, pole position at the halfway point of the race becomes something closer to the rear of the field even before the final laps.
Votes
Bernie Vince (Melb) … ..8
Nathan Jones (Melb)……7
Dane Swan (Coll)……...7
Jack Watts (Melb)………7
Jack Viney (Melb)………6
