The end looked nigh for Nathan Buckley. Out of contract at year's end, his with his second-last placed side 43 points down early in the second quarter at the MCG against a Hawthorn side missing Cyril Rioli, Jaeger O'Meara, Grant Birchall, Ben Stratton and James Frawley, it would have been natural for the Collingwood great to wonder whether his time at Magpies coach was about to draw to a close.

But this year of football twists and turns provided another jaw-dropping episode, as the Magpies breathed life into their season, capitalising on another third-quarter fadeout from the Hawks to claim an 18-point win, a fitting tribute for late club great Lou Richards, who was honoured in a pre-game ceremony. It was Collingwood's first win over Hawthorn in Buckley's coaching tenure, and came despite a Hawthorn-record 50 disposals from midfielder Tom Mitchell.

Suddenly there is hope for the Pies, who meet bottom of the ladder Brisbane next Sunday at the MCG, with their finals dreams not extinguished given the evenness of the ladder.

Collingwood have played some poor football this year, but the opening term of this match was clearly the worst quarter of their season. Hawthorn - a side that has so often this year struggled to build the chains of possession on which their hat-trick of recent premierships were built - had found their groove, moving the ball with precision around the MCG en route to a six-goal quarter-time lead. But to attribute that buffer to Hawthorn's ball use would be to undersell their work in the contest. Liam Shiels at long last found the extra gear the Hawks have needed from him, racking up 13 disposals by the first change including a sublime snap for goal. Yet even Shiels played second fiddle to Mitchell, who continued his brilliant season with 14 first term disposals.

The most uplifting moment though came when Luke Breust drilled a pass to Ty Vickery, who marked his first senior appearance since a dramatic haircut with a major, celebrating with two clenched fists and an intense look to the sky. In contrast the Pies were badly bereft of confidence, squandering a rare opportunity when Levi Greenwood was called to play on at half-forward after being caught in two minds about whether to advance the ball. They mustered just one behind to quarter-time, statistically their worst first term under Buckley. Not surprisingly they were met by an irate coach at the huddle.

The Pies lifted after the break. But even despite a vastly improved quarter from Adam Treloar, and moments of excitement from Jamie Elliott and Jeremy Howe, their inroads were limited, with too many opportunities missed. With the mercurial James Sicily having one of his good nights up forward after being a late inclusion for Tim O'Brien, Hawthorn still led by 34 points at half-time.

The glimmer of hope was that Hawthorn's third quarters this year had been terrible. They tried to buck the trend with a quick training drill moments before the resumption, but it didn't work. With Taylor Adams leading from the middle Collingwood took control of the quarter. Mitchell missed a set shot, and Howe quickly responded down the other end, before Darcy Moore kicked his first of the night at the 10-minute mark. Suddenly they had a sniff. James Aish martyred himself in a heavy collision with Hawk Daniel Howe. The former Lion left the ground with a suspected fractured cheekbone, but it appeared to inspire his teammates. Elliott and Moore both goaled, before Jack Crisp sunk a difficult set shot, and remarkably scores were level with a quarter to play.

The final term was gripping. Breust ended Hawthorn's drought to snap his third, and had plenty of time inside 50 to kick another. But the Pies' backline was gritty, and down the other end a clever tap from Moore allowed Elliott to kick his third, giving Collingwood a one-point lead at the 13-minute mark. Then, the moment of the night. Days after becoming a father, Magpies captain Scott Pendlebury coolly drilled home a major from 45m out. That was followed by a textbook snap from Steele Sidebottom, by which point the Pies' momentum looked irrepressible. Josh Smith added a sealer, and the black and white army were again singing.