The resurgent Collingwood is one win away from a notable big finish after beating Fremantle by 20 points to advance to an AFL Prefinals.
Four unanswered goals in the first quarter set up the Magpies for an 11.13 (79) to 9.5 (59) semi-final victory that booked a Final Four date with Sydney at the SCG.
The win, spearheaded by Jordan De Goey’s stellar performance in midfield in front of 90,612 spectators at the MCG, adds another layer to Collingwood’s unlikely climb from 17th to the top four under new coach Craig McRae.
De Goey (24 touches, six clearances and 12 goal contributions) played alongside Jack Crisp (two goals, 24 dismounts and six clearances).
Jeremy Howe and Darcy Moore fielded a well-trained defense while Jack Ginnivan scored three goals.
After their dramatic comeback win in the elimination finals against the Western Bulldogs, Fremantle had been hoping for a tighter first-quarter performance on Saturday night.
Instead, Dockers again looked like deer caught in the spotlight of the Finals, with only Collingwood’s inaccuracy making for a flattering scoreboard.
Caleb Serong (34 disposals, 16 contested possessions) and Lachie Schultz (two goals) kept Fremantle in the game while wingman Blake Acres, defender Luke Ryan and retired veteran David Mundy were busy.
In the first minute, headline-grabbing Elster Ginnivan instinctively stayed down while everyone else flew close to goal, blasting the first set home coolly, then chest-pounding and fist-pumping with delight.
Shortly after, Fremantle’s Rory Lobb made a hard-fought mark but pulled his set shot wide.
From there, Collingwood’s determined pressing kept the toothless Dockers at bay while Brody Mihocek, De Goey and Jamie Elliott gave the Magpies a four-goal lead at quarter-time.
Schultz nailed Fremantle’s first start of the second and added another later in the process.
But Collingwood dominated, with his lavish 2.6 for the quarter keeping the halftime lead at a flattering 27 points.
Schultz met Griffin Logue for the first goal of the third season before Ginnivan ended the Magpies’ run of nine straight points with a clever goal in traffic to extend the lead to 31.
De Goey fended off Jordan Clark and hit Mihocek for another before Michael Walters’ brilliant snap gave Dockers a pulse on the final break.
But Mason Cox dashed any hope of a notable Dockers comeback when he scored his 100th AFL goal early in the final term.
Mundy, 37, scored his 161st goal in his 376th and final game midway through the fourth quarter.
A streak of three Dockers goals began that did little but provided a flattering finishing lead.
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