Despite some early promise that the Western Bulldogs had rediscovered their best football on Friday night at Etihad Stadium, they were overrun by a rampant Magpie outfit who kicked the final eight goals of the game to run out 35-point winners.
Never has the cliché’ ‘a game of two halves’ been more apt than as a description of the Bulldogs’ night before 37,985 fans at the Docklands.
After posting just 26 points in Adelaide last Friday night against the Crows, the Dogs had already cleared that number by quarter time, taking a 25-point lead into the break.
They looked good too, the Dogs, tackling hard, moving the ball with fluency and kicking straight.
Tory Dickson didn’t need long to make his mark, kicking two first quarter goals, and the Magpies only goal was a gift through turnover.
By half time, Dogs debutant Josh Schache kicked his first goal in his new colours, stretching the lead to three straight kicks at the long break; swamped by his teammates for his trouble.
But it was the last bit of celebrating we’d see for the night. A man down after Zaine Cordy left the game with delayed onset concussion, the Magpies kicked the first two of the quarter, before Marcus Bontempelli (17 disposals, five clearances) and Luke Dahlhaus (24, five tackles) missed set shots that might have blunted the Magpie charge.
Instead, the home side piled on 8.4 to the Dogs’ four behinds, the first goalless half for the club since the 1991 season.
Despite the result, Toby McLean continued his good form, picking up 33 disposals, including 13 contested, seven clearances nine marks and laying ten tackles, while Jack Macrae had an intriguing battle with Scott Pendlebury, probably breaking even with the Magpie skipper, but again posting big numbers – 30 disposals, seven marks, four tackles.
The Dogs face Melbourne next Saturday afternoon at Etihad Stadium.
Western Bulldogs 5.2 8.3 8.5 8. 7. (55)
Collingwood 1.1 5.3 9.8 13.12 (90)
Best: McLean, Macrae, Dahlhaus, Suckling, Hunter
Goals: Dickson, Roughead 2, Schache, Gowers, Boyd, Suckling
Disposals: McLean 33, Macrae 30, Hunter 25, Dahlhaus 24, Richards, Suckling 23
