Collingwood Claws Past GWS, Books Their Ticket to the Grand Final.

Collingwood Edged GWS 58-57 in yesterday’s preliminary final to become the first team to advance to this year’s Grand Final.

Collingwood and GWS met at the MCG yesterday in front nearly 98,000 fans with a berth in the Grand Final on the line. The two teams battled hard to the final whistle with Collingwood finishing on top by the narrowest of margins, winning 58-57. 

Magpies Narrowly Oust Giants: As it Happened

There were nearly 98,000 fans at the MCG yesterday to watch the Collingwood and GWS battle in the first of two preliminary finals. These fans were treated to an absolute show as the two teams battled back and forth all night, giving everything they had to the final whistle.

In the end however, there could only be one winner. And in this case, it was the Collingwood Magpies who took the game by way of a one point, 58-57 victory. 

Heavily favoured by Australian betting sites coming in, the minor premier Magpies had their hands full with a Giants squad who had won 11 of their last 13 matches. 

Collingwood flexed their muscles early scoring at both the two- and six-minute marks. It was Dan McStay who got the Magpies going initially taking a mark and blasting the ball through the uprights. Jack Crisp then doubled up their lead putting a ball off the outside of his boot which trickled through for a goal. 

Callum M. Brown got the Giants on the board halfway through the quarter with a behind but the Giants failed to manage a goal in the opening term. Collingwood led 14-3 at the quarter’s end. 

After trading behinds to start the second quarter, GWS erupted for three straight goals within eight minutes to take the lead. Toby Greene, Tom Green, and Isaac Cumming scored the goals as GWS had Collingwood on their heels. 

Then, sandwiched between three Collingwood behinds was another Giants goal, this time by way of a Jake Riccardi mark in the goalsquare that he subsequently put through. 

At halftime the Giants were in the lead 28-18.

The Giants picked up in the third quarter right where they left off with Toby Greene scoring another goal just two minutes in. 

Just when it looked like the Giants were going to pull away however, the Magpies found their form. They exploded for five goals in the quarter and headed into the final frame with a 49-45 lead. 

The Magpies led off the fourth quarter with a pair of behinds to stretch the lead to six. It was then Daniel Lloyd of the Giants who found a goal to tie up the game. 

Just two minutes after that, Mason Cox claimed a mark and put the ball through for a goal from 40. A Jamie Elliott behind then stretched the lead to seven. 

Jesse Hogan kicked a goal with seven minutes to play to move within one. That’s as close as the Giants would get however as they were unable to tie it up or take the lead in the dying minutes. 

The result was an absolute heartbreaker for the Giants who had battled back from a brutal start to the season to become one of the AFL’s best squads and finish that close to the Grand Final. 

Collingwood now prepares to face the winner of today’s matchup with Brisbane and Carlton in the Grand Final. 

Collingwood Stars Show Out

Jordan De Goey had a dominant performance in the midfield for the Magpies. His 34 disposals were tied for the most in the match with GWS’s Josh Kelly and he had a career high 13 clearances. 

Brownlow contender Nick Daicos returned from his seven week absence due to a knee injury and reminded everyone why he is revered as one of the best the sport has to offer. His 28 disposals and six clearances in limited game time were vital for the Magpies. 

Collingwood is moving on to the Grand Final for the first time since 2018 while the GWS Giants are headed home with a pit in their stomachs knowing how close they were to reaching the sports pinnacle. This nail-biting preliminary final will be one not quickly forgotten in the world of AFL.