TonyK
CibbuanoPies hold off Saints
August 9th 2008 12:24
COLLINGWOOD has moved to sixth spot on the AFL ladder with a 14-point win over St Kilda at the MCG on Saturday night.
The Magpies led at every change and survived a last-quarter surge from the Saints, eventually prevailing 14.13 (97) to 12.11 (83).
The win was even more impressive given the season-ending suspensions handed to stars Heath Shaw and Alan Didak earlier in the week for their involvement in a drink-driving scandal.
The victory leaves the Magpies level with St Kilda with ten wins from 18 games and gives Collingwood a great chance to secure a finals berth with matches against Port Adelaide in Adelaide and Sydney in Melbourne in the next fortnight.
Leon Davis was lively across half-forward with 25 disposals and two goals. Dane Swan was damaging in the middle with 25 possessions and three majors while skipper Scott Burns led from the front with 23 disposals.
John Anthony and first-gamer Chris Dawes were also impressive up forward, combining for five goals.
For St Kilda, Brendon Goddard and Lenny Hayes were prolific in the middle, racking up 30-plus disposals while Robert Harvey, who announced his retirement earlier in the week tried hard all night, collecting 28 possessions.
Swan and Burns were influential in the first term as the Pies dominated the suprisingly flat Saints in every aspect with Swan booting two goals for the term to help his side to a 14-point lead at quarter-time.
The Magpies threatened to run away with the contest when Dawes kicked his second and Anthony kicked his first to blow the margin out to a game-high 31 points.
But the Saints steadied and hit back through Adam Schneider to trail by just four goals at the main break.
St Kilda lifted their intensity in the second half and started to generate some run through the middle but the Magpies had all the answers with Anthony's second major extending Collingwood's lead to 26 points heading into the final change.
The Saints came out firing in the final stanza, booting the first three goals of the term through Stephen Milne, Sam Fisher and Schneider to close to within nine points.
Swan gave the Magpies some breathing space with his third at the 20-minute mark before majors from Travis Cloke and Anthony sealed a gutsy win for Collingwood.
COLLINGWOOD: 4.4, 7.5, 11.9, 14.13 (97)
ST KILDA: 2.2, 3.5, 7.7, 12.11 (83)
GOALS: Collingwood: Swan 3, Anthony 3, Davis 2, Lockyer 2, Dawes 2, Thomas, Cloke
St Kilda: Schneider 3, Milne 2, Riewoldt 2, Koschitzke, Dal Santo, Jones,
Goddard, S Fisher
BEST: Collingwood: Swan, Burns, Davis, O'Brien, Fraser, Lockyer, Toovey, Wakelin
St Kilda: Goddard, Schneider, Harvey, Jones, S Fisher, Hayes
INJURIES: Collingwood:
St Kilda: Nil
UMPIRES: McBurney, Rosebury, Jeffery
REPORTS: Nil
CHANGES: Collingwood: Stanley replaced by selected side by Wellingham
Nil
CROWD: 52,135 at MCG
The Magpies led at every change and survived a last-quarter surge from the Saints, eventually prevailing 14.13 (97) to 12.11 (83).
The win was even more impressive given the season-ending suspensions handed to stars Heath Shaw and Alan Didak earlier in the week for their involvement in a drink-driving scandal.
The victory leaves the Magpies level with St Kilda with ten wins from 18 games and gives Collingwood a great chance to secure a finals berth with matches against Port Adelaide in Adelaide and Sydney in Melbourne in the next fortnight.
Leon Davis was lively across half-forward with 25 disposals and two goals. Dane Swan was damaging in the middle with 25 possessions and three majors while skipper Scott Burns led from the front with 23 disposals.
John Anthony and first-gamer Chris Dawes were also impressive up forward, combining for five goals.
For St Kilda, Brendon Goddard and Lenny Hayes were prolific in the middle, racking up 30-plus disposals while Robert Harvey, who announced his retirement earlier in the week tried hard all night, collecting 28 possessions.
Swan and Burns were influential in the first term as the Pies dominated the suprisingly flat Saints in every aspect with Swan booting two goals for the term to help his side to a 14-point lead at quarter-time.
The Magpies threatened to run away with the contest when Dawes kicked his second and Anthony kicked his first to blow the margin out to a game-high 31 points.
But the Saints steadied and hit back through Adam Schneider to trail by just four goals at the main break.
St Kilda lifted their intensity in the second half and started to generate some run through the middle but the Magpies had all the answers with Anthony's second major extending Collingwood's lead to 26 points heading into the final change.
The Saints came out firing in the final stanza, booting the first three goals of the term through Stephen Milne, Sam Fisher and Schneider to close to within nine points.
Swan gave the Magpies some breathing space with his third at the 20-minute mark before majors from Travis Cloke and Anthony sealed a gutsy win for Collingwood.
COLLINGWOOD: 4.4, 7.5, 11.9, 14.13 (97)
ST KILDA: 2.2, 3.5, 7.7, 12.11 (83)
GOALS: Collingwood: Swan 3, Anthony 3, Davis 2, Lockyer 2, Dawes 2, Thomas, Cloke
St Kilda: Schneider 3, Milne 2, Riewoldt 2, Koschitzke, Dal Santo, Jones,
Goddard, S Fisher
BEST: Collingwood: Swan, Burns, Davis, O'Brien, Fraser, Lockyer, Toovey, Wakelin
St Kilda: Goddard, Schneider, Harvey, Jones, S Fisher, Hayes
INJURIES: Collingwood:
St Kilda: Nil
UMPIRES: McBurney, Rosebury, Jeffery
REPORTS: Nil
CHANGES: Collingwood: Stanley replaced by selected side by Wellingham
Nil
CROWD: 52,135 at MCG
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