For a lot of its historical past, Collingwood was infamous for dropping shut ones on the most important stage.
No aspect has made extra grand finals nor received extra premierships. No crew has additionally misplaced extra grand finals.
However that was then, earlier than Craig McRae got here to the membership.
On the finish of what was one of many biggest video games of Australian Soccer, and arguably its biggest grand ultimate in dwelling reminiscence, the perfect crew ever in tight video games has walked away with the flag.
The 2023 grand ultimate noticed 10 lead adjustments, with the scores drawing degree an extra 4 occasions. There was no lead better than 13 factors. There are tight video games, there are attacking video games, however not often a mix of the 2 play out collectively.
Video games like this are why all of us watch footy.
Two years in the past, McRae took over the reins at Collingwood, entrusted to convey the membership again to the highest of the competitors after a dismal 2021 season.
In simply 12 months the Pies went from the underside 4 to high 4.
McRae has rotated what was as soon as the membership Achilles heel, specifically, dropping shut video games.
Below McRae, Collingwood has received 20 video games by two targets or much less. No membership previously half century has received extra tight video games than McRae’s Pies.
Most footy evaluation has recommended that success in shut video games is extra luck than ability. Collingwood is single-handedly altering that notion for many followers.
“We’re actually pleased with our journey. We talked about in the course of the week that it takes two years to get up to now,” McRae mentioned final week after successful a decent recreation within the preliminary ultimate in opposition to GWS.
“You had two years of doing one-on-one struggle periods — like, we might do it each session. Two minutes of it — tick off. Two minutes — subsequent one. I do not know what number of hours that’s.
“You noticed how a lot we might rehearsed these moments.”
That poise late in video games confirmed by way of on the most important stage of all of them.
For Brisbane, a few missed half-chances signifies that they’re nonetheless ready for his or her fourth flag as a merged membership.
The margins between final success and crippling defeat are generally as slender as an errant knock of the ball ahead, or an umpire’s name.
Collingwood put collectively the closest string of wins ever seen in an AFL-era finals collection.
It was really a masterclass of management by way of chaos, of seizing the second when it arose.
That is how Collingwood received a stellar 2023 grand ultimate.
Want and euphoria
The grand ultimate introduced a distinction between two kinds, making for an intriguing match.
By the sport, Collingwood lent on their well-honed model of footy constructed on belief, spacing, motion and threat.
When Collingwood is operating on all cylinders it’s hypnotising, with waves of black and white stripes confounding opponents.
Magpies gamers ran arduous for his or her teammates always on the day, overwhelming the Lions with chains of operating handballs and numbers on the contest.
It compelled Brisbane defenders to decide on between two seemingly unstoppable choices. The Pies appeared to seek out open house the place there should not have been any, discovering open marks inside 50.
As a substitute of clearly gaining possession, Collingwood thrived on knock-ons, faucets, floor kicks and fumbles ahead to place the defence below strain.
The Lions typically have been extra managed when transferring the ball — seeking to swap and alter angles the place they might. The place the Pies used chaos to push the ball ahead, the Lions tried to make use of the width of the bottom.
The distinction in kinds noticed a tense contest early, with each groups placing the feelers out early.
However there was one frequent factor — a battle to get the ball within the hall, and to win the ball in the course of the bottom.
Early on, the Pies have been capable of get their turnover recreation going, scoring 15 to 6 within the first quarter.
Finally, the Lions bought the harmful press going, matching the Pies on this space.
By the primary half, either side have been capable of restrict the impression of the taller forwards on the sport.
Regardless of Collingwood dropping Nathan Murphy early to a head knock, Brisbane took till late within the second quarter to register its first mark inside 50.
In the meantime, the Magpies’ struggles for his or her tall forwards to have an effect could also be all the way down to how they deployed them.
Billy Frampton got here into the Collingwood aspect for an injured Dan McStay, and the previous Adelaide swingman performed a negating function on star Lions defender Harris Andrews.
Whereas Andrews was nonetheless capable of form the sport from down again, he was thrown out of place greater than as soon as by the work of Frampton.
The second half noticed extra endurance from either side, with the avenues to targets being curtailed.
Each side put a heavy precedence in closing down any assaults from up the bottom. The 2 groups have been cautious of one another’s strengths, forcing them to take the great distance up the bottom.
Because the clock wore down, Collingwood switched between its two fabled late-game modes.
For a lot of the fourth quarter, the Pies slowed the tempo down, killing the clock and forcing the Lions into participating threat.
For a short minute it appeared like paying off for Brisbane, due to Charlie Cameron’s late snap that noticed the Lions take what might have been a match-winning lead.
Then the Pies did what they did finest — assault.
They prioritised transferring the ball ahead, with spaced runners and aggressive faucets doing quite a lot of the arduous work for them. In a blink of a watch, two black-and-white targets hit the scoreboard.
Brisbane, to its credit score, by no means gave up preventing.
A late objective by Joe Daniher gave them a shot for a heart-stopping win, earlier than a late contentious benefit name took the wind from their sails.
The consequence was one other Collingwood late-game masterclass ending with essentially the most well-known McRae win.
Hill’s day trip
On a day filled with potential matchwinners on either side, one stood out greater than the others.
Bobby Hill’s journey has taken him proper throughout the nation — from his birthplace of Northam on Noongar boodja nation to Western Sydney, then Collingwood.
A yr earlier than becoming a member of the Magpies it appeared seemingly that the electrical ahead would be part of Essendon, earlier than being instructed the deal fell by way of whereas he was within the chair of his tattoo artist.
He is additionally battled and overwhelmed most cancers, a good battle for any 23-year-old man.
Hill’s finest footy has all the time been electrical and jaw dropping, along with his athleticism and footy nous shining by way of.
The Pies utilised his pace and operating skill to its full extent, pushing him up the bottom to contests and operating him off any potential opponents.
Hill additionally had inspiration from one other nice small ahead.
“To be sincere, I used to be watching Cyril Rioli’s highlights,” Hill mentioned.
“So there you go, Cyril, thanks!”
This innate skill noticed him discover house the place there should not be any. His 4 first-half targets gave the Pies an early edge, and his continued affect by way of the sport contributed considerably to the win.
Workforce of the long run?
In 1990, after their well-known drought-breaking premiership, Collingwood nice Lou Richards “buried” the “Colliwobbles” in entrance of a enthusiastic crowd at Victoria Park.
Whereas the curse went into the bottom, it could have been extra surprised than buried.
Regardless of a lot of veterans with heavy roles akin to Scott Pendlebury, Steele Sidebottom and Jeremy Howe, the long run appears vibrant for Collingwood.
It is simple to see a future the place the Pies firmly put their finals struggles within the floor for good.
By the identical token, Brisbane appear more likely to solely proceed getting higher.
The merchandise of their early 2000s success have offered the membership with a stream of gifted younger gamers, from Will Ashcroft and Harris Andrews to Jaspa Fletcher and Keidean Coleman.
They’ve additionally develop into a horny vacation spot for veteran gamers on the lookout for membership away from the Melbourne footy bubble. They could even be higher subsequent yr, which is horrifying contemplating they have been only a kick from the flag.
For all Collingwood gamers, coaches and followers, subsequent yr is a world away. For now, there is a flag to rejoice.
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