Team Collingwood overcome individual Carlton brilliance in Friday night thriller

Headshot of Jake Santa Maria
Jake Santa Maria
The Nightly
Collingwood have kept their top four hopes alive with a stunning win over their oldest foes as Nick Daicos inspired the Pies to a six-point win over Carlton.
Collingwood have kept their top four hopes alive with a stunning win over their oldest foes as Nick Daicos inspired the Pies to a six-point win over Carlton. Credit: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Collingwood have kept their top four hopes alive with a stunning win over their oldest foes as Nick Daicos inspired the Pies to a six-point win over Carlton.

With less than 70 seconds to go, Collingwood were looking likely to become just the third team in AFL/VFL history to draw two games in a row before Daicos got the crowd off their feet.

It was the crowning moment in one of the Pies champion all-time great games with his two goals adding to his 31 disposals and six clearances.

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Sam Walsh, Nic Newman, Blake Acres and George Hewett all recorded 30 disposals for Carlton but Daicos would have the last laugh as his herculean performance saw the Pies down their bitter cross-town rivals 12.13 (85) to 12.7 (79).

It was hot-potato footy during the first quarter as both sides traded goals at a blistering pace with both defences left scrambling to keep up.

But it was Calrton who got on a break after Bobby Hill was denied a goal with a free kick given away as Harry McKay looked in ominous form with three first-quarter foals as the Blues led by 14 points.

Charlie Curnow got the lead out to 19 before the Pies got off the chain midway through the second quarter.

Daicos turned in one of his best performances of the season well supported by Patrick Lipinksi as the Pies’ fleet of mid-sized forwards began to pepper the goals.

Harry McKay had three first-quarter goals.
Harry McKay had three first-quarter goals. Credit: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Beau McCreery was subbed off with concussion due to an accidental knee in allowing debutant Lachie Sullivan to score a goal with his first touch in AFL footy.

Even without Jordan De Goey, Collingwood seemed to be more dynamic ahead of the ball as they kicked five goals straight while their pressure was immense out tackling the Blues, particularly in their forward half as they led at half time.

Brayden Maynard will likely have another visit to the AFL tribunal after a spear tackle on Matthew Owies allowed the Blues to break the run of Collingwood goals.

Still, the Pies were dominating the contest spending more than 70 per cent of time in their own forward half as Carlton’s defence desperately tried to stop the repeat entries.

However, they couldn’t make it count on the scoreboard as Owies kicked his third goal of the game to narrow the margin back to two points before Mckay’s fourth put them back in front.

Bobby Hill celebrates a goal.
Bobby Hill celebrates a goal. Credit: Michael Willson/AFL Photos/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Collingwood led the inside 50s count 40-33 but Carlton were far more efficient scoring from more than 57 per cent of their entries.

Carlton missed golden opportunities to put Collingwood under more pressure with set shot misses as they led by five heading into the final change.

Bobby Hill made them pay with a special goal on the run to start the fourth quarter before Will-Hoskin Elliott became Collingwood’s 10th individual goal-kicker.

Tom De Koning responded with back-to-back goals to put the Blues in front before the scores were tied up with six minutes to go.

As the clock ticked down Daicos capped off a stunning night with his second goal as he was awarded the Richard Pratt medal.

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