Collingwood champion Scott Pendlebury will play his 400th game when the Magpies face Carlton with plenty at stake for the arch rivals.
The Magpies (9-2-8, 100.1%) ended a four-game losing streak against Richmond last week to keep their narrow finals hopes alive, with a loss here to all but end their season as premiership trio Jordan De Goey, Beau McCreery and Billy Frampton return.
The Blues (12-7, 112.9%) are meanwhile fighting to stay in the top four after dropping three of their past four matches. Harry McKay, Blake Acres and Jack Martin are all back for Michael Voss’ side.
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This match gets underway at 7.30pm AEST from the MCG.
Watch it live on Fox Footy (channel 504) from 7.15pm AEST.
COLLINGWOOD v CARLTON – LIVE UPDATES
There were no late changes at the MCG, with Patrick Lipinski (Magpies) and Matthew Kennedy (Blues) the two respective substitutes.
It was a wild first quarter at the sporting colosseum, with behind after behind keeping the scorekeepers busy.
There were six behinds between the Magpies and Blues before Jordan de Goey kicked the match’s opening goal from close range.
Nick Daicos kicked his first for the night to give Collingwood their second, as the Blues continued to register rushed behinds and missed shots on goal.
Only on the siren did a Harry McKay dribble kick give Carlton a goal with some elite precision.
At quarter time, the scorecard read: Collingwood 2.2 (14) to Carlton’s 1.8 (14).
Mason Cox and Dan McStay kicked the first two for Collingwood in the second term, as the Pies seemed to have the edge despite Carlton’s plethora of scores.
On cue though, Elijah Hollands and Lachie Fogarty dragged their Blues back into the contest, as the MCG tempo lifted significantly among the huge crowd.
de Goey and Cox’s second goals gave the Pies back a 14-point lead with two and a half minutes to go before half time, with the latter’s goal causing a scuffle between the two sides.
At half time, the scorecard read: Collingwood 6.6 (42) to Carlton’s 3.11 (29).
Nick Daicos had a goal and 16 disposals at the main break, but wasn’t as efficient as coach Craig McRae may’ve hoped.
Teammate Will Hoskin-Elliott had an impressive seven score involvements from his 10 disposals.
“Collingwood are back for mine … that is what we’ve been waiting for all year; that sort of pressure and fanaticism,” Melbourne great Garry Lyon said on Fox Footy’s half-time analysis.
Jack Crisp and Hoskin-Elliott got the Pies off to a fast start in the premiership quarter, before Carlton captain Patrick Cripps and Jack Martin nullified their majors straight after.
Bobby Hill and Fogarty’s second goal kept up the theme of a busy third term, as the Blues begun to find their feet.
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