Pup steals the show from the big dogs in the battle of the wounded

“The longer the night went on the ball, we got sort of flowing with our ball movement, with how we want to play.”

By the last quarter, as Bontempelli was supreme and former Magpie Adam Treloar stood sentry over Nick Daicos, the ball barely came out of the rampant Dogs’ forward line. The Magpies had the first five inside 50s of the match, but the count eventually was reckoned up at 64-41 the Bulldogs’ way. The dam had to burst, and did.

McNeil, as per the vogue characterisation, played his role. Though there was time enough for the Magpies after he kicked his second goal, the shape of the contest by then suggested that it was over, and everyone knew it.

“I got a little block from Lobb-ey on the side there to help me out, ran around (Isaac) Quaynor and had a head of steam, so I thought, why not take it on?” he said. “I was almost going to run a whole lap of the field. I had to calm down. I knew there was probably still enough time, so I probably overdid the celebration. but I was pretty stoked.”

Depending on who you were ask and how you count, the Magpies were up to 10 players shy of their best side this night, and the Dogs at least six. It meant that almost everything about the match came with an asterisk, but the contest belied this, proving worthy of its Friday night billing. Besides, as the Dogs will attest, victory never needs explanation.

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“Collingwood have got a lot of injuries, we’ve got some, but under the circumstances, it just feels like more than just a win for us tonight,” said coach Luke Beveridge. “We haven’t really won games like this for a little while.

“There were signs that we were evolving and maybe more morphing into a team that can challenge a little bit.”

Sobering the celebrations, they will certainly be without Darcy, Hermes and Vandermeer next week, though may regain Tom Liberatore and Ed Richards from concussion.

For the Magpies, this was their second last quarter fadeout in a row, and McRae lamented that in their jerrybuilt state, they’re not able to play out 120 minutes together at the moment.

Characteristically, he saw a half-full glass. “I’ll guarantee you that what we are now, we’ll be different in three weeks time,” he said. “Not personnel wise. We’re learning, we’re hardening up; I can’t see us not getting better.”

The big injury toll did not grow night, at least not on the field. McRae revealed that the club’s rehab coordinator had developed a stress fracture in his foot, presumably because he’s never been off it these last few weeks. “What do you do with that?” said McRae.

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