For the Collingwood players preparing to take on Melbourne in the 1958 Grand Final, it must have seemed like Mission Impossible.

Norm Smith's Demons were clearly the best side in the competition. They had won the last three Premierships, had finished three games clear at the top of the ladder in '58 and were unbeaten against the Pies in their past 10 meetings, most recently a 45-point hammering in the second semi-final.

At quarter-time of the decider, it all seemed to be going according to the script. Despite an inspirational pre-match address from coach Phonse Kyne, the Pies trailed Melbourne by 17 points on a wet, muddy MCG.

Then Collingwood's acting skipper, Murray Weideman, and strongman Barry 'Hooker' Harrison decided to shake things up a bit. Bill Serong and others followed their lead and soon Melbourne players were hitting the deck all over the field.

The Demons responded by seeking revenge, while Collingwood returned its focus to the ball. The Pies piled on 10 goals to two in the next two quarters, then held on grimly in the last for a famous three-goal victory.

It was one of football's greatest boilovers, and protected Collingwood's cherished record of being the only club to have won four flags in a row.

"We had no hope in the world," says Weideman. "Nobody gave us a chance. But this was do or die for Collingwood, and for the [four-in-a-row] record. We just had to win."