NO DARCY Moore against Kuwarna's feared three-headed monster, no worries.

On a day where winter arrived early in Melbourne, Collingwood's backline stood up to deliver another signature win under Craig McRae.

This time by 10 points at the MCG to extend the Magpies' unbeaten run against Kuwarna to 11 consecutive games, dating back to the draw in 2017.

MAGPIES v CROWS Full match coverage and stats

After starting 2025 with the awful Opening Round showing at Engie Stadium, Collingwood is now top of the ladder after winning eight of nine games, with the only other loss this season arriving when Jack Crisp missed a shot after the siren in round eight. 

With 67,697 in attendance – a record home and away crowd for Kuwarna – the game went down to the final minute after the Crows kicked the final two goals of the game to breathe life into a contest that almost looked finished halfway through the last quarter, before finishing 11.12 (78) to 10.8 (68).

Moore watched on from the coaches' box after being sidelined with a shoulder injury, while veteran defender Jeremy Howe delivered another superb performance, Brayden Maynard fired as stand-in captain and Billy Frampton kept Riley Thilthorpe goalless. 

Darcy Fogarty leapt up the leaderboard in the Coleman Medal with four goals in difficult conditions for a key forward, moving to equal second on 25 alongside Jesse Hogan, behind only Ben King.

The Daicos brothers were instrumental in the win. Josh finished with 29 touches – the most on the ground – and 524m gained, while Nick registered 28 disposals and seven clearances in a business-like performance, while dealing with the attention of Alex Neal-Bullen at stoppage. 

It rained all morning and stopped before the first bounce, before starting early in the second quarter. By then, Collingwood had made the early move.

Dan Houston nailed a trademark long-range bomb from just beyond the paint of 50m to provide Collingwood with the perfect start.

Izak Rankine only needs half a chance to make you pay, and he did that with a moment of brilliance to match the Houston goal, intercepting a handball from Ed Allan just as Ned Long was about to receive it at half-back, before swerving through traffic to drill a goal from 55m out. 

Jordan Dawson imposed himself on the game early, using his precise left foot to find a leading Taylor Walker late in the first quarter with his ninth touch putting it on a platter for the veteran, who put the Crows ahead.

When Bobby Hill got on the end of a chance late in the first quarter, beating Wayne Milera back towards goal with a clever soccer out of mid-air, the Magpies had a seven-point lead at quarter-time.

Fogarty kicked the first two goals of the second quarter, 15 minutes apart, around a series of wasted opportunities for the Magpies. He wasted his next shot, but then Collingwood capitalised. 

And it was all Ned Long. He laid three tackles in 60 seconds to set the tone, then dished off two goal assists by hand in 90 seconds, making the most of conditions that suit someone so comfortable shovelling coal at the coalface on cold, winter Melbourne afternoons.

Fogarty then kicked a third, as the rain started pouring again, this time from a 50m set shot. Three in a quarter to keep Kuwarna in it at half-time.

Kuwarna had all the chances to start the second half, but didn't take any of them.

Dan Curtin missed a set shot directly in front. Then Rankine sprayed two set shots out on the full, the second from a 50m penalty.

Long stopped a certain Sam Berry goal with a desperate chase. Minutes later it was another chase, this time a late lunge from Beau McCreery on Rankine that was game defining.

The South Australian snapped from 40m out to finally put the Magpies on the board for the term.

Then, Hill pulverised Josh Worrell with a rib crunching tackle at the City End of the ground, pouncing on another moment to remember.

Collingwood reached the final change 16 points in front after Darcy Cameron was gifted a 50m penalty after a poor decision from Fogarty, before Jamie Elliott converted after the siren after plucking a mark from nowhere from a wobbly Beau McCreery torpedo. 

The Crows never gave up, but they fall now to 6-4, adrift of the top four.

COLLINGWOOD    4.3    6.7    9.9    11.12 (78)
KUWARNA            3.2    6.2    7.5    10.8 (68)

GOALS
Collingwood: Hoskin-Elliott 2, Sidebottom, Mihocek, Membrey, McCreery, Houston, Hill, Elliott, Crisp, Cameron
Kuwarna: Fogarty 4, Soligo 2, Walker, Rankine, Rachele, Dawson

BEST
Collingwood: J.Daicos, Maynard, N.Daicos, Howe, Sidebottom, Long
Kuwarna: Fogarty, Dawson, Soligo, Rankine, Rachele, O'Brien

INJURIES
Collingwood: Nil
Kuwarna: Nil

SUBSTITUTES
Collingwood: Pat Lipinski (replaced Mason Cox in the fourth quarter)
Kuwarna: Sam Berry (replaced Taylor Walker in the third quarter)

Crowd: 67,697 at the MCG