Taylor Adams – 6
Not always clean, but rugged around the contest and got the Magpies going forward with 568m gained from his 20 disposals. Could have elevated his game with an improvement on his 45 per cent efficiency.

James Aish – 4
Played at half-back and spent most of the day on Brent Daniels. Lost track of the Giants' whippet when he kicked a third-quarter goal and generally struggled to get involved.

Callum Brown – 5
Tried hard but it wasn't quite his day. Missed a chance to soccer through a goal from the top of the goalsquare, which summed up Brown's performance. Worked hard defensively, laying four tackles in the forward half.

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Jack Crisp – 7
Started like a house on fire, racking up 10 disposals and gaining 203m in a dominant first quarter that was characterised by his run-and-carry and great ball use. Was a little quiet through the middle of the match, including one crucial turnover that led to a Jeremy Cameron goal, but lifted again late to give the Magpies a chance.

Jamie Elliott – 6
Kicked the first goal of the game with a strong lead and smart finish and looked dangerous most of the day. A long probing kick to Ben Reid's advantage also set up his goal. Had six marks among his 13 disposals.

Brodie Grundy – 8
Another Herculean effort, Grundy could not have done much more to help his team. Dominated Shane Mumford in the ruck and finished with 25 disposals (20 contested) and 10 clearances to go with his 73 hitouts. Collingwood simply couldn't take advantage of his supremacy around the stoppages.

Will Hoskin-Elliott – 5
Like many of his forward-line teammates, struggled for opportunities in the first three quarters when GWS dominated territory. Moved up the ground to gather five marks but battled to make an impact.

Jeremy Howe – 8
One of the Magpies' best players, Howe controlled the half-back line, and much like Nick Haynes at the other end, his clean hands were a feature on a wet day. Not only did Howe gather 28 touches and seven marks, but he went at the ridiculous disposal efficiency of 82 per cent. Has enhanced his reputation in big games.

Brayden Maynard – 7
Another defender who did more than play his part, Maynard was desperate with the ball in dispute and also brave enough to run off and provide an attacking option. Can be proud of his 23-touch (11 contested) and eight tackle performance.

Chris Mayne – 5
Was quiet for most of the match but came to life in the fourth quarter when he hacked a ball off the ground for a goal as Collingwood was charging and then looked to have levelled scores late with a second, only for the ARC to correctly rule his set shot had been touched on the line.

Brody Mihocek – 2
A game the workaholic forward would rather forget. Was totally outplayed by Lachie Keeffe and could muster just two disposals – both in the final term.

Darcy Moore – 7
Had an enthralling battle with Jeremy Cameron, and although the Giant kicked an influential three goals, Moore can hold his head high. His closing speed spoilt certain marks on more than one occasion and his big contested pack mark on the wing deep in the fourth quarter was a team lifter. Had a game-high 14 intercept possessions.

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John Noble – 5
Was a rollercoaster day for the mid-season rookie draft pick. Was a bit slow to dispose of the ball a few times in the opening half, but the fifth-game defender did not go into his shell and continued to take the game on. Finished with 16 disposals.

Scott Pendlebury – 6
A solid, if unspectacular game from the skipper. Occasionally had the attention of Matt de Boer (when Adam Treloar was benched) and worked his way to 18 disposals. Always in the thick of it, Pendlebury also laid nine tackles.

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Tom Phillips – 6
Like many of his midfield mates, worked hard (18 touches) but most of the work was in tight and had little impact.

Ben Reid – 4
His first game since round 15 was also his 150th. Reid took a strong contested mark against Aidan Corr to kick a second-quarter goal, and had the chance to kick a second in the fourth quarter after another strong grab, but sprayed his kick wide. Spent some time backing up in the ruck but really struggled to influence.

Jordan Roughead – 7
An unsung hero for the Magpies, Roughead spent most of the day defending Harry Himmelberg and nullified him superbly. The Giant had just eight touches – the same as Roughead – before he was shifted into defence later in the match.

Steele Sidebottom – 5
An uncharacteristically quiet game from last year's Gary Ayres Medal winner. Sidebottom really struggled to get involved, and although he got some touches late, his 16 disposals was a huge win for the Giants.

Jaidyn Stephenson - 6
For a man with just one senior game in three months, last year's Rising Star winner acquitted himself well. Stephenson kicked two goals from his 16 touches at half-forward, including a long-range set shot early in the last quarter to start Collingwood's surge.

Josh Thomas – 6
Was hardly sighted for the first three quarters and then almost pinched the match for the Magpies. Kicked two goals in the last quarter – one from congestion and one a floating snap – and had a team-high seven score involvements.

Adam Treloar – 6
Not bad, but well below his lofty standards. Had to deal with Matt de Boer for much of the day, and Treloar's 22 disposals was his lowest tally for the season. Was unable to jump clear from congestion like he's so good at and gained just 149m.

Rupert Wills – 7
For a man in just his 15th game, Wills was terrific. Played just 54 per cent of game time but managed to rack up 12 tackles to go alongside 16 touches in a tireless performance.