COLLINGWOOD has charged home against a fading Richmond, snatching a 16-point win to put the back-to-back premiers' finals hopes in serious doubt.
The Pies were 20 points adrift at the final break of an injury-ravaged Richmond side that had looked to be on the improve, but took advantage of its disposal dominance to slam home seven last-quarter goals.
TIGERS v PIES Full match coverage and stats
Jordan De Goey (29 disposals) took the lead with a steady set-shot at the 15-minute mark of the fourth term, and the Pies were never headed from there.
Richmond showed glimpses of their hallmarks in the first three quarters, with the tackle pressure, tap-ons and run-and-carry game coming to the fore, but the Pies applied the handbrake in the final term, conceding just eight points.
Sunday night's loss marks a fourth-consecutive defeat for the once-imperious Tigers, coughing up losses to West Coast, St Kilda, Gold Coast and now Collingwood.
For the past four years, Collingwood and Richmond matches have been strictly Thursday or Friday night affairs, but in a sign of how the mighty have fallen, this edition was shunted to Sunday twilight.
NO RESPITE IN SIGHT Tiger stars no guarantee to return
The Magpies were ahead in most statistical categories at quarter-time – including disposals, marks and inside-50s – but still finished the quarter 17 points adrift, as Shai Bolton (26 and eight clearances) and Tom Lynch (three goals) kicked things into gear.
The Tigers ramped up the pressure in the second quarter, adding another two goals to drag the lead out to 29 points, before Collingwood stepped up a notch in the middle of the ground, finally breaking through for their second at the 18-minute mark.
Collingwood's resurgence was capped off by a brilliant running passage of play through the middle of the ground, keeping themselves one handball ahead of the closing Tigers before Josh Thomas found Darcy Cameron in the goal-square.
Jack Riewoldt kicked the 700th goal of his career after the half-time siren to stretch the margin back out to 17 points.
After a few weeks of either being out of the side or medi-sub, Callum Brown (24, six inside-50s) relished a rare full game, while Jack Crisp's fine season continued with 33 touches and Brayden Maynard was typically ferocious, playing as a key back against Riewoldt.
Bolton was at his elusive best for the first three quarters for the Tigers, Dylan Grimes (seven marks) was imperious in defence while Jack Graham and Jayden Short worked hard throughout.
Never say die from the Pies
On numerous occasions in the first three quarters Richmond looked like it was going to accelerate in a quest to rebuild its wobbly percentage, but Collingwood always came through with a crucial goal or two to stop the rot. It set them up perfectly for a ferocious final quarter, which should set the tail end of its season up beautifully.
Magpies’ ball too much for Tigers
While Mabior Chol wasn't horribly out-muscled by the much more experienced Brodie Grundy (although the hitouts sat at 45-19), the Tigers' engine room – featuring the likes of youngsters Thomson Dow and Riley Collier-Dawkins – considerably faded as the game progressed. The Pies had 96 more disposals, and nearly doubled the total marks, 122-64.
Riewoldt, 700 not out
Tigers champion Jack Riewoldt took a little longer than he would have liked to reach the 700-goal milestone, kicking one goal in his past two matches, but saluted against Collingwood. With the clock ticking down to half-time, Riewoldt launched himself at a long kick in his inimitable marking style, before slotting the magic No.700 after the siren. With big game number 300 next week, the Tiger has a career average of 2.3 goals a match.
RICHMOND 4.0 7.2 10.3 11.5 (71)
COLLINGWOOD 1.1 4.3 6.7 13.9 (87)
GOALS
Richmond: Lynch 3, Baker 2, Collier-Dawkins, Bolton, Martin, Riewoldt, Castagna, Pickett
Collingwood: Elliott 3, Thomas 2, Cameron 2, Pendlebury, Mihocek, Adams, De Goey, Murphy, Grundy
BEST
Richmond: Bolton, Grimes, Short, Graham, Baker, Lynch
Collingwood: Crisp, Adams, De Goey, Maynard, Elliott, Pendlebury
INJURIES
Richmond: Nil
Collingwood: Kelly (quad)
SUBSTITUTES
Richmond: Jack Ross (unused)
Collingwood: Trey Ruscoe (replaced Kelly)
Crowd: 29,437 at the MCG
