WEB Collingwood survives Melbourne charge to win qualifying final
Magpies hold on for seven-point victory
Key moments and post-game reactions
WEB Collingwood has survived a late Melbourne charge to win a tense qualifying final by seven points in front of a sold-out crowd at the MCG.
The Magpies led by 26 points at the final change but the Demons kicked four goals to one in the last quarter to close the gap to just seven points with two minutes remaining.
However, Collingwood was able to hold on and secure its place in a preliminary final against Geelong next week.
Key moments
- Collingwood kicked the first three goals of the game to take an early lead.
- Melbourne fought back to trail by just four points at halftime.
- The Magpies kicked four goals to two in the third quarter to extend their lead to 26 points.
- The Demons kicked four goals to one in the last quarter to close the gap to just seven points with two minutes remaining.
- Collingwood was able to hold on and secure its place in a preliminary final against Geelong next week.
Post-game reactions
"We're just so proud of the boys," said Collingwood coach Craig McRae.
"They showed great character to hold on in the last quarter. We knew Melbourne would come at us hard, but we were able to weather the storm."
"We're just so disappointed," said Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin.
"We had our chances to win the game, but we just couldn't take them. Credit to Collingwood, they were the better team on the day."
Collingwood will now face Geelong in a preliminary final next week, while Melbourne will play Brisbane in an elimination final.
Conclusion
Collingwood's win was a hard-fought victory that showed the team's character and resilience. The Magpies will now face a tough challenge against Geelong next week, but they will be confident of causing an upset.
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