Adelaide entered the arena on Thursday night to flamethrowers and a saxophonist. Collingwood entered to a cacophony of boos and exited with a ticket to a preliminary final at the MCG. It was hostile territory, but the Magpies have a long history of excelling in that type of scenario. It is something they lean into and embrace. It’s their natural fighting stance. You just knew that the team, its leaders, its management and its supporter base would have been totally undaunted by what confronted them.
Collingwood won this qualifying final by 24 points with extreme pressure through the middle and with a fortification down back. They are such a diligent and competent team at patrolling the middle of the ground. Their forwards close in on defenders trying to exit. They have the special awareness and the collective buy-in to execute the plan, and it creates anxiety and forces errors. All night, the Crows were hurried and second guessing themselves.
