Written by Megan Taylor, sports reporter covering international sports since 2020
Collingwood produced a stirring second-half comeback to defeat the Adelaide Crows by 34 points at Adelaide Oval on Thursday night. The result lifted the Collingwood Magpies to seventh on the AFL ladder and strengthened their push for a place in the finals.
The Adelaide Crows led by 25 points during the first half, but the Collingwood Magpies took control after the main break. Nick Daicos drove the recovery with 39 disposals and one goal as the visitors kicked 10 goals to four across the second half.
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Nick Daicos Leads Collingwood Comeback
The Collingwood Magpies saved their best football for the closing stages, kicking six goals in the final quarter. Their pressure around the contest increased, while cleaner movement through the middle repeatedly exposed the Adelaide Crows.
The home crowd had watched the Adelaide Crows build a healthy early lead, but the mood changed as Collingwood gathered momentum. By the final term, the visitors were winning more key contests and creating scoring chances with greater speed.
Kane Cornes described the performance as one of the strongest home-and-away wins of the season.
“Collingwood are in this thing. At some point it’s going to be difficult for them because they’re going to get overwhelmed by genuine talent and quality,” Kane Cornes said.
“But that was one of the home and away wins of the year. You could tell what it meant to them. They hadn’t beaten a side in the top nine. Adelaide are their bunnies, really.”
Adelaide Struggles Continue at Home
The Collingwood Magpies have now won seven of their past 10 meetings with the Adelaide Crows. They have also won their past two matches against Adelaide at Adelaide Oval and four of their previous five road games in the fixture.
The loss could hurt the Adelaide Crows in the race for a top-six finish, while Collingwood will carry fresh belief into the closing rounds. Official scores, fixtures and ladder updates are available through the AFL website.