Collingwood have booked their place in an AFL preliminary final after a dominant 24-point victory over Adelaide at Adelaide Oval. The Magpies won 11.13 (79) to 8.7 (55) in a hostile environment, silencing the home crowd with a disciplined performance built on pressure and defensive resilience.
Jamie Elliott kicked four goals, while captain Darcy Moore was outstanding in defence, reading the ball off Adelaide boots and intercepting repeatedly. Moore's only blemish came when he gifted a goal to Jordan Dawson, but he otherwise stood tall alongside Brayden Maynard, whose fierce tackling rattled the Crows.
The Magpies took control in the third term, booting four quick goals – three of them from left-foot snaps after centre clearances. Adelaide fought back through Luke Pedlar and Riley Thilthorpe, but Collingwood shut the game down in the final quarter, with Elliott sealing the win with a late goal.
Collingwood's midfield and small forwards brought immense pressure, trapping the ball in their forward half and forcing errors from the Crows. The Magpies were also smarter with their kicking, deliberately using short passes to avoid being called to play on, while Adelaide's decision-making was hurried and erratic.
The match was played under the shadow of Izak Rankine's suspension for a racial slur, which drew strong reactions from the crowd. The home fans booed everything from umpires to opposition players, but it only seemed to galvanise the Magpies.
