Resurgent Pies upset Giants by 32 points

Collingwood have scored a major AFL upset over Greater Western Sydney, sweeping from behind to batter the Giants by 32 points.

A dominant second quarter on Saturday sparked the Magpies’ extraordinary resurgence to overrun the Giants 19.11 (125) to 14.9 (93) and shatter their perfect Spotless Stadium record.

Travis Cloke had a great day with four goals and Jesse White booted three to offset Jeremy Cameron’s five majors and Jonathon Patton’s three.

The Giants’ failure to showcase their top-four credentials on home turf means they slide to fourth spot and are at risk of slipping further down the congested top eight.

Not that the crowd of 13,483 would have known it was coming after the opening quarter.

Early signs were ominous for the Pies, who struggled to deal with the Giants’ superb ball movement, which yielded a 24-point lead at the first break.

Shane Mumford imposed himself with 11 first-quarter hitouts to help his side dominate the clearance tally.

But where Mumford shone in the first term, it was ruck counterpart Brodie Grundy who reigned in the second to finish his season’s standout game with 28 hitouts, 26 disposals and one goal.

The sharp change of authority in the ruck mirrored the entire second quarter, as the Pies piled on nine goals in a stunning 42-point turnaround to lead 76-58 at halftime.

Former Giants Adam Treloar (27 disposals) and Taylor Adams (31 disposals) led the visitors’ charge, which only ballooned as the match continued and the hosts’ momentum nearly ground to a halt.

An eight-goal run lifted the Pies to a 30-point lead during a third term highlighted by direct and efficient play.

Stephen Coniglio played a lone hand in the Giants’ midfield, recording a team-high 30 disposals, 14 contested possessions and 17 handballs.

But Nathan Buckley’s outfit kept the pressure on, twisting the knife with 20 more tackles than the Giants and outdoing them by nine clearances and 13 contested possessions.

Stay up to date with the latest sports news
Follow our social accounts to get exclusive content and all the latest sporting news!