Collingwood’s premiership credentials have taken another big hit after they slumped to a shock 12-point AFL loss to Fremantle at Optus Stadium.
Dockers forward Matt Taberner booted four goals and Caleb Serong (24 disposals, nine clearances) starred in the midfield to lift their side to the 10.1 (61) to 7.7 (49) win on Sunday in front of 20,912 fans.
The result saw Collingwood drop to 10th on the ladder with just four wins and a draw from nine games.
The Magpies were horrible in last week’s 66-point loss to West Coast, and their error-riddled display against the Dockers will raise further alarm bells.
Fremantle (3-6) rose to 16th with their gutsiest win of the season.
The Magpies managed just two goals from 25 inside 50s in the first half as Fremantle’s depleted defence stood firm.
Collingwood produced a three-goal spurt to end the third-quarter to take a four-point lead, but Fremantle prevailed in a frantic final term.
Collingwood vice-captain Steele Sidebottom (25 disposals, two goals) was quiet early before bursting to life in his first match back after serving his four-match ban for breaking COVID-19 protocols.
Brayden Maynard (24 disposals) and Adam Treloar (30 disposals, eight clearances) tried their best to lift the Magpies, but the visitors’ inefficiency going forward cost them dearly.
The Dockers won the clearance battle 45-30, with David Mundy (10), Serong (9), and Nat Fyfe (8) all prominent.
The opening quarter threatened to be a goalless affair despite the dry conditions.
Collingwood’s Brayden Sier eventually broke the deadlock with just two minutes to go, nailing a quick snap to give his side an 8-0 lead at quarter-time.
The scoreless opening term continued a worrying trend for the Dockers, who posted just 2.4 (16) against Geelong last week in driving rain.
But the second quarter resulted in a change of fortunes for Fremantle, who burst to life with four goals.
Matt Taberner and Lachie Schulz booted two apiece, giving Fremantle a surprise nine-point lead at the long break.
Uncharacteristic mistakes and missed spoils hurt the Magpies dearly in the first half, and they also lost the contested possession count 73-53 and clearances 20-13.
Alarm bells were ringing for Collingwood when Fyfe’s goal late in the third quarter extended the margin to 14 points.
But goals to Will Hoskin-Elliott, Steele Sidebottom and Jaidyn Stephenson within the space of three minutes gave the Magpies a four-point edge at the final change.
Two goals to Taberner early in the final term saw the momentum swing again as Fremantle shot out to a 13-point lead.
Although the Magpies closed the gap to six points with three minutes to go, they couldn’t muster another goal to level the scores and at least force a draw.
