Brisbane Stuns Collingwood in Prelim Turnaround
For a moment, it looked like Collingwood had one foot in the Grand Final. The Magpies had ripped the game apart in the second quarter, piling on six unanswered goals and sending their supporters into halftime with voices hoarse from celebration. Brisbane was bruised, undermanned, and down on the scoreboard. Jarrod Berry had been forced off with a shoulder injury, Lachie Neale was already missing, and several others were in and out of the rooms. All signs pointed toward Collingwood marching to the big dance.
But finals footy has a way of turning in a heartbeat. What followed straight after the main break was a 15-minute period that will haunt the Magpies for months. Brisbane stormed out with three goals in the opening five minutes of the third quarter. Zac Bailey started it, swooping through traffic almost instantly. Will Ashcroft followed with a dazzling shot from the pocket, and then Ty Gallop made it three. Just like that, momentum was ripped away, and Collingwood was never quite able to get it back.
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By the time Cam Rayner slotted his first kick of the match for a goal, Brisbane was suddenly in control. Seven goals to two were conceded by Collingwood in that third term, and the contest shifted from a Magpie stranglehold to a Lions revival. The reigning premiers reminded everyone why they are never counted out, even with injuries biting deep.
Collingwood, on the other hand, was left to rue missed opportunities and mounting setbacks. Veteran captain Scott Pendlebury lasted only five minutes before being subbed with a calf strain. Brody Mihocek, playing sore, couldn’t hit the scoreboard. Jeremy Howe returned from a long layoff but lacked sharpness. In games of this intensity, those small margins become glaring weaknesses.
There were still moments of brilliance. Jamie Elliott, the cult hero in black and white, was magnificent again. His high-flying mark and four goals nearly swung the tide, but too few of his teammates joined him. Finals are about seizing those moments, and Brisbane did so when it mattered most.
In the end, the margin was 29 points, and it was fair. Brisbane finished with 15 goals to Collingwood’s 10, and that decisive surge after halftime told the story. Ty Gallop, in just his fifth game, kicked three. Ashcroft and Rayner added two each, and the Lions’ young stars stood tall when their season hung by a thread.
For Collingwood, it will be a long offseason of reflection. The side that once looked unstoppable in the second quarter was undone in a flash by a team that refused to quit. For Brisbane, it’s a third straight Grand Final appearance and another chance to defend their crown. For Collingwood, the question will linger: how did it all slip away so quickly?
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