Fremantle has done it again.
The Dockers charged home in the fourth quarter to steal victory from Collingwood in a low-scoring slog in wet conditions at Adelaide Oval on Friday night.
The Magpies had control of the Gather Round thriller early in the fourth term with a four-point lead. But consecutive misses to Dan McStay, Lachie Schultz and Nick Daicos meant Collingwood couldn’t extend its advantage.
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Fremantle made them pay at the other end with clutch goals to Jye Amiss and Matt Johnson to push ahead.
The Dockers then held off Collingwood in the dying minutes after Josh Treacy, just like in last year’s narrow in over the Pies, took a huge contested mark in defensive 50 as rain poured down.
It saw Justin Longmuir’s side prevail by six points, 7.3 (45) to 5.9 (39) on a night Collingwood had an extra 16 inside 50s (61-45).
“I don’t think Fremantle, 12 or 24 months ago, would’ve won that game,” former Magpies coach Nathan Buckley said on Fox Footy post-match.
ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA – APRIL 10: Matthew Johnson of the Dockers celebrates a goal during the 2026 AFL Round 05 match between the Collingwood Magpies and the Fremantle Dockers at Adelaide Oval on April 10, 2026 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by James Wiltshire/AFL Photos via Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
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It came in a game both clubs suffered concussion blows, with Collingwood star Jordan De Goey and Fremantle ruckman Sean Darcy struck now set for a stint on the sidelines.
Darcy’s setback opened the door for Luke Jackson to star with full rein in the ruck, racking up 17 disposals, nine tackles and 38 hit-outs in a best-on-ground performance.
Meanwhile Collingwood debutant and South Australian local Angus Anderson impressed in his first game including a particularly strong third quarter to help will the Pies back in the contest.
Freo tied together consecutive wins after edging the Crows at Adelaide Oval last week to improve to 4-1 on the season and move into third place on the ladder ahead of a Western Derby showdown with the Eagles.
Meanwhile the 2-3 Magpies suffered a second-straight loss to remain outside the top 10, as an arch rival clash against Carlton awaits next Thursday night.
The 3-2-1… (with Will Faulkner at the Adelaide Oval)
3. PIES FOLD LATE AS CLUTCH DOCKERS SNATCH VICTORY
It was quite the easy case to argue that Collingwood were the deserving winners on Friday night, but two ultra-rapid scoreboard bursts from Fremantle ultimately had the final say in a crazy Gather Round clash in prime time.
At the six-minute mark of the third quarter, the Magpies’ first half dominance looked every chance of going in vain. Then they hit the lead again for a good 30 minutes, and lost it one final time to go down for the first time in the marquee round.
Craig McRae’s side only kicked three of the game’s five goals before the main break, despite absolutely bombarding Fremantle’s defensive arc time and time again.
The match’s slow nature was partly by design, but even McRae wouldn’t have walked away satisfied with just 23 points to his side’s name.
“They’ve made it a dour battle, haven’t they?” Collingwood legend Nathan Buckley told Fox Footy at half time.
“The conditions helped towards that, but they’ve definitely been really structured. Every time a ball gets turned over from a Collingwood handball or free kick, they’re set up exactly how they need to be to defend that turnover.
“They haven’t been slow all together, they’ve been fairly aggressive going forward. 35 inside 50s isn’t a bad outcome, but they’ve definitely closed the game down for Fremantle.”
The Magpies had 13 more midfield intercepts than the Dockers in the first half, as well as 15 front half turnovers.
“I’ve loved their forward half game and willingness to keep the ball inside forward 50 … it probably hasn’t been something with their retention element that they’ve been known for, but they’ve looked on song tonight,” three-time Geelong premiership player Tom Hawkins said at half time.
“The other interesting thing in their front half game, is their ability to create more stoppages. Throughout the year, they’ve only averaged eight inside 50 stoppages in an entire game. Tonight, they’ve already got 18 (at half time).
“Their ability to be able to close it down and get the ball in a repeat stoppage situation has been really good.”
It was a domination that gave off the impression that the scorecard would eventually even out, and could only remain unrewarded for so long.
But, in the blink of an eye, Isaiah Dudley (two goals) and Jye Amiss flicked the switch in a sudden burst that totally went against the grain of what fans saw earlier.
The duo’s three-goal blitz suddenly suggested that the match could suddenly turn into a shootout with patches of heavy rain finally clearing the Adelaide Oval
Magpies debutant Angus Anderson then found himself the main catalyst in getting his side back into the contest in an extremely valiant burst.
Off the back of multiple strong performances in the VFL, the mature-age Sturt product had already earned his black and white stripes before the third term.
But from the 13-minute mark of the ‘premiership quarter’ until the three-quarter time siren, Anderson racked up seven disposals, three tackles and a crucial goal in front of a plethora of family and friends.
“He helped turn the game back in favour of Collingwood. He was the second-highest rated player on the ground behind Luke Jackson… and the fifth-highest quarter by a Collingwood debutant,” Melbourne great Garry Lyon said at three-quarter time.
In the final half of the closing quarter though, a Jye Amiss set shot in blistering rain put Fremantle back within a point, before an excellent Matthew Johnson goal on the run left Magpies fans in utter disbelief with the sealing goal that they felt they never deserved.
And so in the end, it was the words of Collingwood AFLW player Ruby Schleicher at quarter time that summed up the performance from her men’s side.
“They just could not make it count. Their pressure in the forward half was brilliant, and it was creating these re-entries; particularly in that mid-forward area,” Schleicher told Fox Footy.
2. FREO GUN’S ‘FIELD DAY’ HOLDS DOCKERS AFLOAT IN FIRST HALF BARRAGE
Amid a barrage of Collingwood forward 50 entries during the first half, it was recently recalled key defender Luke Ryan who kept Justin Longmuir’s defence intact — and arguably won them the brutal clash.
Admittedly, the Magpies’ own efficiency troubles spared the Dockers from being much further behind early on, but the two-time All-Australian pressed his case to become a defensive staple at Cockburn once more.
Statistically, Ryan’s numbers at half time were very strong without being exceptional — 15 disposals, five intercept possessions and four marks. But, the 30-year-old was able to get his hands on the ball at crucial points when his side were under siege.
“Luke Ryan was probably the one Fremantle defender that stood up in that first term. He’s back in the side and back in form … his four marks in these tricky conditions were really important to stop what Collingwood was building,” Western Bulldogs great Brad Johnson said at quarter time.
Melbourne great Garry Lyon added: “He’s having a field day back there Ryan, he’s just picking everything off.”
Collingwood amassed 61 inside 50s for the match, finishing with an incredible 16 entries more than the Dockers.
“They’ve got to get past Luke Ryan, he’s just mopping everything up. He’s had 12 possessions already (six minutes into second term), the most on the ground,” Jason Dunstall said.
“He’s such a key pillar for them. He’s a leader who sees the game really well,” three-time Geelong premiership player Tom Hawkins said at the main break.
“He’s not the most athletically gifted player, but in terms of identifying the drop zone — as all key forwards do — he just seems to do it better than anyone else.”
1. DOUBLE CONCUSSION BLOW SIDELINES KEY COGS FOR BLOCKBUSTERS
Both sides were dealt unfortunate concussion blows during the second quarter of Friday night’s wet-weather slogfest.
It was Collingwood gun Jordan de Goey who was the first to fall, after an accidental knee to the back of the head from Fremantle defender Heath Chapman in a marking contest.
The 30-year-old hit the deck not long after in a secondary effort, before coming off the field for a Head Injury Assessment (HIA) that quickly determined him to be concussed.
“The incident was largely innocuous; almost tipped off balance by Heath Chapman completely accidentally,” Fox Footy reporter Jon Ralph said at half time.
“Within four or five minutes, as his body language was not great, he was ruled out.
“Clearly, he misses the second half (tonight) and will miss next week against Carlton next Thursday night, in what is likely to be Nick Daicos’ 100th game.
“Unfortunately, there is also a chance he misses in 15 days on Anzac Day, given the third concussion in as many as five years.”
De Goey’s two most recent concussions came last year and in 2021.
Rival ruck Sean Darcy was also ruled out of the game before the second half after a nasty, but also innocuous knock to his neck and head.
The 203cm tall initially passed shoulder and neck testing, but failed his HIA to leave partner-in-crime Luke Jackson as the Dockers’ sole ruck for the remainder of the night.
“The incident was largely innocuous; almost tipped off balance by Heath Chapman completely accidentally,” Ralph added.
“Within four or five minutes, as his body language was not great, he was ruled out.”
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