It's A Knock Out

COLLINGWOOD will be forced to play a knockout final next week - possibly interstate - after a 24-point loss to Fremantle at Subiaco Oval last night.

Medhurst Makes Most Of Being A Magpie For Two More Years

FROZEN out by Fremantle, Paul Medhurst has flourished at Collingwood and this week signed a new two-year deal with the Pies.

Swans Still Have The Will, Says Kirk

Collingwood 18.10 (118) Sydney 10.13 (73) WE'RE not done yet. That's the view of Sydney captain Brett Kirk, who admits his side might be down on form but still has another week to turn it around before the finals.

Magpies In Line To Sign Cousins

COLLINGWOOD is the front-runner to secure fallen West Coast star Ben Cousins, according to former Eagle Karl Langdon.

Collingwood Looking Like Cousins' New Home

COLLINGWOOD are the frontrunners to secure fallen West Coast star Ben Cousins.

Mcguire Backs Didak And Shaw

COLLINGWOOD president Eddie McGuire has outlined criteria for troubled Magpies Heath Shaw and Alan Didak to stay on the club's list at season's end.

Magpie Holland Set To Retire

COLLINGWOOD midfielder Brodie Holland can't believe how quickly his rollercoaster ride in the AFL has accelerated.

Pies Sure Of Finals, Put Swans To Flight

COLLINGWOOD has assured itself of a spot in the finals with a comprehensive 45-point win against Sydney at Telstra Dome last night.

Pies To Punt On Cousins?

COLLINGWOOD is the front-runner to secure fallen West Coast star Ben Cousins, according to former Eagle Karl Langdon.

Sydney Smashed But They Stumble Into September

COLLINGWOOD 18.10 118 SYDNEY 10.13 73

Port Flies High After Clipping Go-slow Pies

PORT MELBOURNE goes into the final round of the VFL home-and-away season knowing it has a top-three spot sewn up after a 66-point victory over Collingwood at home yesterday, 13.21 (99) to 4.9 (33).

Shaw Primed To Return For Pies

WITH key players injured or suspended Collingwood has Rhyce Shaw in the frame for a possible return against Sydney at Telstra Dome tonight.

Shaw Ready For Pies Recall

WITH key players injured or suspended, Collingwood has Rhyce Shaw in the frame for a possible return against Sydney at Telstra Dome tonight.

Barry's Return A Boost For Young Swans

WHILE veteran Sydney defender Leo Barry gets ready to play his first game in a month against Collingwood tomorrow night, Swans coach Paul Roos says his team will otherwise invoke youth and a new game plan in the hope of overcoming their nemesis.

Hawthorn Accepts One-match Ban For Hodge

HAWTHORN midfielder Luke Hodge will miss Sunday's game against West Coast after accepting a one-match suspension for striking Richmond's Brett Deledio. Port Adelaide's Peter Burgoyne also accepted a reprimand and 93.75 points for engaging in rough conduct against Collingwood's Shane O'Bree at AAMI Stadium last Friday night. Port's Justin Westhoff and Collingwood's Nick Maxwell accepted $900 fines for wrestling each other.

Selling Tigers To India Is Afl's Latest Line

THE AFL will push further into overseas markets by playing two exhibition matches in India in early March, in addition to the scheduled Collingwood-West Coast game in South Africa.

India Next In Afl Expansion Plans

THE AFL will push further into overseas markets by playing two exhibition matches in India in early March, in addition to the scheduled Collingwood-West Coast game in South Africa.

Draft 'last Hope' For Ex-pie

FORMER Collingwood defender Jason Cloke believes he has one last hope of resurrecting his AFL career, despite being out of the system for two seasons.

Magpies Can Give It A Shake: Wakelin

A VIRUS-AFFECTED Shane Wakelin said after his 250th game that Collingwood was still capable of sneaking into the top four and inflicting some September damage after regaining self-belief and reinventing its forward line in the fortnight since "crash-gate".

Timing Key To Future For Buckley, Williams

Intrigue surrounds the coaching aspirations of two former Collingwood captains.

We Can Give It A Shake: Wakelin

A VIRUS-AFFECTED Shane Wakelin said after his 250th game that Collingwood was still capable of sneaking into the top four and inflicting some September damage after regaining self-belief and reinventing its forward line in the fortnight since "crash-gate".

Malthouse Has High Hopes Of Redemption

COLLINGWOOD coach Mick Malthouse is used to being the first to arrive at the Magpies' training centre of a morning.

The Magpies Should Keep Alan Didak

Collingwood has not yet exhausted its options in turning around the career of its errant star.

Thomas Knee Blow As Pies Cut Power

COLLINGWOOD may have paid a price for an uninspiring 31-point win over Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium last night with Dale Thomas receiving a slight knee injury.

Thomas Scare But Pies Rule

COLLINGWOOD may have paid a price for an uninspiring 31-point win over Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium last night, with Dale Thomas receiving a slight knee injury.

Afl Preview - Season 2008 Round 20

TONIGHT PORT ADELAIDE V COLLINGWOOD 7.10pm at AAMI Stadium

Pies' Youth Makes Port A Danger

THERE may be six teams separating them on the AFL ladder, but according to Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse, on current form there is little light between his Magpies and Port Adelaide.

Sebastian Hassett's Previews

Port Adel v Collingwood

Mckenna Strikes Gold At Last

THE GC17 committee yesterday named Collingwood assistant coach Guy McKenna as the man who will lead the new Gold Coast team towards its inaugural AFL season in 2011.

Mckenna Strikes Gold At Last As New Boys Move

THE GC17 committee yesterday named Collingwood assistant coach Guy McKenna as the man who will lead the new Gold Coast team towards its inaugural AFL season in 2011.

Afl Now Happy With Sydney Stadium's Surface

THE AFL is satisfied with the standard of the playing surface at Sydney's ANZ Stadium, which was the subject of criticism when Collingwood played Sydney there in round 14.

Sickness Blamed For Dal Santo's Lethargy

ST KILDA coach Ross Lyon has defended Nick Dal Santo's effort against Collingwood, saying the midfielder was placed on the half-back flank as he was recovering from tonsillitis.

Lies Expose The Hidden Flaws

OF ALL the multitude of images which resonated from Collingwood's week of horrors, it was Heath Shaw's confused and devastated face during last Monday's misguided media presentation that has stayed with this column.

Crisis A Turning Point For Pies

OF ALL the multitude of images which resonated from Collingwood's week of horrors, it was Heath Shaw's confused and devastated face during Monday's misguided media presentation that has stayed with me.

Collingwood Sees Off Sad Saints

WHEN news of the suspensions of Alan Didak and Heath Shaw were made public on Tuesday, bookmakers and punters reacted swiftly and made it plain they believed the Pies could not possibly beat the Saints without their best player and one of their most important defenders.

Out Of The Woods With Gutsy Victory

COLLINGWOOD put "a torrid week" behind it to secure a desperately needed win against St Kilda last night, blooded two new players in the process, and jumped from eighth to sixth on the ladder.

Doing It For Your Mate

Collingwood's travails this week have highlighted the fine line between looking out for your teammates and doing the wrong thing by your sport. Here are five cases where mateship enhanced reputations.

Pies Stick By Fallen Stars

COLLINGWOOD would hold a pre-planned seminar this week to form a "blueprint for the future", president Eddie McGuire revealed last night.

Port Puts Its Hand Up To Give Didak New Home

PORT ADELAIDE has confirmed its interest in Collingwood bad boy Alan Didak.

Pies To Stick By Fallen Stars

COLLINGWOOD would hold a pre-planned seminar this week to form a "blueprint for the future", president Eddie McGuire revealed last night.

Post-crash Pies Find Key To Saints

COLLINGWOOD 14.13 (97) ST KILDA 12.11 (83)

Bagging Eddie Is Not All Black And White

OK, he's Collingwood president and oft-times an easy target, but don't be too hasty to condemn the man.

Lies And Muddied Pies: The Collingwood Fallout

The Shaw-Didak affair raises issues that go beyond football to workplaces in general and the culture of not dobbing in your mate.

Side By Side They Stick Together

Upholding the Magpie name was all that fans and coach alike could ask of a besieged Collingwood ahead of tonight's critical match against St Kilda. Chloe Saltau reports.

Players Steeled: Malthouse

COLLINGWOOD coach Mick Malthouse said the scandal involving Heath Shaw and Alan Didak had not only galvanised the club against the rest of the football world but opened the door for two more talented youngsters to establish themselves in Magpie colours.

Pies Turn To First-gamers For Vital Clash

COLLINGWOOD has put its faith in youth for its most critical game of the season against St Kilda at the MCG tomorrow night.

Didak, Manager Look To Future As Clubs Consider Trading Magpie

DISGRACED Collingwood footballer Alan Didak will meet his manager today to discuss the fallout from the drink-driving scandal that has jeopardised the 25-year-old's career at the club.

We Should Look At Ourselves Before Turning Pies Into Demons

ON SUNDAY, I listened to a Bach cantata on ABC Classic FM, the theme of which was hypocrisy - polished apples with rotten cores. Now Collingwood has suspended two players for the rest of the season. Why? To protect the Collingwood "brand", whatever that means. To demonise young people for doing things that a huge percentage of the young population would do and for which they would not be stigmatised.

Mcguire Copping The Flak And Determined To Hit Back

Collingwood's president is angry, but he believes eventually he'll get even.

Magpies Legend Supports Didak Ban

COLLINGWOOD have played a smart tactical move in suspending rather than sacking Alan Didak despite warning him last year after his wild night on the town with a killer that he was on his last chance with the club, a Magpie legend said yesterday.

How Eddie's Golden Boys Shot The President

ALAN Didak was cornered into telling the truth shortly before the six o'clock news went to air on Monday night. Too late to save his theatrical president Eddie McGuire from the ritual humiliation that followed and too late to save his football career at Collingwood, Didak admitted that he had lied to his football club yet again.

Magpies Right The Ship But Scuttle Season

THE stand Collingwood made would define what the club stood for. On Monday, the Magpies gave the impression that they stood for old-school expediency, and winning games. Heath Shaw would play.

Club Had No Choice But To Play Hardball

COLLINGWOOD's decision to stand down Alan Didak and Heath Shaw for the rest of the season is a costly, but nevertheless correct, outcome.

Millane's Mother Laments Publicity

THE mother of former Collingwood great Darren Millane, killed in a drink-driving crash almost 17 years ago, lives with the death of her son every day. She believes the media focus on Heath Shaw and Alan Didak is unwarranted and people should sympathise with the troubled pair.

Players' Word Accepted Until Evidence Pointed To Lying

COLLINGWOOD yesterday defended the amount of "due diligence" it conducted in getting to the bottom of just who was the passenger in Heath Shaw's Ford utility.

Pie Legend Tips A Didak Trade

COLLINGWOOD has played a smart tactical move in suspending rather than sacking Alan Didak despite his warning last year after his wild night on the town with a killer that he was on his last chance, a Magpie legend said yesterday.

Brave Play Helps Drive St Kilda Over The Line

ST KILDA is hopeful tough nut Luke Ball will be fit to take on Collingwood on Saturday night despite a spectacular collision that had the club fearing a broken leg or a left hamstring torn from the bone.

A Buddy Gr8 Night Out

At least it was for Lance Franklin and the resurgent Hawks. But for a Collingwood side on the verge of sliding out of the eight, it was a night to forget. Greg Baum reports from the MCG.

Hawks Keep Their Eyes On The Pies

Collingwood 8.14 (62) Hawthorn 17.14 (116)

Magpies' Finals Hopes Hang By A Thread

COLLINGWOOD wakes this morning still in the eight but, in all likelihood, it will not end the weekend there. This should not surprise - the Magpies are a long way from contention after last night again being outplayed, this time by Hawthorn.

Is Brown In Black And White Just Pie In The Sky?

If Jonathan Brown is coming home to Victoria, Collingwood would be the perfect destination.

Collingwood Swings The Axe

AFTER a disappointing fortnight that threatens its finals campaign, Collingwood has made sweeping changes to its side for tonight's important clash against Hawthorn.

Malthouse Playing To Strengths

LAST week he was left to bemoan a lack of cattle after his side's eight-goal loss to Essendon, but Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse said yesterday it was the strengths of the group that necessitated the style that earned him the criticism of football critic Robert Walls this week.