It's A Knock Out

The Age

Saturday August 30, 2008

Patrick Smithers and Justin Chadwick

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.

The Pies had an outside chance of making the top four and earning a double chance when they travelled to Perth, but blew it with an insipid performance, in which they managed only eight goals and kicked their lowest score for the season.

Now they could finish as low as eighth and must wait for other results at the weekend to see if they have to travel interstate in the first week of the finals.

If Adelaide, St Kilda and Sydney all win, the Pies could find themselves playing a knockout final in Adelaide. If the favourites win, they could be playing in Sydney.

North Melbourne is guaranteed a fourth-spot finish, and a final against Geelong, if it beats Port Adelaide at the MCG today.

Collingwood's poor form in the last home-and-away match of the season will increase pressure from supporters of the club to soften its disciplinary stance against two of its best players this season, Alan Didak and Heath Shaw.

Didak and Shaw were suspended for the rest of the season for lying over a late-night, alcohol-fuelled car accident in which Shaw crashed into several parked cars with Didak in the passenger seat.

But Age columnist and former Magpie captain Nathan Buckley said he would be amazed if Collingwood reversed the decision.

"I just couldn't see it overturned," he said. "It would ruin the club for the next five years."

Buckley said that, of all the other sides likely to finish in the bottom half of the eight, Collingwood would prefer to play Sydney, which it has beaten six times in a row.

The Pies, are, however, hoping injured players such as Dale Thomas, Shane Wakelin and skipper Scott Burns will push for selection this week.

In front of a sellout crowd of 35,106, the Pies were devoid of passion throughout the night. If it wasn't for the first-half heroics of Leon Davis, the deficit might have been greater.

After the Pies conceded five straight goals to end the first quarter, Davis sparked the visitors into life in the second term with a contender for goal of the year.

After putting two tackles on Des Headland, Davis scooped up the ball one-handed, did a 360-degree spin to shake off Andrew Browne's tackle and then kicked truly from 48 metres out, tucked on the boundary line.

That goal, along with superb marks from Luke McPharlin and Roger Hayden, were rare highlights in a scrappy first half.

Travis Cloke's goal in the dying stages of the third quarter closed the margin to 19 points at the final break.

But the game was effectively over seven minutes into the final term, following a trademark Jeff Farmer goal from the boundary line and a goal from Adam Campbell's, which stretched the lead to 31 points.

But the Dockers had too many winners, with Rhys Palmer, Kepler Bradley (three goals), Farmer (three goals), McPharlin, Chris Mayne and Hayden all crucial in the win.

It was an happy end to an otherwise disappointing season for the Dockers, who finish the year with six wins. It was also a fitting farewell for former Bomber Mark Johnson, who celebrated a win in his 208th and final match. At the end of the match, Farmer collected the ball and delivered it to Johnson as a momento. Asked if he would be playing next year, the unpredictable Farmer said he would find out on Wednesday. "Hopefully there's an opportunity to go around again," he said.

© 2008 The Age

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