The Serve

Collingwood wins in extra time

West Coast’s premiership reign is over, with Collingwood beating the Eagles 13.15.93 to 10.14.74 in just the second match in AFL history to go into extra time.

The Pies kicked nine of the last eleven goals against the fatiguing Eagles, including the only three goals of the added on period.

The Eagles lack of strength in the midfield was exposed in the early stages, as the home side struggled for quality possession in the forward line. West Coast has been held goalless at Subiaco for the first time in the clubs 21 year history. The nervous start applied to Pies as well, with nine of the games first ten scoring shots failing to go through the middle.

Ruckman Dean Cox finally provided West Coast its first goal, two minutes into the second term. The Eagles would land five goals in the second term to take a three point lead at the main break.

West Coast threatened to take the game away from Collingwood in the third term, with a mixture of opportunism and Pies errors seeing the Eagles up by 21, the biggest margin of the night.

The key period of the match would come in the final five minutes of the quarter, when Travis Cloke goaled, then Anthony Rocca put his stamp on the match with a double, reducing the margin back to three.

Le Cras boldly snapped from 25m, slamming the ball into the post to open the scoring in the final term. Le Cras would get another chance, awarded a free kick from a similar spot.

His goal gave the Eagles a 10 point buffer.

The Pies would come back, with Paul Medhurst drilling a goal on the run from 50m. Alan Didak then fired from outside the 50m, exposing an open square, the ball bouncing through.

Collingwood led 66-64, its first lead since late in the second term.

Coming out of defence, Nathan Buckley misguided a clearing kick to Matt Rosa. The Eagles youngster looked desperate to offload, however with no options, he drilled the kick through from outside 50m.

That lead would be short lived though, with Dale Thomas landing a pressure goal with just over three minutes left.

Defender Darren Glass was taken high by Rocca in West Coast’s 50, but the ambitious attempt at goal stayed right. Collingwood’s lead was one. That lead was gone when Andrew Embley fired on the run and missed to the right.

Regular time would end in a desperate scramble with Collingwood threatening.

The only match to go beyond regular time was in 1994 when North Melbourne eventually beat Hawthorn by 23 points at Waverley.

The extra period consisted of two halves, five minutes each.

The home side took the early lead in the added on period, when Rosa scored a behind, but it was the Pies that banged the first goal, with Chris Bryan on the end of a quick exchange.

Up by six, Collingwood closed the game when Cloke touched for Martin Clarke, who found an open Scott Pendlebury. The rookie strolled towards goal and iced the game. Dane Swan fittingly added another goal in the dying seconds. Swan was the game’s leading possession getter, with 38 touches.

“Definitely the best game I’ve been involved with,” said Alan Didak, who was mighty with 27 touches.

“I thought they had the run on us. My legs started to shake a bit.”

The win continues the career of Buckley for another game at least.

“Another step forward. Let’s see how we go next week,” Buckley told Channel Seven.

Collingwood play Geelong next Friday night at the MCG.