Collingwood have crashed the Western Bulldogs’ 100-year party, claiming a thrilling six-point victory at the MCG to land their second win on the bounce.
The Bulldogs, fuelled by emotion and star turns from famous Footscray names in Sam Darcy and Tom Liberatore, jumped to an early 22-point lead, before Collingwood got into the game.
Adopting their old name of ‘Footscray’ for the evening, the Bulldogs hung in until Steele Sidebottom’s late snap sealed a 10.16 (76) to 10.10 (70) win.
The crowd of 78,027 was an all-time home attendance record for the Bulldogs, celebrating a century in the VFL/AFL.
Friday night’s win, in Scott Pendlebury and Sidebottom’s record 308th game together, came at a cost to Craig McRae’s Magpies.
Defender Reef McInnes was substituted inside the opening 10 minutes with a suspected ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.
Mason Cox came off in the fourth quarter after Rory Lobb caught him flush in the face with a late spoil.
Collingwood midfielder Jack Crisp could come under match review officer scrutiny for a first-quarter sling tackle on Bulldog Rhylee West.
Nick Daicos (39 disposals) was magnificent, while Pendlebury (26 touches) and Josh Daicos (25) were busy.
With Marcus Bontempelli, Adam Treloar, Cody Weightman, Jamarra Ugle-Hagan and Liam Jones sidelined, it was another gallant effort from Luke Beveridge’s Bulldogs.
Liberatore and Darcy always looked like the pair who could claw Footscray over the line.
Darcy, son of former skipper Luke and grandson of 133-game Bulldog David, kicked three goals in the first half, monstering Magpies skipper Darcy Moore, and four in total.
Stand-in skipper Liberatore, son of Brownlow medallist Tony, racked up 34 disposals and kicked a stirring late goal, with support from Ed Richards (27 touches) and Bailey Dale (31).
Darcy ran riot early as the Bulldogs nudged out to a 22-point lead
Dan McStay kicked a steadier and from there, Collingwood turned up the heat, cutting the deficit to six points at quarter-time.
The Bulldogs led by five at half-time, then trailed by eight at the final change.
Collingwood burst out to a 14-point lead early in the final term but spurned multiple chances to put the game away.
Darcy’s fourth goal, then Liberatore’s first, kept the Bulldogs in it.
A brilliant, gutsy effort from Bailey Williams – spoiling McStay then diving to get fingertips on his shot from point-blank range – kept the Bulldogs alive, before Joel Freijah goaled to level the scores.
Jordan De Goey missed a set shot, giving Collingwood a one-point lead, before Sidebottom’s snap proved just enough to deliver victory.
The Bulldogs (1-1) face Carlton next Friday while Collingwood (2-1) have the bye.