Pies defy all odds to stun Roos

North Melbourne goalsneak Lindsay Thomas faces a nervous wait with the match review panel after flooring Collingwood's Ben Reid with a big bump.

Brent Macaffer celebrates his goal in the last quarter Picture: Salpigtidis George Source: HWT Image Library

COLLINGWOOD has spent a hellish summer on the ropes, forced to defend its culture, its misbehaving stars and even its game plan.

The Pies bit back against the Roos, and what a glorious sight it was.

A Collingwood side with no right to win - ravaged by late withdrawals and mid-match injuries - instead defied the odds to set the template for its season of redemption.

Live HQ: North Melbourne v Collingwood

Nathan Buckley's Pies mixed beauty and brawn to take down a full-strength North Melbourne side, dominating early and then withstanding the inevitable comeback.

The Pies led by 34 points seven minutes into the last term as captain Nick Maxwell's spirit of endeavour was replicated across the ground.

North Melbourne V Collingwood at Etihad Stadium, 31/3/13. Dane Swan Picture: Salpigtidis George Source: HWT Image Library

Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley had spent the summer preaching that talent was not enough, and that lesson clearly fell on a willing congregation.

Everywhere across the ground the Pies tackles and fought and scrapped as a collective force, and for a while it looked like that might be enough.

Yet with the Pies missing pre-match withdrawals Heath Shaw and Dayne Beams, and with Ben Reid and Ben Johnson sidelined with injury, the Roos started their march.

They kicked four straight last-term goals to get to within ten points before the Pies steadied and pulled away through Brent Macaffer's sealing goal.

It was nail-biting, but as far as wins on Buckley's watch go, it was right up there.

North Melbourne had no excuses save for the absence of Brent Harvey, and for a half they played like it.

VIDEO: See Thomas's big bump on Ben Reid

Both sides traded goal after intoxicating goal, as the crowd of 41,040 revelled in the sheer quality of it all.

But then the Pies ramped up the pressure, and as they rammed through six straight goals the Roos simply wilted.

North Melbourne V Collingwood at Etihad Stadium, 31/3/13. Clash of heads between Ben Reid and Lindsay Thomas saw Reid off with a bloody mouth and players in a scuffle after Scott Pendlebury tested Lindsay Thomas's Picture: Salpigtidis George Source: Herald Sun

Of course they hit back as the Pies were reduced to one fit man on the bench, but that won't even come close to sating Brad Scott.

The ''swarm'' is back, and on the limited sample size so is Collingwood, after a victory achieved despite the late withdrawals of Heath Shaw (gastro) and Dayne Beams (quad).

They played beautiful football through the poise of Scott Pendlebury, the silky finishing of Steele Sidebottom and the brutish strength of Travis Cloke.

But they combined it with the grit and collective will to tackle that was so absent last year as their season ended with a whimper rather than a bang.

Collingwood's stars might have been on fire, but the real winners were the kids that would not give up the fight.

Sam Dwyer has real dash and poise, Jack Frost was steady down back, and late inclusion Josh Thomas (seven clearances) turned the ball over early but then just got on with the job of winning it at the coal face.

North Melbourne V Collingwood at Etihad Stadium, 31/3/13. Nathan Grima battles with Travis Cloke Picture: Salpigtidis George Source: HWT Image Library

The one-on-one battles were immense, but ultimately turned in Collingwood's favour.

Travis Cloke (four goals) would get on top of Scott Thompson despite a super game from the North Melbourne defender, while Lindsay Thomas kicked four first-half goals despite Alan Toovey's superb defence.

By half time, after 12 lead changes, half a dozen captivating individual battles and 26 scoring shots, it was hard to think this game could get any better.

The niggle had been building for an hour, as Thompson and Cloke pushed and shoved, so it was almost inevitable it would tip over into something more sinister.

At the 14 minute mark of the third term Lindsay Thomas attempted to shepherd Ben Reid as Lachie Hansen ran for the ball.

Thomas and Reid clashed heads and went down for the count.

Reid would not return, and Thomas was booed for the rest of the afternoon despite the absence of malice.

Yet there is no doubt Thomas is in massive strife.

North Melbourne V Collingwood at Etihad Stadium, 31/3/13. Ben Cunnington goal in the first quarter Picture: Salpigtidis George Source: HWT Image Library

He initiated the contact so is responsible for it, has 88.75 carry-over points, and if the incident is graded intentional and high impact faces 550 more points before a guilty plea.

Now North will return to the drawing board without Thomas for as much as a month, aware that their last-term comeback was as empty as their season win tally.
 

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