Pies lift to beat Freo as injuries pile up
Star Collingwood duo Daniel Wells and Jamie Elliott were struck down by injuries as the Magpies survived a frenetic Fremantle fightback to post a 20-point win in Sunday's AFL clash at Domain Stadium.
Wells has been plagued by a range of leg issues in recent years, and he pinged his left calf while taking off to sprint late in the third quarter.
And the Magpies were dealt another blow when Elliott was carried off with a left ankle injury early in the final quarter before Collingwood sealed the 15.15 (105) to 12.13 (85) win.
Elliott, who booted three goals in the third term, was seen on crutches after the match.
With just two fit men on the bench, Collingwood looked ripe for the picking, especially with Tyson Goldsack (shoulder/fingers) and Levi Greenwood (corked leg) also nursing injuries.
But the Magpies booted the last four goals of the match to make sure of victory.
Collingwood's third win on the trot boosted their win-loss record to 5-6, easing the pressure on coach Nathan Buckley and leaving the club just one win adrift of the top eight.
Fremantle (6-5) remain in eighth spot despite back-to-back losses.
Sunday's match was Ross Lyon's 130th game in charge of Fremantle - eclipsing the club's previous highest mark of 129 set by Chris Connolly between 2002-2007.
The Dockers were dealt a huge blow before the match when star ruckman Aaron Sandilands failed in his bid to return from a hamstring injury.
Sandilands' withdrawal exposed Fremantle's midfield, and Collingwood's on-ball division feasted as a result.
Collingwood dominated play in the opening term, with the inside-50 count reading 12-1 at one stage.
But their wayward kicking on goal meant their quarter-time lead was only 10 points.
Darcy Moore sprayed a simple set shot from 30m out, while Scott Pendlebury, Taylor Adams, Jordan De Goey, and Tyson Goldsack also shot wide of the target.
The misses looked to be costly as Fremantle shot into the lead early in the second quarter courtesy of goals to Ed Langdon and Brady Grey.
But the home side's joy was short lived as Collingwood slammed through the next four goals to take a 16-point lead into the long break.
The Magpies opened up a 14-point lead early in the final quarter, but Fremantle hit back with goals to Shane Kersten and Hayden Crozier.
With the injuries piling up, Collingwood should have been road kill, especially after the Dockers closed the gap from 14 points to just one point.
Instead, the Magpies found another gear, with goals to Adam Treloar, Will Hoskin Elliott, Ben Crocker, and Jeremy Howe sealing the win.