It was an AFL match which needed rounds rather than quarters.
But in a game which lived up to its billing as a heavyweight title fight, Collingwood knocked West Coast off the top of the ladder with an enthralling three-point victory at the MCG on Saturday.
Led by five goals to Travis Cloke and superb performances from midfielders Dayne Beams and Dane Swan, the Magpies absorbed blows and landed the most telling to eventually run out 12.13 (85) to 12.10 (82) winners.
It was the Magpies’ ninth successive win.
Beams’ third goal to snatch back the lead from West Coast inside the final seven minutes proved the match-winner.
Then Collingwood withstood the Eagles, who spent the final two minutes camped inside the Magpies’ 50-metre arc looking for a goal which never came.
“It was a game of momentum … that’s what happens when you play good sides,” Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley said of a match which had finals preview stamped all over it.
“It was a bit of an arm-wrestle, and ultimately one we’re very happy to get the result in.”
It was breathless footy from the off – Collingwood leading by eight points at quarter-time, but West Coast taking a six-point lead to halftime.
The Magpies then exploded in the third term, booting the first five goals of the quarter – two to Cloke – as Swan and Beams shared the ball to the exclusion of others.
They had 22 possessions between them in the quarter and the Magpies a 27-point lead.
But just as Collingwood appeared to be rolling, the Eagles fought back.
Two goals late in the third quarter and the opening majors of the fourth to Jack Darling, Nic Naitanui and Josh Hill gave West Coast back the lead.
With control of the clearances and suffocating tackling pressure, the Eagles then looked the more likely.
But Beams then won a free-kick, and booted truly from a sharp angle on the left to give Collingwood a two-point lead with seven minutes remaining.
With the 62,000-plus crowd in its thrall, the game was then goalless and gripping for the remainder, as Collingwood shut down the Eagles to win a match either team could have been labelled deserving victors.
That was Eagles coach John Worsfold’s feeling, and he believes his side will learn much about the big stage from their defeat.
“We hope playing against a team like Collingwood at the MCG gives us valuable learning and experience to make us a better team,” he said.
“We are very adamant we have room for improvement.”
Beams finished with 34 touches to go with his three goals, while Swan gathered 38 possessions.
Daniel Kerr and Beau Waters were the Eagles’ best, while Quinten Lynch booted two goals in his 200th AFL match.
The Magpies now have a 10-2 win-loss record atop the table, with the Eagles 9-3.