Fremantle has held on in a wet and wild scrap to defeat Collingwood by six points on Friday night.
It was a dour affair from the outset, with only five goals kicked in total up to half time.
But as the heavens opened up, so too did the scoring, with the rain falling and Fremantle kicking three goals in quick succession to start the third term with aplomb.
It didn't take the Magpies long to catch up however, kicking three of their own to enter the final change four points ahead.
But the Fremantle kept the Pies goalless in the final term while kicking two of their own in the final minutes to finish victors.
The past three meetings between these two sides have been decided by a combined total of 15 points – plus five of the Freo past six games have been decided by under 10 points – and it delivered a tight, dour affair that ended in a 7.3 (45) to 5.9 (39) victory for the Fremantle Dockers.
Collingwood led for most of the night and should have banked four premiership points, but Dan McStay, Lachie Schultz and Nick Daicos all missed shots early in the last quarter to extend the margin.
And then Fremantle made them pay. First when Jye Amiss calmly slotted a long-range set shot from 50m into swirling breeze and rain to reduce the margin to a point.
Then Matt Johnson made Billy Frampton pay for a costly turnover into the corridor with five minutes to play, putting the Freo five points in front as rain swept across Adelaide Oval.
Collingwood came again, but Alex Pearce was heroic late, just like he was against Adelaide at this ground a week earlier. Most of the last minute was played in the Magpies’ forward 50 before Fremantle finally got the ball out and ran away with it and the game to move to second on the ladder at 4-1.
Eight days after being the centre of late drama at the Gabba, Nick Daicos returned to centre stage on Friday night and showed why Collingwood is a different proposition with him out there.
While almost everyone else struggled in the wet, Daicos danced through traffic all night, finishing with a game-high 31 disposals and 638 metres gained.
Both sides lost key players midway through the second quarter when Jordan De Goey and Sean Darcy both exited the game due to concussion. Collingwood will be without the midfielder for next Thursday night’s game against Carlton, while Darcy will miss the Western Derby.
COLLINGWOOD 1.2 3.5 5.6 5.9 (39)
FREMANTLE 1.1 2.2 5.2 7.3 (45)
GOALS
Collingwood: Membrey, McStay, Long, Anderson, Crisp
Fremantle: Dudley 2, Amiss 2, Switkowski, Johnson, Bolton
BEST
Collingwood: N.Daicos, Frampton, Crisp, Maynard, Quaynor, Schultz
Fremantle: Ryan, Jackson, Pearce, O’Meara, Reid, Serong, Brayshaw
INJURIES
Collingwood: De Goey (concussion)
Fremantle: Darcy (concussion)
