‘Shot themselves in the foot’: Pies silence critics as 400-gamer winds back clock in Saints thriller

Collingwood has claimed a thrilling 12-point win over St Kilda in a spiteful finish to Opening Round on Sunday night.

The Magpies, without skipper Darcy Moore and veteran Jeremy Howe, were able to hold off an error-riddled Saints in the 11.12 (78) to 9.12 (66) victory at the MCG.

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While all eyes were on St Kilda’s new recruits, it was Collingwood’s 400-gamer Scott Pendlebury who proved the difference between the two sides in his limited minutes – setting up four goals.

Tempers threatened to boil over multiple times in a physical third term as St Kilda’s $2million man Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera (19 disposals and one goal) was kept quiet by a hard second-half Harry Perryman tag.

And when big man Rowan Marshall was ruled out late in the third term after copping a nasty knee to the back of the head from teammate Cooper Sharman, the Saints ran out of legs in a tough final term.

“They panicked at times, missed targets and they shot themselves in the foot time and time again,” Jason Dunstall said of St Kilda.

Magpies coach Craig McRae was so jubilant post-match, he went to sign autographs for kids in the stands as his team celebrated.

Speaking post-match, Perryman revealed he only found out about his tough task taking on Wanganeen-Milera on Friday.

“They didn’t give me much notice to be honest – they told me maybe on Friday I’d get the job,” he shared on Fox Footy.

“I don’t mind doing that role. It’s a good opportunity for me to get in the midfield and run around and just do what’s best for the team.

“He loves getting you on the outside. I knew if I could keep him in the contest, push him in the contest and beat him on the outside… I knew he’d play a few tricks go forward, go back. I can just follow him around.

“Bit of lip ever hurt anyone so it was good fun!”

THE 3-2-1… (what we learnt)

3. DAICOS REIGNS SUPREME IN BATTLE OF 23-YEAR-OLD SUPERSTARS

It’s the next generation battle that’s so good it defines the present.

A 82,528-person crowd at the MCG on Sunday night was treated to an Opening Round spectacle between St Kilda and Collingwood, with Magpies superstar Nick Daicos locking horns with the Saints’ $2 million man Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera.

The pair, who each can lay a claim at being the AFL’s best player in 2026, spearheaded the midfield line-up of their respective clubs with plenty of impact. Ultimately though, it was Daicos who had the last laugh.

Unlike previous encounters against the Saints, Collingwood’s ‘Little Master’ ran around almost entirely without a hard tag from Marcus Windhager; who has stepped into a more traditional on-ball role this season.

And while Hugo Garcia was given the tough task at times after half time, Daicos finished the match with 41 disposals, 11 score involvements, 844 metres gained, and one goal assist.

“He’s just got a huge work rate — and a hunger — to win the football, and have the football in his hands,” Collingwood legend Nathan Buckley told Fox Footy at half time.

“I think Windhager was nominally assigned to him, and then a little bit of Phillipou that second quarter. But, it looks like the Saints are letting him go in the back third, or maybe even the back half (of the ground).

“He’s just so dangerous with ball-in-hand. When you put Daicos, (Scott) Pendlebury and (Jordan) de Goey (in the midfield), that’s where good things are going to happen.”

The stand-in Collingwood captain was aptly supported by Jordan de Goey (three goals) and Dan Houston (28 disposals) throughout the contest, with the latter particularly damaging coming off half-back.

In the red, white and black, Wanganeen-Milera saw less of the ball than his superstar counterpart, with coach Ross Lyon perhaps at times conflicted with where to deploy his three-dimensional weapon.

The club’s 2025 Best & Fairest winner spent passages of play in the first half up forward, which while effective when in the Sherrin’s vicinity, also saw his starved of opportunity.

“It’s difficult. He has spent chunks of time forward when the ball hasn’t got down to him, and we have seen slightly lower numbers,” Hawthorn legend Jason Dunstall said at the main break.

“(Cooper) Sharman’s looked dangerous, but this guy one-out in the goal square — you know you’re going to get results. It’s just a matter of: ‘Are they getting enough damage out of the other midfielders to have the luxury of playing him down there?’

“I still want to see him spending his time on-ball, because he’s so creative around the ground with his use of the footy. But, they also want to see him inside 50, because he’s going to kick a goal if he gets a shot.”

St Kilda fans were given a mouth-watering preview of Wanganeen-Milera’s shift up forward in their pre-season hit out against Essendon, where he slotted four goals from his 28 disposals.

The South Australian finished his night with 19 disposals, 374 metres gained and a goal.

“He’s been excellent, and it’s not been with massive numbers as we’ve seen with other players on the field,” Buckley said.

“There was a tackle about 10 metres from the goal that he kicked out of centre bounce that signalled his physical commitment, as much as the skill he displayed in that first half.”

Wanganeen-Milera’s influence was notably quelled in the second half, with Pies midfielder Harry Perryman enforcing a hard tag on the superstar.

Leigh Matthews believes the title of AFL’s best remains with Daicos.

“In the public eye it was Daicos vs Wanganeen-Milera – (Daicos) may have had no idea of that build up or just maybe he said ‘I’ll show them who’s the best player at this point in time’,” he said.

2. SAINTS’ STAR RECRUIT PASSES ‘MICROSCOPE’ SCRUTINY ON CLUB DEBUT

Headlining Ross Lyon’s four off-season recruits at Moorabbin heading into 2026 was former Carlton ruck Tom De Koning, and in his first showing as a Saint, he didn’t disappoint.

Despite the tight two-goal-loss, the 26-year-old started the new campaign in stellar form against star counterpart Darcy Cameron, finishing with 20 disposals at 90 per cent efficiency, and finished with 16 hitouts.

While the individual statistics of each main ruck were similar, De Koning evidently gave the Saints a refreshing level of athleticism through the middle of the ground, enabling fellow big man Rowan Marshall to play more in the forward half in the absence of injured key forward Max King.

“When you get to a new club, you want to perform straight away — you want to have an impact,” three-time premiership player Cameron Mooney said at quarter time.

“His impact in the first quarter was absolutely fantastic. He had six possessions, which is not bad for a ruckman, but it was just the way he competed in the air, on the ground, he defended.”

“That’s the kind of thing you want to see from your ruckman, coming back and taking those big intercept marks … and then going forward when he needs to.”

Dunstall added across the first two breaks: “The microscope’s on you when you take a big deal like that, and change clubs.

“His first quarter was an absolute beauty, he’s started well.”

“He can almost be like a big ruck rover … they’d be happy with what they’re getting out of him.”

Fellow recruit Sam Flanders had plenty of the ball through the middle and back half of the ground to finish with 28 disposals, while Jack Silvagni and Liam Ryan also provided spark at times.

The latter’s main highlight came at the start of the final quarter, where he launched a monster set shot from beyond the 50-metre arc to bring St Kilda back within two goals of the Magpies.

1. ‘LIKE A CONDUCTOR’: PIES’ INGENIOUS EARLY MOVE PAYS MAJOR DIVIDENDS

The abolishment of the AFL’s substitute rule in 2026 has given coaches that little bit more creative licence on game day, and Collingwood’s Craig McRae nailed it first take.

In a move similar to that of Dean Cox with Sydney’s Tom Papley on Thursday night, McRae told Fox Footy pre-game that he intended to ease 426-game club legend Scott Pendlebury into the Opening Round finale.

“We might hold him back (and) just let him play late in the first quarter,” the 2023 premiership coach said.

“(With) everyone else getting a bit tired, his smarts to just come on and just control the game a little bit. We’ll see how that progresses.”

Progressed well, it did.

Despite only spending 32 per cent of time on ground in the opening term, Pendlebury managed to deliver three consecutive goal assists and play a major hand in giving his side an 11-point lead at the first break.

“It’s funny how ‘Fly’ spoke about bringing Pendlebury on late in the quarter, because he’s so experienced and will just get control of the game,” Cameron Mooney said after Pendlebury’s second consecutive goal assist.

Jason Dunstall added: “He was true to his word, Collingwood coach Craig McRae. He told us pre-game he might wait until the 20-minute mark to bring Pendlebury on. When a little bit of the heat goes out and things slow down, he reads the play so well.

“He can make things happen — he’s like a conductor out there.

“Everything Pendlebury touches at the moment turns into a goal.”

AFL Hall of Fame Legend Leigh Matthews was full of praise for the tactical move from McRae, anticipating it as one that rival coaches will adopt themselves in the near future.

“It’s very innovative, and I think we’ll see a lot of that experiment over time.”

Speaking after the match, McRae hinted the limited Pendlebury minutes could be here to stay early rounds.

“He was amazing wasn’t he?” he told Fox Footy.

“His cleanness when everyone else was a bit tired.

“It was a plan – you never know it’s going to work. He was pivotal wasn’t he?

“I think this time of the year, we certainly have hotter temperatures and the game is very transitional … Maybe in the early rounds we might consider that (keeping Pendlebury’s time on ground limited).”

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