Collingwood only has one option — beat Melbourne, and beat them by a lot — entering the final round of the 2024 season with a minuscule chance of playing finals.
The Magpies (11-9-2, 100.1%) would need to smash Melbourne by a triple-digit margin, and hope St Kilda beats Carlton by a similar amount, to complete the most remarkable final-round rise in footy history.
The Demons (11-11, 101.1%) will be hoping to give their old rivals the weekend off by just beating them and ending their season, instead.
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The Dees and Pies met on King’s Birthday in Round 13; a game Collingwood won comprehensively by 38 points.
Craig McRae’s Magpies have won five of their past six meetings with Melbourne, dating back to 2020.
McRae made four changes at selection on Thursday, recalling Charlie Dean, Finlay Macrae, Ed Allan and Joe Richards in place of Billy Frampton, Jack Bytel, Daniel McStay and Ned Long.
The match gets underway at 7:40pm from the MCG.
Watch it live on Fox Footy (channel 504), streaming on Kayo and via Hubbl from 6:30pm.
LIVE MATCH UPDATES
Final teams are in for tonight’s clash at the MCG! There are no late changes, with Bailey Laurie (MEL) and Fin Macrae (COL) named the subs.
But then there was a late change! Less than half an hour before the first bounce, star Melbourne interceptor Jake Lever succumbed to illness, replaced in Simon Goodwin’s selected side by Taj Woewodin.
Kysaiah Pickett opened the goalscoring with a terrific kicking after streaming inside 50 and leaving Steele Sidebottom in his dust.
Recalled Collingwood youngster Ed Allan had six touches in the game’s first five minutes.
The Pies have looked the likelier of the two sides thus far, with Darcy Cameron kicking their second — but they have managed just two majors from six scoring shots.
Over halfway through the first term, Collingwood has doubled Melbourne’s inside-50s.
The Pies have also recorded seven marks inside-50 to the Demons’ none. The absence of Steven May and Jake Lever is painfully obvious.
A pair of Bobby Hill set-shot goals and Sidebottom’s left-footed snap made it five Collingwood goals to Melbourne’s one.
The Magpies lead at quarter-time by 27 points (currently on track for a 108-point win, for those hopeful fans holding out hope!).
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