It’s all on the line for a desperate Collingwood outfit, still looking to defend their premiership credentials against a battered Sydney, who last week conceded the largest loss in John Longmire’s 14-year reign as club coach.
The Swans (14-6, 126.1%) are coming off their jaw-dropping 112-point loss to the Power last week, and look as vulnerable as ever despite still sitting top of the table.
As for the Magpies (10-2-8, 100.2%), they’re looking to keep their slim finals hopes alive with their third consecutive win.
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Magpies seek finals spot against swans | 00:30
A win for Craig McRae’s side will leave them only percentage outside the eight; albeit having played one game more than the rest of the competition.
And conversely, a win for Sydney will ensure that they remain the ladder leaders for at least one more round.
Longmire has swung the axe for the red and white, with four changes for the Friday night blockbuster.
The quartet of Sam Wicks, Aaron Francis, Peter Ladhams and Corey Warner have all been omitted, as Dane Rampe, Joel Amartey, Braeden Campbell and Caiden Cleary return.
As for the Pies, Jordan de Goey makes way after a season-ending hamstring injury, with Joe Richards his replacement after time on the sidelines with illness.
The match gets underway at 7:40pm AEST at the SCG.
Watch it live on Fox Footy, streaming on Kayo and via Hubbl from 6:30pm AEST.
SYDNEY v COLLINGWOOD – LIVE UPDATES
There were no late changes at the SCG, with Caiden Cleary (Swans) and Joe Richards (Magpies) the respective substitutes.
Will Hayward got the Swans off to the perfect start 72 seconds into the clash, converting from set shot to see teammates flood from across the ground to get around him.
And former Demon James Jordan’s snap around the contest several minutes later saw the hosts lead by two goals inside the first five minutes – ironically a foreign feeling for the ladder leaders in 2024.
“It’s just looking like they’ve (Sydney) got the little things covered,” 1986 Coleman Medallist Brian Taylor said on Channel 7.
The Pies were given a massive let-off however, with Jack Crisp nailing a goal from long-range before a Nick Blakey bump that blindsided Pie Jamie Elliott in the goal square – only seconds after Crisp’s goal – saw the visitors all of a sudden draw level.
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