Pre Game
00:00
The Bulldogs won the clearance count over their opponents in the first four rounds of 2019 by a margin of seven per game, and as a result also won the scores from clearance count by 12 points per game, both numbers that were the highest differential averages of any side in the AFL in the first four games of last season in their respective categories.
Quarter 1
00:00
Q1 is now underway.
01:46
SCORE
GOAL - Magpies (Jamie Elliott)
02:10
Jamie Elliott gets the first goal of the game for the Magpies from the first forward 50 entry for either team in this match. The Magpies retained possession from 49% of their kicks into the forward 50 last season, ranked first in the AFL.
05:01
SCORE
GOAL - Magpies (Mason Cox)
06:25
Collingwood have already almost doubled the contested possession count of their opponents in the early part of tonight's match (13-7). Collingwood won the contested possession count by eight per game last season, ranked third in the AFL.
09:46
SCORE
GOAL - Magpies (Will Hoskin-Elliott)
13:15
Brodie Grundy kicks the Magpies fourth goal from as many shots at goal to establish a dominant position on the scoreboard. Grundy has as many total disposals as the entire Bulldogs team have in their forward half (six).
15:30
SCORE
GOAL - Bulldogs (Mitch Wallis)
15:56
Mitch Wallis stems the tide for the Bulldogs with their first major score after winning a free kick inside 50. The Bulldogs kicked 36 goals from free kicks in 2019, the fifth-highest tally of any side in the AFL.
19:15
SCORE
BEHIND - Magpies (Jordan De Goey)
19:28
Brodie Grundy's stoppage work is translating to the territory battle. 14 hitouts to just two for the Bulldogs leading to a clearance count of 10-2 in favour of Collingwood, as well as 70 per cent time in forward half.
20:12
SCORE
BEHIND - Magpies (Jack Crisp)
22:48
SCORE
GOAL - Magpies (Callum L. Brown)
24:13
Caleb Daniel has been trying to get the game back on the Bulldogs terms. He has an equal team-high seven disposals, and an outright team-high three possession gains including two intercept marks.
26:01
The Bulldogs will need to improve their tackling efficiency back to 2019 levels if they want to get back in this match. They successfully laid just 42 per cent of the tackles they attempted in the first term, well down from the 64.5 per cent tackle rate they posted last season.
Quarter 2
00:00
Q2 is now underway.
01:08
SCORE
BEHIND - Magpies (Brodie Grundy)
01:53
Scott Pendlebury just recorded his 11th disposal of the match to become just the ninth player since 1965 to record 8000 career disposals.
03:31
SCORE
GOAL - Magpies (Mason Cox)
05:29
SCORE
BEHIND - Magpies (Steele Sidebottom)
06:33
SCORE
BEHIND - Magpies (Jordan De Goey)
08:24
Magpies Interchange - Mason Cox off due to an injury.
08:39
SCORE
BEHIND - Magpies (Brodie Grundy)
10:08
Collingwood are bullying the Bulldogs out of this match, winning the contested possession count 15-2, and as a result the inside 50 count 8-0 for the quarter so far.
10:13
SCORE
GOAL - Magpies (Brody Mihocek)
13:19
SCORE
GOAL - Magpies (Brody Mihocek)
13:48
Brody Mihocek kicks his second goal from as many marks inside 50 within three minutes of each other. Mihocek's goal was Collingwood's sixth to be kicked from a mark.
16:07
Bailey Williams finally stops the Magpies second streak of four straight goals for the match with along bomb outside 50. Williams looks to be back in his 2018 form after just nine matches in 2019. He has seven disposals, all from uncontested possessions, and an equal team-high 16 pressure acts.
19:45
Ben Cavarra joins the first kick-first goal club to make it back-to-back goals for the Bulldogs. Since the last Magpies goal, the Bulldogs have won the disposal count 20-9 as a result of improving their kicking efficiency to 82 per cent, well above the Magpies 33 per cent disposal efficiency by foot.
22:03
SCORE
GOAL - Bulldogs (Matthew Suckling)
22:22
Magpies Interchange - Jordan Roughead off due to an injury.
26:12
Jeremy Howe was outstanding in the first half for the Magpies by notching seven intercept possessions, four more than any other player on the ground, and gaining 246 metres for the Magpies to trail only Jordan De Goey in this category through two quarters.
Quarter 3
00:00
Q3 is now underway.
03:56
SCORE
GOAL - Magpies (Brody Mihocek)
04:03
Brody Mihocek kicks the first goal of the second half after Collingwood played keepings off across halfback before attacking through the corridor. Collingwood kicked forward from 85 per cent of their kicks in the 2019 season, the lowest rate of any side in the AFL in this category last year.
07:46
SCORE
GOAL - Magpies (Jordan De Goey)
08:59
Jordan De Goey roves a hitout and snaps Collingwood's third goal from a forward 50 stoppage for the match. The Magpies averaged 2.24 points per inside 50 clearance in 2019, the highest average of any side in this category.
11:30
SCORE
GOAL - Bulldogs (Josh Bruce)
12:18
For all their trouble getting the ball inside 50, the Bulldogs have been very efficient once they get a sight at goal, kicking 5.0.30 from five shots at goal and just 10 inside 50's
14:15
SCORE
BEHIND - Magpies (Jamie Elliott)
17:35
After a relatively quiet first half, Jason Johannisen has really sparked the Bulldogs in the third term, winning a game-high seven disposals and gaining more metres than any player on the ground (155).
18:02
SCORE
BEHIND - Bulldogs (Lewis Young)
21:35
SCORE
BEHIND - Bulldogs (Sam Lloyd)
22:22
The Bulldogs managed to even up the game from a disposal and contested possession perspective, but their kicking efficiency in their forward half has let them down, hitting a target from just 46 per cent of their kicks, compared to the Magpies 68 per cent efficiency in their attacking half.
22:32
Collingwood's forward half pressure factor of 2.07 really suffocated the Bulldogs before they could launch any meaningful attacks, with only three of the Bulldogs 14 possession chains that were launched from their back half entering their forward 50 in the third term.
Quarter 4
00:00
Q4 is now underway.
01:01
SCORE
BEHIND - Bulldogs (Ben Cavarra)
05:50
SCORE
GOAL - Magpies (Josh Daicos)
06:10
Despite the Bulldogs leading the uncontested possession count 17-12 in the early stages of the final term, including 11 uncontested marks to four, they have only had possession for 24 per cent of time elapsed compared to 64 per cent for the Magpies.
08:06
SCORE
BEHIND - Magpies (Brodie Grundy)
11:19
Taylor Adams now has a goal to cap off a stellar performance in tonight's match. 25 disposals from a game-high 14 contested possessions and 11 clearances shows he has really stepped up in Adam Treloar's absence to lead the Collingwood midfield.
15:18
Collingwood have won 50 per cent of their offensive one-on-one contests in tonight's match. Sydney were the best team in this category in 2019, winning 32 per cent of their one-on-one's, with Collingwood seventh at 29 per cent last season.
17:04
SCORE
GOAL - Magpies (Josh Daicos)
19:20
SCORE
BEHIND - Bulldogs (Tim English)
20:02
Bailey Smith has been impressive for the Bulldogs tonight. An equal team-high 22 disposals, six tackles as well as three score involvements and 23 pressure acts on the night is a good sign for the second-year player.
22:15
Brodie Grundy started 2020 as he ended 2019 with an outstanding performance to set up Collingwood's win tonight. 37 hitouts, including 12 to-advantage, a game-high nine score involvements from 19 disposals is a great way to start the new season.
22:32
Collingwood really punished the Bulldogs loose start to the match, outscoring the Bulldogs by 16 points from clearances in the first half and then punishing the more aggressive approach of the Bulldogs by scoring 4.2.26 to 0.3.3 from intercept possessions in the second half.