COLLINGWOOD has recorded its third-biggest winning margin in history and consigned Port Adelaide to its worst defeat, with a 138-point mauling of the hapless Power at AAMI Stadium on Saturday night.
Port Adelaide failed to register a goal in the opening term, being held to a solitary rushed behind to record the equal-lowest first-quarter score of the season.
The records continued to tumble as the match wore on.
Retiring veteran Chad Cornes was originally against the idea of playing a farewell match, and after the result on Saturday night he may well wish he hadn't.
The Power's final score of 3.3 (21) was the lowest in the club's AFL history, and the 138-point margin eclipsed the club's fateful 119-point loss to Geelong in the 2007 Grand Final.
Cornes deserved much better.
The 23.21 (158) to 3.3 (21) win was Collingwood's biggest of the season, and extended the club's winning streak to 11 games.
The match between the top and bottom team wasn't expected to be a close contest, but few could have envisaged the complete annihilation that took place.
The Magpies piled on 12 unanswered goals before the Power registered its first goal at the 29-minute mark of the second quarter.
Daniel Stewart's goal prior to half-time was met by Bronx cheers from both Collingwood and Port Adelaide supporters in the crowd, but wasn't enough to prevent the home team recording its all-time lowest half-time score; 1.2 (8).
The wet conditions were supposed to hinder the scoring at AAMI Stadium: Port Adelaide clearly got the message, but someone forgot to tell the Pies.
Collingwood started the game in ominous fashion, with livewires Jarryd Blair and Dayne Beams putting the visitors two goals ahead in the opening three minutes of the match.
The Magpies dominated possession and displayed superior skills with the slippery ball, kicking another four goals to extend their lead to 41 points late in the first term.
The Power players fumbled, slipped over and panicked under Collingwood's pressure, failing to kick a goal in the opening quarter.
Port Adelaide's only score for the term came courtesy of a rushed behind, equalling Gold Coast's effort against Essendon in round six as the lowest first-quarter score of the season.
The second quarter was little more than a training run for Collingwood.
Blair and Beams got involved again, as the Magpies added another six goals to increase the margin to 82 points late in the second term.
Stewart kicked a goal from Port Adelaide's first mark inside 50m, and first set-shot for the match to help the club avoid a goalless half.
It took the Power 20 minutes of the third quarter to kick their second goal.
By then the Magpies had added another two goals to their tally, and goals to Andrew Krakouer and Darren Jolly saw them extend the margin to 96 points at three-quarter time.
Banner kicked the opening goal of the final quarter to become Port Adelaide's only multiple goalkicker, but the Pies kicked the next seven to storm to a record-breaking win.
The next four
Port Adelaide: Hawthorn (MCG), Western Bulldogs (AAMI Stadium), Essendon (Etihad Stadium), Melbourne (Adelaide Oval)
Toyota AFL Dream Team highlight
Port Adelaide: Travis Boak fought hard against the Magpies' premier midfield on a horror night for the Power. The 23-year-old finished with 31 disposals and 109 DT points.
QUARTER BY QUARTER
First quarter
In atrociously wet conditions, players from both clubs struggled to keep their footing. But the reigning premiers were the first to adjust, with goals to Dayne Beams and Jarryd Blair giving Collingwood a 12-point lead by the three-minute mark. Some poor decision-making in defence by the Power handed the visitors another goal, as Leigh Brown was left unchecked in the goalsquare and pumped through Collingwood's third. Brown and Blair both finished with two each for the term.
Collingwood by 40 points
Second quarter
The Magpies and Jarryd Blair picked up right where they left off after quarter-time, with the nuggetty forward forcing his way through a pack and booting his third goal for the match early in the second term. It was all one-way traffic, as Collingwood brutalised a hapless Port Adelaide. It took the Power until the dying moments to finally register their first goal, with Daniel Stewart converting at the 29-minute mark. It was Port's lowest opening-half total in the club's history.
Collingwood by 76 points
Third quarter
The pace of the game slowed in the third term with the result already beyond doubt. Collingwood's Luke Rounds was able to kick his first goal in AFL footy, but the reigning premier eased its foot off the pedal somewhat compared to the relentless performance in the opening-half. Mitch Banner snared a rare goal for Port midway through the quarter, but the Power's skill level was still deplorable in contrast to the silky smooth Magpies. With 29 more inside 50s and 32 more scoring, the visitors cruised.
Collingwood by 98 points
Fourth quarter
Both teams were playing with one eye on the clock in the final term, with the Magpies holding an insurmountable lead. Mitch Banner kicked the first goal of the term to become Port's only multiple goalkicker for the match, but it was quickly answered by Collingwood's Beams with his third for the evening. From there, Port offered little resistance as the visitors continued to pepper the scoreboard. The result was the Pies' eleventh consecutive win and the 138-point margin was the third-highest in the club's history.
Port Adelaide 0.1 1.2 2.2 3.3 (21)
Collingwood 6.5 12.12 16.16 23.21 (159)
GOALS
Port Adelaide: Banner 2, D. Stewart
Collingwood: Blair 4, Cloke 3, Beams 3, Swan 3, Brown 2, Krakouer 2, Rounds, Jolly, Sidebottom, Pendlebury, Fasolo, Ball
BEST
Port Adelaide: Boak, Cassisi, Banner, Lobbe
Collingwood: Beams, Davis, Swan, Blair, Ball, Cloke, Thomas, Krakouer
INJURIES
Port Adelaide: David Rodan (omitted) replaced in selected side by Jason Davenport, Pittard (hamstring)
Collingwood: None
SUBSTITUTES
Port Adelaide: Jasper Pittard (hamstring) replaced by Jason Davenport during the second quarter
Collingwood: Ben Reid replaced by Alan Didak in the third quarter
Reports: Nil
Umpires: Chamberlain, Hay, Ryan
Official crowd: 21,863 at AAMI Stadium
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily of the clubs or the AFL
