‘Can't help but feel frustrated': Collingwood lament back-to-back single-digit defeats
Collingwood will go to work on their inside-50 efficiency after wasting a career-best day from Nick Daicos to suffer a one-point defeat to an inspired Fremantle at the MCG on Sunday.
A late Josh Treacy mark deep in defence secured the Dockers a thrilling and crucial win that handed Craig McRae's Magpies back-to-back single-digit defeats despite having 23 more inside 50s and winning the contest possession tally by 20.
Fremantle kicked the last four goals of the game, including ex-Bomber Patrick Voss' personal-best sixth, to steal a road victory after trailing ladder-leading Collingwood by 22 points early in the final quarter. The Pies also laid an extraordinary 35 tackles inside 50 to the Dockers' nine.
'You talk about all the numbers – inside 50s and contested possession, and all this stuff – [but] it just didn't feel like we connected that well this week again,' McRae said.
'But it's one of those hard games where you dominate so much of the territory, you're winning it back, and you go into such density, so it makes it really hard to score. But I can't help but feel frustrated in that game because you feel like you've done so much right, and then you don't get the nourishment of a win.
'There are many layers to it. Our connection inside 50 wasn't at the level it has been, but also, we thought we did enough right to get the job done today.'
Former Docker Lachie Schultz had the last opportunity for Collingwood with barely 10 seconds left, but his desperation snap landed in Treacy's lap in front of 62,198 fans.
Jamie Elliott, who has a reputation for late-game goalkicking heroics, also missed a set shot inside the last three minutes that levelled the scores before a Shai Bolton behind – after Jack Crisp conceded a high-contact free kick – gave Fremantle the lead for good inside the last two minutes.
The Dockers are now only percentage outside the top four after starting the season with five losses in the first nine rounds.
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