Collingwood have broken Adelaide’s hearts again, beating the Crows by four points in an AFL thriller on Saturday at the MCG.
With seconds left, Crows star Izak Rankine was hit with a controversial free kick for running too far as Adelaide were going inside 50 — and making matters worse he also suffered a hamstring injury that is set to keep him out for weeks.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Izak Rankine gives away free kick to decide thriller.
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Rankine had taken a bounce but then sprinted a distance that appeared on the edge.
“Where’s the sense of occasion from the umpire?!” Leigh Montagna said in commentary.
Eagles premiership player Will Schofield had his mind blown by the decision: “We are so critical when players make mistakes… that ‘run too far’ call to end the Crows v Pies game was wrong, swallow your whistle.”
Jordan De Goey had marked and goaled with two minutes left to restore the Magpies’ lead and they held on to win 12.6 (78) to 11.8 (74).
It is Adelaide’s eighth straight loss at the MCG, going back to their 2017 grand final loss to Richmond. The Crows also suffered their ninth straight loss to the Magpies, the past four by a goal or less.
Adelaide had been behind for much of the game, but Rankine’s freakish snapped goal from a stoppage 18 minutes into the last term gave them the lead.
They were pressing again when defender Isaac Quaynor smothered Ben Keays’ kick inside 50 and the Magpies ran it down the other end for De Goey’s match-winning goal.
Adelaide dominated much of the last term, but could only manage three goals.
De Goey’s head hit the turf in the last term and he briefly left the field, before returning for his match-winning hand.
Injury-ravaged Collingwood also lost Will Hoskin-Elliott and Reef McInnes during the match.
Nick Daicos again shone for the Magpies with 40 possessions and 14 clearances, while Crows captain Jordan Dawson was mighty in the last term.
Magpies veteran Scott Pendlebury was prominent early, kicking two first-quarter goals, as they led by seven points at the first break.
A six-goal run from late in the opening term gave Collingwood a 30-point lead midway through the second quarter, and a long afternoon loomed for the Crows.
But Adelaide stopped the rot impressively, kicking the last three goals of the half to trail by only 11 at the main break.
The Magpies then lost Hoskin-Elliott to a hamstring injury at halftime, and McInnes was forced out of the game in the third term after an accidental kick to the head.
In a dour, error-ridden third term, Collingwood kicked three goals to two and led by 17 points at the last change.