Collingwood’s VFL side has gone down to Port Melbourne in the final round of the home-and-away season, losing to the Borough by eight points at ETU Stadium.

In a day where Melbourne’s unpredictable weather on full display, Collingwood – who were led out by 175 gamer Tom Wilson – started hotly with five goals kicked in the first term headlined by Will Hoskin-Elliott, who played his first VFL game in 132 days and found himself at the end of a defensive transition.

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Hoskin-Elliott converts from end-to-end transition

Collingwood's swift ball movement in the VFL results in an easy Hoskin-Elliott goal from the goal square.

Port Melbourne started to push back in the second term, with forward Dominic Bedendo kicking his second and third of the afternoon, before Collingwood mid-season draftee Noah Howes found himself on the end of two of his own goals to give the Pies a 10-point lead at the main break.

Starting the second half in the same manner he ended the first, Howes again found the scoreboard to kick his third, before much of the third term became a back-and-forth affair.

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Brilliant vision from Hayes leads to Howes goal

Collingwood forward Will Hayes reads the play perfectly to turn the ball over and find Noah Howes for his first in their VFL clash with Port Melbourne.

Port Melbourne quickly got the game back in their terms, however inaccuracy in the wild Melbourne weather softened the blow for Collingwood, who maintained a five-point lead at the final break.

A strong-willed Borough – playing their final match of 2025 – threw everything into the last quarter, not allowing the Pies to make any impact in the final term to secure a win which would see them finish the season in the top six and guarantee a place in the finals series.

Roan Steele – already Collingwood’s leading ball-winner – kicked an inspiring snap for goal to bring the Pies back within two points in the dying minutes, however celebrations were short-lived as Port Melbourne quickly responded with their own, finishing the match as eight-point winners in front of a lively Borough crowd.

MATCH CENTRE: PORT MELBOURNE v COLLINGWOOD

05:58

VFL Highlights: Port Melbourne v Collingwood

See the highlights from Collingwood's Round 21 VFL clash with Port Melbourne.

The numbers:

Roan Steele was prolific all day, finishing with 32 disposals, nine marks and seven intercept possessions.

Premiership Pie Mason Cox was integral in the ruck, finishing with a game-high 28 hitouts with his 19 disposals and eight clearances.

Steele’s fellow mid-season draftee Noah Howes kicked a team-high three goals, while Harry Mahoney kicked two of his own.

Milestone man Tom Wilson had 20 disposals and seven rebound-50s in his 175th VFL outing, his first game since Collingwood’s Round 6 clash against Footscray.

Collingwood will now await Sunday’s VFL results to determine where they’ll fall heading into next week’s VFL Wildcard Round.

SCORE
PORT MELBOURNE 3.2   6.5    7.10   11.12 (78)
COLLINGWOOD      5.4.   7.9    8.9    10.10 (70)

GOALS
PORT MELBOURNE: Bedendo (5), Anastasio (3), Manton, Lloyd, George
COLLINGWOOD: Howes (3), Mahoney (2), Steele, Hude, Hoskin-Elliott, Grey, Cox