Collingwood’s tier two programs had a successful weekend, with both sides coming away with wins over Casey to launch King’s Birthday long weekend.
VFL Senior Coach Matt Lokan’s side kicked things off in an unconventional home game at Casey Fields, with the VFL side desperate to break a five-game losing streak.
Casey got the jump early, quickly forcing the Pies to stare at a four-goal deficit in the opening term before VFL recruit Xavier Laverty nabbed two first quarter goals.
While inaccuracy cost the VFL side in the first half, they flicked the switch in the third term. Ned Long was a key contributor, with the midfielder racking up 13 disposals in the third alone while Will Phillips, Harry DeMattia, Zac McCarthy, Jai Saxena and Josh Browne all added majors to bring the Pies within a kick heading into the final quarter.
Defender Jakob Ryan stood tall in the backline to close out the match, shutting down Casey’s forwards as DeMattia and Max Mahoney added two more goals to the tally to bring home the 12-point win for the VFL side.
As the VFL side were securing their third win of the season, the Pies’ VFLW side were extending their winning streak at the KGM Centre.
After keeping the Bulldogs goalless in the previous week, Collingwood continued their forward half dominance by keeping Casey goalless in the first half as the Pies led 40-1 at the main break.
While Casey did manage to kick a goal to open the third term, the Pies piled on five more goals to finish their first home game of the season as 66-point winners to bring their season to four straight wins and continuing to sit atop the VFLW ladder with a percentage of 342.5%.
Macy Watkins was crafty up forward, kicking three goals from 20 disposals, while reigning Debbie Lee Medal (VFLW Rising Star) winner Tahlia Sanger notched 26 disposals and 10 tackles.
Monday’s traditional King’s Birthday clash with Melbourne rounded out the long weekend triple header with the Demons, with the two sides battling it out in a thriller at the MCG.
In what was the 12th iteration of the Big Freeze game, this year’s contest was even more poignant in the wake of FightMND trailblazer Neale Daniher’s passing just two weeks prior.
A four-goal opening quarter which saw Nick Daicos open the Pies’ account followed by goals to Jordan De Goey, Dan McStay and 27-year-old mid-season draftee Mitch Podhajski in his first AFL game swung the scoreline in Collingwood’s favour at the first break.
A back-and-forth affair that had a sea of over 88,000 iconic blue beanies on the edge of their seats, with the lead changing three times in the space of six minutes in the final term.
While a thrilling goal from 2025 draftee Angus Anderson brought the lead back in favour of the black and white, Melbourne quickly responded before eventual Neale Daniher Trophy winner Kysaiah Pickett sealed the deal at the 28-minute mark, seeing the Pies go down by eight points.
Nick Daicos was electric in the midfield, finishing with 35 disposals and two goals, while brother Josh (30 disposals, eight score involvements) was equally as dominant.
Defender Billy Frampton left it all out in defence, finishing with a career-high 11 intercepts.
Collingwood’s three teams will all head into a bye week for their respective leagues, offering a chance to refresh and reset before a big second half of the year.
