Pies' record-breaker misses after the siren as Cats win a classic

Jack Crisp had the chance to win the game for Collingwood after the siren but his kick went wide to hand Geelong victory

Oli Wiltshire is mobbed by teammates during the R8 match between Geelong and Collingwood at the MCG on May 3, 2025. Picture: Getty Images/AFL Photos

SOMETIMES the script just doesn't go your way.

Jack Crisp – in his record-setting 245th consecutive game – took a tumbling mark 45m from goal, and had an opportunity to win the game for Collingwood with a kick after the siren.

MAGPIES v CATS Full match coverage and stats

But his shot drifted right, his teammates immediately hugging him regardless of the result, and slightly confused fans waited till the Geelong theme song started blaring before they worked out just what was going on.

The Cats ended up scraping over the line by three points, 13.12 (90) to 12.15 (87) in a see-sawing affair at the MCG.

ALL THE HIGHLIGHTS Previous Next 09:34 Scott post-match, R8: 'He just looked like Jonah Lomu there at one stage' Watch Geelong’s press conference after round eight’s match against Collingwood

07:31 McRae post-match, R8: 'We made a few errors ... and good teams make you pay' Watch Collingwood’s press conference after round eight’s match against Geelong

08:17 Highlights: Collingwood v Geelong The Magpies and Cats clash in round eight of the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season

04:54 Last two mins: Pie misses after siren in drama-filled finish The thrilling final moments between Collingwood and Geelong in round eight

00:57 Ex-Pie puts Cats ahead in manic play Ollie Henry snaps Geelong into the lead after Darcy Moore slapped the ball into his path

00:56 Wiltshire's wondrous moment reignites the Cats Oliver Wiltshire takes his moment and drills his first major in the big time to cut the margin

00:45 Vintage Pendles catches fire and delivers unique celly Scott Pendlebury curls through a beautiful snap to delight the home crowd and pulls out this celebration

00:42 Crazy Cameron curler sends crowd wild Darcy Cameron bends through an outrageous banana on his left foot and the Collingwood faithful love it

00:47 Leaping Dempsey heads skyward with huge MOTY contender Ollie Dempsey gets the sit on Steele Sidebottom and sticks a magnificent hanger before converting for his side

00:30 Umpire cops falcon from Baz in bizarre start Bailey Smith's clearing kick smacks into the head of umpire Brett Rosebury, who shakes it off early in the match

It had been a night for the battle of the heavyweights.

While the eyes of (some of) the nation were firmly glued to the national election, Collingwood and Geelong slugged it out on the MCG, and it's safe to say it was a much more engaging battle.

With the election all but called just before the first break, the Pies and Cats continued to trade blows.

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But if you can keep your head while all around are losing theirs, you might just come away with the four points.

In the end it was Geelong which stood tall – just – under finals-like pressure, led by skipper Patrick Dangerfield, playing as a permanent forward and seeming to take on the very early "Collingwood" chant in the crowd as a personal challenge.

Lachie Schultz appeared to have kicked truly from 50 with 3.30 left, but the goal umpire determining the ball had skimmed a few hands on its way through, and there was insufficient evidence in the score review to overturn his decision.

Brody Mihocek's third with 2.30 on the clock cut the margin to 10, and his fourth to four points with just 20 seconds remaining.

Then it was time for Crisp, who heartbreakingly couldn't quite finish the job as he passed the late Melbourne great Jim Stynes' long-standing record.

Jack Crisp walks off after breaking the most consecutive games record during the R8 match between Collingwood and Geelong at Melbourne Cricket Ground on May 03, 2025. Picture: Getty Images/AFL Photos

The Pies had led by as much as 20 points in the third quarter, but such was their dominance, the margin felt like it was sitting around 35.

Bailey Smith and a few crucial Dangerfield touches dragged Geelong back in, the margin just seven at three-quarter time.

Three Collingwood behinds early in the fourth term didn't create enough of a buffer, and Ollies Henry and Dempsey feasted on the rebound, the former Pie pouncing on an errant Darcy Moore handball to kick truly.

Dempsey has threatened to take a mark of the year contender in seemingly every match he's played over the past two seasons, and finally landed one on the shoulders of Steele Sidebottom in the goalsquare.

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The resultant goal was Geelong's fourth for the opening term, before the Pies began to grind their way back into the contest.

In the absence of Tom Stewart (knee), the Cats appeared a tall short in defence, veteran Mitch Duncan in for his first game of the season and not known for his one-on-one defensive prowess, while Mark O'Connor was forced to play above his height.

Having started on the wing, Mark Blicavs was thrown in defence after the first break, but was also required as ruck relief due to Rhys Stanley's untimely hamstring injury just before quarter-time, with young key forward Shannon Neale taking the lion's share of the contests.

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But at their feet, Nick Daicos continued to reign supreme, recording 17 disposals to half-time and shaking off the attention of Oisin Mullin, while Geelong seemingly still has no answer for Scott Pendlebury in his 20th season.

Collingwood's defensive pressure was excellent – while Geelong looked very dangerous early out the back, the Pies adjusted for the middle two terms, panicking the Cats into skill errors while exiting defence.

Peter Pan Pendles

There's maximising an AFL career, and then there's Scott Pendlebury. The 37-year-old may have given away the captaincy a few years ago, but there's no doubt he still leads from the front. There's a chance he's half-a-step slower these days, but his immense footy IQ means he knows how to still have maximum impact on the game. His superb curling goal in the third – taking the margin to a then-game high 19 – was icing on the cake.

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Bailey kickstarts the Cats

Bailey Smith had recorded 15 to half-time, but it hadn't been the star recruit's most impactful game. But as the margin drifted out to 20 halfway through the third term, Smith put his headband down and battled through, providing equal parts spark and grunt as he racked up 10 for the term. Jeremy Cameron – previously unsighted – bobbed up to kick a sharp curler, while Shaun Mannagh's uncanny knack of crucial majors continued with an opportunistic goal. It took the margin to seven at the final break.

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COLLINGWOOD 4.5 7.7 10.10 12.15 (87)

GEELONG 4.2 6.6 9.9 13.12 (90)

GOALS

Collingwood: Mihocek 4, Hill, Cox, Cameron, Houston, Elliott, N.Daicos, Pendlebury, Membrey

Geelong: Mannagh 2, Dempsey 2, O.Henry 2, Neale, Blicavs, Smith, Cameron, Wiltshire, Dangerfield, Bowes

BEST

Collingwood: N.Daicos, Pendlebury, Cameron, J. Daicos, Sidebottom, Mihocek

Geelong: Dangerfield, Smith, Blicavs, Holmes, Atkins, Dempsey

INJURIES

Collingwood: Nil

Geelong: Stanley (hamstring)

SUBSTITUTES

Collingwood: Will Hoskin Elliott (replaced Mason Cox in the fourth quarter)

Geelong: Oliver Wiltshire (replaced Rhys Stanley at quarter-time)

Crowd: 82,514 at the MCG

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