With Taylor Adams out,Crisp ran alongside De Goey and Pendlebury as the trio shared the ball around and raced the ball forward as soon as Collingwood won the ball.

When they did not have the ball,it was Crisp and Pendlebury pointing their arms to guide their teammates with the directions flowing down the ground like falling dominoes.

In the second quarter as the Magpies entered the forward 50 on a slow play Crisp stood on the 50-metre mark pointing,then hit the front of the aerial contest at pace to tackle his Fremantle opponent and win a free kick within kicking distance.

He had pointed,pounced,then punted the goal to take his career set shot accuracy to 18-19 and held his left arm aloft in celebration as,for some unknown reason,the speakers blared Duran Duran’sHungry like the Wolf.

Crisp would kick a goal from the same spot in the final quarter squaring up his set shot rate at 50 per cent and celebrating with the double cobra that was just reward for a player who has been there every step of the way in the past eight seasons.

His development from a high half-back to a midfielder who runs out the front of centre clearances now only requires a premiership medal to be complete. He has rolled on through many seasons with an effective rather than fluent left foot kick.

He has learned the craft from more naturally talented midfielders in De Goey and Pendlebury and joined Patrick Lipinski and Josh Daicos in destroying Fremantle’s emerging midfielders Caleb Serong and Andrew Brayshaw.

De Goey and Pendlebury’s class was apparent,the pair’s kicking skills sublime,with De Goey kicking a goal on the outside of his foot when he had no time to think. When he did have time to think he hit teammates on the move,often the brutal Jamie Elliott at the end of his passes.

Crisp,who is back in his third preliminary final,is entitled to say those simple but apt words Collingwood supporters hope ring true:“Wait,there’s more”.

Keep up to date with the best AFL coverage in the country.Sign up for the Real Footy newsletter.