Happy days:Nick Daicos and Dan McStay celebrate a goal,as the Magpies remain unbeaten to start the new season.Credit:Getty Images
The Power had Lachie Jones run a hard tag on Daicos,but it failed. Jones had one touch to quarter-time,but Daicos still had nine,cleverly being used as the kick in to help break the tag. Daicos found even more room in the second term. His brother Josh was just as dynamic,dominating his wing with almost 600m gained.
Steele Sidebottom,with five score involvements to half-time,was also central to the Pies’ rise,as was midfield extractor Mitchell,who is thriving at his new club but does not need mass touches to impress. Jordan De Goey had moments of dominance when this match was alive. The evenness of the Pies was reinforced in that their opening nine goals were from different sources. Ruckman Darcy Cameron was superb in the ruck,clearly having the better of a proppy Scott Lycett.
The Pies were able to restrict the Power’s time and space,denying them the centre corridor so integral to their winning game plan against Brisbane last week. The visitors,however,had begun well. Full forward Charlie Dixon booted two of their opening three goals inside the opening 14 minutes,the Power having the lead at that point,but what shaped as a shoot-out between the two highest-scoring sides of round one was soon a one-team march.
Potential Power match winners Zak Butters,Connor Rozee and Xavier Dursma had little impact,while it was a curious decision to start former skipper Travis Boak as the substitute.
Power defender Ryan Burton will be scrutinised for his dangerous tackle on Jamie Elliott in the third term. Elliott,while attempting to kick the ball,had his arms pinned when he was thrown to the ground. The sharpshooter was awarded a free kick,and goaled from 25m.
Not so hot
Horne-Francis was arguably the best afield last week with a career-high 25 touches. The Magpies made it their mission to try and physically unsettle him early at every opportunity. And the chief protagonist was none other than Taylor Adams. Horne-Francis,booed at every opportunity by Magpies supporters,had only four touches and 29m gained in the first term. Adams,by contrast,delivered a ripping snap from just inside the boundary,giving the Pies their fifth goal. The man dubbed ‘The Hornet’ finished with only 15 touches in front of a record attendance of 60,744 for a home-and-away game between these two clubs.
Big brother
Younger brother Nick may generally dominate the headlines,but Josh Daicos is elite. He dominated in his customary role on a wing,having eight touches and more than 200m gained alone in the first term. There was also a courageous mark,and goal,adding to the Power’s pain.
Remember us
Magpie Billy Frampton was given the job of replacing the injured Jeremy Howe in defence. But the former Power player had an inauspicious start when he conceded 50m for retreating - and not standing still - on the mark in the opening minutes of the contest. The blunder gave Dixon the easiest of goals.
The eye-catching play between Pendlebury and Daicos.Credit:Twitter/ Fox Footy
Collingwood 7.2,13.5,15.7,21.9 (135)
Port Adelaide 3.3,5.4,8.7,9.10 (64)
GOALS
Collingwood: Mihocek 3,J.Daicos 2,Adams 2,Elliott 2,McCreery 2,N.Daicos 2,Sidebottom,McStay,Cox,De Goey,Hoskin-Elliott,Hill,Mitchell,McInnes
Port Adelaide: Dixon 3,Marshall 2,Fantasia,Farrell,Rozee,Georgiades
BEST:Collingwood: Cameron,J Daicos,N Daicos,Sidebottom,Pendlebury,Mitchell.Port Adelaide: Drew,Bergman,Dixon
VOTES
8:Nick Daicos (Collingwood)
8:Josh Daicos (Collingwood)
7:Darcy Cameron (Collingwood)
7:Steele Sidebottom (Collingwood)
7:Tom Mitchell (Collingwood)