A STORMING second half by Collingwood has given the Magpies their second win of the season with a 17-point victory over the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba.

The Magpies dominated after trailing by 22 points late in the second term, kicking nine of the game’s final 10 goals to win, 13.12 (90) to 10.13 (73).

It was Collingwood’s small forwards that did the damage, with firstly Paul Medhurst (four goals) then Leon Davis (three) putting the nail into the Lions’ coffin.

In front of a shell shocked home crowd of 34,912, the Lions could manage just one goal after half time as the Magpies put the squeeze on their opposition and breathed life back into their own season.

The absence captain Nick Maxwell and Heath Shaw through suspension and Ben Johnson with a broken leg seemed to inspire the Magpies as they hunted in packs for the four quarters.

After two late goals in the second term reduced the half time margin to 10 points, Medhurst changed the game in the blink of an eye at the start of the third.

His two quick goals and dominance of defender Jason Roe gave Collingwood its first lead, and while the scores remained close until midway through the last, they rarely looked troubled.

When the game was on the line in the fourth quarter, Davis kicked truly twice and Tarkyn Lockyer once to seal the win.

Both teams’ desperation was typified when Simon Prestigiacomo and Michael Rischitelli both slid fearlessly for a loose ball in the fourth term, crashing into each other at top speed with the Lion copping the brunt of the sickening blow.

For the winners, Scott Pendlebury (35 disposals) was superb in the centre, while Jaxson Barham got plenty of the ball on debut and Harry O’Brien did a brilliant job in blanketing Lions spearhead Daniel Bradshaw, keeping him goalless.

For the Lions, captain Jonathan Brown tried hard but had an off night with the boot, kicking 2.5, while Bradd Dalziell (two goals and 28 possessions), Jed Adcock (25) and Daniel Rich were their best.

After a scrappy and nervous beginning from both teams, the Lions settled first when the skipper took a customary mark running back with the flight of a Rischitelli pass.

The Lions were intent on pumping the ball in long and quick, which is just what Adcock did four minutes later for a Mitch Clark goal.

The big man found himself in the unusual position of roving a Justin Sherman contest but the result gave the home team a quick three goal lead.

Collingwood settled with goals to Davis and a beautiful 50m set shot from Anthony, but the Lions broke for a 22-point quarter-time lead with the last two majors of the term.

Brown continued to stamp his authority with a 55m bomb after receiving a neat Luke Power pass, while Troy Selwood kicked his second for the term in bizarre circumstances.

The siren had sounded and Selwood received a 50m penalty on centre wing and duly stepped up and split the sticks for the bonus goal.

Unlike the slow first quarter start, the second started with a bang when Dale Thomas goaled inside the first 20 seconds.

From there, the teams traded goals as both ran hard in both directions, prepared to drop big numbers back in the defensive 50.

Dalziell came into his own in the second with two goals in general play, the first from a left foot snap from 35m and the second on the run with the right foot from 50 as the Lions appeared to take control.

But the visitors would not go away, and first Swan outmuscled Selwood in the goalsquare and then Travis Cloke marked and goaled after the siren to bring the margin back to 10 points.

The half-time oranges clearly had an effect on Medhurst because the Magpie forward turned the game on its head in the opening 10 minutes of the third term.

He outmarked Jason Roe and slotted a difficult set shot from a tight angle, before snapping truly on his right foot to put Collingwood in front for the first time.

He lined up for a third goal just moments later but missed but the damage was done and the Magpies were on the move, trailing by just four points at the last change.

Brisbane Lions  6.2  9.4  10.8  10.13 (73)
Collingwood  2.4  7.6  9.10  13.12 (90)

GOALS
Brisbane Lions: Brown 2, Dalziell 2, Selwood 2, Adcock, Clark, Notting, Rischitelli
Collingwood: Medhurst 4, Davis 3, Lockyer 2, Anthony, Cloke, Swan, Thomas

BEST
Brisbane Lions: Adcock, Dalziell, Power, Rich, Rischitelli, Clark
Collingwood: Medhurst, Pendlebury, Barham, Davis, O’Brien, Cox

INJURIES
Brisbane Lions: Charman (ankle)
Collingwood: TBC

Reports: nil.

Umpires: Brett Rosebury, Scott McLaren, Stefan Grun

Crowd: 34,912 at the Gabba.

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily of the clubs or the AFL.