COLLINGWOOD has signed off from home games in Melbourne with a nail-biting three goal win over the Adelaide Thunderbirds in a massive upset upset which saw the last placed Magpies topple the ladder leaders.

After dominating for most of the game, Collingwood almost blew it in the last quarter but held on for a memorable win. The Adelaide defence was hot from the get go, really making it difficult for Collingwood to get it into their attacking third.

Collingwood did eventually get through to its goals, but it certainly was not straight forward.

It was as tight as it possibly could have been for over half the quarter, before Collingwood swooped on a defensive pickup to go two goals ahead. After Collingwood briefly even got out to as much as three goals ahead, Tippah Dwan found her range from Super Shot territory quickly and brought the margin back to one.

But Collingwood found a new level that it had not shown for weeks, and as such took a four-goal lead into the first change.

Its early game domination into the second term, scoring six of the first 10 goals to stretch their lead out even further. The Thunderbirds did work their way back into the match and got within three goals, but it was just the little things ultimately hurting them. In the end the margin again sat at four goals in favour of the Pies at the main break after both teams scored 11 goals in the second term.

Things continued positively for Collingwood and to get worse for Adelaide in the second term as Collingwood’s lead headed towards double figures. Nothing Adelaide tried to change the momentum of the game worked in their favour, as Collingwood continued to lift to the occasion.

The Thunderbirds did work their way back into the game in the last few minutes of the quarter, but were still eight goals down at the final change. Adelaide started the stronger of the two teams in the final term, and quickly almost halved the margin.

The Thunderbirds kept building and the margin just kept getting smaller and smaller. Collingwood then steadied, but Adelaide were not going to lie down easily.

Into the last minute it was only a two goal game, and with all the Thunderbirds’ shooters unafraid to shoot from distance, it could have gone either way. In the end, the Pies played the ball around just long enough to hold on for the nail-biting win.

The win was really lead from defence for the Pies, with Jodi-Ann Ward (six gains, six deflections, three intercepts, two rebounds) and Geva Mentor (three gains, two intercepts, two intercepts, two deflections) particularly starring.

Meanwhile for the Thunderbirds Georgie Horjus (38 feeds, 18 assists, one deflection) was a workhorse, but others did not perform to their usual standards.

COLLINGWOOD MAGPIES            16 | 11 | 16 | 10 (53)
ADELAIDE THUNDERBIRDS          12 | 11 | 12 | 15 (50)

STARTING SEVENS

Collingwood Magpies

GS: Shimona Nelson
GA: Sophie Garbin
WA: Kelsey Browne
C: Molly Jovic
WD: Ash Brazill
GD: Jodi-Ann Ward
GK: Geva Mentor

Adelaide Thunderbirds

GS: Eleanor Cardwell
GA: Tippah Dwan
WA: Georgie Horjus
C: Tayla Williams
WD: Latanya Wilson
GD: Matilda Garrett
GK: Shamera Sterling