Pies Head North and Get the Job Done — Finally

The Pies went to Carrara, got their hands dirty in the Queensland humidity, and found a way. That’s all I’ll say for starters — because honestly, by the last quarter my fingernails were gone.

A Win Is a Win — Don’t Let Anyone Tell You Otherwise

Look, I’ve seen some beautifully crafted Collingwood performances in my time. I’ve also seen some absolute heart-in-mouth scrambles that aged me ten years before the final siren. Round 17 against the Gold Coast Suns at People First Stadium? That one belongs firmly in the second pile.

But here’s the thing — in a top-eight race that’s tighter than Craig McRae’s team selection headaches, two premiership points are two premiership points. You bank them and you move on. The Pies did exactly that.

Carn the Pies.

The Suns Were Not a Pushover — Let’s Be Honest About That

Before I get into the meat of it, I want to give the Gold Coast some credit, because they’ve earned it. The Suns in 2026 are not the punching bag they used to be. They’ve got pace across the ground, genuine contested ball pressure, and a forward line that’ll hurt you if you switch off for even thirty seconds.

Their midfield group worked hard all afternoon. There were stretches in the second and third quarters where it felt like Collingwood’s corridor use just dried up completely — too many kicks going backwards, too many handballs in traffic. The Suns were winning the inside ball and making teh Pies uncomfortable, which is exactly what a home side should be doing.

Credit where it’s due. But credit only goes so far when you’re standing on the wrong side of teh scoreboard at the final siren.

The Midfield — Where the Game Was Won and Nearly Lost

When Collingwood’s midfield brigade fires, they are genuinely one of the most watchable units in the competition. The way they can transition from contest to corridor, the way they use the footy at pace — it’s a thing of beauty on its best day.

Round 17 was not their best day.

There were stretches where the clearances just weren’t coming. The Suns were set up well at the stoppages, and they made Collingwood work for every single possession. That said, when it mattered most — in those last two quarters when the game was genuinely on the line — our boys stood up. The important clearances came. The ball moved into the forward fifty. And eventually, the scoreboard started ticking.

It’s not always pretty. But grinding out wins on the road against improving clubs is what September contenders are made of.

A Word on the Umpiring — You Knew This Was Coming

Right. I have to say it. I always have to say it, and not because I’m some bloke who blames the umpires every week — I’m not. I watch the footy, I know the game, and I call it as I see it.

But there were a handful of holding the ball calls in the third quarter that had me absolutely beside myself on the couch. One in particular — Collingwood player, ball clearly trapped under him by two Gold Coast defenders, umpire pays holding the ball without a second thought — I genuinely had to get up and walk around the kitchen for a minute.

The umpires aren’t out to get us. I genuinely believe that. They’re human, they’re making split-second decisions in difficult conditions, and it’s a hard job. But you’d have to be blind not to notice that some of those contests went against the Pies in moments when the game was really in the balance.

Anyway. We won. So I’ll let it go. For now.

The Forwards Stepped Up When It Mattered

Here’s the thing about Collingwood forward entries — when the delivery is crisp and the forwards are moving well, they are genuinely hard to stop. Round 17 gave us a glimpse of both ends of that spectrum.

In the first half, too many entries were telegraphed and the Gold Coast defence read them easily. Our forwards were working hard but they weren’t getting clean looks. That’s a function of the midfield pressure the Suns were applying — you can’t expect your forwards to conjure goals out of nothing when the ball is being turned over in the back half of the ground.

But in the second half, the entries improved. The leads started hitting at the right time. And when the Pies needed someone to stand up in front of goal and make something happen, they got it. That’s all you can ask.

• More precise delivery inside 50 in the second half
• Forwards who kept working even when the supply was poor
• Defensive pressure at the other end to keep the Suns’ forward line honest

Good signs. Definately some work to do on the consistency side, but good signs.

What This Win Means for the Season

Right now, every game in the top eight conversation feels like a grand final qualifier. I know it’s only Round 17. I know there’s still a long way to run. But the teams that win the close, hard, ugly ones away from home — those are the teams you want to be tracking come September.

Collingwood winning at People First Stadium, against a Gold Coast side that’s playing some of its best football in years, is not a small thing. Road wins in Queensland are hard. Always have been. The conditions, the travel, the crowd — none of it is on your side.

The Pies fronted up and got it done. That matters.

There are some areas that Craig McRae and the coaching staff will be looking hard at this week, no doubt. The mid-game stretches where the Pies went quiet, the contested ball at stoppages, the inside 50 efficiency in the first half — these aren’t things you can paper over when you’re heading into the business end of the year.

But the will to win was there. The desperation was there. And crucially, the football smarts to close out a tight game on the road — that was there too.

Final Word From the Couch

I started this piece saying a win is a win, and I’ll finish on the same note. Was it a perfect performance? Absolutely not. Were there moments I wanted to throw my remote through the television? You already know the answer to that.

But we’re sitting in the top eight, we’ve banked two premiership points from a tough away fixture, and we head into the back half of the home-and-away season with real belief.

The Suns will be a force to be reckoned with in the years ahead — mark my words on that. Their development as a club is genuine. But today belonged to the black and white.

Take the win. Recover well. Get ready for what’s next.

Carn the Pies.