Collingwood moved to the top of the AFL ladder with a seven-goal win over Melbourne on Monday, but the Magpies will anxiously await medical reports on injured forward Alan Didak.
Didak limped off in the second minute of the game clutching his left groin.
Brownlow Medallist midfielder Dane Swan was best-afield in his return from a hamstring injury with 42 possessions and two goals as the Magpies claimed their ninth win from 11 rounds, beating the Demons 19.15 (129) to 13.9 (87) in front of 64,250 fans.
Dayne Beams and Steele Sidebottom were also unstoppable for the Magpies in their eighth consecutive win.
"I'm just proud of these guys who come in and play a role for us," Collingwood captain Nick Maxwell told Grandstand.
"We don't ask too much of them but I think the story for us is those second-tierers like Simon Buckley, Dayne Beams, [Jarryd] Blair, Sidebottom.
"All those guys who everyone's known about but they've really taken on ... I guess they're our emerging leaders.
"They're the guys who've really driven the club and helped the senior players out, so it's a flow-on effect for the next guys coming through."
Onballer Nathan Jones and big forward Mitch Clark with four goals were strong contributors for the Demons.
In a bruising game, Colin Sylvia's heavy collision with Collingwood's Tom Young is one of several incidents that could come under scrutiny from the match review panel, along with Luke Tapscott's crude spoiling attempt on Magpies' forward Alex Fasolo.
Collingwood dominated the opening term with six goals to Melbourne's none.
"It was a combination," Maxwell said when asked whether it was the Magpies who were good or the Demons bad.
"We were really good in tight and through the centre clearances. [I'm] not sure what the stats were but we were winning a lot of them and if they were winning them they weren't damaging.
"So when the ball's played in your half or your forward 50 first you've got every chance of winning the game."
Former Demons captain Garry Lyon fumed on Triple M radio that Melbourne's hardness at the ball was shocking and its decision-making was appalling, as the home side fell 52 points behind midway through the second term.
The Demons clawed their way back into the game with three goals in five minutes - including two to the high-leaping Jeremy Howe - to trail by 35 points at half-time.
Clark kicked three of his side's four goals in the third term as the Demons cut Collingwood's lead to 26 points at three-quarter time.
Collingwood went on a four-goal run early in the final term before the Demons did the same.
But the Magpies kicked nine straight goals in the last quarter to overpower Melbourne, which booted 6.2 in a high-scoring finish to the game.
"All credit to Melbourne, they could have rolled over but they kept fighting so great signs for them for the future," Maxwell said.
"I think in that second quarter we started to try getting a bit flashy.
"A few little snaps around the corner turned around and went the length for goal and that just gives the opposition confidence.
"So a few things we have to do better but all credit to them, they were very good."
Ben Sinclair kicked three goals for the Magpies.
For Demons coach and former Collingwood assistant Mark Neeld, it was his side's 10th loss from 11 outings.
Both sides have a bye next weekend.
Demons: 13.9 (81) - Clark 4, Howe 2, Dunn 2, Magner, Sylvia, Rivers, Trengove, Blease.
Magpies: 19.15 (129) - Sinclair 3, Wellingham 2, Goldsack 2, Cloke 2, Fasolo 2, Blair 2, Swan 2, Jolly 2, Beams, Sidebottom.
ABC/AAP
Tags: australian-football-league, sport, melbourne-3000, collingwood-3066, vic, australia First posted June 11, 2012 18:12:27