Adelaide kick-started season 2026 with a stirring 14-point win against Collingwood at the MCG on Saturday night.

A six-goal third quarter saw the Crows run out 13.15 (93) to 11.13 (79) victors in the Club’s first triumph over the Magpies at the MCG since 2014.

Adelaide Senior Coach Matthew Nicks spoke to the media post-game and delivered these five takeaways.

Third-quarter surge

After a tight first-half, Adelaide turned the game on its head in the third term, booting six goals for the quarter to set up the victory.

Nicks highlighted a 10-minute patch in the third term where the Crows got back to their best.

“The first half was a bit of an arm-wrestle, not chess but (a case of) who was going to crack first,” Nicks said.

“There was a discussion in the break about where we weren’t quite getting the game right, then the guys were able to go out and execute really well in that period of time in the third quarter.

“We were able to dig in in the last when we were under pressure, and we knew we would be, that’s how the history of our games go against Collingwood. But to dig in and get it done was really pleasing.”

Breaking the MCG hoodoo

Adelaide and Collingwood have been involved in a host of nail-biting matches in recent seasons, with five of the previous seven decided by a single-digit margin.

Adelaide’s last victory over the Magpies at the MCG came in Round 18 of 2014 and Nicks said the win felt special.

“Some weeks you have a win and it’s a nice grind, but this one felt really good,” Nicks said.

“We’re sick of losing to them, they’re a very good side and they’ve had the wood on us, but to fight through like we did tonight and show that we’re still developing and still getting better, that’s a good sign.

“It’s a big stage out there and there was a period of time where the Collingwood chant came up, but our guys were able to knuckle down in that moment, and a number of moments after that, and just get the job done.

“Coming into the game we felt we were in a great spot and super confident, but you just don’t know until you get out and play.

“We believe in ourselves, but today just instills a bit more of that belief. It’s one-step, there are so many more to come, but it’s a really good start to the season.”

McAndrew helps Crows gain centre clearance edge

Key to Adelaide’s triumph was its ability to win vital centre clearances.

The Crows relied upon Lachlan McAndrew, in his first game for the Club, and debutant Toby Murray to quell the impact of star Magpies ruckman Darcy Cameron.

“We had two ruckmen who’ve played four games between them up against one of the most respected ruckmen in the competition and I thought they did a great job to at least give us as many chances as our opposition,” Nicks said.

McAndrew managed 27 hit-outs as the Crows won the centre clearance count 16-9, and Nicks was quick to highlight the impact Reilly O’Brien has had on the Crows emerging talls.

“We’ve got a ruckman at the moment who isn’t being selected in Reilly O’Brien and he’s an outstanding ruckman, but he’s pushed, taught and mentored the two rucks that are in there at the moment and he’s made them better players,” Nicks said.

“There’s a reason why Reilly O’Brien is almost the first player who goes into our leadership group.”

Cook, Milera earn praise

Nicks was full of praise for the performances of veteran defender Wayne Milera and skillful utility Brayden Cook.

Milera gathered a game-high 34 disposals and 673 metres gained, showing class with ball-in-hand and a cool head under pressure.

“I thought Wayne Milera played one of the best games of his career,” Nicks said.

“He’s played some good games and I thought today he was outstanding, but it does take several of the guys working together to get that done.”

Meanwhile, utility Cook collected 19 disposals, seven marks and a goal.

“It makes me smile a lot when I talk about Cooky,” Nicks said.

“When we drafted Cooky we knew it would take a bit of time and we knew he was raw, but he just had something that stood out - game awareness and an ability to execute under pressure.

“Similar to Wayne, I thought that was Cooky’s best game that we’ve seen from him.

“It’s a really positive sign for us because a key area of our game that we want to improve is our ability to execute when we have the footy, and he was huge today.”

Thilthorpe the midfielder

Normally accustomed to the goal-square, towering forward Riley Thilthorpe also had an impact during stints in the centre square.

“We rate Riley as a really strong midfielder,” Nicks said.

“He’s a big body who is hard to move when he’s in there and he’s got a really strong ground-ball game for such a tall player so he changes the dynamic of our midfield group.

“He’s similar to Izak Rankine in that we don’t want them too far from goal, but at the same time we want him around the football, so it’ll depend on how the game plays out.”

The Crows play their first home game of the year against the Western Bulldogs on Friday, March 20, in Round Two.

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