Magpies blow top four chance

Collingwood has lost any chance of a top four finish and may have conceded a home final next weekend after producing one of its worst performances this season in a 24-point loss to Fremantle at Subiaco.

In a dreadful spectacle, where both sides produced some atrocious skills, the Dockers were hungrier for the contest and more organised against a lacklustre Collingwood side which left far too much to standout performer Leon Davis in a 12.8 (80) to 8.8 (56) result on Friday night.

Jeff Farmer responded to a difficult week by scoring three goals for Fremantle, although whether it saves the Wiz from the axe remains to be seen, while Rhys Palmer and Byron Schammer dominated through the middle.

For the Pies, Davis was streets ahead of his team-mates, using the ball with skill while others floundered on the broad Subiaco surface as Collingwood's forward line proved dysfunctional in the absence of skipper Scott Burns and small forwards Dale Thomas and Alan Didak.

The result, however, sees Collingwood temporarily remain in fifth position on the ladder, although the Magpies could slip as far down as eighth if Adelaide (sixth), St Kilda (seventh) and Sydney (eighth) win their matches later in the round. The Dockers climbs above Port Adelaide into 13th, but this could mean Fremantle misses out on top draft target Nicholas Naitanui.

Davis started effectively as the Pies denied Fremantle possession during the early stages but they could only put the one goal on the board through John Anthony and from then on, the quarter was dominated by Fremantle.

Despite having little to gain from winning their sixth match of the season, the Dockers played with real intent, smashing Collingwood in the clearances 12-2 during the opening quarter as Palmer and Schammer feasted on Aaron Sandilands' ruck work.

Prepared to run and carry at all costs, Fremantle produced an early run on, booting five goals in 21 minutes as the quick centre clearances exposed Collingwood's backline, although the Magpies were their own worst enemy, producing numerous clangers by hand and foot.

Collingwood lifted its intensity in the early stages of the second quarter, forcing the ball forward for Marty Clarke to scramble it over the line.

But the goal was soon answered by a Des Headland major after Harry O'Brien, who had a terrible first half, pushed the former Lion in the back.

However, for all their dominance, Fremantle was obviously missing injured skipper Matthew Pavlich as a forward target. With Adam Campbell held to three touches for the half by the returning Simon Prestigiacomo and Luke McPharlin playing predominantly in defence, the Dockers' forward 50 entries lacked direction and they butchered several opportunities, the worst being when Schammer managed to kick two shots on the full in two minutes.

Despite some atrocious skills from both sides, two moments of brilliance lit up the second term. The first was a towering speccie from McPharlin over Davis, although the Collingwood No.1 got his own back late in the term, pressuring Headland into losing possession before spinning out of trouble and snapping truly from deep on the boundary line.

If the match had been poor before half-time, it was simply atrocious in the third term as Collingwood narrowed the gap to 10 points through a quality snap by Tyson Goldsack on his non-preferred side.

But a dreadful error by Josh Fraser in the goal