Adam Treloar has inspired Collingwood to reel in the Western Bulldogs and complete a perfect pre-season with a two-point win at Etihad Stadium.
In his first senior game in black and white, Treloar helped the Magpies recover a 36-point halftime deficit to win 1.15.8 (107) to 1.14.12 (105).
The pre-season competition that was dead and buried in the wake of Richmond's farcical loss to Port Adelaide produced an all-time classic on Saturday afternoon.
Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley said he wasn't reading too much into their NAB Challenge triumphs - over Geelong, North Melbourne and now the Dogs - except for the tightness at the final whistle.
"Three close games is good, we lost a lot of close games last year," he said.
"To be in those positions and take the learnings from those last two or three minutes of each of the games will stand us in good stead."
It might not have been so close.
The Bulldogs kicked 10 goals to five in the first half, with Tom Boyd exciting the 12,594-strong crowd with two soaring marks and two goals.
Caleb Daniel was impressive and best-afield Jason Johannisen, sporting a vibrant haircut, collected 33 disposals and gave the Dogs plenty of run.
Collingwood regularly fumbled, particularly in defence, and deserved to trail.
But there was only one team in the contest in the third term, with Darcy Moore providing two of seven unanswered goals in 16 minutes as the Magpies snatched the lead.
Treloar was in the thick of their comeback, powering the Magpies through the midfield corridor and delighting his coach.
"We couldn't be happier with his progress to this point," Buckley said.
"He's ready to attack the season."
The lead see-sawed late but Moore's fourth goal for the afternoon gave Collingwood a lead they never surrendered, with Treloar ensuring the margin was too great for the Dogs.
Jake Stringer could have won it for the Bulldogs but was run down by Travis Varcoe in the goalsquare.
The result didn't shatter Bulldogs boss Luke Beveridge, who said he didn't want to see fade-outs like their third-quarter show during the regular season.
"I was okay with our last quarter and obviously we were dominant in the last half," he said.
"We had some really good patches.
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