Point to prove: Finals to arrive early with Izak Rankine to confront Collingwood

July 19, 2026 — 7:48pm

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Collingwood have been treating every game like a final since the bye.

On Thursday night, after successive wins over Port Adelaide, Richmond, Gold Coast, North Melbourne and Carlton the eighth-placed Magpies finally get an opponent worthy of a final when they play an in-form Adelaide who sit fifth.

It’s the first time the Magpies will have to contend with Izak Rankine in a Crows’ jumper since he was suspended from the finals for using a homophobic slur in the round 23 clash against Collingwood last year.

The Magpies won last year’s qualifying final and the Crows won in round one to make it one win apiece since that fateful game but the match-winning Crow’s presence on Thursday night is significant.

Rankine has put last year’s error behind him and has been building back to the form he showed at the Crows in the previous two seasons.

On Friday night he was back to his best, his tackle and smother on Swans’ star Isaac Heeney in the final quarter on Friday night was a significant indication of his evolution as a player.

Ferocious competitor Alex Neal-Bullen is the only Crows’ player putting more pressure on than the No.23.

All eyes will be on him with the Magpies likely to send their cooling agent (or WS-23) Ed Allan to his side at stoppage. Allan was one of five Collingwood players with fewer than 30 games experience who played in the win over Carlton (who had seven).

It will be a battle within a battle as the competition’s two best teams at applying pressure prepare to wrestle like grizzly bears with the Crows needing to play a front half game to kick a winning score,........

© The Sydney Morning Herald