Blockbuster delivers: Comeback kings Collingwood edge Port ...

Powell-Pepper set the match alight early when he shrugged off Nathan Murphy, bullocked past Collingwood captain Darcy Moore and finished with an elite checkside goal.

Straight out of the next centre bounce, De Goey blew away from Rozee in the middle to set up Dan McStay’s quick reply.

Rozee then went bang-bang, goaling on the run after the Magpies’ defence was forced into a turnover, before showing John Noble a clean pair of heels in the goalsquare, benefited by Horne-Francis outmarking De Goey inside the centre square.

Elliott showed his class with a left-to-right in-swinging finish, hugging the north-western pocket, before Brody Mihocek put Collingwood in front to finish a high-paced, high-pressured, high-quality opening stanza.

The heat didn’t relent in the middle two quarters, but the majority of it was being applied by Port.

Nick Daicos spent the first nine minutes of the second half on the bench before stepping out of Drew’s shadows to find plenty of the pill.

But Port, already winning the territory battle, started turning the tide their way at the contest as well.

The Power were peppering the River End without scoreboard nourishment until Horne-Francis stepped up with one of the plays of the evening, trapping an unsuspecting Brayden Maynard cold with the footy, then burying the free kick to stretch Port’s margin.

Still, Port’s 17-point three-quarter-time buffer seemed insufficient given Collingwood’s knack for fourth-quarter miracles.

It was. Of course it was.

Collingwood coach Craig McRae lauded the match as the finest he has been involved in since taking the reins at the beginning of last year.

“I thought it was an outstanding game,” he said.

“That was the best game we’ve been involved in this year, and maybe the last couple of years.

“I loved the build-up, the banter, the theatre.

“This was a great game of footy, an incredible outcome really.

“There’s an enormous will to win.

“You look the guys in the eyes at three-quarter-time and they know what we need to do.”

McRae was full of praise for Elliott’s efforts.

“It’s a pattern of behaviour for Jamie,” McRae said. “We’ve been able to manage those moments better than the opposition.

“This spirit is an incredible thing to have.

“We’ll nestle in this one – this is a big win.”

Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley had a “glass half-full” approach to the result.

“Not too many people would have sat there and not think that was an outstanding game of football,” he said.

“How could you not look at it [as] glass half-full – that’s an outstanding game of football.

“Yeah, we lost, and we lost at home. And they [Collingwood] will take a bit out of that.

“If you didn’t look at some of the stuff we did out there with great optimism, you’re not wanting to.“We had a bit of build-up to it and the game lived up to it.

“I was incredibly proud of the game.”

Collingwood landed the first blow of the second quarter through the avenue of 2020 All-Australian Taylor Adams, playing his 200th game.

After Jeremy Howe hustled the footy off Jeremy Finlayson, Maynard speared a forward entry which eluded an uncharacteristically weak, uncontested spoil attempt from McKenzie which drew fresh air.

Elliott, who had been giving McKenzie headaches, pounced forward of the play and looked set to walk into his second goal before spotting Adams out the corner of his eye.

Elliott, who loves a goal and has booted the 20th most in Magpies history, decided to hand off to Adams running behind him and unselfishly handed off an easy gift to the milestone man.

In his second game back from a torn PCL, Xavier Duursma responded to Adams’ second-quarter strike with his first goal since round seven.

Duursma bravely ran with the flight of the footy to pouch a superbly judged mark against Josh Daicos and with Murphy lurking nearby.

Duursma then converted from the scoreboard pocket to hand the lead back to the Power.

Willie Rioli missed last week’s loss to Carlton after travelling home to Darwin for a special service to mark the anniversary of his father’s passing.

He celebrated his return to Port’s line-up with a goal and LeBron James-style celebration in the pressure-cooker fourth quarter.

But Rioli may find himself straight back out of the side for next Saturday’s Showdown after appearing to throw a swing that connected with Murphy in the lead up to the goal.

Rioli’s swinging, open hand appeared to make contact with the face of Murphy, who went sprawling to the turf. The umpires missed the incident but it will draw the attention of the match review officer.

Hinkley scoffed at suggestions Rioli could face scrutiny.

“Nothing in it,” he deadpanned.

“I looked at it, it was a hand slipping up, [an] open hand.

“I always say let them [MRO] take care of it and they’ll have a look at it if it needs to be looked at.

“But I’ve actually seen that one. I’ve seen a lot worse things happen.”

PORT ADELAIDE4.0 6.4 9.9 12.11 (83)COLLINGWOOD4.3 5.3 7.4 13.7 (85)

GOALSPort Adelaide: Dixon 2, Powell-Pepper 2, Rozee 2, Duursma, Marshall, Rioli, Finlayson, Horne-Francis, EvansCollingwood: Elliott 3, McStay 2, Mihocek 2, Sidebottom, McCreery, Daicos, Adams, Daicos, HillBEST: Collingwood - Sidebottom, Pendlebury, Cameron, N. Daicos, J. Daicos, Adams, Murphy, Elliott. Port - Butters, Rozee, Drew, Houston, Burton, Horne-Francis, Powell-Pepper.UMPIRESFoot, Stephens, Findlay, GianfagnaVENUE Adelaide OvalCROWD 47,965