Live: Bulldogs and Magpies meet at MCG for AFL’s first ever wildcard match

There he is! Doing what he does best straight from the off.

Daicos was just lurking out the back of the congestion as the ball pinged around Collingwood’s half-forward line, but as soon as the ball found him he was gone. Daicos got to 45 and slotted it on the run in style.

A courageous grab from Kennedy, dropping back into the hole with pressure coming behind him. He read Naughton’s kick well and was fully committed.

The kick from directly in front never looked like missing, and the Dogs have a slender lead with 13 minutes to play in the first.

The Bulldogs’ first foray forward costs them dearly, as the Pies find the opening goal with a slick move from half-back.

Daicos was involved in the chain, as was Swadling and Schultz, before the kick inside 50 hit the broad chest of McStay. His set shot was true, and the first goal is on the board.

Joel Freijah tackled Daicos over the boundary line and then briefly stood over the Collingwood champ. And boy, did he not like that.

Freijah stood up and copped a good couple of jumper punches before the umpire chucked the ball back in and everyone got on with the game.

Stuff it, we’re getting into the spirit of things… finals are finally here! Time for the footy to really matter in 2026.

The ball is in the air and the Wildcard Round is underway.

If you were wondering whether the AFL was considering this game an “official” final, this might give you a hint. We’re getting a full Welcome to Country and rendition of the national anthem before the bounce, as we do for the traditional finals.

And I’ve got to say, the roar that greeted the siren after the anthem certainly had a very finals-like edge to it. August 28 is close enough to September, I guess.

It’s a Collingwood away game tonight, technically, but you can expect the MCG to have distinct black and white tint to it.

It’s up to the Dogs and their inspirational captain Marcus Bontempelli to silence the Magpies faithful. Bounce not far away.

As per usual. The Magpies’ maestro will be critical to his side’s hopes tonight.

But why is that exactly? Cody Atkinson and Sean Lawson have dug into the numbers to find out precisely what makes Daicos so good – and how the Dogs might be able to stop him.

Good question! The answer is, we don’t actually know.

It will depend on tomorrow night’s game, because the makeup of the elimination finals will be determined by the ladder placings of this weekend’s winners.

Put simply?

If Melbourne win tomorrow, then tonight’s winner will play Geelong next week. If Carlton win tomorrow, then tonight’s winner will play Adelaide next week. That’s all you really need to keep in mind.

Scott Pendlebury is not playing tonight due to a hamstring injury, and will be relying on his Pies going deep into September in order to play again this season.

And if he doesn’t? Well, the jungle drums are beating that a move to Gold Coast after this season is a possibility. If that was to become true, then that would mean he has already played his final game in the black and white.

Much to play out in that space, but tonight he is in the building looking to help his teammates out in any way possible.