🏟 Venue & Context
- Kick‑off: 3:15 pm AEST, Sunday, 20 July 2025 afl.com.au+15ABC+15Before You Bet+15
- Venue: Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), where Collingwood boasts a nearly unbeatable record—12 wins from their past 13 games at the ‘G’ Before You Bet
🔄 Team Selections & Changes
Collingwood:
- Returned from injury: Beau McCreery, Brody Mihocek, Patrick Lipinski, Charlie Dean, Ed Allan collingwoodfc.com.au
- Notable outs: defender Dan Houston sidelined for two weeks ABC+2afl.com.au+2afl.com.au+2
Fremantle:
- Hayden Young named as the substitute, rejoining after a recent injury ABC
📆 Recent Form & Stakes
- Collingwood entered the match leading the ladder (14‑3 win–loss, 136.1%) but were coming off their first loss in nine games, suffering a 6‑point defeat to Gold Coast YouTube+15FOX SPORTS+15collingwoodfc.com.au+15
- Fremantle (11‑6, 109.3%) rebounded with a big home win over Hawthorn to stay clear in the top eight Odds+11FOX SPORTS+11Wikipedia+11
- Head to head edge sits with Collingwood: undefeated in their last 5 meetings, including a draw, and won their recent clash at Optus Stadium by 14 points afl.com.au+5Before You Bet+5Wikipedia+5
⏱ Opening Quarter (via live blog & stats)
- Early scrappy exchanges; circle through the first behinds each ABCESPN.com
- 3 minutes in: Back-and-forth saw both sides land a behind, score level at 1–1 ABCESPN.com
- Stats snapshot (Q1):
- Collingwood: 13 disposals, 25 kicks, 17 handballs, 8 inside‑50s, 11 tackles ESPN.com
- Fremantle: 16 kicks, 15 handballs, 3 inside‑50s, 10 tackles but 0 frees collingwoodfc.com.au+6ESPN.com+6ABC+6
🎙 Tactical & Emotional Nuances
- Andrew Brayshaw made a poignant return wearing his brother Angus’s helmet, stitched-up last week, as a tribute—prompting strong pre‑match coverage ABC+1FOX SPORTS+1
- At Collingwood’s pre‑match press conference, coach Craig McRae noted lineup adjustments: “We might try something different” to regain momentum afl.com.au+2collingwoodfc.com.au+2collingwoodfc.com.au+2
- Fremantle’s reintroduction of Hayden Young offered rotational depth off the bench Odds+10ABC+10YouTube+10
📊 Preview & Predictions
- Experts (BeforeYouBet/AFL tipsters) flagged Collingwood’s dominance at home and Fremantle’s travel challenges—but acknowledged the Dockers’ upward form Before You Bet+1ABC+1
- Sportsbet pegged Collingwood to cover an 18.5‑point start, banking on the ‘G factor and squad depth Before You BetOdds
🔚 What to Watch Next
- Momentum swing – Will Collingwood bounce back quickly from their recent stumble, or can Fremantle dam up early and steal momentum?
- Clearances & stoppages – Fremantle led first-quarter clearances (6–2), a potential route to upset ESPN.com
- Special moments – Brayshaw’s tribute, tactical rotations with substitutes—these personal elements may define the match’s emotional energy.
✅ Summary
This blockbuster pits ladder leaders hot off a rare loss against a resilient Fremantle side looking to tighten its finals grip. With Collingwood’s fortress-like home record and Fremantle’s emotional storylines, it’s shaping up to be a gripping contest.
