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Collingwood Magpies vs Adelaide Crows AFL Round 1 Tips - Collingwood stay on top of the Crows

Jeremy Darke

Editor

Last updated: Fri 13 Mar 2026 07:53

Jeremy Darke 13 Mar 2026

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Collingwood outperformed St Kilda in the opening match, displaying strategic play.
The Magpies have won 11 of their last 12 matches against the Crows.
Expert prediction: Low scoring match, Collingwood 4.5 point favorites, Josh Daicos to excel.
The game will be played at MCG on Saturday, 14th March, with the bounce at 7:35 PM (AEDT)

Collingwood Magpies vs Adelaide Crows AFL Round 1 Tips

Collingwood Magpies vs Adelaide Crows, Round 1 2026 - Expert Prediction

It was a Pies surprise in Opening Round of the 2026 AFL season, but not this week as they face the Crows, who they beat in the 2025 Finals and have dominated over the last 6 years.

Collingwood Magpies vs Adelaide Crows, Round 1 2026 - Expert Prediction
Head to Head Stats
Collingwood Magpies Form Analysis
Adelaide Crows Form Analysis
Collingwood Magpies Team News
Adelaide Crows Team News
Collingwood Magpies vs Adelaide Crows Team List
Collingwood Magpies vs Adelaide Crows AFL 2026 Round 1 FAQ’s

Plenty of us backed a regression for Collingwood in 2026 but they came out of the blocks in ‘typical’ Collingwood fashion, suffocating the highly tipped St Kilda Saints, playing some of their best pressure footy despite missing captain Darcy Moore and Jeremy Howe at the back.

This week they come up against the Crows who they have done a number on over the last 6 years, winning 11 of their last 12 including a finals game in 2025.

If the Pies are going to make it 2-0 to start the year they are going to have to do the same to the Crows midfield and backline and pressure Adelaide into some early season jitters with this being their first game of the year.

I expect a low points total with the pies holding onto the ball for as long as possible with the Daicos brothers once again in the centre of all of the ball movement from the back line.

With no Darcy Moore, Josh Daicis will once again be even more of a link and will lift again with another 30+ disposals.

Collingwood have won 11 of their last 12 against Adelaide
Adelaide have lost 8 of their last 10 matches at the MCG
8 of 25 Collingwood matches in 2026 plus their Opening Round match in 2026 went under the game total
Josh Daicos had 36 disposals last week.

Head to Head Stats

Collingwood kicked the Crows off their Minor Premiership perch in the opening week of the 2025 AFL Finals beating Adelaide 79-55, powering home in the second half extending their 7-point halftime lead after out scoring the Crows 44-22 in the premiership quarter.

The pair split the results in the regular season after the Crows got their first win against the Pies in 11 matches.

9 of the last 11 matches between the Magpies and Crows has gone under the game total.

Collingwood Magpies Form Analysis

Plenty wrote off Collingwood at the start of the season with questions marks over just how good they were after their heavy dip in form at the end of last season, but now the haters are backing them to win the comp again.

The change of tune is on the back of a typical Collingwood victory over St. Kilda in Opening Round 78-66 where they suffocated the Saints with Harry Perryman doing a formidable job of tagging Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera all game, restricting the Saints gun to just 19 disposals.

A Daicos was in everything for Collingwood with Nick finishing with 41 disposals while brother Josh was next-best with 36.The Pies controlled the ball and made the Saints work hard for it on the outside, playing perfectly into their hands.

Adelaide Crows Form Analysis

Adelaide enter 2026 with a point to prove after a historic 2025 collapse. Despite finishing minor premiers and surging from 15th the year before, the Crows exited finals in straight sets, exposing weaknesses around stoppages and midfield burst.

Jordan Dawson’s leadership and Riley Thilthorpe’s emergence powered their rise, but finals losses highlighted the need for more speed and composure in the midfield. A bigger midfield role for Izak Rankine and a fully fit Josh Rachele could transform Adelaide’s stoppage game and improve delivery to key forwards Thilthorpe, Darcy Fogarty and Taylor Walker.

Young talents Sid Draper and Dan Curtin also loom as important structural pieces, particularly if Draper develops the endurance to influence games consistently. Adelaide’s recruits must also perform better in finals after quiet September outings.

Collingwood Magpies Team News

Collingwood are unchanged from last week and will be without Darcy Moore and Jeremy Howe.

Adelaide Crows Team News

Izak Rankine will be out of this matchup due to suspension, but will return this week.

The positive is Riley Thilthorpe has been cleared from back soreness and has been named.

Collingwood Magpies vs Adelaide Crows Team List

Collingwood	POS	Adelaide
B. Frampton, I. Quaynor, B. Maynard	B	W. Milera, J. Butts, H. Bond
D. Houston, J. Daicos, J. Crisp	HB	N. Murray, J. Worrell, R. Laird
E. Allan, N. Daicos, P. Lipinski	C	B. Cook, J. Dawson, I. Cumming
L. Schultz, J. De Goey, B. McCreery	HF	L. Pedlar, R. Thilthorpe, C. Ah Chee
T. Membrey, J. Elliott, D. McStay	F	J. Rachele, T. Walker, D. Fogarty
D. Cameron, S. Pendlebury, H. Perryman	FOLL	L. McAndrew, S. Berry, J. Soligo
W. Parker, S. Sidebottom, N. Long, J. Buller, R. Steele	I/C	T. Murray, J. Peatling, A. Neal-Bullen, M. Michalanney, B. Keays

Collingwood Magpies vs Adelaide Crows AFL 2026 Round 1 FAQ’s

How to watch Collingwood Magpies vs Adelaide Crows AFL 2026 Round 1?

You can watch the Collingwood Magpies vs Adelaide Crows AFL 2026 Round 1 game via Fox Sports or Kayo Sports. If you are watching from outside of Australia the WatchAFL app is the perfect solution.

How to buy tickets to Collingwood Magpies vs Adelaide Crows AFL 2026 Round 1?

To buy tickets to the Collingwood Magpies vs Adelaide Crows AFL 2026 Round 1 game check the AFL website or the official Collingwood Magpies site.

Verdict

Collingwood Magpies v Adelaide Crows

Josh Daicos will have 30+ disposals as Collingwood cover as 4.5 point favourite in a match that stays under 172.5 points.

Collingwood -4.5

Handicap/Line

$1.92 - 3 Units

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Under 172.5

Game Total

$1.91 - 2 Units

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Josh Daicos

30+ Disposals

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