MELBOURNE spoiled Collingwood's homecoming with a dominant display in a lopsided contest at Victoria Park on Saturday afternoon.
The Demons controlled the play virtually from ruck Lauren Pearce's first hitout to stroll to a 17-point win, 3.8 (26) to 1.3 (9), in the first AFLW game at the Magpies' spiritual home.
To compound the Magpies' party woes, the traditional rivals condemned them to their lowest score, the previous worst being 1.5 (11) against Carlton in the opening game of the inaugural 2017 season.
It also equalled the competition's most meagre total, the Pies now sharing that dubious honour with Greater Western Sydney.
The crowd was stunned into silence as Collingwood didn't score for two quarters until Sarah Dargan gave them something to cheer by kicking the first goal off the ground midway through the last term.
Melbourne controlled the contest with the tireless work of Elise O'Dea and Karen Paxman in the midfield duels.
Kicking into the breeze in the opening quarter, the Demons matched Collingwood for intensity and then opened up play with superior handball and kicks that found targets.
The Magpies' defence was under pressure even with the wind at their backs. And the visitors would have been further ahead but for sterling work of Pies backs Ash Brazill and Brittany Bonnici.
Melbourne had nearly double the possessions in the first quarter and the Demons needed to capitalise on that dominance on the scoreboard. But it was to be a pointer to the absolute dominance of the visitors.
With the breeze behind them, the Demons again monopolised the ball in the second quarter, but couldn't find the target after Paxman ran up her fourth missed shot, though three of them were under the pump from opponents.
Not surprisingly, it was O'Dea who showed the way as she pounced on the ball spilling from a stoppage and posted the opening goal of the game late in the second term.
Melbourne's second breakthrough came in unusual circumstances after Bonnici won possession in the centre at the restart – but thumped it 50m the wrong way.
From the boundary throw-in, the Demons compounded her woes when Hanks found Pearce on the lead. And the big ruck ran around to open up the angle and slot the goal to give the Demons a 14-point half-time buffer.
COLLINGWOOD 0.2 0.2 0.2 1.3 (9)
MELBOURNE 0.2 2.4 2.5 3.8 (26)
GOALS
Collingwood: Dargan
Melbourne: O'Dea, Pearce, Hanks
BEST
Collingwood: Brazill, McIntosh, Rowe
Melbourne: L Pearce, O'Dea, Mithen, Paxman, Emonson, Cunningham
INJURIES
Collingwood: Emma Grant (shoulder)
Melbourne: TBC
Reports: Nil
Umpires: TBC
Crowd: 7228 at Victoria Park
