Collingwood gun Patick Lipinski has suffered a shoulder dislocation in a six-point win against Hawthorn in both sides’ final tune up for the season proper, 15.16 (106) to 14.16 (100).

Lipinski, who was among the Magpies’ best with 22 disposals and two goals, hurt his already taped shoulder in a tackle in the fourth quarter, with the club confirming post-match he’d require an MRI and would be further assessed to determine the next course of action.

It was the same shoulder Lipinski had reconstructed at the start of October.

The incident came in Tom Mitchell’s first unofficial game against his old team amid promising signs from both clubs, with the Pies bursting out of the gates and looking powerful at stages, while Sam Mitchell’s young troops came fighting back and battled hard all contest.

In another potential blow for Collingwood, Jordan De Goey, who starred with 31 disposals, could come under MRO scrutiny for a dangerous dump tackle in the fourth quarter.

QUARTER-BY-QUARTER MATCH REPORT

The Magpies’ fast balance movement was on show early, with Taylor Adams getting on the end of a chain to kick the first goal of the contest.

Collingwood won the second clearance of the game and Jordan De Goey found Patrick Lipinski wide open inside 50 to kick the black and white’s second in a blistering start as the Hawks looked disorganised defensively.

“Just not good enough here,” Lions champion Jonathan Brown said of Hawthorn Fox Footy.

Fox Footy caller Anthony Hudson added: “They (Collingwood) are dominating this game early.”

It was real danger signs for Hawthorn after the Pies kicked their third through Jamie Elliott in the opening minutes.

“It’s disappointing for Sam Mitchell,” Brown added. “The message would’ve been early in the pre-season we need to balance up better and be stronger in the contest. They certainly haven’t been that today.”

But the Hawks showed better signs as the quarter went on, showing more composure, using the ball better around the ground and maximising their inside 50s with five goals from 10 entries.

“They’d be rapt with this Hawthorn,” former Demons skipper Garry Lyon said on Fox Footy. “The fact that Hawthorn have just hung in and managed a way to kick three goals is a really good sign.

“They’ve had a great five minutes.”

Sam Mitchell made the bold call to send Finn Magginness on the 20-year old Nick Daicos, keeping the Magpies prodigy honest early.

Dan McStay kicked his second goal just before quarter-time as Collingwood held a seven-point lead, 6.1 (37) to 5.0 (30).

The Magpies had all the play to start the second term as Adams kicked his second goal to ope up a 15-point advantage for the visitors.

“I love what they’re doing, every time I watch them, I get enamoured with the way they take the game on,” Lyon said of Collingwood.

“Every time I see Craig McRae speak I think I wished I played under him. I don’t think they’re going to die wondering.

“They’ll refine with what they did, it’ll be harder ... you can’t expect them to keep nailing every close game.”

McRae’s side started to put its ascendancy on the scoreboard with a third-straight goal in the period to open up a 22-point advantage.

Dylan Moore responded when the Hawks needed it to continue a promising performance as the high-scoring contest continued.

Lachlan Bramble made it two-straight Hawthorn goals – marking 17 majors in total from both teams.

Collingwood led 9.8 (62) to 8.7 (55) at half-time.

The Hawks came out blistering to start to the second half, booting the first two goals including Pick 7 draftee Cam Mackenzie’s first unofficial goal to continue his impressive start as Mitchell’s side suddenly took the lead.

“It is a practice match, but for Hawthorn, it’s so much more than that. They’ll get so much out of this against a quality opposition,” Lyon said.

“And last week which we know they were disappointed they way Geelong handed them and brushed them aside.”

It was goal for the goal for the remainder of the third in an exciting arm wrestle and solid pre-season hit-out as both teams turned up the heat.

Reef McInnes steadied for the Pies with a goal late in the third to give his side the lead back.

A classy Josh Daicos goal after a big contest from Tom Mitchell pushed Collingwood ahead further, while Fergus Greene couldn’t respond for Hawthorn at the other end.

Ned Reeves booted a timely goal on the three-quarter time siren for the Hawks after getting a free kick to make it just a three-point game, 13.13 (91) to 13.10 (88).

Brody Mihocek kicked the first goal of the final stanza to extend the Pies’ led back out to nine.

But Josh Ward responded for Hawthorn at the other end with a timely goal after a solid chain of handballs that would excite fans.

In a cruel blow for Collingwood, Patrick Lipinski came off the ground during the fourth term after hurting his already taped shoulder in a tackle.

Hawthorn kept fighting until the final siren, but the Magpies just held on – an image we got so used to seeing last season – in a highly competitive clash.

THE 3-2-1

3. DAICOS ‘BETTER GET USED TO’ TAG

Sam Mitchell put it as good as anyone could’ve – Nick Daicos “better get used to” getting tagged.

Finn Maginness locked down on the 20-year old Magpies prodigy to great success, restricting him to 17 disposals in a quiet showing by his lofty standards set last year.

It comes after Daicos’ brilliant rookie season where he lived up to all the hype and then some, claiming Rising Star honours and emerging as one of the Pies’ best players and a star of the competition.

Being groomed to play more in the midfield in 2023, if the pre-season attention is anything to go by, Daicos may be Collingwood’s No. 1 lock down target .

“He better get used to it, he’s just too good to leave running around. Finn has done a good start on him,” Mitchell said on Fox Footy.

Demons great Garry Lyon believes it’ll be a great learning experience for Daicos, but highlighted Craig McRae always has the option to swing him into defence to try and counter a tag.

“He’s the sort of player who will see it as a massive challenge and wear it as a badge of honour that he’s getting tagged and find a way to get on top of it,” he said.

“Craig’s always got the option to throw him at halfback the he tore the shreds to competition to shreds last year and take his opposition to places they wouldn’t want to be.”

Magpies assistant Brendon Bolton told Fox Footy: “Sometimes we just like the grind of it, so you’ve got to learn that as a youngster. We’ve got some contingencies we’ll use Round 1, we probably won’t show them all now.”

2. HAWK A ‘LOCK’ FOR R1 AS YOUNG GUNS SHINE

Hawthorn fans watching would’ve wanted to see promising signs for the future more than anything – and they got just that.

After looking like they were going to get blown out early, the young Hawks fought back bravely and looked competitive all game behind their crop of emerging stars including James Worpel, Jai Newcombe and Cam Mackenzie.

It comes after criticism the Hawks cut too deep into their list after shedding a host of experienced stars in the off-season –now with just seven players who’ve played over 100 games.

But to get within a kick of a top-four side from last year - albeit in a practice match - is encouraging.

“It is a practice match, but for Hawthorn, it’s so much more than that. They’ll get so much out of this against a quality opposition,” Demons great Garry Lyon said.

“And last week which we know they were disappointed they way Geelong handed them and brushed them aside.”

Newcombe (27 disposals) and Worpel (30 disposals) were both busy leading the new-look midfield, but perhaps no Hawk impressed more than Pick 7 draftee Cam Mackenzie (24 touches, one goal), playing in his first unofficial contest after missing last week.

Mackenzie announced himself as a genuine Rising Star contender – and a lock for Round 1 – in a strong first showing as his composure and ability to find the footy stood out.

“There’s been a lot of talk about Ashcroft, but his Sandringham Dragons teammate Mackenzie certainly looks like he’s going to burst onto the scene as well,” Lions champion Jonathan Brown said.

While it mightn’t change much for the Hawks’ prospects this season as they seem set to feature at the lower end of the ladder, at least the vision under Sam Mitchell became clearer.

And maybe, just maybe, they didn’t cut too deep into their list, as so many young players will now get opportunities than wouldn’t have had otherwise.

“It’s about the future … senior players have gone out so you’ve got to get young talent in and we’re getting a bit of a glimpse of it,” Lyon added.

“His ball use inside 50 has been good, he’s been composed, he was matched up on Pendlebury at one stage. That’s the exciting part for the Hawks.

“The fact Newcombe and Worpel are finding plenty of the ball trough the middle is really encouraging. I’ve enjoyed Meek, he’s done a little bit. It’s exciting times.”

1. ‘STRONG’ DE GOEY PRIMED FOR BIG SEASON

Look out rival teams, Joran De Goey is primed for a huge season leading the Magpies’ on-ball unit in perhaps the best he’s ever looked in the pre-season.

De Goey dominated with 31 disposals – and could’ve had an even bigger night had he converted his two misses in front of goal – as a class above any player on the ground.

It included a red-hot start to the game where he was involved in everything in an ominous sign to the rest of the competition.

“What he did in that first 10 minutes worried us all that it was going to be a really long day because he was waltzing out of the middle doing what he wanted to do,” Lyon said.

“He was a dominant player, he looks absolutely razor sharp and you suspect he and Mitchell are going to have a pretty good partnership.”

The Pies may go as far as De Goey takes them this season leading their midfield, especially if Nick Daicos draws all the opposition attention now.

Brown said of De Goey: “It looks like he’s had a good pre-season - he’s hard, he’s fit and he’s strong.”

HAWKS

B: Sam Frost, James Blanck, Will Day

HB: Blake Hardwick, James Sicily, Karl Amon

C: Josh Ward, Finn Maginness, Lachlan Bramble

HF: Chad Wingard, Luke Breust, James Worpel

F: Jacob Koschitzke, Lloyd Meek, Dylan Moore

FOL: Ned Reeves, Jai Newcombe, Connor Macdonald

INT: Changkuoth Jiath, Cam Mackenzie, Jarman Impey, Sam Butler, Fergus Greene, Conor Nash, Denver Grainger-Barras, Henry Hustwaite

EMG: Max Lynch, Ned Long, Josh Weddle, Jack O‘Sullivan

MAGPIES

B: J.Crisp, D.Moore, I.Quaynor

HB: J.Howe, B.Frampton, N.Murphy

C: B.Hill, J.Daicos, N.Daicos

HF: J.Elliott, B.Mihocek, J.De Goey

F: P.Lipinski, M.Cox, S.Sidebottom

FOL: D.McStay, T.Adams, T.Mitchell

INT: J.Noble, S.Pendlebury, D.Cameron, R.McInnes, B.McCreery, W.Hoskin-Elliott, O.Markov, J.Carmichael

EMG: T.Bianco, T.Wilson, T.Ruscoe, J.Ryan