Jeremy Howe controlled the backline and Josh Daicos delivered vital run as Collingwood called the Adelaide Crows’ premiership aspirations into question with a 10-point win at the MCG on Saturday.

On a rain-marred day, the Magpies soaked up the Crows’ defensive game plan to post their eighth win of the season to remain a flag favourite.

The Crows have now failed to topple the Magpies in their past 11 contests, dating back to 2016.

“Tough conditions today. To get the job done today … a big sigh of relief,” Magpies coach Craig McRae said.

“We have had some ding-dong battles against them. It was a really important win.”

While they are firmly in the finals mix, the Crows needed to make a statement against a legitimate premiership threat. Wins at home over the Giants, Blues and Power in the past month were impressive, and a 61-point thumping of the Bombers at the MCG earlier in the season was excellent.

However, they adopted a risk-free approach against the Magpies, largely eschewing attacking through the centre corridor, preferring to go down the line and attack via the flanks. They adopted a more positive mindset in the final term and cut the lead to 10 points when skipper Jordan Dawson drilled a long bomb, but the Magpies controlled the final five minutes.

Howe, Scott Pendlebury and Brayden Maynard, all rested last week, were instrumental in ensuring victory was achieved in the final term.

Howe marshalled the defensive 50 in the absence of skipper Darcy Moore. He had three intercept marks in the first term, had the better of Taylor Walker and then spent time on the dangerous Darcy Fogarty.

Pendlebury was given the tagging role on Dawson after quarter-time, the pair each having a strong say in the result. Maynard was the stand-in skipper and was typically robust at half-back.

Josh Daicos was superb as a rebounding half-back, while Nick Daicos spent his afternoon either as an inside midfielder preferring to handball than kick, or at half forward.

McRae was also full of praise for Dan Houston, who has struggled to replicate the form he enjoyed with Port Adelaide.

Fogarty was brilliant for the Crows with four goals, but he had little help up forward. Izak Rankine was left to rue two botched set shots in the third term.

Three goals to end the third term gave the Magpies a 16-point lead at the final change – the biggest margin of the afternoon to that point. It proved decisive.