EXPERIENCED defender Brian Lake says Friday night’s game against Collingwood reiterated just how important every moment in a game can be.

The Magpies opened the final quarter with three consecutive goals, gaining a nine-point advantage midway through the final term.

But the Hawks fought back – winning a number of key moments late in the game – which allowed them to escape with a 10-point win against the determined Magpies. 

One of the most important was a smother by Lake on Travis Cloke - with teammate Shaun Burgoyne also closing in to smother - as the Pies’ power forward swung onto his left foot within range of goal, with just 90 seconds left on the clock. 

“I was just trying to protect my face – I didn’t want a big falcon and break the nose again,” Lake joked. 

“I didn’t have the greatest days, but I guess it’s just about playing every moment as it comes.

“There’s a lot of guys who did some really good things late in that game.

“It just shows how crucial every moment is in a game.” 

Equally important late in the final term was sub Matt Suckling’s long left-foot bomb from outside 50 – which reclaimed the lead – and Cyril Rioli’s desperation at ground level to win the ball at half-back, which led to Luke Breust’s goal and a nine-point lead.

Lake said it was nice to finally come away with a close win this season, after four defeats by less than two goals in the first eight rounds of 2015. 

“We’ve lost some close games this year and to finally get up in one of those close games (was great),” he said.

“We’ve been able to do that the last two or three years, win those close games, and this year we haven’t, but finally getting one under the belt was very important. 

“Like the last two years, we haven’t won pretty every single time, so to win I guess an ugly game, it gives us five in a row going into Fremantle down in Tassie, which will be another big game.”