Collingwood Bound for Glory | Thebigtip

Here we go again, another definitive game of the season. This time the 'Mighty Magpies' are on top of the AFL ladder and its time to test their metal against 'Bomber' Thompson's 'Rock Steady Crew'. Are Collingwood glory bound? 

Significantly if Collingwood win this weekend they are more than likely to have the Minor Premiership in the bag. They are the only team to have won their last five games. Opponents are being pulverised as they win. Their injury list is virtually non existent. The backs are fast and efficient. The forwards are kicking straight, except for Cloke. They currently have the highest inside 50's and 1%ers in the competition. Many walk in senior players are playing in the VFL are having to wait their turn. Collingwood has the luxury of experienced depth waiting in the wings. Could this be their year?

With only four games before the finals this weeks battle could be the first of three big games between the Magpies and the Cats. Since 2007 Geelong have been the 'benchmark' team with no team being able to rival them consistently. Hawthorn were there for 2 years along with the Saints last year and possibly this year but they have not been able to overcome depth issues as well as The Cats. This is where The Woods have certainly come of age and look like they can really match them.

The ability to rotate and relieve key players while still being able to win games convincingly is what no other team, aside from Geelong, have been able to do until now! Collingwood has developed a base of 30 players, thanks to administrators, recruiters and coaching staff, which they can easily choose from to either rest or replace whom they like. Form is the key here and if one player is out of form then they can be easily be replaced by another, tall or small, forward or back. Players like Reid, Beams, Dawes, Sidebottom, Wood, Toovey, McCaffer and Blair are standing up for the team making things hard for the veterans in the VFL to come back into the AFL. This always a good sign for the club that they won't be lacking in depth.

However, the Cats do have a history of beating Collingwood the past few years and the Woods are lacking in that last quarter wins currently with only 8 compared to Geelongs 12. The Magpies blaze out of the gates at break neck speed particularly with a backline being the fastest in the AFL but come the end of the game they seem to cool down a little. Something to work on but if a team is wanting to be the best in the competition they need to match the reigning team for not just speed but composure.

Geelong do have a few fitness problems and some are getting a little long in the tooth, but this is their time to slowly build up for the finals under the radar and confidently go about preparing themselves for finals football. 

A win this weekend will cement Collingwood as a favourite for the flag while a loss will only put them back in contention with the other majors like the Saints, Bulldogs and the Hawks.

The Mighty Magpies are at the crossroads of greatness and need to step up and show their maturity soon. Finals footy is a different game and the Grand Final is different again, so we all could be looking forward to three games of different natures over the next few months between what could become a great rivalry for the next few years!