While Collingwood currently sits outside the eight, North Melbourne must be wary of a side which has shown much improved form over the last month.
The Magpies have notched three wins in their last four matches, with the highlight being a convincing 32-point victory over GWS at Spotless Stadium.
A nine-goal second quarter and six-goal third quarter showed what Collingwood can put together, the scoring sprees underpinned by quick ball movement.
The 125 points put on the scoreboard is comfortably the highest total the Giants have conceded for the season so far. 12 Collingwood goal kickers spread the load, with two talls – Travis Cloke and Jesse White – leading the way with four and three respectively.
While Cloke has had a well-documented up and down season, his last four weeks have been impressive, and it’s no coincidence Collingwood’s form has improved in the same time period.
The 29-year-old has grabbed 35 marks in the last month; only Nick Riewoldt (37) and Gold Coast’s Tom Lynch (42) have more. Operating as the focal point of the forward line, he’s allowed fellow forwards more freedom and room to move now they’re under less attention.
And with a strong marking target, the Magpies’ array of smaller forwards become dangerous at ground level. North know exactly how they can hurt a side after last year’s clash at the MCG.
On that afternoon the Roos gave up a 39-point half time lead, conceding 10 goals in a row before eventually being defeated by 17 points.
In the ruck, Brodie Grundy is another who has improved significantly over the last month.
At 203 centimetres, Grundy is still able to cover the ground like a man much smaller, offering Collingwood another option at ground level from stoppages.
For Todd Goldstein, it will be a similar challenge to what he experienced with Jackson Trengove last week against Port Adelaide, only with the additional threat of Grundy’s tap work.
It will be the first time North has met Collingwood at Etihad Stadium since 2013, with the following three matches all taking place at the MCG.
On that evening, in Round 1, North fell by 16 points after a late comeback fell just short.
