Every match that Collingwood plays feels like it's the most important game in the world.

But the truth is that some games matter more than others. And some have impacts that last for decades, even if that significance isn't always apparent at the time.

So here is a trawl through the history books to come up with the most significant games in Magpie history. These aren't just the biggest wins or the most memorable days, but the games that had a significant influence on the club's history.

We've excluded all finals, simply because otherwise the list would almost be completely taken up with premierships and a few painful Grand Final losses. But the home-and-away games covered in this series have had a huge impact on the club – sometimes positively, sometimes negatively. They've led to club turmoil, coaches being sacked, major changes in the game or sometimes set us on the path to a flag.

Whatever the outcome, these games represent major turning points in our club's story. And they're worth recalling.

The epic loss to Essendon in round 19, 1990, that galvanised belief this Collingwood team could finally win a flag.

"It seems the Gods have decreed that Collingwood will never win another premiership," The Australian, 13 August, 1990.

The provocative opening to Australia’s national broadsheet's match report for the Collingwood and Essendon game late in the 1990 season reflected a line of thought many football fans subscribed to - the Magpies were jinxed.

Thirty two years of heartache is hard to wash away, and it certainly wasn't coming that wet and wild afternoon at Waverley when the Bombers overcame the Magpies in an epic struggle played in front of 65,293 fans and with more than a million watching live on television.

After a tight and sometimes tense game, in which Essendon led from start to finish, Collingwood landed some late blows to go down by only six points. It was an old-fashioned arm-wrestle played out by the two best teams of 1990, but once more the Magpies had fallen short.

It was close; but unfortunately it was not close enough…

The Bombers remained on top of the ladder, retained flag favouritism and the flip side meant some still had question marks on Leigh Matthews' Magpies, even if they had finished strongly.

But as the exhausted Magpie players made their way off the ground, as disappointed as they were, many of them could sense a silver lining against the gloomy backdrop of the sky.

None were overconfident - how could you be given the club's past? – yet there was a clear sense the Bombers were suddenly beatable in the finals.

Turning Points: The first game.

Fast forward to today, and if you were to do a straw poll of Collingwood's 1990 premiership side about the moment they thought such a breakthrough was possible, many will point to that famous Sunday afternoon game towards the end of the home and away season as a critical stepping stone to the team's success just under two months later.

If it hadn't been for that round 19 clash, and Collingwood's brave fightback that fell just short, there might not have been the premiership glory that followed in early October.

The belief garnished from that game helped to drive Collingwood through an arduous finals series, and exposed more than a few chinks in Essendon's armour.

Essendon had been on top of the ladder leading into round 19, with Collingwood only percentage behind. A win would have pushed the Magpies into top spot on the ladder. The pairing of the two best teams of the season - West Coast wasn't far behind, mind you - had been talked about as "a Grand Final preview", though Matthews did his best to play down the expectation.

"Even though I know it will be billed that way I think that it's absolute rubbish ... the two sides that play ... are no certainties to play in the Grand Final ... that's eight weeks away."

Such was the interest in the game that the AFL made the decision to allow Channel Seven to telecast the game live after all available tickets were sold on the Tuesday beforehand.

AFL Chief Executive Ross Oakley explained: "Interest in the game is obviously very high ... telecasting the match live will ensure that those who couldn't buy a ticket will still be able to see it."

It wasn’t the only big news of the week. On an international level, Iraq’s Saddam Hussein ordered the invasion of neighbouring Kuwait, an event that would eventually lead to the first Gulf War. Closer to home, Victorian premier John Cain stepped down from the role after eight and half years at the helm, paving the way for Joan Kirner to become the state's first female leader.

But footy fans only cared about the match of the round, and what many thought would be one of the matches of the season.



Darren Millane fires off a handball during Collingwood's loss to Essendon in round 19, 1990.

It was to be Peter Daicos' 200th game, and he spoke confidently in the lead-up that this Collingwood 1990 side was potentially the best he had played in. He said: "We haven't proved it yet, I know, but it has the potential to be the best by far."

He had already kicked 72 goals for the season, but said a flag was always going to be more important to him than kicking a ton (he would end up three short). "Everyone likes to win awards, but winning the premiership is the prime concern ... to be with the boys later on and look back and reminisce about winning a flag - that would be the ultimate,” the Magpie forward said.

Leigh Matthews joked at Collingwood's last training session: "I think it is a magnificent gesture by the league to televise (Daicos') 200th game."

The signs were ominous for Matthews early in the game. Essendon kicked with the wind first and booted the opening four goals of the game, with Collingwood failing to kick a major in the opening term. The difference was 26 points at the first change.

Things tightened a little in the second term. The Magpies finally hit the scoreboard, booting four goals, but the Bombers managed three of their own. The deficit at half time was a more manageable 16 points.

The good work was then undone. Five goals to three in the third term in Essendon's favour pushed the margin out to 28 points.

The doomsayers were out. It looked like game over.

Then the Magpies produced a remarkable final term, kicking 4.4 to a solitary goal to storm home. Gavin Brown, back after a hamstring issue, made the different only six points, but a pulsating final few minutes ground out without a change to the margin.

With less than minute remaining, Gavin Crosisca threw his left foot onto the ball in an effort to level the scores, only for it to be smothered by Mark Thompson, who was enormous in the final term, repelling countless forays forward.

An injury-hit Essendon held on to win by six points. Collingwood wasn’t disgraced, but hadn’t been able to get over the line.

In the rooms after the game, one of the best Magpies in the game, Jamie Turner, spoke for his teammates when he said: "We will be very fired up when we see them next time, no worries about that. Hopefully we can turn it around." Mick McGuane agreed: "If we play each other in the finals, it gives us another chance at them…”

As disappointed as Matthews was, he knew there were plenty of takeaways for the future.

Tony Shaw had to deal with a painful blow to the groin in the second term which restricted him a little, even though he had 31 touches. Darren Millane was quelled by his arch rival that season, Greg Anderson, and vowed personally to make amends the next time they met (he would live up to that promise). On the other wing, Graham Wright had a rare poor game. Daicos only managed one goal in his milestone match (and was briefly switched to defence), while Brown did most of his team's scoring, kicking a game-high five goals.

That Australian newspaper report concluded: "Essendon now has defeated Collingwood twice this season for a huge psychological advantage, and knows that it can improve considerably on yesterday's performance."

The brutal nature of the game in terms of its pressure took a lot out of both sides. Collingwood lost the following week to Hawthorn by 83 points and Essendon lost to Carlton by 20 points.

Privately, at least, Matthews knew the round 19 match had the potential to be a turning point for his group of players. The next time the Magpies would meet the Bombers belief wouldn’t be an issue. So it proved, in the Second Semi-Final, and ultimately, in the Grand Final that buried the Colliwobbles forever.