COLLINGWOOD sent an ominous warning to the rest of the competition in defeating Hawthorn at he MCG on Sunday.

Like most teams in the AFL, the Hawks tailored a game plan to defeat the reigning premiers and while it helped them into third position on the ladder heading into round 15, it fell short by 41 points in its first test against the Pies.

"We stuck to our structures like we've been doing all year," defender Simon Buckley said.

"We knew that Hawthorn had developed a game plan to counteract that, so to come out, not change what we do [and still win] really sets a good scene for the rest of the competition.

"It's pretty evident that we play the press. Coming up against a team that likes to kick it short and bring it through the centre … our game plan suited that.

"We made a conscious effort to cut off those short kicks and prevent them from running it from their backline because we know they've got some fantastic kicks coming out of defence.

"We're not going to change what we're doing. It still works, so hopefully we can continue that throughout the year."

Buckley, 24, played his eighth game for the Pies on Sunday after failing to make his debut in black and white in 2010 - his first year with the club that picked him up with the 85th pick overall at the 2009 national draft.

Four years at Melbourne yielded 21 games before Buckley came to a career crossroads when the Demons made the decision to delist him. But that seems a long time ago now that he's part of a unit gunning for back-to-back flags. 

"When we play like we did today it makes anyone look good," he said after his 24-possession match against the Hawks.

"Mick's really drilled that [team-first mentality] into us. As long as you stick to the structures every week - that's all Mick and the coaches are looking for."