Where and when: Gabba, Friday, April 17, 7.40pm

Head to head: Brisbane Lions 17 wins, Collingwood 17 wins

Last time: Brisbane Lions 13.18 (96) d Collingwood 13.16 (94), round 2, 2008 at Gabba

Apart from their wasteful goalkicking, the rest of Collingwood’s game looks in decent shape. They matched the Cats for inside 50s and contested footy, so if they can just finish their good work from further afield they’ll be right in the hunt.

The loss of some key personnel – skipper Nick Maxwell, Heath Shaw and Ben Johnson – is a big blow but Mick Malthouse has more depth at his disposal than most, so he’ll be confident of covering the trio’s absence.

The backline has a big task but if they can match the Lions’ tall timber, the Pies will be right in it.

In his first year in charge at the Brisbane Lions, coach Michael Voss would happily have taken a 2-1 start to the season. If his side can get over the top of a slightly-depleted Collingwood, Voss will be delighted.

Given the hard-edged way his team went about things against the Swans last week, the impartial fan would give the Lions a big chance against the Magpies, a team they have caused plenty of headaches for in the past.

The double act of Jonathan Brown and Daniel Bradshaw appears the major ace up Voss’s sleeve. The pair both booted four goals last week and more favourable conditions would make them a real handful for the Collingwood defence.

Question marks
- How will Anthony Rocca fare in his first game back since round 13 last year and just how much can the Pies expect from their ageing veteran?

- The Magpies are down three defenders from last week with skipper Nick Maxwell, Heath Shaw and Ben Johnson all out. How will that effect the side and is Collingwood’s depth as strong as the pundits believe?

- The likes of Simon Black and Jonathan Brown have been able to get hold of Collingwood at times in recent years. Can Mick Malthouse’s young side, on foreign soil and in front of a vocal home crowd, keep the Lions’ big guns quiet?

What Collingwood 200-gamer Shane O’Bree says
“Brisbane have probably slipped under the radar a little bit. They play it [the Gabba] so well.

“The good thing for us is we know we travel well and we always match up well against them. So we know it’s going to be a close game, so hopefully we come away with a win.

“The morale [of the group] is really good. If you look over the first three games we could be three and zip, so there’s no need to get down in the dumps because we’re 1-2.”