As the Magpies prepare to head to the Gold Coast, Collingwood Media has compiled its two-minute guide to the team’s clash with the Suns at Metricon Stadium.

At Selection
Collingwood may have to contend without the services of Alan Toovey, who was substituted out of Sunday’s loss to Richmond owing to a jarred knee.

Those who may push for selection include Jackson Ramsay and Steele Sidebottom, who will undergo fitness tests ahead of the weekend.

Sam Dwyer, Alex Fasolo, Corey Gault and Tony Armstrong all performed strongly in the VFL at Punt Road and will be hoping to find their way into the final 22.

The Suns, meanwhile, Harley Bennell will be forced to prove his fitness after receiving a knock to the fat pad on his knee during their loss to West Coast on Saturday night.

Those on the verge of a return include Luke Russell (illness), Adam Saad (hamstring) and Tom Lynch (calf), who have each overcome their respective ailments.

A happy hunting ground?
Collingwood’s time on the Gold Coast has been anything but happy in recent years.

The Magpies never lost at the Carrara ground (currently known as Metricon Stadium) during their meetings with the Brisbane Bears in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

BY THE NUMBERS: Magpies and Suns.

But things have soured in recent years, with narrow losses to the Suns (by seven points in 2013 and by five points in 2014).

The 2014 loss was particularly galling, for the Pies had established a handy lead midway through the second quarter but frittered away several chances to close the match, kicking 10.15 for the evening.

The Rocket factor
Just how much has changed since Rocket Rodney Eade left the Westpac Centre last spring?

We’ll get a better idea on Saturday night when Collingwood’s ex-Director of Football takes on his former colleague Nathan Buckley from the coaches box.

Eade was on deck for the first 70 games of Buckley’s coaching career, first in his guise as the club’s Football Strategist before succeeding Geoff Walsh as the Director of Football.

The skipper
It’s a big night for captain Scott Pendlebury who will run out in the Black and White jumper for the 200th time.

Pendlebury has been destined for stardom since kicking a goal with his first kick in league football back in round 10, 2006.

BY THE NUMBERS: #PENDLES200.

His trophy cabinet includes a premiership medallion, five All-Australian gongs and three Copelands amongst a stack of other accolades.

Overall record (since 2011)
Collingwood v Gold Coast
Played: 4
Won: 2
Lost: 2
Drawn: 0

Highest score
Collingwood 23.11 (149) def. Gold Coast 7.10 (52) in round 10, 2012.

Lowest score
Collingwood 10.15 (75) def. by Gold Coast 11.14 (80) in round 16, 2014.

Largest crowd
36,913 in round 10, 2012, at the MCG.

Smallest crowd
19,721 in round 17, 2013, at Metricon Stadium.

Did you know?
The club has only been in the AFL for five years, but already Gold Coast has its links with the men from Collingwood.

Danny Stanley, who spent three years at the Westpac Centre, is ranked seventh on the Suns’ list of games played since 2011, while current assistant coach Josh Fraser played 200 senior games for the Magpies after debuting in 2000.

Of course, the Suns’ inaugural coach Guy McKenna was once a Collingwood assistant, and Sam Iles spent time at both clubs between 2006 and 2012.

And that’s without mentioning Rocket.