NO STARS here, just an honest working-class club based on the "champion team" concept rather than a "team of champions".

Collingwood captain Scott Burns says his club is happy to fly under the recognition radar as it pushes for the ultimate prize when asked if his club was less dependent on its stars than Saturday night's semi-final opponent St Kilda.

"Oh, we've always been an even side, probably ever since (coach) Mick (Malthouse) has been here," he said.
"That's probably one of our advantages.

"You're probably selling St Kilda a little bit short, I think they're very even as well, obviously with Nick (Riewoldt) and Lenny Hayes and a few of those guys, they've got the stars of the competition in their team, but we are pretty even."

Burns then revisited an old but favourite theme at Collingwood, noting that Magpies players were constant omissions from sides such as the All-Australian representative team.

"Having said that, I think we've got a few blokes that probably haven't had the recognition they deserve this year or the year before," he said.

"It's probably just a little bit of everything, I suppose.

"You hear things or see things – I think we have got stars in our team, but maybe because we are a bit dour (in the way we play) at times (they don't stand out).

"Leon (Davis) had a quiet four or five weeks, but other than that, he's been absolutely outstanding, and I'm sure if you look at all the candidates that are in those squads, there are probably players that have had two, three or four down weeks.

"But that's the way it goes – we're just pretty happy to be playing in a Collingwood jumper each week."