Incredibly, the Magpies have not used 40 or more players in 24 years.
They last did so in 1989 when they used 41 players, although it must be remembered that it was in a time when club’s senior lists stretched a lot longer than what they do in 2013.
In fact, Collingwood has only used 40 players or more in only 14 of the 117 seasons since the VFL began back in 1897.
The club record for the most players used in a single season is 49, set in 1943 when the side finished in 10th position under Jock McHale.
Collingwood has made the finals in only five of the previous 13 times it has used 40 or more players.
In 2013, Collingwood has used more players than all clubs bar the two expansion teams.
Greater Western Sydney has used 43 players so far and Gold Coast 40.
Next in line is Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs who have used 38 players each.
The only players on Collingwood's list to have not played a senior game in 2013 are Corey Gault, Jackson Paine, first-year duo Tim Broomhead and Jackson Ramsay and rookies Michael Hartley, Ben Richmond and Peter Yagmoor.
Grundy also had the honour of becoming the Pies’ eighth debutant of the season which is more than any other club in the competition.
Since 1990, the Magpies have blooded eight or more players in a single season on seven occasions but only once did they reach the finals.
That was back in 2007 when players the calibre of Alan Toovey, Tyson Goldsack, Marty Clarke and Ben Reid played their first games for the club in a season that saw Collingwood finish only five points short of Geelong in the Preliminary Final.
Could the likes of Sam Dwyer, Josh Thomas, Jarrod Witts, Grundy and friends pull off another September to remember?
We don’t have to wait long to find out.
Collingwood’s 2013 debutants
Sam Dwyer (round one v North Melbourne)
Jack Frost (round one v North Melbourne)
Josh Thomas (round one v North Melbourne)
Ben Kennedy (round six v St Kilda)
Jarrod Witts (round six v St Kilda)
Kyle Martin (round 10 v Brisbane)
Adam Oxley (round 11 v Western Bulldogs)
Brodie Grundy (round 18 v Greater Western Sydney)
Most debutants in 2013
Adelaide: 4
Brisbane: 6
Carlton: 4
Collingwood: 8
Essendon: 3
Fremantle: 3
Gold Coast: 4
Greater Western Sydney: 5
Geelong: 3
Hawthorn: 5
Melbourne: 6
North Melbourne: 2
Port Adelaide: 4
Richmond: 2
St Kilda: 7
Sydney: 5
West Coast: 5
Western Bulldogs: 5
