Collingwood and Brisbane have only met each other once in pre-season history and haven’t gone head-to-head at Docklands in over 10 years.

But historical quirks aren't the only talking points leading into Saturday night's NAB Cup clash as the two clubs are still in contention for a place in next week’s Grand Final.

Match Details
Collingwood v Brisbane
NAB Cup Round Three
Saturday 9 March 2013
Etihad Stadium

Start time
Local: 6.40pm

Pre-Season Head to Head
Collingwood: 0
Brisbane: 1

1991 Foster’s Cup
Collingwood 11.17 (83)
Brisbane 20.20 (140)
Crowd: 12,461 at the Gabba

The match is memorable because…it is the only one played between the two teams in pre-season history. It was Collingwood's first game of the 1991 season, only four months after it claimed its first premiership in 32-years. The Magpies had partied all summer long, defeating Essendon by 33 points in an exhibition match in London in the process. But once '91 got underway, it was a different story. The Bears 57-point win on home soil was the first sign that 1991 was not going to go according to plan.

In another life…
Before Fitzroy merged with Brisbane

1968 Golden Fleece Cup
Collingwood 16.10 (106)
Fitzroy 10.22 (82)
Crowd: 14,285 at Lake Oval

Football was a lot different when Collingwood first played Fitzroy in a Night Series match.

For starters, the match was not played during the pre-season. In fact, it was played in the spring of 1968 as a knockout tournament contested by the eight VFL teams that failed to make the finals series.

Collingwood met the Roys on a Tuesday night in early September at South Melbourne's Lake Oval. In the first match of the night competition, then known as the Golden Fleece Cup, the Magpies ran out 24-point victors over its neighbour.

The night was memorable for the performance of glamour full forward Peter McKenna. The famous No. 6 bagged 10 goals against the Roys, which still stands as a club record in the night series/pre-season competition.

McKenna's haul rubbed salt into the wounds of the Lions faithful for he had kicked seven against them when the two clubs last met in round 13 of the home and away season.

The team went on to face Hawthorn two weeks later in front of 15,336 at the same venue but was no match for the Hawks who, after defeating the Pies by 34-points went on to win the Grand Final against North Melbourne in convincing fashion.

When did these teams last play at Etihad?
In the 13 years since it began hosting league matches, Collingwood has only met the Brisbane Lions at Docklands on one occasion. But what a game it was.

Collingwood's three-point win over the reigning premiers in round eight, 2002, is still one of the club's most fondly remembered performances of the modern era.

Played in front of 46,279 fans (the second largest crowd the Pies had played in front at the venue to that point in time), Collingwood stuck with the all-conquering Lions at half time before putting the foot down with a six-goal burst in the third quarter.

Trailing by 15-points at the final change, Brisbane threw everything at the Magpies in the last quarter. It recorded 10 scoring shots to three but some desperate efforts on the last line of defence by Jason Cloke, Shane Wakelin and Glenn Freeborn helped see Collingwood to a three-point win that nearly lifted the roof off what was then known as Colonial Stadium.

Captain Nathan Buckley was typically brilliant under pressure, gathering 31 possessions and kicking two goals. He earned three Brownlow votes for his troubles.

Chris Tarrant was on fire in attack, kicking 5.3 against a young Craig Bolton (who went on to become a star at Sydney), but it was Rupert Betheras who turned the game on its head. He kicked three goals in a matter of minutes (split between the third and fourth quarters), swinging the pendulum in Collingwood's favour.

Most Pre-Season games (current players)
24 – Ben Johnson
21 – Quinten Lynch (WCE, Coll)
20 – Dane Swan
19 – Luke Ball (StK; Coll), Alan Didak
19 – Travis Cloke, Heath Shaw
17 – Darren Jolly (Melb; Syd; Coll), Andrew Krakouer (Rich; Coll), Nick Maxwell, Dale Thomas
16 – Scott Pendlebury

Most Pre-Season goals (current players)
27 – Travis Cloke
17 – Alan Didak
16 – Andrew Krakouer (Rich; Coll)
15 – Quinten Lynch (WCE)
12 – Dane Swan
*The record for the most goals kicked by a Collingwood player in a pre-season/night series competition is held by Peter McKenna (10 goals v Fitzroy in round 1, 1968.

Most Nine-Point Super Goals
3 – Alan Didak
2 – Dayne Beams, Travis Cloke, Paul Seedsman, Dane Swan
1 – Luke Ball, Marty Clarke, Darren Jolly, Heath Shaw, Ben Sinclair
*The record for the most nine-point super goals kicked by a Collingwood player is held by Ryan Lonie (5).

Second round form
Football followers rarely know exactly what to draw from the pre-season competition, but most would agree that Collingwood's 20-point win over West Coast bodes very well for the months to come.

The Magpies, without as many as 11 recognised senior players, stayed with the Eagles for the first half before pulling away in the second to complete a relatively comfortable victory.

Predictably, Scott Pendlebury, Heath Shaw and Dane Swan were prolific, but the efforts of youngsters Paul Seedsman and Jamie Elliott were what caught the eye.

Brisbane was also triumphant, albeit in vastly different circumstances and against a completely different opposition.

The fledging Greater Western Sydney gave the Lions a great run for their money throughout and was only three-points short when the siren went.

The biggest story to arise from the match from a Brisbane perspective was Aaron Cornelius' five goals at full forward. Patrick Karnezis and Dayne Zorko were also impressive in a side that is still yet to regain Simon Black and Jonathan Brown.

Players to watch
Collingwood
Jack Frost – less than a year ago, Frost was battling to overcome a nasty hip injury that saw him confined to the Williamstown reserves. How things change. He's now making a name for himself as a key defender in Collingwood's NAB Cup squad, taking on the likes of Dean Cox and Patrick Ryder as he pushes his case to promotion to the senior list at some stage this year.

Josh Thomas – everyone knew that the Queenslander was hungry to take his chance against the Eagles after three years marred by serious foot injuries. His thirst for the contest shone through immediately as he went about gathering 13 possessions and laying four tackles in only a half of football.

Dayne Beams – Beams was an absentee in Collingwood's win in Perth last week, but should he return against the Lions, fans will see him with his freshly shaved head for the first time.

Brisbane
Patrick Karnezis – now in his third year at the club, Karnezis is displaying all the signs of a player on the rise. He helped himself to 26 possessions in last week's win over the Giants and is tipped for big things after learning his craft at reserve grade level for much of last year.

Claye Beams – Collingwood fans will witness Beams (if selected) take on his older brother Dayne for the first time at senior level. Like his brother, Claye has a distinctive sleeve tattoo and the happy knack of winning the hard ball.

Aaron Cornelius – although he stands at 192cm, the Tasmanian packs a punch as a key forward. He has drifted in and out of Brisbane's line up during the past three years but is a proven goal scorer and marks well for his size.

The interchange rule
The AFL has advised teams that they will be able to name three interchange players and three substitute players for rounds two and three of the competition.

Clubs were initially advised that teams would comprise three interchange players and one substitute player.

In the case of extreme heat, clubs will be able to convert the three substitutes into full interchange players, allowing six on the bench without any cap on rotations.

Injuries
Collingwood
Jackson Paine (shoulder) – 1 week
Ben Reid (knee) – 1-2 weeks
Luke Ball (knee) – 2-3 weeks
Alan Didak (hamstring) – 2-3 weeks
Dale Thomas (ankle) – 3-4 weeks
Michael Hartley (shoulder) – 4 weeks
Tim Broomhead (Glandular Fever) – 4 weeks
Corey Gault (groin) – 6 weeks
Brodie Grundy (back) – 6 weeks
Lachlan Keeffe (knee) – indefinite

Brisbane
Simon Black (knee) – 4 weeks
Brent Staker (knee) – 5 weeks
Michael Close (foot) – 7 weeks
Jesse O’Brien (adductor) – indefinite

Broadcast guide
Click here to view the broadcast guide for Collingwood's third round NAB Cup encounter with Brisbane.

What happens next
At this stage, it's all up in the air.

Collingwood and Brisbane are both among the contenders for a spot for next week's NAB Cup Grand Final. The two teams, along with Carlton and North Melbourne, enter the third round as the four undefeated sides.

The Blues, who play Adelaide at AAMI Stadium on Friday night, will be sure to reach the Grand Final should they win (barring a miracle) due to their remarkable percentage (185.4%).

North Melbourne faces Geelong down at Simonds Stadium where a win won't come easily. But should they prevail, the Roos will be looking to boost their percentage (currently 111.2%) above that of Brisbane (143.2%) and Collingwood (129.8%) to give themselves a sniff at reaching the final.

A thumping win by the Kangaroos could mean that Collingwood can beat the Lions and still miss the Grand Final. But a comfortable win to either Collingwood or Brisbane would see them in a strong position to play for some early-autumn silverware.

So many permutations, so many possibilities!