Take an in-depth look at what the 2014 home and away fixture has in store for Collingwood's players, coaches and fans. Please note: All times listed are local.

Round One (Friday 14 March - Seven): Collingwood v Fremantle, Etihad Stadium (home), 7.50pm
Under Ross Lyon, Fremantle has become an ‘anywhere, any time’ team. The first game of the new season shouldn’t daunt last year's Grand Finalists. But neither will it daunt the mighty Pies, who will be hungry to atone for the early finals exit against Port Adelaide. On 14 March 2013, the Melbourne temperature hit 24.2 degrees. Two days earlier, it peaked at 36.2 degrees. The moral of the story: slip slop slap before you reach Docklands (yes, we realise it’s a 7.50pm start). There’s only 134 days to go. Bring it on.

Since 2009
Collingwood: 4
Fremantle: 1

Round Two (Saturday 29 March - Seven): Sydney v Collingwood, ANZ Stadium (away), 7.40pm
The Magpie Army will paint the airports in Black and White as the team leaves Victoria for the first time for the season. A meeting with Buddy Franklin and Kurt Tippett at the Olympic Stadium awaits. Who takes Buddy? Who goes to Tippett? It might an early indicator as to where Ben Reid will spend most of his footy next season, and it represents an early opportunity for Jesse White to tackle his old mates. An early win on the road always does wonders for player and supporter morale.

Since 2009
Collingwood: 6
Sydney: 2

Round Three (Saturday 5 April - Seven): Collingwood v Geelong, MCG (home), 7.40pm
Another Saturday night match against the Cats – our fourth in a row, in fact. A few familiar faces, particularly bald ones (Chapman, Podsiadly and Hunt – who have been respected thorns in our side for years), will be absent for the first time in a long time. Just quietly, we haven’t lost to the Cats since the 2011 Grand Final. Long may we keep it that way!

Since 2009
Collingwood: 5
Geelong: 6

Round Four (Friday 11 April - Seven): Richmond v Collingwood, MCG (away), 7.50pm
For the seventh year in succession, we only meet Richmond once for the season. In the first six of these years, we’ve won quite convincingly. This meeting promises to be a little tougher with the Tigers well and truly on the march, so a win over our rival from the other end of Hoddle Street at this stage of the year is sure to be well received.

Since 2009
Collingwood: 5
Richmond: 0

Round Five (Saturday 19 April - FOX): Collingwood v North Melbourne, MCG (home), 1.40pm?
Our earliest start to a match for the year will see us meet the Roos on a Saturday afternoon at the MCG. North’s definitely a team on the rise and Magpie fans will get their first live look at Nick Dal Santo in his new colours. Expect both teams to be playing a little tighter than what they did when they met in round 23 this year.

Since 2009
Collingwood: 5
North Melbourne: 2

Round Six (Friday 2 April - Seven): Collingwood v Essendon, MCG (home), 2.40pm
ANZAC Day at the ‘G. There is nothing like it. Unfortunately our most recent memories of these clashes aren’t happy ones – Essendon dealt us a 46-point beating earlier this year. Players, coaches and fans alike will be keen to atone and put in a performance fit for the occasion.

Since 2009
Collingwood: 8
Essendon: 2

Round Seven (Friday 2 May - Seven): Carlton v Collingwood, MCG (away), 7.10pm
Nothing gets the Black and White blood boiling like the sight of a Navy Blue jumper. Fortunately, we took the points in both meetings in 2013 in memorable fashion. A repeat in 2014 would be nice. There’s also a familiar face that may bob up in Carlton’s No. 39. His name? Dale Thomas.

Since 2009
Collingwood: 7
Carlton: 3

Round Eight: Bye
Switch off for a week and watch the other 17 teams slug it out, head along to a suburban ground to watch our VFL team unearth our next senior star or mown the lawn that you haven’t touched since February...

Round Nine (Thursday 15 May - Seven): Adelaide v Collingwood, Adelaide Oval (away), 7.20pm
Now for something completely different...it’s Thursday night footy! In a further twist, it will be our first game at the newly revamped Adelaide Oval. The redevelopment looks spectacular and the ground is set to retain some of the old school charm that makes it one of the best in the country. The Crows fell out of the eight in 2013 but have a relatively young list with some of the most talented players in the game. Book your tickets early.

Since 2009
Collingwood: 6
Adelaide: 1

Round 10 (Saturday 24 May - FOX): Collingwood v West Coast, MCG (home), 4.40pm
Our first meeting with a West Coast side without John Worsfold at the helm since round 12, 2001. We won that match by 81 points. It’d be nice to bookend Woosha’s tenure with similar results, but new coach Adam Simpson won’t be a pushover. The return of Scott Burns after five years as an Eagles assistant should provide our midfields with some nifty ways to combat the likes of Matthew Priddis and Luke Shuey in the centre square.

Since 2009
Collingwood: 7
West Coast: 1

Round 11 (Friday 30 May - Seven): St Kilda v Collingwood, Etihad Stadium (away), 7.50pm
In case you weren’t aware of how quickly things have changed since the famous 2010 Grand Finals, 22 of the 46 players to have played for the two teams across the two games are now elsewhere. But with names like Nick Riewoldt, Lenny Hayes and Leigh Montagna still in their arsenal, the Saints can’t be discounted. Etihad Stadium has been the scene of several intriguing battles between the two clubs in recent years, ranging from St Kilda’s all-out flood in round six, 2002, to the physical and hotly contested battle of round three, 2010.

Since 2009
Collingwood: 6
St Kilda: 0
Drawn: 1

Round 12 (Monday 9 June - Seven): Melbourne v Collingwood, MCG (away), 3.20pm
The annual Queen’s Birthday clash will have a new flavour in 2014 as Paul Roos comes to town. The crowd of 50,835 was the lowest Queen’s Birthday turnout since the concept was revitalised in 1999, so hopefully fans of both clubs rally and pack the MCG to the rafters on the public holiday.

Since 2009
Collingwood: 6
Melbourne: 0
Drawn: 1

Round 13 (Sunday 15 June - Seven): Collingwood v Western Bulldogs, Etihad Stadium (home), 3.20pm
A home game against the Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium – our fourth since 2008. The Dogs showed in the second half of the season that they are a team on the rise so it will be interesting to see where they’re at 13 rounds into next year. Hopefully new Director of Football Rodney Eade still has a deep knowledge of what some of the older Dogs are capable of!

Since 2009
Collingwood: 7
Western Bulldogs: 1

Round 14 (Saturday 21 June - FOX): Hawthorn v Collingwood, MCG (away), 2.10pm
Games against the Hawks have been nothing but trouble for several years now, dating back to their win over us in a twilight encounter at Docklands midway through 2007. Since then, they’ve won 10 of our past 13 meetings. The players will be hungry to discover how far they’ve progressed in their first encounter with Hawthorn since round 21, 2013, and for once there will be no Buddy Franklin to contend with.

Since 2009
Collingwood: 3
Hawthorn: 7

Round 15 (Sunday 29 June - Seven): Collingwood v Carlton, MCG (home), 7.40pm
Sunday night football at the MCG. This’ll be something different. Fortunately, it is set to land during the Melbourne school holidays. For the omen lovers and the superstitious among us, we beat the Blues by 41 points in the corresponding game last year.

Round 16 (Saturday 5 July - FOX): Gold Coast v Collingwood, Metricon Stadium (away), 4.40pm
A twilight match on a Saturday afternoon in July against the Suns...is this Groundhog Day? Please no! The players are sure to take a steely mindset up to the Coast for our fourth ever meeting with the Suns who outlasted us in our only encounter in 2013. As an aside, Gary Ablett has feasted on 49 and 53 possessions in our past two meetings. Hopefully things don’t come in threes...

Since 2011
Collingwood: 2
Gold Coast: 1

Round 17 (Sunday 13 July - Seven): Essendon v Collingwood, MCG (away), 3.20pm
We’ve been undefeated against the Bombers in three of the past four years. Hopefully we’re aiming to improve that record by the time this match rolls around.

Round 18 (Sunday 27 July - FOX): Collingwood v Adelaide, MCG (home), 4.40pm
The MCG has been a happy hunting ground for us against the Crows, losing only two of our nine encounters at the home of footy since 1991.

Round 19 (Sunday 3 August - FOX): Collingwood v Port Adelaide, MCG (home), 4.40pm
The final game of the round could well the best. We’ll be hungry to atone for the early finals exist of 2013 that left a bitter taste in Magpie mouths. We averaged only eight goals per game in our two meetings with the Power this year, and it’s a stat that’s unlikely to get past Nathan Buckley and his cohort in the lead up to this match.

Since 2009
Collingwood: 5
Port Adelaide: 2

Round 20 (Sunday 10 August - FOX): West Coast v Collingwood, Patersons Stadium (away), 2.40pm
Our fourth Sunday game in a row, and our third twilight fixture in as many weeks. No matter how well worn the path across the Nullarbor becomes, it never gets any easier. It looms as an important match as we hopefully gear up for our ninth consecutive finals appearance.

Round 21 (Saturday 16 August - FOX): Collingwood v Brisbane, MCG (home), 7.40pm
The Magpie Army will get its first look at Justin Leppitsch’s Brisbane Lions in the third last game of the home and away season. Will Jackson Paine be playing for the Lions? Can Patrick Karnezis give us some hints as to how to combat his old side? We’ve got 10 months to go until we find out.

Since 2009
Collingwood: 5
Brisbane: 1

Round 22 (Saturday 23 August - FOX): Greater Western Sydney v Collingwood, Sydney Showgrounds (away), 4.40pm
Our first meeting with Heath Shaw since he traded in the Black and White for orange and charcoal must wait until the penultimate round of the season. It will be a good chance to measure how far the Giants have progressed, and an opportunity for Taylor Adams to say g’day to his old teammates.

Since 2012
Collingwood: 2
Greater Western Sydney: 0

Round 23 (TBC): Collingwood v Hawthorn, MCG (home)
Since 2010, the AFL has employed a floating final round fixture to ensure that all finals contenders receive the fairest result possible heading into September. We will have to wait until later in the 2014 season before we find out exactly when we will meet the Hawks for the second time.