> Get the latest news inside the Lexus Centre with this week's 'Magpie Minute'


Where and when: MCG, Saturday, July 18, 7.10pm
Head to head: Collingwood 93 wins, Hawthorn 54 wins
Last time: Hawthorn 17.14 (116) d Collingwood 8.14 (62), round 18, 2008, at the MCG

MISSING IN ACTION
Josh Fraser (knee) – 1 week
Brent Macaffer (knee) – 1-2 weeks
Sean Rusling (hip flexor) – 1-2 weeks
Anthony Rocca (achilles) – 3-4 weeks
Johnny Bennell (collarbone) – 4-6 weeks

FORM
Collingwood: WWWWW
Hawthorn: WLLLW

SUMMARY
Collingwood seems close to unstoppable at the minute. It'd be interesting to see just how far off the pace the Pies are – if at all – from the likes of St Kilda and Geelong. Unfortunately they don't play either for the rest of the home and away season. However Collingwood's win over the Western Bulldogs last week was its seventh in a row, the best run since its premiership year of 1990. Is that a pointer to bigger things ahead? Regardless of the current streak, coach Mick Malthouse couldn't be much happier with his side. Alan Didak and Dane Swan are carving up through the middle, his team is kicking big scores while his unheralded backline is doing its job week after week.

Hawthorn's finals flame is still flickering after its come-from-behind win over North Melbourne last week. While the Hawks aren't playing anywhere near their best, at least they gutsed out the four points and showed some genuine hunger to stay afloat in 2009. Just as pleasing was the form of their two best players. When the going got tough in the last quarter, Luke Hodge and Lance Franklin got going. This week Alastair Clarkson's men will need to lift another cog, and they will need one of their best defensive efforts of the year against one of the in-form teams of the competition.

QUESTION MARKS
- Alan Didak has had 24 or more kicks in all of his last five matches. Which Hawk will get the unenviable task of minding the Magpie matchwinner?

- Simon Prestigiacomo didn't play in either of last year's clashes when Lance Franklin went bananas. He will take either Jarryd Roughead or Buddy. Just how much of an impact will his presence have?

- Collingwood has spread the load in front of goal superbly in recent weeks, including double-figure goalkickers in the past three weeks. Can the Hawks shut down all their options?

Blake Caracella on stopping Lance Franklin
"Buddy looked very dangerous in the last quarter last week. He kicked four goals and could've probably kicked five or six. Hopefully he doesn't bring his A-game this week, like he did against us last year.

"But it won't just be up to one of our defenders, on whoever's playing on Buddy. It's up to the whole team trying to stop their attack. Hopefully we can win the ball in the midfield, win the stoppages, get the ball going our way and then Buddy can't get the ball from that end of the ground."

VFL
Collingwood's VFL team, fifth on the ladder, faces a huge clash this weekend when it meets the fourth-placed Casey Scorpions. The Magpies' reserve grade side is in good form, having won its past two matches in convincing fashion. They play at Trevor Barker Beach Oval on Saturday, with the first bounce at 1.10pm.

Collingwood VFL line-up:
B: Dyas, Thoolen, Reed
HB: Francis, Reid, Corrie
C: Wellingham, Barham, Blight
HF: Cook, Dawes, Stanley
F: Cox, Bryan, Rounds
Foll: Keefe, Sidebottom, Clarke
Int: (from) K Pendlebury, Ceglar, Colbert, Hunt, Mahoney, Peverill, Sundburg, Walker, Hayes

The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.