Collingwoodfc.com.au has enlisted David Natoli aka DaVe86 to write this year's match previews.  David writes what are arguably, the most popular Magpie previews published on the internet.  This is his second season writing for the club website.  Please note his views are not of the clubs but of a passionate, knowledgeable member of the Magpie Army.

The match of the round for round eight is at the MCG this Friday night between Geelong and Collingwood. The clash features the only two remaining undefeated sides and will decide the outright leader on top of the AFL ladder.

Click here to fill out this week's Collingwoodfc.com.au five-question survey.

Collingwood is well rested after a bye in round seven. Geelong on the other hand is fresh from a dominant victory over North Melbourne where it was able to rest a number of key players. It is a match sure to generate a lot of public interest, as it is clearly Collingwood’s toughest challenge to date in its premiership defence.  The Magpies went past the Cats in 2010 and many believed it would be the beginning of Geelong’s inevitable slide down the ladder. However, under new coach Chris Scott, the Cats are re-energised and back to playing their best footy.

It will be interesting to see how Collingwood returns from the week off. Prior to the bye, the Magpies were playing some inconsistent football. Third quarters in particular have been an issue for Malthouse.

Under Chris Scott, Geelong has definitely tweaked its game-plan, particularly defensively.  There seems to be far more forward pressure and team defence is a bigger focus. The Cats are also kicking the ball far more than they have in the past. Nonetheless, Geelong is still playing with its trademark attacking flare, which has seen them become such a dominant force over the past four years. In particular, the Cats are still taking risks across halfback to generate forward thrusts, meaning Collingwood’s forward defensive pressure should still remain the barometer of this game. 

Recent History
The last clash between these two sides was in the preliminary final last year where Collingwood put together one of the most scintillating first quarters to put the game beyond Geelong’s reach immediately. The final margin was 41 points, although Collingwood’s lead did blow out towards 80 points before it went into Grand Final preparation mode in the last quarter. It will be remembered as the final time Gary Ablett Jnr played for Geelong and Mark Thompson coached the side.

In the home-and-away season, the sides played each other twice, and the honours were shared. However, it was the round nineteen clash, which finally cemented Collingwood’s credentials as a premiership contender. Collingwood won by 22 points despite the fact it had 12 more scoring shots. Wellingham picked up the three votes, Pendlebury the two and Joel Selwood polled one. Didak and Swan were also brilliant with 35 and 32 disposals respectively.

Following his team’s premiership success, Mick Malthouse admitted to the fact that Collingwood’s game plan was designed to counter Geelong’s ball movement. The Magpies were able to totally shut down the Cats’ run and forced a lot of turnovers. The pressure on the ball carrier was immense.

At the Selection Table
Geelong rested Steve Johnson last week and he looks certain to return for the big game this week. Brad Ottens was subbed early, but Scott has indicated that it was due to general soreness and he also looks certain to play on Friday. Cameron Ling is also set to return from a hamstring strain.

Finding a spot in the side for the returning stars will be the biggest challenge for the Geelong selection panel. Christensen is most likely to drop out to make way for Johnson after he was the substitute last week. Duncan and Menzel are the two younger players in the side, however their form has been very solid and look likely to hold their spot. Chris Scott has indicated that Cameron Mooney’s form has not been up to scratch and he may be in the selection firing line this week.

For Collingwood, Darren Jolly looks set to miss another week after he had a scope on his knee during the break. That means Cameron Wood will get another shot to impress selectors. Chris Tarrant should return after he was rested in round six prior to the bye. Ben Johnson is expected to play after injuring himself in Collingwood’s last match, however he was restricted to running laps at Tuesday’s training session. Nick Maxwell also left the training track early and might be in some doubt.

If Maxwell or Johnson are unable to prove their fitness before Friday night, they will make way for Tarrant’s return. Otherwise Simon Buckley will probably drop out. Brad Dick and Andrew Krakouer played well against the Bulldogs and will probably hold their spot another week.  Dayne Beams was also an omission for Collingwood’s last game but should regain his spot against Geelong.

Player Analysis and Tactics
Geelong will have taken a lot from watching recent Collingwood games and noticing Essendon and Western Bulldogs gaining momentum through certain stages of the match. Nonetheless, Collingwood has proven to be a terrific last quarter side and is seemingly far fitter than any of its opponents so far. Given the trend of teams coming out flat following a bye, Geelong will be keen to start well and avoid the sort of blowout that we saw in last year’s preliminary final.

Key matchup - Luke Ball v Joel Selwood
I always love watching when two quality in-and-under players go head to head around the stoppages and this matchup will not disappoint. Both are having good seasons and are well suited to the direction footy has taken in 2011. Selwood was best on ground against North Melbourne with two goals from 32 disposals. Ball has not been as prolific averaging 20 disposals, but is still averaging 7.2 tackles a game, which is crucial. Expect Selwood to get a lot of the footy around the ground, however it is the battle around the stoppages, which will be my main point of interest.

A look at Geelong
New Faces - Daniel Menzel & Mitch Duncan
The departure of Gary Ablett has given these two youngsters their first chance to really cement a spot in Geelong’s 22. So far they have not disappointed. Many have already dubbed Menzel a Steve Johnson look-a-like and there is no doubt he plays in a similar manner. Along with Duncan, he has added a new dimension to the Cats forward line, which at the moment has too many goal kickers for any backline to contain. It will be interesting to see how big a role these two get with Steve Johnson back in the side.

Resurgent Veterans - Joel Corey & Darren Milburn
I think many had forgotten about Corey after a disappointing 2010 season where he never was able to find full fitness. He has really stood up so far in 2011 and is back to his ball-winning best. Darren Milburn was also written off after 2010 and many thought he would retire. He has also proven doubters wrong so far this year and was really good against North Melbourne with 21 disposals. 

Out for Revenge - Harry Taylor
Taylor had his colours lowered in last year’s preliminary final and will be out for revenge on Friday night. It was not as if Cloke dominated throughout the match (He kicked three goals from 13 disposals), however I do think Cloke has had the better of this matchup in the previous two encounters. Harry’s form in 2011 has been OK. He was beaten by Franklin in round five but was very good last week against North Melbourne.

On Fire - James Kelly
Kelly is getting far more freedom through the middle in the absence of Ablett and has been a ball-magnet so far this year. He is coming off a 34-disposal game, and is averaging 26 disposals a game. Importantly, he is also averaging 7.5 tackles. He’ll most likely find himself standing on guys like Pendlebury and Swan throughout the game so he’ll be a really critical player on Friday night.

Needs to Lift - James Podsiadly
The big Pod is coming off his best game of the year against the Kangaroos, kicking three goals and four behinds, along with 10 marks. Importantly, he was a real presence all over the field and he provided a real target. His MCG record is still very poor and he was disappointing in the finals series last year. He’ll most likely get Chris Tarrant as an opponent who is coming off an extended break, so it is his chance to claim a big scalp and turn his fortunes on footy’s biggest stage.

The Speed Demon - David Wojcinski
He is another cat with a new lease of life in 2011 and his speed has been so essential in a team that many thought were slowing down. He takes the game on and very few can catch him at full flight.

A Look at Collingwood
Time to Shine: Cameron Wood
Without Jolly, Wood is getting some consistent game time under his belt. I think he has been good to date and has proven a more than adequate back up for Jolly. Nonetheless, he faces a huge task this Friday night when he will face Brad Ottens. Ottens has enjoyed playing Collingwood in the past and has always had a big impact. However, Jolly was able to curtail his impact in 2010. Wood needs to step up and play a big game against a quality opponent.

Big-game Player - Leigh Brown
Despite a quiet start to the season, Brown has steadily improved with every game and was the difference in the last quarter against the Bulldogs with four goals. It was enough to see his opponent Brian Lake sent back to the VFL. He was terrific in the preliminary final last year and typically stands up on the big stage. He is also very important in the absence of Jolly because he will help share the void with Wood in the ruck. Fortunately, Geelong is also using a non-traditional back-up ruckman and has been using Mooney with Hawkins to assist Ottens.

The stars - Pendlebury and Swan
Both Swan and Pendlebury were terrific against Geelong last year and are having terrific seasons so far. Pendlebury in particular has elevated his status even higher and would most likely be leading the club best-and-fairest this year. In 2010, Geelong was unable to tight tag these two players with Ling absolutely run off his legs.

The X-Factor - Andrew Krakouer
Krakouer played his best game for Collingwood against the Bulldogs in round six and will be looking to cement his spot in the side against a high quality opponent. With Dick, Davis, Sidebottom and Blair in the side, the Magpies have so many small goal-scoring options that are terrific crumbers and can play a variety of roles. It is going to be tough for any side to contain all of them.

In form - Heath Shaw
I think Shaw’s season so far has been terrific and has perhaps snuck under the radar with Swan and Pendlebury so dominant. Run off half back is such a crucial component of footy, and Shaw is one of the best at it. Importantly, he marshals his defenders and always plays with a high intensity, which sets the tone for his teammates. He has probably been Collingwood’s most consistent player this year and would have to be in All-Australian contention.

Will benefit from the Break - Chris Dawes
He started the season like a house on fire but has been a bit quieter in recent weeks. He’ll most likely face Tom Lonergan as an opponent who has also been in good form. This matchup will be crucial. The Magpies will always get a good return from their smalls, but if Cloke and Dawes are also kicking five or six between them then the Magpies are near impossible to beat.

The Wrap up
It’s hard to tip this one. I think Geelong is actually in better form and is looking a bit sharper. However, I think Collingwood still possesses the game plan to unravel the Cats attacking flare. The Pies have been in second gear so I expect them to come out really intense and keen to get the wood over their main contender to the premiership this year.

Despite the fact that the Cats look re-invigorated and will be pumped up to re-establish themselves as the best in the competition, I’m tipping the Magpies to win this game.  I think we’ll see the tackling pressure rise to a new level.

Pies by 15
By David Natoli
Aka DaVe86