An intriguing battle looms this Saturday night when Collingwood takes on arch-nemesis Brisbane at the Gabba. The Magpies have not beaten the Lions at the Gabba since 1995, Nathan Buckley and Scott Burns the only players remaining from that squad.

Can we pull off what would be one of the greatest wins since Mick Malthouse took charge in 2000? Victory would confirm us as a leading chance for the final eight and a contender for the top four. A loss, on the other hand, would jolt us back into the pack of clubs vying for a position in the lower reaches of the eight. Can it be done? There should be no shortage of motivation in the Magpie camp, for this has been the single club standing in our way from the ultimate success in recent times, and it’s time to change the state of play – Brisbane need to fear us, and realise that we are still the real deal.

The Match Ups:
Although the majority of the Lions greats from their triple premiership sides of the early decade have moved on, there are still a number who have the ability to cause us trouble.

The key man to hold is Jonathon Brown at centre half forward. Arguably the best player in the competition, Brown is the man who leads Brisbane from the front. If shut down, their team becomes dysfunctional. Simon Prestigiacomo has done the job on Brown in the past, as is likely to be the first man Malthouse uses to quell his influence. With James Clement also a chance to return to the side, and Harry O'Brien on the improve with every week, the Pies have enough players to choose from if things go awry.

The onball engineroom of Simon Black, Luke Power and Nigel Lappin are as good as any going around, and the way our midfield competes with theirs will make for interesting viewing. If he returns, Paul Licuria may be the one to lockdown on Black, with the rest of our onballers in Dane Swan, Shane O’Bree and the indestructible Scott Burns our prized ball winners.

The form guide:
Midway through the third term, 25 points in the clear, it seemed Collingwood were destined to record their four victory in succession. But alas, the Western Bulldogs finished the match full of running, outscoring us in the second half with 13 goals to three, rounding out comfortable 35 point victors.

The day prior at the same venue, Brisbane was convincingly outclassed by a hungry Essendon unit to the tune of 64 points. With Brown well held by former teammate Mal Michael and only six goals scored for the day, the Lions were never in the hunt, the loss their second in succession.

Head to Head since 2000:
Collingwood: 3
Brisbane: 9
The one club Collingwood have truly struggled against since 2000, and even prior, is the Brisbane Lions. On only three of the 12 occasions the two have met this decade have the Pies triumphed, we have to go back to 1996 to find our most recent win prior to 2002.

But it was worth the wait, for our win in round eight of that season heralded the arrival of the baby Magpies. With three wins on the trot leading up to the bout of first and second on the league ladder, Collingwood was primed, the experts labelling the clash as the true test of the team’s mettle.

They passed with flying colours, a six goal to two third term set up the three point cliffhanger, Nathan Buckley, Anthony Rocca were the keys, while Chris Tarrant (five goals) and Rupert Betheras (three goals) proved the difference in the second half.

The following meeting between the two sides went down as one of the greatest matches of the modern era – the 2002 Grand Final. Both sides went hammer and tong for the duration of the day, the greatest margin all afternoon only nine points, the eventual lead the Lions held over a courageous Collingwood, setting up a rivalry to last a number of years.

Since then, a number of controversial incidents have arisen, including the 2003 Grand Final shellacking and the career ending neck injury suffered by Blake Caracella last season, Nathan Buckley’s six goals notwithstanding.

The X-Factors:
Collingwood: Josh Fraser – Fraser has always seemed to relish his meetings with the Lions, for he has been one of our best performed against them in recent times.
Brisbane: Simon Black – Black, it seems, has always saved his best for the Magpies, and will be a key factor in the midfield meetings.

Broadcast guide:
TV: Fox Sports 3, 7:00pm
Radio: SEN 1116

The tip: In the AFL’s inaugural Indigenous Round, a number of our Aboriginal stars will be on show. With this, and last week’s form in mind, I’m expecting Leon Davis and Brad Dick to light up the Brisbane night, propelling Collingwood to an 11 point victory.

Please note: the views expressed in the above article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Collingwood Football Club or employees of the club. The Collingwood Football Club would like to acknowledge the tireless work of its supporters who contribute to collingwoodfc.com.au.