WEST Coast has certainly improved in the past 12 months, but it is not yet good enough to match it with the best.

That much is clear after John Worsfold's team, which a week ago beat the Western Bulldogs by 123 points, suffered a 52-point thrashing from Collingwood at the MCG on Sunday afternoon.

The Magpies won all four quarters, overwhelming the disappointing Eagles with their fierce tackling and better use of the ball, as they won 16.9 (105) to 7.11 (53). They had led by more than 10 goals mid-way through the final term.

Collingwood midfielder Dale Thomas led the way for the reigning premier.

He gathered 29 possessions, took a screamer over West Coast big man Nic Naitanui and booted two magical goals, including a left-foot banana kick from near the boundary line late in the second quarter.

Onballers Scott Pendlebury (31 touches, two goals) and Luke Ball (30 possessions) were other outstanding contributors for the winners, while Leon Davis (seven rebounds from defensive 50) was at his creative best across half-back.

The Eagles went into the game having not beaten Collingwood at the MCG since round two, 1995, when Mick Malthouse was their coach and John Worsfold was their captain.

And while they opened the contest in style, with Josh Kennedy slotting the first goal, they struggled to stay in touch from there as Kennedy was held to three goals by Chris Tarrant.

West Coast finished with only four goalkickers as its second-tier forwards like Jack Darling, Mark LeCras and Mark Nicoski struggled to have any impact on the match.

Midfielder Matt Priddis (32 disposals, 18 contested) was among the Eagles who did put a stamp on proceedings, while Dean Cox had the better of Cameron Wood in the ruck.

Collingwood's impressive effort was a club-record fifth consecutive win over West Coast. The Magpies have won six of their eight games against the Eagles since 2006.

Influential players
All eyes were on Eagles forward Josh Kennedy after his 10-goal haul against the Western Bulldogs at Patersons Stadium in round nine. Mick Malthouse handed Chris Tarrant the big job and the veteran backman didn't let his coach down. Tarrant not only spoiled many marking attempts but also provided some dash from defence. Kennedy never dropped his head and finished with three goals, but Tarrant won the match-up.

Stats that matter … and some that don't
Inside-50s are often used to gauge how a match is playing out, but the statistic doesn't always get reflected on the scoreboard. On this occasion, Collingwood had just two more inside-50s than West Coast (the final tally was 52 to 50), yet they won by 52 points. It shows how the Eagles' forward structure broke down under pressure, and also illustrates how effective Magpies key defenders Chris Tarrant and Ben Reid were on the day.

In another statistical anomaly, the Eagles won the hit-outs 56-23, yet the clearances from stoppages were 38-all. Maybe ruckman are not that useful after all.

Magic moment
In the 13th minute of the first quarter, Dayne Beams tried to snap a goal but his kick was a high up-and-under. It landed next to the behind post and was trapped by Eagles defender Shannon Hurn. Instead of rushing a behind, Hurn tried to handball to a teammate but it was smothered by Dane Swan, who knocked the Sherrin towards the goalsquare. Dale Thomas arrived on the scene and soccered the ball through the big sticks out of mid-air. It was a great piece of improvisation.

Anything you can do I can do better
The opening quarter produced two more magic moments for Collingwood. The Magpies' first goal was a superb effort from Steele Sidebottom, who dribbled the ball through after running close to the boundary line. And their third goal was a brilliant snap out of a pack from Alan Didak, who received the ball and got away an accurate kick in one motion.

First Quarter
After his 10 goal haul the previous week, Josh Kennedy started from where he left off, registering his first major of the day just one minute into the match after a strong mark against his opponent Chris Tarrant. But the rest of the quarter was played on Collingwood's terms, with their forward pressure and pressure around the contest leading to two miracle goals to Steele Sidebottom and Dale Thomas. At the other end of the ground, Nick Maxwell and Ben Reid were making life difficult for the Eagles tall timber up forward as West Coast could only manage one goal for the term.

Second Quarter
The quarter started promising for the Eagles, with Quinten Lynch presenting well up the ground and Matthew Priddis finding plenty of the ball. But with Kennedy - the focal point of the Eagles attacking forays forward - shadowed by Tarrant, West Coast couldn't capitalise on the scoreboard. They were made to pay for their wastefulness in front of the big sticks as Andrew Krakouer kicked one of his trademark snaps before two sensational pieces of play involving Thomas. After a sensational leap and mark over Nic Naitanui, Thomas kicked one of the goals of the season with a left-foot banana deep in the forward pocket.

Third Quarter
Leading by 27-points at the main break, the Pies kicked the opening two goals to extend their margin to a seemingly unassailable lead. It seemed to spark the Eagles momentarily, with Kennedy kicking two goals in a minute to keep his side in the contest. The Eagles burst was short-lived, with Krakouer kicking one of the goals of the season through heavy traffic while Travis Cloke and Chris Dawes finally kicked their first major after being well held throughout the match to increase their lead to 40-points.

Fourth Quarter
The margin started to get ugly for the Eagles, with some poor defending from Will Schofield allowing a long goal to Swan bounce through without being touched after much deliberation between the goal, field and boundary umpires. Again the Eagles struggled to find any avenue forward, with Mark LeCras and Mark Nicoski having little impact in the attacking half. Heath Shaw and Leon Davis continued to rebound with minimal pressure from deep in defense as Luke Ball continued to chalk up the possessions. Despite three late goals to the Eagles, the Pies still ran out convincing 52-point winners.

Toyota AFL Dream Team highlight
Collingwood: Scott Pendlebury ($441,900) led the way for the Pies, finishing the match with 127 points while he was well supported by Dale Thomas (121) and Heath Shaw (98) in the Pies impressive performance.

West Coast: Only one West Coast player managed to notch three figures. Dean Cox ($405,500) continued his fine form after returning from injury with 114 points. Next best for the Eagles was Andrew Embley with 92 points.

The next four
Collingwood: With a Grand Final rematch on the horizon next week against the Saints, the Pies play Melbourne the following week in the Queen's Birthday clash. After a bye in round 13, Collingwood travels to Sydney to take on the Swans, who have not beaten Mick Malthouse's men since 2005.

West Coast: The Eagles next month of football should see them cement a position in the top eight. Gold Coast make the trip west to take on the Eagles, followed by a trip to Adelaide to take on the Crows. John Worsfold's side faces the struggling Power at Patersons Stadium in round 13 before facing Carlton at Etihad Stadium.

Collingwood                           4.4     7.5     11.8       16.9 (105)
West Coast                             1.3     2.8     4.10         7.11 (53)

GOALS
Collingwood: Pendlebury 2, Thomas 2, Krakouer 2, Cloke 2, McCarthy 2, Sidebottom, Didak, Dawes, Swan, Buckley, Wellingham
West Coast: Kennedy 3, Nicoski 2, Kerr, LeCras

BEST
Collingwood: Thomas, Ball, Pendlebury, Davis, Swan, O'Brien, Tarrant
West Coast: Priddis, A. Selwood, Cox, Hurn, Kennedy

INJURIES
Collingwood: Nil
West Coast: Nil

SUBSTITUTES
Collingwood: Nick Maxwell replaced by Jarryd Blair during the final quarter
West Coast: Brad Ebert replaced by Chris Masten during the third quarter

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Vozzo, Chamberlain, Meredith

Official crowd: 52,560 at MCG

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