The Magpies backline line rank third best in the competition for points allowed and will come up against the the Saints who are third in total points.
St Kilda forward stocks
Star forward Nick Riewoldt is in scintillating form kicking 13 goals from his last three matches. In last week’s win over the Western Bulldogs, Riewoldt kicked four goals and five behinds, and took 14 marks including four contested grabs.
Utility big man Justin Koschitzke was potent up forward in round two and three, kicking four goals in each match before injuring his hamstring the following week. In his first game back against the Bulldogs, Koschitzke played 59% of the match and managed to tally more marks than any Bulldog opponent for the match (8).
Goal sneak Stephen Milne leads his club in total career goals with 343 (seven more than Riewoldt). The 178-centimetre small forward has kicked 16 majors this year and has the capabilities to haul a bag as he showed in 2005 with 11 goals against Brisbane.
Brendan Goddard is in career best form this season and has provided his side with a forward target on occasion. In his first full season since undergoing a knee reconstruction in 2007, Goddard has moved up forward at times. This was on show when he kicked four first quarter goals playing as a forward against West Coast in round three before moving down back to finish the game with 28 possessions.
Since making his move from Sydney to St Kilda in 2008, Adam Schneider is averaging a career-high in goals per game and is already on eight for the season after three majors against the Bulldogs last week. The small forward can play second fiddle to Milne making it imperative for defenders to clean up the loose ball deep in defence.
Below is a table with how many inside 50s have been directed to the St Kilda forwards over the course of the season.
| Player | I50 targets |
| Nick Riewoldt | 56 |
| Justin Koschitzke | 26 |
| Stephen Milne | 22 |
| Brendan Goddard | 9 |
| Adam Schneider | 8 |
Collingwood defensive stocks
In his second year at the club, Nathan Brown will be looking to even up his career match-up against Riewoldt if he gets the job on him. Brown played on the forward for 84 minutes in the semi-final, conceding four goals. His performance against Riewoldt in round 19 last season is what the young defender will want to emulate, limiting the forward to two goals.
Simon Prestigiacomo was injured for both matches against the Saints last year and could tackle Koschitzke (Shane Wakelin’s opponent last season). The last time he faced the Saints was in round 14, 2006 where he played on forward Fraser Gehrig (retired in 2008).
Harry O’Brien had the job on Stephen Milne in the finals and conceded three goals against the forward. He fared slightly better in the round 19 match-up conceding two goals in 89 minutes.
In his third season at the club, Martin Clarke will play a pivotal role in defence on Monday night. The 21-year-old played on Adam Schneider in last year’s final and held the lively forward to one goal.
Have your say on this week’s blog.
What do you think the match-ups need to be in Collingwood's defence in order for the Magpies to have a win on Monday night?
Who should Prestigiacomo take? How dangerous is Goddard up forward and do the Magpies need to tag him?
Should Nathan Brown try and make amends for his semi-final performance?
