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.

Another week, another blockbuster to preview.

Round 19 sees Collingwood host Essendon at the MCG this Sunday. The Bombers currently sit in ninth spot, and nearly every game from here is a mini-final as they battle it out for a top-eight position. On the other hand, Collingwood sits in the box seat to retain the minor premiership and the preparation for finals is well and truly under way.

Collingwood had a comfortable win over Gold Coast last week but was far from impressive. After half time, the Suns were able to break even with the Magpies. I don’t think Collingwood was overly impressive against Carlton the week prior either. Perhaps this is the calm before the storm for the Magpies as they begin to brace for a long finals campaign.

On the other hand, Essendon were mauled last week by Carlton and will enter this week’s game as extreme underdogs. The loss was disappointing for the Bombers as they were coming off three straight wins and were seemingly regaining some good form in the run home to finals. Essendon is undoubtedly suffering from a number of injuries, but should regain some key players this week including its skipper.

With such a disappointing loss to Carlton and with so much to play for, I expect the Bombers to come out fired up on Sunday. They have had a knack of troubling the top sides all year. Further, many teams have struggled to win after playing the Gold Coast in 2011 because the intensity is increased the following week.

The Run-Home
Collingwood has a good run home considering it still has to face Brisbane and Port Adelaide. The St. Kilda game in round 21 should be a beauty and a good test before finals. The Magpies then finish the season with games against Fremantle (in Perth), and Geelong. Although these are tough games, the Magpies will be looking at them as finals preparation and a chance to solidify the side.

Essendon has a tricky draw and it has to find a way to win four games from here. This is made increasingly difficult considering the Bombers have a bye in round twenty four which means that they may be in the position where they have to wait for certain to results to know their finals fate. They should be expected to win against Port Adelaide, but have really tough games against Sydney, West Coast and Western Bulldogs to come. It makes this Sunday’s game against Collingwood so important. A win against the odds gives the Bombers every chance to scrape into the final eight.

Injury Lists
At this time of the year, the availability and depth of the list is more important than ever. Both sides have experienced a few injury setbacks in recent rounds, but the Bombers have been harder hit than most sides.

Tayte Pears rejoins the injury list this round and is three weeks away from return. He joins Hocking and Hooker who will also miss three weeks. Lovett-Murray and Welsh will push for selection next week along with Hibberd. Winderlich, Lonergan and Dempsey will not return this season either. Hocking in particular is a massive blow for Essendon as he has been a real force through the middle.

Collingwood had a few withdrawals from its match against Gold Coast including Jolly and Wellingham. Dawes and Toovey will miss around two more matches, while Heath Shaw will not be eligible to play until first week of finals. Beams and Didak will be in a race to regain match fitness if they wish to force their way back into the side’s best 22.

At the Selection Table
Despite the long injury list, the Bombers are set to regain Jobe Watson and Dustin Fletcher. Their experience is crucial this week. Watson in particular will toughen the Bombers up around the stoppages, and Fletcher’s availability is crucial given the fact that Pears and Hooker are out. Also keep an eye out for Michael Ross who is in line for debut after solid VFL form.

Darren Jolly should return after he missed with the flu last week. If he plays, it will be his 200th senior game. Alan Didak also completed his first full training session since his injury and will be keen to return to the side to re-cement his position. Malthouse will be keen for Didak to regain his touch in the six weeks remaining before finals. Dayne Beams is available but may have to force his way back through the VFL. Sharrod Wellingham missed with a groin injury last week and should also come into contention.

Last Meeting
Collingwood has won the previous four encounters against Essendon. The last meeting between the two sides was on ANZAC Day back in round five where the Magpies won by 30 points. Nonetheless, the Bombers really pushed the Magpies all game and came within a kick in the last quarter. The fitness and relentless pressure of Collingwood eventually broke Essendon’s resistance and the final margin was quite comfortable.

Scott Pendlebury was declared the ANZAC Day medallist with 34 possessions and three goals. He also had eight tackles. Leon Davis also played a good game, starting in defence and pushing forward late. He picked up 28 disposals. Heath Shaw was also one of Collingwood’s best with 28 disposals playing more on a wing. Cloke continued his good form against Essendon with three goals.

For Essendon, Jobe Watson was the most prolific ball winner with 29 disposals. He also pushed forward at times and kicked a goal. Stewart Crameri impressed with four goals, while Stanton was prolific with 26 disposals.

Focus on Essendon
Essendon’s form has been inconsistent after a really impressive start to the year. However, the Bombers lift for big games, and they trouble most teams when their tackling pressure is switched on. With an undermanned defence, a lot is going to rely on the midfield to do well from the stoppages. David Hille and Ryder need big games as well, rotating between the forward line and the ruck.

Jake Melksham - Over the past month, Melksham has taken some really big steps in his AFL career. He has had 23 disposals two weeks in a row, and had 29 in the upset win over Geelong. He is the future of the midfield, and the Bombers need him to step up this Sunday.

David Zaharakis - Zaharakis is also becoming a really crucial player to the Bombers side. His past three weeks have been important to the side, picking up 27, 22 and 25 disposals. He has also kicked a goal in each of his last five games. His 22 disposals against Adelaide two weeks ago was vital as he only had two disposals in the first half and totally turned his game around. When he plays well, the Bombers have a bit more X-Factor. He typically likes the big stage as well.

Brent Stanton - A lot has been made of this guy in 2011, but it was revealed that he was playing through injuries earlier in the year. Over the last month, his form has really improved and he is averaging 25 disposals over this time. Although he is heavily criticised, he will be an important player on Sunday.

Focus on Collingwood
The Magpies need to be prepared for a bit more physicality than they experienced last week against Gold Coast. Collingwood has also been very inaccurate and wasteful in front of goal in recent weeks, and need to address this issue ASAP. Travis Cloke remains the key up forward and looks an unstoppable force.

Chris Tarrant - When the Pies played the Bombers in round five, Tarrant took the Hurley matchup and did a good job. However, there was a five-minute period where Tarrant went to the bench and Hurley kicked a few goals. Hurley is the focal point for Essendon and could be a key to this game. Therefore, Tarrant has another massive responsibility this week to shut him down. He is going to be one of Collingwood’s most important players in the finals series this year.

Scott Pendlebury - Pendlebury looms as the biggest threat to Chris Judd in this year’s Brownlow race. In particular, he loves playing Essendon and is always prolific. He was one of Collingwood’s best last week with 34 disposals and two goals. Pendlebury is enjoying the good form of Dale Thomas as it is giving him much more freedom as teams put their focus on Thomas.

Simon Buckley - Buckley has done everything right this year to hold his spot in the side. He was again good against Gold Coast and kicked another trademark 60-metre goal. However, he still faces an uphill battle to remain in the side with players like Shaw, Didak, Wellingham and Beams still to come back in. Malthouse has indicated it will be horses for courses when it comes to Buckley. All he can do in the mean time is to continue to perform.

The Wrap-Up
As I said earlier, Collingwood is not playing its best football just yet, but will look to continually build towards finals. This could be a sneaky opportunity for Essendon to cause an upset before the Pies look to hit peak form. However, the Bombers look undermanned on paper and will have to play four quarters of relentless football just to remain competitive.

I think the game could go much the same as it did in round five. The Bombers will push, but the Pies will be too strong as the match goes on. I can’t see the Essendon defence stopping Travis Cloke, and Collingwood’s midfield should run rampant without taggers like Hocking and Welsh to shut them down.

I’ve been pretty close with my margins over the last two weeks.

Pies by 23

By David Natoli
Aka DaVe86