After five rounds, Collingwood had managed to successfully navigate its way through a delicate opening phase of the season.

The Pies were behind the eight-ball with one win and two losses after round three, and the vultures were beginning to circle.

A gutsy one-point win over Essendon on ANZAC Day ignited the side, fueling its already rock-solid belief that it was capable of anything.

In the next 10 weeks, Collingwood won eight games and lost one, with the likes of Dayne Beams, Steele Sidebottom and Jarryd Blair taking their games to the next level in the midfield.

But it wasn't all smooth sailing.

Ben Johnson was sidelined with a shoulder reconstruction in round six. Lachlan Keeffe, who was a shining light in the early rounds, had his season cut short when he wrenched his knee in round nine. Shoulder surgery put a stop to left-footed rookie Marley Williams' bright start to his career in round 15. Dane Swan's hamstring went twang, causing him to miss two weeks. Ben Reid's struggles with leg injuries continued and Chris Tarrant battled just to get on the park.

Yet despite the injuries, Collingwood refused to yield and after 15 rounds was in fourth place, sharing top spot with Sydney, West Coast and Adelaide.



Nathan Buckley, deep in thought, ponders the equation before his side's match against the Western Bulldogs in round six.



Alex Fasolo and Lachlan Keeffe celebrate a goal against the Bulldogs.



Sharrod Wellingham signals Collingwood's 21-point win over the Dogs under Friday night lights.



Scott Pendlebury, the winner of the Bob Rose-Charlie Sutton Medal, pays tribute to Lucas Dumbreall who is an ambassador of the Robert Rose Foundation.



Alan Didak was back in action when the Pies made the trip to the Gabba where they defeated the Brisbane Lions by 58-points in round seven.



Two youngsters on the rise, Ben Sinclair and Lachlan Keeffe, celebrate another major at the Gabba.



Scott Pendlebury was in boss mode against Geelong in round eight when he kicked four goals and had 30 possessions as he piloted the Magpies' 12-point victory.



Twang! Swanny does his hamstring at full stretch in the final quarter. It resulted in a two-week layoff.



A mark, a whistle and a 50m penalty led Alex Fasolo to within 40m from goal. His kick was straight and with only a minute to play, Collingwood led Geelong by six points.



Pendlebury then burst out of the midfield to land a bomb from 60m to seal the deal for the black and white, sparking jubilant scenes in the centre square.



Adelaide rose from also-ran to genuine contender and had the Pies well and truly on the ropes when they led at three quarter time in round nine.



Lachlan Keeffe's season came to an abrupt halt when he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament early in the final quarter, leaving the Magpies high and dry in the key defender department.



But instead of rolling over, Collingwood found a second wind with goals to Dayne Beams, Sharrod Wellingham and Steele Sidebottom sealing the deal on one of the team's best wins of the year.



Next up was Gold Coast in round 10 on a cool Sunday evening at the MCG. A feature of the night was the Magpies' reacquaintance with former teammates Sam Iles and Danny Stanley who walked the corridors of the Westpac Centre between 2006 and 2009.



Dayne Beams had a big load to carry in the midfield, and this photo could be a useful way to sum up his level of responsibility in 2012.



Sharrod Wellingham took the mark of the day against Melbourne when he crashed a pack on the Queen's Birthday.



Two goals and 42 disposals on return from injury? No worries, Swanny.



Travis Cloke was at his best during the tense round 13 victory over West Coast when he kicked five goals against several quality opponents. Only three other Magpies were able to nail a major on the night, underlining the importance of his role in the victory.



2012 was Dayne Beams' year. Time and time again, he stood up when it came to the crunch, just like when he put the Pies back in front late in the final quarter against the Eagles.



The scoreboard (and Steele Sidebottom's reaction) says it all.



Dane Swan purred on into round 14, amassing another 43 possessions against Fremantle.



Housemates Jamie Elliott and Caolan Mooney celebrated the latter's debut against the Dockers. Mooney, a 19-year-old from Ireland, had only played a handful of VFL games before winning the call up.



The Magpie machine spluttered against Carlton in round 15, but first-year forward Jackson Paine did his best to get it roaring again with a goal on the run in the third quarter.



After 10 wins on the trot, Collingwood again tasted defeat at the hands of Carlton, reminding the side that there was still plenty of work to do as the run to September began.