In the beginning...
2000
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Sav Rocca marks on a 35-degree afternoon in the first round of the new millennium.
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Ben Johnson, one of four debutants in Mick Malthouse's first game as coach, pumps the Pies down the wing in the 54-point win.
Later that season, Gavin Brown reached the 250 game barrier in the round 16 loss under the Friday night lights of Colonial Stadium, carrying his two-year-old Callum through the banner with him.
2001
The banner says it all. The start of the 2001 season saw the club usher in several new recruits, many of whom had arrived from other teams.
Two of which were Jarrod Molloy (ex-Fitzroy/Brisbane) and Chad Rintoul (ex-Adelaide/West Coast), who both made blistering starts in the four-point loss. The round one match was again played in warm conditions and the Pies had several chances to sew up the match but were prevented from the perfect start due to errant kicking.
The Hawks were on the up in 2001 and played with the confidence and flair that's evident in Daniel Chick's exchange with Nathan Buckley.
2002
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Welcome to the big time, Mark McGough! The 17-year-old kicked two goals and was among the Brownlow votes in his first game - round four, 2002.
Alan Didak's breakout game was played against the Hawks in round 19 when he bagged five goals and an AFL Rising Star nomination in the surprise eight-point loss on a Friday night.
2003
West Coast recruit Andrew Williams was seeing stars after a heavy collision with Hawthorn's Mark Graham that left him with a damaged lung. He later caught the eye for using his mobile phone on the interchange bench - only to text his girlfriend to inform her about his injury.
Leon Davis, Chris Tarrant, Jarrod Molloy, Brodie Holland, Jarrod Molloy and Mark McGough had something to think about after the round 12 loss left the Magpies at 6-6 as they approached the mid-season bye.
2004
Brodie Holland played his 100th game in the round 14 win, while Julian Rowe stepped out for the first time in his career in the No. 43 jumper.
2005
Blake Caracella architected the 28-point round 10 win with his second haul of five goals in as many weeks; Travis Cloke sports a shock of blond hair in only his sixth game at the highest level. Cloke juggled an AFL career with his VCE studies all season.
Intermission
Draft day 2005. Dale Thomas became a Magpie, Marc Murphy a Blue and Xavier Ellis a Hawk.
2006
Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang. That's eight snags for Anthony Rocca in Collingwood's first win of the '06 season at Telstra Dome!
Jason Cloke and his new-look haircut were among the best afield in the Friday night win in round 17.
2007
Ben Reid gets a rough welcome to the big time on debut in round 13 in front of a packed crowd at Telstra Dome; Marty Clarke kicked three goals in only his second game at the elite level. Collingwood still lost.
2008
Captain and club champion Scott Burns led the team out through a guard of honour before his 250th game for Collingwood in round seven.
Chris Bryan and Ryan Lonie rush to get rid of the yellow Sherrin - an indication of the pressure they were under all night in the 54-point round 18 loss. It was Lonie's final game for the Pies and reflected some nice symmetry, having debuted against the Hawks back in round one, 2001.
2009
Harry O'Brien and his teammates were powerless to stop the Hawthorn after half time in their round 16 meeting as the Hawks snapped Collingwood's seven game winning streak with a 13-goal-to-four second half.
2010
Darren Jolly and Alan Didak were both strong performers in Collingwood's round four win, its first over Hawthorn since 2006. The pieces of the premiership puzzle were starting to come together...
The show was far from over, as the two sides met in a humdinger at the 'G on Saturday afternoon in round 22. Dayne Beams had the chance to pinch it for the Pies in the dying seconds but his kick drifted across the face late. It ended Collingwood's nine-game winning streak in Josh Fraser's 200th game.
2011
Luke Rounds debuted as the substitute in the round 15 win over a fellow top four contender. But little did we know what drama was just around the corner...
Buddy.
Ball.
Bedlam. Collingwood home by three-points in a heart-stopping Preliminary Final at the MCG.
2012
The pleasure and Paine of round one, 2012.
And that's how it ended when we last met. Hawthorn 22 points to the good when the siren sounded. The story continues on Saturday afternoon at 1:45pm. Bring it on!
