IN A warning for opposition coaches, utility Tarkyn Lockyer said he is still improving after a stellar performance in the 33-point win over Brisbane on Saturday night.

Lockyer was arguably the Magpies' best, accumulating 32 possessions and a staggering 19 marks as he floated across half-back before drifting forward late in the contest. He added a goal for good measure.

Lockyer said he was still short of match fitness as his pre-season was disrupted with an achilles problem. While Saturday night was the best he’d felt all season, he was still progressing.

"I’m slowly getting there," he said. "It’s been a long road. I’m still building up the fitness but I’ve got a lot of room for improvement yet.

"Coming straight back into the side you want to make a difference and there’s nothing like playing games."

Much like his own form, the 27-year-old believes Collingwood is still on the way up this season.

"Brisbane are our modern day arch rivals - we played Grand Finals against them and haven't won up here for a while, so it makes this win very special," he said.

"I thought we defended quite well. They probably beat us around the centre clearances and stoppages but in the end we ran them off their feet, I think.

"It was one of those real hard games where it was a goal each way and no team could get a run on, but in the end, we had the legs. I just felt we had the game in control and once we could put a couple of goals back-to-back, we’d be OK."

Lockyer praised the backline, particularly Simon Prestigiacomo’s job in keeping Lions superstar Jonathan Brown to just seven marks and two goals.

"Heath Shaw stood up, Harry O’Brien has been good all year and Dale Thomas also did well down there," Lockyer said.

"Presti did a good job I thought. [Brown] got one [goal] from a free kick, but I thought [Prestigiacomo] did a good job. We’ve got a really good blend of youth and experience down there.

"I think we’re going well but we’ve got lots of room for improvement, particularly as some of our experienced players are yet to come back and some are still working their way into form."