COLLINGWOOD has set the stage for an enticing Queen's Birthday showdown with Melbourne, destroying an inexperienced Fremantle side by 61 points to win its third game on the trot and cement its place in the AFL's top eight.

The Magpies thoroughly outclassed the Dockers after quarter-time at the MCG on Sunday, building an insurmountable 34-point lead at half-time and finishing the job to run out 21.12 (138) to 12.5 (77) victors.

Fremantle’s loss could be further compounded with Brownlow Medal favourite Nat Fyfe set to come under match review scrutiny for a high hit on Collingwood’s Levi Greenwood.

Collingwood's work rate, especially through the arcs, was the big difference between the teams, with the Magpies' best runners Tom Phillips (35 disposals, three goals and 596m gained) and Steele Sidebottom (37) influential in the big win.

Both Phillips and Sidebottom run around the six-minute mark over 2km, which is considered at the top echelon of elite, and their ability to cover the ground in such a dominant manner was telling.

Mature-age debutant Brody Mihocek made a sizeable impact in the second quarter, kicking his first goal and being used as an important link between defence and attack.

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Mihocek, 25, who played for three VFL clubs and made the move from Tasmania after being overlooked in his under-18 year, is a great example of a player being rewarded for his persistence as the first-gamer finished with four majors.

After missing a month with an ankle complaint, Brayden Maynard (27 touches) also settled nicely back into an underrated defence that has kept its opponents to an average of 67.5 points over the past four weeks.

Will Hoskin-Elliott (six goals) continued his superb season and kept alive his streak of being one of only two players in the competition (alongside Melbourne's Jesse Hogan) to kick a goal in every match this season.

Collingwood booted its highest score (138) since round eight, 2016, but coach Nathan Buckley was disappointed the Magpies allowed the Dockers to kick seven goals in the final term.

"You don't see 20 goals in a game as often as you used to, but our offensive power especially after quarter-time was pretty strong. We scored relative to our entries pretty well so that was a positive part of the game," Buckley said.

"I'm pretty dirty with the last 15 (minutes) at the moment so if you're talking about defence you want to finish the game off, but it was a shootout really the whole of the last quarter, which is not the way that we want to play the game. But the first three quarters we were really strong defensively."

Without Aaron Sandilands, who missed the game with concussion, Fremantle's midfield ascendancy was stunted and with Fyfe (24) having a quiet day the Dockers lacked spark.

Depending on how Match Review Officer Michael Christian views it, Fyfe could be in strife for the incident with Greenwood.

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After Ross Lyon wielded the axe by making six changes at the selection table, Fremantle lost 1091 games of experience from last week and it was significant in the narrative of the game.

Lyon said the Dockers' match committee would persist with their policy to give their youth opportunities.

"AFL is a great reality check. You can come here with the intent and enthusiasm to compete, but the realities of the game are very sobering," Lyon said.

"To do what we did and kick seven goals in the last quarter, if I'm sitting back in Perth and I'm a member and part of the Docker community … there were some performances within that show we are growing and improving."

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Fremantle lacked impetus forward of centre and managed just five goals to three-quarter-time, in what turned into a beatdown once the Magpies clamped down on the Dockers' copious amounts of uncontested marks. 

With the Dockers' midfield being well beaten, Fremantle's defence eventually buckled under the weight of an avalanche of inside 50s (62-35).

Michael Walters (29 disposals and nine clearances) was clearly Fremantle's best player, while youngsters Ed Langdon and Andrew Brayshaw tried hard and debutants Stefan Giro and Scott Jones got consolation prizes late in the game.

Next Monday will provide a significant test for Collingwood against the AFL's hottest team in the Demons and it could provide a true indication of where the Magpies sit in the finals pecking order.

MEDICAL ROOM
Collingwood: Magpie Steele Sidebottom copped a hefty corkie to his left leg in the final term, but stayed on the field and played out the game.

Fremantle: Michael Walters left the field in the second term with a corkie to his right calf. Defender Alex Pearce got his right ankle caught underneath him in a tackle and was helped from the field by trainers. He took no further part in the contest, but coach Ross Lyon is hopeful the injury is not significant. Connor Blakely injured his shoulder in the third term, but played out the game. Lachie Neale copped a significant kick to his calf in the first quarter but battled on to play out the game.

NEXT UP
The Magpies will have an eight-day break before coming up against Melbourne, which has won six games in a row. The Dockers return home to face Adelaide at Optus Stadium.

COLLINGWOOD           3.6   8.8    14.9   21.12 (138)                 
FREMANTLE                 2.3   3.4      5.4   12.5 (77)         

GOALS
Collingwood: Hoskin-Elliott 6, Mihocek 4, Thomas 3, Phillips 2, Cox, Maynard, Stephenson, Pendlebury, De Goey, Daicos
Fremantle: Mundy 2, Neale 2, Tucker 2, Sheridan, Banfield, Apeness, Cox, Giro, Jones

BEST
Collingwood: Hoskin-Elliott, Phillips, Sidebottom, Treloar, Pendlebury, Mihocek, Grundy
Fremantle: Walters, Sheridan, Neale, Hamling

INJURIES
Collingwood: Nil
Fremantle: Pearce (ankle)

Reports: Nil

Umpires: Haussen, Ryan, McInerney

Official crowd: 34,542 at the MCG