COLLINGWOOD coach Nathan Buckley may have missed the height of the Magpies' rivalry with Carlton as a player and coach but he understands what it means to the supporters.
The closest he came to playing a final against the Blues was when the Magpies fell two points short of beating West Coast in 1994.
It ruined the Magpies' chances of meeting Carlton in a final the next week at the MCG and the two clubs have not crossed paths in a final since.
The most recent final between the two clubs was way back in 1988 when the Blues defeated the Magpies in the qualifying final.
By the time Buckley arrived in 1994 the two teams were locked into encounters at the MCG – bar one game at Ikon Park in 2000 that Collingwood lost by 111 points – but their see-sawing fortunes meant most of their clashes had less riding on the result than they had in the past.
"I don't reckon in my time at the club it's [the rivalry] ever been where people have told me it was through the ’70s in particular," Buckley said.
That decade began with the Blues upsetting Collingwood in the 1970 Grand Final when they overcame a 44-point deficit at half-time to win by 10 points.
The decade ended with Wayne Harmes knocking the football back from Jolimont Station (recall of his location is heavily dependent on who you support) into the arms of Ken Sheldon to kick a crucial goal late in the 1979 Grand Final that Carlton won by five points.
Since that 1979 classic the Magpies have won 37 and lost 38 games against the Blues with two wins and two losses in finals (Carlton won the 1981 Grand Final) and the clubs have shared in six premierships between them.
The question now is when will the fortunes of both clubs rise simultaneously to rekindle the emotion?
Despite that, the feeling between rival supporters remains high, as Buckley well knows heading into the feature game to support Collingwood's 125th anniversary celebrations.
"In my time I have been very aware of how much a victory over Carlton means to the Magpie army and I don't think you can ever underestimate how important that is to our fans," Buckley said.
"I suppose it is important for them to know we understand that."
