The game got off to a fiery start when Magpie midfielder Steele Sidebottom ran in after the opening bounce, left his feet and hit Maverick Weller with a right elbow to the jaw. Sidebottom was reported for engaging in rough conduct, while Weller was eventually substituted out of the game with concussion. Weller did not leave the ground immediately after the incident, recovering after an initial bout of the staggers to follow his opponent Scott Pendlebury down into Collingwood's forward 50. But Weller went off the ground at the two-minute mark to be assessed for concussion and was officially substituted out of the game 25 minutes later. 

Travis Cloke might not be all the way back to his best, but the key forward took advantage of Collingwood's midfield dominance against the Saints to snare his first five-goal haul of 2014. Cloke entered Friday night's game in his worst goalkicking drought for years, having kicked 10.16 in Collingwood's opening nine games. Saints full-back Luke Delaney did a serviceable job to half-time, keeping Cloke to a solitary goal, but Cloke eventually got off the leash. His relief was evident when he kicked his third goal at the 10-minute mark of the third term. Marking strongly in front of Delaney and another Saint, he kicked truly from outside 50m and celebrated with a fist pump that suggested the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders.

Paul Seedsman had two good breaks in his first senior game since hip surgery in late January. First, he came into Collingwood's 22 as the substitute after the late withdrawals of Dane Swan (heel) and Brodie Grundy (back). He was then subbed into the game after just 18 minutes of play when Nick Maxwell donned the red vest with a right calf injury. While Seedsman would not have revelled in his teammates' misfortune, he seized the opportunities their injuries created for him, reminding Collingwood fans of the run he can generate across half-back. He finished the game with 18 possessions and five inside 50s in what was a highly encouraging comeback. 

Alan Richardson is renowned as a teaching coach, and he set tough assignments for young midfielders Tom Curren and Luke Dunstan against the Magpies. No doubt figuring the pair's football education could be fast-tracked by learning from the game's best players, Richardson sent Curren to Collingwood captain Scott Pendlebury for large chunks of the game and played Dunstan on Dayne Beams at times. The Saints duo could not stop Beams (33 possessions) and Pendlebury (32) from dominating, but had their moments too, with Dunstan finishing with 20 possessions and one goal, while Curren had 18 possessions. More importantly, Richardson will be hoping they learnt lessons that will stand them in good stead for the rest of their careers.

The Saints made a promising start to the game, kicking three of the first four goals to lead by 11 points after the opening 18 minutes. But it took the Magpies about 15 minutes to effectively snuff out the Saints' challenge, with a run of eight straight goals that carried them to a 36-point lead that was never seriously challenged. The Pies' run was bookended with two Jesse White goals: the first at the 20-minute mark of the first quarter, the second at the three-minute mark of the second term. The streak also included: two goals from Alex Fasolo, back in attack after moonlighting in defence recently; Travis Cloke's first of the night; and a goal after the first-quarter siren from Josh Thomas, who converted from 35m after receiving a free kick for high contact.