Having missed last Sunday's win over North Melbourne with gastro, Heath Shaw wasted no time getting his 2013 campaign off to a flyer. An eight-possession second quarter got him moving, and then an important goal in the third quarter kept the Pies in the contest and gave them a significant nudge. The goal, which came when Shaw collected the ball when it came off the hands of his opponent, put the Pies within three points at the 13-minute mark, and was met with a huge fist-pump and celebration from the premiership Pie. He ended the day with 26 disposals despite cramping in the third quarter, and helped Steele Sidebottom's goal with 56 seconds remaining that gave the Pies a safe 11-point buffer.
2. Stats central
All sorts of interesting statistics came out of Sunday's game. Firstly, the previous highest attendance for a home-and-away match between Collingwood and Carlton of 88,181 (round three, 2011) wasn't broken as many thought would happen, with 84,247 turning out for the game. Sunday saw Mick Malthouse coach against Collingwood for the first time since round 18, 1999 at the WACA, and also the first time his team has lost the opening two games of a season since 2005. It is also the first time Carlton has lost its opening two matches of a season since 2008.
3. Not so Jolly well
The Pies did it without their No.1 ruckman. It was a horrible day for Collingwood's Darren Jolly, who was taken to hospital after a knock to the ribs saw him subbed out in the second quarter. The injury happened in the opening three minutes of the game and Jolly spent the rest of the first quarter trying to convince the doctors – and himself – he was right to resume battle with Matthew Kreuzer. After an unconvincing jog along the boundary towards the end of the quarter, Jolly had more treatment before joining the midfield group at the first break. He took the opening centre bounce against Kreuzer, gingerly jogged up and down the ground a few times and then took himself off three minutes in after a throw-in contest against the Blues' ruckman left him doubled over in pain. Paul Seedsman was his replacement but it was Quinten Lynch who took over big man duties in his absence, and the former Eagle acquitted himself well.
4. Go Rowe
One of footy's good stories, Carlton forward Sam Rowe – who missed last season as he fought testicular cancer - made his AFL debut on the big stage and didn't get lost in the action. During the week, he told the club's website he didn't "want to just be the guy who had cancer and played a game". He wanted to be known as a "good footy player who played a lot of footy to come". He did well to give that goal a head start on Sunday when he was involved in the Blues' second major through Andrew Walker, and then when he marked inside 50 at the 18-minute mark of the third quarter and kicked his first AFL goal. It was an important settler for his team given the Pies were on the march and within two points.
5. Speed, but in the stands
In the first quarter, the Blues made the Pies look slow with their quick ball movement, which was ironic given president Eddie McGuire's VIP guest for the afternoon. As the Pies ran out towards their banner, McGuire walked the boundary with Jamaican sprint champion Asafa Powell. Even if the former world 100m record holder didn't understand Sunday's game, at least he was given a cracker to watch – and a glimpse of Melbourne's weird weather - and was also wearing the winning scarf across the afternoon.
