The club: Collingwood
Formed: 1892
Joined AFL: 1897
Premierships: 14 – 1902, 1903, 1910, 1917, 1919, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1935, 1936, 1953, 1958, 1990
Last finals appearance: 2006 elimination final

2007 to date
Collingwood looks likely to avoid repeating last year’s indifferent finish to the season, in which they lost five of their last 10 home and away games and went out in the first week of the finals. This year’s Magpies look a more resilient bunch and so far have won 10 of their 16 games to sit sixth.
Mick Malthouse’s side has beaten arch rivals Essendon twice (including a 29-point win on the weekend) and also taken care of business impressively against Adelaide, Sydney and St Kilda. Narrow defeats by West Coast in Round 2 and Geelong in Round 15 lost the Pies no fans. The the one major blip was the Queen’s Birthday defeat by lowly Melbourne.

Last time they met the Lions
The Magpies spoiled Simon Black’s 200th-game celebrations with a 33-point win at the Gabba in Round 9. The Lions were in the contest throughout and within striking distance at three-quarter time, trailing by only seven points. Collingwood, however, was clinical with its final-term finishing and was able to post a first win in Brisbane since 1995.

The coach
After establishing a robotic public persona as two-time premiership coach of West Coast, former St Kilda and Richmond back pocket Mick Malthouse has been reborn as a statesman at Collingwood. He's scaled the heights and plumbed the depth in his time in charge of the Magpies – from Grand Final appearances against the Lions in 2002-03 to 13th- and 15th-place finishes in 2004-05 and a return to finals action last year. Further September participation seems assured in 2007.

Missing in action
The big name here remains skipper Nathan Buckley who, after hamstring injury after hamstring injury, looks increasingly unlikely to play in 2007. The Magpies, however, optimistically list him as two to three weeks away. All-Australian defender James Clement is listed as available for this week after calf problems, and Rhyce Shaw (hamstring) will also be in the selection frame. Impressive youngster Tyson Goldsack is scheduled for a fitness test.

The gun
Tarkyn Lockyer might be the competition’s most underrated player – but by most measures he’s also now a star. As tough and disciplined as he is talented, he is neck-and-neck with Dane Swan for most possessions by a Magpie in 2007 and starred with 32 touches at the Gabba in Round 9. The 27-year-old, who reached 150 games this year, also has a knack for kicking goals, particularly set shots, at important times.

The bolter
If Lockyer is the AFL’s most underrated, then Travis Cloke is a contender for its most-improved player. The youngest of David Cloke’s three sons to grace Collingwood’s list, Travis struggled last year but has blossomed in 2007, particularly in the past month. Averages more than 14 possessions and seven marks a game and has kicked 26 goals – seven of them in the past fortnight.

Strengths
Collingwood has one of the better mixes of youth and experience going around, and its kids seem more prepared than most when they make the step up to AFL level. For proof, look no further than the likes Dale Thomas, Scott Pendlebury, Alan Toovey and Goldsack. Like all Malthouse-coached sides, the Pies are hard, disciplined and well-drilled. Finding a weak link is a difficult challenge, particularly with Leon Davis (24 goals) in close to career-best form, Cloke on the rise and Josh Fraser fit and firing.

Weaknesses
Critics have knocked Collingwood’s leg-speed, but it has improved. And when a team is playing cohesive, attacking football, like the Pies have done in 2007, it becomes less of an issue. Anthony Rocca has kicked a fairly wasteful 30.26 for the season and remains inconsistent. Back-up for Fraser is also scarce (either the injury-plagued Guy Richards or the inexperienced Chris Bryan). Simon Prestigiacomo has been a superbly steady defender but would likely sreuggle against a truly rampant Jonathan Brown.

The Queensland factor
Collingwood doesn't have any native Queenslanders on its list but does have two players who spent time in Brisbane – Buckley and Shane O'Bree. Lions premiership players Brad Scott and Blake Caracella are on the Magpies' coaching staff as assistants.