Where and when: MCG, Saturday, April 3, 2.10pm
Head to head: Collingwood 140 wins, Melbourne 79 wins, four draws
Last time: Collingwood 19.12 (126) d Melbourne 8.12 (60), round 11, 2009 at the MCG

MISSING IN ACTION
Collingwood
Brad Dick (shoulder) - 7-9 weeks
Josh Thomas (calf) - 3-5 weeks
Cameron Wood (finger) - 3-5 weeks

Melbourne
Daniel Bell (shoulder) - 4 weeks
Max Gawn (knee) - indefinite
Neville Jetta (groin) - 3-4 weeks
Liam Jurrah (shoulder) - 13 weeks
John Meesen (ankle) - indefinite
Cale Morton (knee) - 6 weeks
Colin Sylvia (jaw) - test
Luke Tapscott (hip) - indefinite
Austin Wonaeamirri (hamstring) - 2 weeks

SUMMARY
These two sides had people talking after round one, but for completely different reasons. The Magpies, fresh from a three-week stint of playing in the country after their early NAB Cup bow-out, hammered NAB Cup premiers the Western Bulldogs. They put together a commanding two-punch effort, pushing out to a 36-point lead in the second quarter before the Dogs reeled them in and got within a goal. Then the Pies rallied to kick five of the final six goals of the game.

Sharrod Wellingham played his best game - despite receiving stitches after meeting Barry Hall's elbow - while Harry O'Brien was composed across half-back and Paul Medhurst showed what a good pre-season can do. The best thing for the Pies was the way they comprehensively won without standout performances from recruits Darren Jolly and Luke Ball.

Meanwhile, the Demons had a dirty Saturday against an undermanned Hawthorn. Too many players relied on too many others, and the result was a depressing 56-point loss that stemmed from a 10-goal-to-one first half. So disappointing was the turnout from the Demons that their best player was Brad Green, who came back on after being knocked out in the first term.

PLAYER TO WATCH
Harry O'Brien's game last weekend prompted one commentator to predict his first All-Australian guernsey would come later this year. The Collingwood defender was more attacking than usual and had his bigger frame on show. He said post-match that he had put aside all personal goals for 2010 - and it translated first-up with one of his most impressive performances to date.

Brad Green will back up for his 200th match after a brave performance where he was taken from the field with a neck injury. He came back on and was one of the Demons' best with two goals. As one of the most experienced heads in the side, just where he plays each week has become an interesting point to note.

QUESTION MARKS
The presence of Jolly and Ball wasn't felt last week with both having reasonable games without making startling impacts. Can they stand up this week to suggest they are what the Pies were missing last year?

The Magpies had the second highest number of rotations last weekend (138), behind only North Melbourne (139). Can they raise the bar even further this Saturday?

Can the Demons regroup after last week and remain spirited across the entire game? They were competitive on the scoreboard after half time against the Hawks but they'll certainly need a four-quarter effort to go with the highly-touted Pies.

WHO WILL WIN AND WHY
It's hard to go past Collingwood here. More experience, more belief, a solid defence and a sound game plan lead to what will be another frustrating day out for Melbourne. While the danger of complacency could hover for the Pies, it won't be enough to threaten their chances of a big win.

PREDICTION
Collingwood by 49 points

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.