YOU THINK Collingwood's having a good season? Try a once-in-a-century season.

The Magpies' percentage after round 21 is 182.8, which puts it in line to become the first team in more than a century to finish the home and away rounds with a percentage of more than 180.

The Magpies' final three games are against the Brisbane Lions (home), Fremantle (away) and Geelong (home).

The best on the all-time percentage list is Collingwood's 1902 team, with 199.5 per cent. Then follows Geelong's 1899 team, with 199.4.

Nine of the top 10 percentages after the home and away rounds were achieved in the 13 seasons from 1899 to 1911.

Scores were lower in football's early days, increasing the impact of margins when it came to calculating percentages.

The only team from the past 100 years to break into the top 10 - Collingwood's 1929 team - is also the only team to make it through a home-and-away season undefeated.

The 1929 Magpies then lost the second semi-final to Richmond but recovered to win the Grand Final. It was the Magpies' third consecutive flag.

The next year they established a record by winning their fourth consecutive flag  - the Collingwood team of that era was known as 'the Machine' for good reason.

The best return since the AFL began in 1990 is West Coast's 162.2 per cent in 1991. They lost that year's Grand Final to Hawthorn.

Maybe the press and the fans should start working on a nickname for Collingwood's 2011 team.

Percentage after home and away rounds:

199.5Collingwood (1902)
199.4Geelong (1899)
186.6Collingwood (1898)
186.4Essendon (1901)
184.3Geelong (1897)
177.5Essendon (1911)
175.0Collingwood (1905)
171.7Collingwood (1929)
171.6Fitzroy (1903)
169.4 Carlton (1908)

Taste for the contest

Although Essendon defeated the Western Bulldogs by 49 points on Saturday night, the Bulldogs were roundly praised for having a go.

Figures support this view. According to the AFL statistics site the Bulldogs had 169 contested possessions compared to their average this season of 149.

Essendon had 143 contested possessions. Clearly, the Bombers were better when the ball broke out into the open.

At the other end of the scale, Collingwood was way down in terms of contented possessions.

It had 139 - compared to its season average of 157 - in its 19-point victory over St Kilda on Friday night.

The Saints had 131 contested possessions, maintaining their consistency of losing in that area of the game. St Kilda is last on the contested possessions table.

Neon Leon

WHILE Leon Davis has had his purple patches playing off half-back this season, nothing compared to his performance against the Saints.

Davis, according to afl.com.au/stats, had 30 kicks (season average 16) and 36 disposals (season average 22).

It'd be hard to keep him out of the Grand Final team if he maintains those figures.

Shiels doubles up

IF YOU'VE been thinking that Liam Shiels is a young player who's improving rapidly, you'd be right.

Shiels has gone from an average of 11 disposals a match in 2010 to 24 disposals this year.

He's improved from about one clearance a match to four.

It's in the area of tackling that he's improved most, up from 26 in six matches last year (average 4.30) to 117 from 19 matches this year (average 6.2).

Liam looked like a boy lost in a thicket of men when he began with the Hawks in 2009.

He's obviously improved his strength since then.

Midfield magic

YOU start to see why Adelaide got within 11 points of Geelong on Sunday only when you look at the Crows' midfielders.

Far from relying on Scott Thompson, as has normally been the case this season, they welcomed improved form from Rory Sloane and Chris Knights, among others.

Sloane had 36 possessions (only Essendon's Brent Stanton with 39 beat him), way more than his 2011 average of 20 a match. Sloane also exceeded his average in every area of the game.

Knights had the bigger rise with 33 disposals, up from an average this season of 19.

The 24-year-old's best season was 2007, when he managed an average of 24 disposals a match.

Knights might just have played his best game in five seasons.

Thompson had 27 dispoals on Sunday, slightly down on his 2011 average of 29.

Go to www.afl.com.au/stats for a comprehensive look at the weekend's matches plus archives stretching back to 1999.