HEAD TO HEAD: Collingwood 10 wins, Port Adelaide nine wins
LAST TIME: Collingwood 16.9 (105) d Port Adelaide 12.7 (79), round 15, 2010, at AAMI Stadium
TV: Network Ten (Adelaide 1:30pm), Fox Sports 1 (Melbourne 2pm, Adelaide 1.30pm, Perth 11am, Sydney/NSW 2pm, Brisbane/QLD 1pm)
RADIO: Melbourne: 3AW, Triple M, ABC774, 1116 SEN Adelaide: Triple M, ABC 891, Fiveaa Perth: 6PR, ABC720, Sydney: ABC702 Brisbane: ABC612, Canberra: ABC666, Hobart: ABC936 Darwin: ABC105.7 Regional: CROC
A full replay will be available on afl.com.au 12 hours after the completion of the match
BETFAIR ODDS: Collingwood $1.09, Port Adelaide $11.00
SUMMARY
Collingwood will enter this game on the back of a hugely successful pre-season that culminated with winning the NAB Cup. Not only did the Magpies take home their second piece of silverware in less than six months but they got through the pre-season relatively unscathed apart from Nathan Brown (knee) and Nick Maxwell (internal injury).
They also played 35 players, trialed Leon Davis in defence and Heath Shaw up forward, and got games into Chris Tarrant and Andrew Krakouer, who look set to slot into the starting 22 this week.
Meanwhile, Port Adelaide bounced out of the NAB Cup in the first round with losses to Melbourne and Adelaide, and after a narrow three-point loss to Richmond in their first NAB Challenge clash, rebounded to thump Geelong and Greater Western Sydney by 84 and 95 points respectively.
The Power have virtually their best team up and running and have been working on the defensive side of their game over summer. They've got Robbie Gray fit while Jay Schulz (six goals) and Daniel Motlop (three) looked good in their last pre-season hit out.
QUESTION MARKS
Will the Magpies be able to continue their winning form and make a bold statement to the rest of the competition with a big season-opening win?
Power ranked last in the league for kicking efficiency inside defensive 50 last season, and we all know how much the Pies love to lock the ball down in their attacking arc. The theme of Power's pre-season has been defence, but will the changes stand up to the premier's now-famous press?
How will the substitute rule affect both sides? The Pies say they'll rotate just as much while the Power will have a running player to potentially unleash in the third quarter. Will it be a seamless introduction or will both sides encounter teething problems?
PREDICTION
Collingwood by 45 points.
TOYOTA AFL DREAM TEAM WATCH
Many Dream Team coaches will quite rightly have their eyes on Collingwood midfielder Dane Swan, as his top-of-the-range price tag of $511,200 and weekly 2010 average of 123.1 points will see him the logical choice for captain. Can he put a big score up there in the opening round?
Follow afl.com.au's live coverage of the game in the AFL Match Centre, and join the conversation on Twitter using #aflpiespower.
The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL
