MATCH DETAILS
Collingwood v Geelong at the MCG, Friday, May 23, 7.40pm

FORECAST
Fine, Minimum: 6, Maximum: 16

BETTING
Collingwood $4.15, Geelong $1.20

LAST TIME THEY MET
Geelong 13.14 (92) d Collingwood 13.9 (87), first preliminary final, 2007, at the MCG

FORM GUIDE
The Pies bounded back to the winner's circle last Friday night, with a gritty nine-point win over St Kilda at Telstra Dome. Alan Didak, Scott Burns, Dane Swan and Leon Davis were among the best in the result that restored balance to the Pies' season and allowed them to remain in the top eight with four wins and as many losses.

The Cats are undefeated and are sitting atop the ladder with Hawthorn and the Western Bulldogs hot on their heels. Their most recent scalp was Richmond, and before the Hall of Fame Tribute weekend, they knocked off the Brisbane Lions. Gary Ablett, Paul Chapman, Joel Corey and Jimmy Bartel were among the best on Saturday.

MEDICAL ROOM
The Magpies will test Josh Fraser (knee), Brodie Holland (achilles) and youngster John McCarthy (calf) ahead of Friday night's game. Fraser missed last weekend after picking up an injury in the Hall of Fame Tribute Match, while Holland has managed just one game this season after struggling with form and body trouble.

Alan Toovey (shoulder) could be back within a fortnight, while Simon Prestigiacomo (foot) has been listed as three to four weeks away. Sean Rusling (shoulder) and Brad Dick (knee) are out for the season.

The Cats don't have very many injury concerns, although Brad Ottens (foot) won't return until next weekend. Scott Simpson (knee) could be available in two weeks, while Matt Egan (foot) has been ruled out for the season.

RANDOM FACTS
* Collingwood young gun Dale Thomas will play his 50th game this weekend, in just his third season of football. Thomas, 20, has never kicked a goal against Geelong, but he loves the MCG and has booted 24 of his 39 goals at the venue.

* Anthony Rocca had problems against Geelong last season. Up against All-Australian fullback Matthew Scarlett, Rocca was restricted to just one goal in round 15, and one behind in the preliminary final.

* Head-to-heads are pretty even between these two sides in recent years. Geelong had the edge last year – but then again, it had the wood over most sides in 2007 – but the Pies were in charge before then with wins in 2005 and 2006. All up, in the past seven encounters, the Pies have won four and the Cats three.

* The last time Geelong lost at the MCG was in round eight, 2006, when it was smashed by 102 points – by Collingwood.

KEY MATCH UPS
Anthony Rocca v Matthew Scarlett
The three-time All-Australian defender has given Rocca the horrors over the past year. Scarlett kept the spearhead goalless in the preliminary final and to a solitary major in round 15. Rocca has kicked just one goal in each of his last three outings, and has drawn a tough opponent to attempt to lift his form against this week.

Travis Cloke v Tom Harley/Darren Milburn
Cloke was terrific in the preliminary final last year with three goals, and with a 20-disposal, four-goal game in round 15, looms as the man the Cats must stop. Milburn started opposite him in the prelim before Harley gained the nod, but neither were able to halt Cloke as he made up for Rocca's lack of output.

Dane Swan v Cameron Ling
The Cats are claiming Ling isn't 100 per cent following an ankle injury last week, but if he plays, he could replicate the preliminary final and head straight for Swan in an attempt to gain retribution for last year. Swan collected 25 disposals in that game, despite the best efforts of the blanketing redhead before he was shifted to man Heath Shaw. A rematch might be on the cards.

WHAT THE CLUBS SAY
Collingwood
"Obviously for the past 18 months they've been the benchmark, so it's going to be a tough one for us," said Nick Maxwell, Collingwood's deputy vice-captain.

"I think when everyone's working together and we're doing the right things for each other, I think we can push anyone. I think we can beat anyone.

"Even though a couple of weeks ago Hawthorn gave us a belting … when we're all playing well and all doing what we need to be doing [we can beat anyone].

"We haven't got the stars of other clubs, we're very even across the board, and we need everyone performing to their best to be a good challenger for those good teams."

Geelong
"Any opportunity you get to play in front of a big crowd is a great one and is half the reason why you play," Geelong coach Mark Thompson said.

"It's exciting as a coach, it's exciting as a player and that will never change. The bigger the crowd the more fun it is.

"We've actually been really happy [over the last three weeks].

"We're eight-zip, we've been able to score goals in a hurry when we have needed to and won games quite comfortably. We are in a good position."