It was Collingwood's youth and speed matched against St Kilda's battle-hardened experience.
The Saints certainly had the competitive will and the heart. However, this week the Magpies' speed of hand and foot clearly won the day.
Like last week, Collingwood looked a yard quicker in almost every position. But unlike last week they maintained that speed edge until the margin was beyond St Kilda's reach.
To exaggerate that quickness advantage, as a team the Saints were unable to think their way through Collingwood's incredible tackling pressure and were continually forced into panicky, pass-the-pressure type handballs.
Apart from Brendon Goddard, the Magpies had all the best players.
One of the most influential was the youngest player on the field - the 19-year-old Steele Sidebottom, playing only his 36th game.
Forget his inexperience, Sidebottom epitomises this magnificent Collingwood team.
They play with a poise and composure that belies their lack of age and experience.
As a permanent forward, Sidebottom continually found the footy with one-touch ball-handling and under pressure of the occasion used it effectively, turning instinctively left or right and finding a teammate kicking with either foot.
He looks so natural on his non-dominant left side that it is only when he has a set shot that it becomes clear that he's a natural right-footer.
Collingwood have so much experience outside the premiership 22 who just can't get a game.
Leon Davis (204 games), Josh Fraser (200 games), Tarkyn Lockyer (227 games), Paul Medhurst (168 games), Shane O'Bree (246 games) and Simon Prestigiacomo (233 games) were available but not selected.
What the Magpies have successfully done is supersede this experience with inexperienced youth almost unknown 12 months ago.
Their nine under-60-game group is Dayne Beams, Jarryd Blair, Tyson Goldsack, Nathan Brown, Chris Dawes, Brent Macaffer , Ben Reid , Sidebottom and Sharrod Wellingham.
Premierships are not won with so many young players.
That Collingwood have done so is enormous credit to the Magpies coaching staff headed by Mick Malthouse and the fantastic leadership of captain Nick Maxwell.
As usual with premiership winners there will be talk of a dynasty ahead and occasionally this prediction may come to fruition.
However, it should always be remembered that dynasty is a retrospective look back at history and cannot ever be accurately predicted in advance.
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
