Blake Caracella believes Collingwood produced its best football all season during the first half of Saturday’s superb win over the Swans.

The former Magpie player and current offensive coach was glowing in his praise of the inexperienced Magpie side which secured a memorable 19-point triumph at Telstra Stadium to move to fourth on the ladder with eight wins from 12 rounds.

Collingwood stunned the Swans and their fans when it opened up a 34-point lead at the main break through some magnificent high-pressure football, having kept the 2005 premiers to just two goals and one behind for the first half.

“The pressure was fantastic all game,” Caracella said on CTV’s The Weekend That Was at the Lexus Centre on Monday.

“I reckon the first half of the game on the weekend was probably the best footy we’ve played all year, really fantastic pressure, helped the forwards out too, and at the same time they only had three scoring shots in the first half.”

Much has been written and said about the performance of Collingwood’s seventh first-gamer in season 2007, Martin Clarke, after the Irishman accumulated 20 mostly effective disposals in a stunning debut.

“It was an amazing effort,” Caracella added.

“Marty’s quite a confident guy, so that helps.

“Through the whole pre-season, working with (development coaches) Alan Richardson and Brad Scot, and then coming on board and improving his kicking and doing all the right things on the training track and transferring it into the games has been really good.”

Caracella also praised the efforts of young gun Dale Thomas for his four-goal effort.

“No doubt he was fantastic on the weekend. He probably really stood up in a big game, which he likes to play in.”

On the fact Collingwood won three of its four interstate trips in season 2007, Caracella said the pre-season training camps in Arizona enabled the guys to become accustomed to travelling together, and they enjoy the chance to get away and play.

“Probably having travelled to Arizona the last two years and spent probably six or seven weeks away during the pre-season, the boys have really got used to each other.

“I’m not sure we play any better interstate, but it’s handy to win three of four against pretty good teams.”