IT WASN'T as heartbreaking as last time, but the pain continues for Carlton.  

Craig McRae made it three wins from three starts against his former premiership captain Michael Voss on a day where Collingwood won for the sixth consecutive week, leading from start to finish to remain a game clear on top of the ladder after outplaying Carlton by 28 points.

BLUES v MAGPIES Full match coverage and stats

The Blues have now lost five of their past six games - only beating West Coast in that period - to tumble all the way to 11th after the 13.7 (85) to 7.15 (57) loss on Sunday afternoon at the MCG. 

When Mason Cox took a mark and kicked a goal late in the final quarter, a wave of disappointed Carlton supporters swept through the ground heading for the exits, contemplating where to from here. 

Collingwood dealt Carlton the most devastating blow imaginable the last time they met, but while this wasn't as brutal as being refused entry into September by a single point, this encounter showed why one is the premiership favourite and the other is in danger of enduring another bleak winter. 

The blockbuster fixture didn't produce a blockbuster contest like round 23 – and round 11 for that matter – but it did produce a blockbuster game within the game that showed why Darcy Moore is the best key defender in the game right now. 

The All-Australian defender started the afternoon on Charlie Curnow and spent most of the next 120 minutes opposed to the Carlton superstar, running his own show simultaneously behind the ball.

While Curnow leapt over Jeremy Cameron by kicking three goals – all from free kicks – to move two goals clear in this year's Coleman Medal race, Moore continued his phenomenal start to life as Collingwood captain with another dominant display behind the ball that has him firmly in the conversation as the best key defender in the AFL in 2023. 

The 27-year-old finished with 25 disposals, 17 intercept possessions, 12 marks (six contested marks) a record 11 intercept marks, 10 contested possessions, eight rebound 50s and five tackles in a stunning performance that is sure to see him continue his surge in the AFL Coaches' Association Champion Player of the Year Award.

The problems started early for Carlton. 

Collingwood kicked five goals to one in the opening quarter and had 10 on the board by half-time to be in control of a contest that never reached great heights.

On a weekend where the game pauses to pay tribute to the tremendous contribution made by the Indigenous community on the game, it was only fitting that Bobby Hill nailed the first goal of the match after finding space out the back just two minutes into the game. 

After a week of forensic focus on his goalkicking routine, Harry McKay clunked a pack mark and calmy slotted a set shot minutes later to quieten some of the commentary around his woes in front of goal, but it wasn't a sign of things to come. 

Collingwood kicked four goals in a seven-minute burst to highlight the current gulf between the two sides. Will Hoskin-Elliott was directly involved in two in 20 seconds, kicking the first and precisely hitting a leading Brody Mihocek moments later.  

By the time Voss left the box for the first and made the journey down to ground level for the quarter-time huddle, the game should have been over given the Magpies' dominance. 

If you were looking for a passage to define the difference between these two traditional rivals, it presented itself midway through the second quarter when Carlton was out on the wing and turned the ball over twice before the Magpies swept the ball forward on the back of Nick Daicos, before Taylor Adams hit Tom Mitchell 40m out, who then went laterally to Josh Daicos who was hit late and kicked a goal from a 50m penalty.

It was indicative of the gulf in class between two sides that started the season top-four contenders, but are swiftly heading in opposite directions.  

While the Daicos brothers found plenty of the ball across the day, and Jordan De Goey and Tom Mitchell made an impact in the middle, Moore was the clear standout.

Collingwood will now face North Melbourne and West Coast ahead of the traditional King's Birthday blockbuster against Melbourne, before the mid-season bye, while the Blues head to Sydney next to meet the Swans on Friday night.

Bobby brilliance
The stage was set for Bobby Hill to produce a few moments of individual brilliance and he didn't waste the stage. Minutes after the ceremony to mark Sir Doug Nicholls Round, the Collingwood recruit kicked the first goal of the game and celebrated with a tribal dance that has been a feature of the round. The West Australian then electrified the Magpies faithful when he burst down the MCC wing, weaved around Adam Saad – a man who usually does the weaving – before using his precise right foot to feed Mihocek for his third goal of the first half.

Blockbuster Pies continue rise
Collingwood has transformed the MCG into a fortress under Craig McRae. The Magpies have now won 17 of 18 games at the ground, starting with the win over Carlton in round 11 last season. In that time, they have played in front of at least 70,000 people 12 times, including three games against the Blues in front of 80,000 or more.

CARLTON              1.2     4.6     5.10    7.15 (57)
COLLINGWOOD    5.2    10.5   11.6    13.7 (85)

GOALS
Carlton: C.Curnow 3, McKay 2, Owies 2
Collingwood: Mihocek 4, Johnson 2, Cox, Crisp, Daicos, Elliott, Hill, Hoskin-Elliott, McCreery

BEST
Carlton: Docherty, C.Curnow, Cerra, Walsh
Collingwood: Moore, J.Daicos, Mitchell, Mihocek, Noble, De Goey, N.Daicos, Sidebottom 

INJURIES
Carlton: Nil    
Collingwood: Nil

LATE CHANGES:
Carlton: None
Collingwood: Darcy Cameron, replaced Jack Ginnivan in the selected side

SUBSTITUTES
Carlton: George Hewett (replaced Oliver Hollands at half- time)
Collingwood: Jack Ginnivan (replaced Ash Johnson in the fourth quarter)

Crowd: 80,354 at the MCG