Collingwood will look to win two matches in a row for the first time this year when they host Brisbane on Sunday afternoon.
The Magpies have had a funny sort of year, although their supporters aren’t laughing, because the team is 3-6 and well off the pace of finals.
They’ve had some really great efforts at times, and against good teams, but have also played some absolute stinkers that have seen them drop matches they ought to win.
It’s a less than ideal situation and makes them a difficult team to read, but they were in good form last week coming back from a poor start to run over Hawthorn.
Brisbane are a much less confusing side – they’re just bad, they’ve lost nine in a row since opening the year with a win, and look throughly uncompetitive.
With Tom Rockliff out of action they’re relying mostly of the efforts of the Daynes, Beams and Zorko, to keep them in matches, and while they try hard they can’t carry the team.
On top of that they’re dealing with constant contract scrutiny which is the norm for them, at the moment it is regarding Josh Schache who has been given a couple of weeks off by the club.
Ironically their opponents today, Collingwood, are one of the clubs rumoured to be putting up big dollars in the pursuit of Schache.
Collingwood have Matthew Scharenberg and Tim Broomhead into the side this week, Henry Schade dropped and James Aish to miss through injury.
Brisbane have swung the axe – Michael Close, Tom Bell, Josh Walker and Ryan Harwood all dropped, while Claye Beams misses through injury.
Tom Cutler, Daniel McStay, Ryan Bastinac, Rhys Mathieson and Archie Smith are the five inclusions into the side.
Collingwood have won five of their last six against the Lions and that looks likely to continue today.
Don’t rule out the Magpies’ ability to botch what should be an easy win, but really, $1.50 for Collingwood to win by 40+ points looks a likely result.