Collingwood see limitless possibilities for this AFL season after relegating their spluttering early form to distant memory.
Friday’s 23-point comeback win over Essendon in the Anzac Day blockbuster at the MCG leaves the Magpies with a 4-2 record and growing confidence.
The Magpies trailed by 37 points early in the second term, but kicked 12 of the last 14 goals to win 12.11 (83) to 8.12 (60).
This was the 20th Collingwood-Essendon Anzac Day clash and the Magpies have an 11-8 record with one draw.
Star Magpies midfielder Dane Swan also showed he has overcome a slow start to the year by kicking four goals and winning his second Anzac Medal.
After Fremantle belted them by 70 points in round one and Geelong beat them in round three, the Magpies have won their last three games.
“We are not putting a cap on what we are capable of, this side,” Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley said.
“We are still finding our best balance, we are still finding out what we are capable of and we look forward to the challenges we have to come.”
By contrast, after a bright start Essendon are now in a 2-4 hole.
This win was particularly encouraging for Buckley because his team was on the back foot in the first term and Essendon also challenged in the last quarter.
The Bombers also reduced the margin to eight points early in the last quarter before Collingwood kicked away.
“Essendon came out from the bell, punched us in the nose,” Buckley said.
“We had watery eyes and it took us a little while to get our bearings.
“To be able to keep everything on track and stick to the task, that doesn’t mean we are going to come back and win it, but the fact that we were able to it is a fairly big feather in the cap.”
Apart from Swan’s brilliance, which featured a freakish running goal from the boundary in the third quarter, captain Scott Pendlebury also sparked them in the midfield during the second term.
Steele Sidebottom kicked three goals in the pivotal second quarter and Collingwood remarkably tied the scores at half time.
Brent Macaffer added Bombers captain Jobe Watson to his growing list of tagging victims and Dayne Beams was also outstanding.
Clinton Young played a pivotal quarterback-style role across half back until he was injured in the third term.
Young will also come under video review scrutiny for a clash of heads with Paul Chapman after halftime.
Alex Fasolo, like Young, was sent for scans after he was subbed off in the third term with a toe injury.
Collingwood are insistent that it is not a recurrence of the foot injury that ruined last season for him.
Midfielders Brent Stanton and Dyson Heppell were the best for the Bombers, but key forward Jake Carisle continues to struggle for form.