Buoyant St Kilda coach Scott Watters believes his side is playing as well as any in the AFL competition and Collingwood holds no fears for them at the MCG on Saturday night.

The Saints lay just a win outside the top eight after last round’s 76-point thrashing of Western Bulldogs, but the fourth-placed Magpies are a different proposition.

Watters said his side’s recent form showed they were up to the challenge.

“I think our form over the last month has been fantastic,” he said.

“We knocked over Essendon, went to Brisbane which wasn’t an easy road trip at that point because they were fighting for their finals and we won that.

“We were four points behind Sydney with three and a half minutes to go in a game we should have won and not many sides have challenged Sydney there, and we were ruthless against Western Bulldogs last week.

“Our form’s as good as anyone in the league.”

The Saints have lost small forward Adam Schneider who failed a test on his hamstring, while Collingwood welcome back a list of stars including Darren Jolly, Dale Thomas, Sharrod Wellingham and Steele Sidebottom.

This is the first time Watters, an assistant coach at Collingwood until taking over the senior role at St Kilda this season, has faced the Magpies.

He said he had inside knowledge of the club in terms of their key players and “what they do and how they do it”.

But believed it wouldn’t necessarily give his own team an advantage.

“You have inside knowledge but whether that translates into an edge tomorrow night who knows,” he said.

“Ultimately your players still have to execute what you’ve been talking about during the week.”