TV: Channel 7, Fox Footy, 7 mate (WA, Qld, NSW)
Why watch
For Hawthorn, Friday night's clash against is a rehearsal for the finals, and following its 23-point win over Geelong last Saturday night in which the Hawks booted 10 unanswered goals, you'd expect the Hawks to keep their foot on the gas.
The Pies are still a chance to make the eight if results fall their way.
Somebody should tell Collingwood chief executive Gary Pert that- only last week the figurehead declared the club's season 'ruined'.
Match Notes
- A Collingwood win and a Tigers loss to the Sydney Swans would see Collingwood make the finals for the ninth consecutive year
- The Hawks are ranked No.1 in the league for clearances, averaging 40.9 per match, while the Pies are ranked 16th in that area with an average of 34.7
- Collingwood could regain at least two players, with leading goal kicker Jamie Elliott and Heritier Lumumba both training strongly on Wednesday
- The highest score Hawthorn has conceded in 2014 is 91 points, against Freo in Round 21 - without Travis Cloke, it's hard to see Collingwood breaking that record
- The Pies are ranked 13th in the league for score, and have kicked more than 100 points in just four games this season
Quote of the week
"We need to rehearse all the things we do in our game style to continue to play good footy," Hawks coach Alastair Clarkson said.
"We want to have the continuity of good form and the consistent contributors leading into finals."
Last five games
Collingwood
L 16 Adelaide
W 6 Port Adelaide
L 60 West Coast
L 67 Brisbane Lions
W 8 GWS
Hawthorn
W 10 Sydney
W 62 Western Bulldogs
W 50 Melbourne
L 19 Fremantle
W 23 Geelong
Last five between clubs
Haw, Haw, Haw, Haw, Haw
Key injuries
Collingwood
Taylor Adams Finger Season
Dayne Beams Knee Season
Nathan Brown Shoulder Season
Marty Clarke Illness Test
Travis Cloke Ankle 3-4 weeks
Sam Dwyer Hamstring Test
Jamie Elliott Hamstring Test
Nathan Freeman Hamstring Season
Ben Hudson Shoulder Season
Heritier Lumumba Corked thigh Test
Brent Macaffer Knee Season
Jonathon Marsh Hamstring Season
Caolan Mooney Ankle Test
Adam Oxley Ankle Season
Scott Pendlebury Corked quad Test
Ben Reid Hamstring Season
Matthew Scharenberg Knee Season
Paul Seedsman Adductor Test
Dane Swan Hamstring 1-2 weeks
Alan Toovey Groin 1 week
Clinton Young Hamstring 3-4 weeks
Hawthorn
Jed Anderson Shoulder Season
Tim O'Brien Hamstring Season
Cyril Rioli Hamstring 2-3 weeks
Matt Spangher Calf tightness Test
Matt Suckling Knee 1 week
Shem-Kalvin Tatupu Foot Season
Zac Webster Hamstring 3-4 weeks
Brendan Whitecross Knee Indefinite
Fantasy factoid
The floodgates opened in Hawthorn's forward when these sides met in Round 14. Luke Breust, Jarryd Roughead and Cyril Rioli combined for nine goals.
Cold hard fact
Collingwood hasn’t beaten the Hawks since 2011. Hawthorn has won the past six clashes and seven of the past nine matches between the sides. The 29-point winning margin of Round 14 this year was the closest of those games.
Final word
Gary Pert has dropped the bottom lip and declared Collingwood's season over. The question is whether Nathan Buckley and the players have the same attitude.
The 19-man injury list means plenty of fringe players will be keen to impress before the end of the season.
But we think the senior Magpie stars - the ones still fit - might be already thinking about mad Monday and the footy trip.
And that will help Hawthorn claim the methodical and no fuss win it wants.
Hawthorn by 45 points.
AFL Round 23 Preview: Collingwood v Hawthorn
