Geelong the big test for Collingwood

Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse says he is unsure whether the Magpies are better prepared to take on reigning premiers Geelong than they were earlier this season.

For the second time this year, the Magpies will enter a clash with the Cats – at the MCG on Saturday night – in top spot on the AFL ladder and in superb form.

Last time, in round nine, they were coming off five straight wins, but Geelong proved they remained the competition benchmark, unleashing a powerful third quarter surge to win by six goals.

This time, the Magpies are on a six-win streak, including an extremely impressive 48-point drubbing of Carlton on Saturday in which they were more dominant than the scoreline suggested.

But Malthouse declined to make a forecast on their chances against the Cats, who also crunched them by 73 points in a preliminary final last season and have won five of their past six meetings.

“I guess that’s the test, I don’t want to make any rash predictions,” Malthouse said.

“I didn’t think we were that bad last time, we made a couple of bad errors in front of goal.”

The Magpies let themselves down in round nine, kicking 6.14 to Geelong’s 12.14.

Some inaccuracy in front of goal was also the one minor blight on Saturday’s comfortable 15.15 (105) to 9.3 (57) win over Carlton.

Key forward Travis Cloke, returning from suspension, at one stage had 0.5, before kicking two goals in the last quarter.

Running defender Heath Shaw is likely to return from a back injury to take on Geelong, but midfielder Sharrod Wellingham is in doubt, after a knee injury, which Malthouse described as bruising, kept him out of the second half against Carlton.

Malthouse said there were also numerous players pushing for promotion from the VFL, to provide healthy selection pressure, with experienced forward Paul Medhurst among them.

“He’s been pretty good, as have six or seven others and that’s valuable,” he said.

“… Paul Medhurst in there would be a valuable asset, but you can’t play 23 players and that’s really where we’re at.”

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© 2010 AAP