Who wins: relentless Pies or wise Cats?

Want to impress your girlfriend by cooking an exotic meal all by yourself? You’re in luck. Here’s the recipe for a dish that tastes nicer than anything you’ll ever see on MasterChef.

1. Carefully place 22 classy Collingwood players onto the hallowed MCG turf and an esteemed coaching panel into the grandstand.
2. Add 22 desperate Geelong players and a young, vibrant group of coaches.
3. Sprinkle on some Friday night exposure.
4. Season with over 80,000 spectators.
5. Stir for a good two and a half hours until the players are spent.

You and your missus can try this meal out for free if you want by watching the highly anticipated match between champion teams Collingwood and Geelong at the MCG on Friday night.

Both the Magpies and the Cats have started the season in superb form, with neither dropping a game so far. But by 10pm on Friday night, one team’s momentum will be halted, while the other might have set-up the rest of their season.

If there’s one negative surrounding the Pies so far this season, it’s whether they’ve proven themselves against the best yet.

They’ve beaten Carlton, Richmond and Essendon, three young and flourishing teams that didn’t play in the finals last year. They recently toppled the Western Bulldogs, a team that is playing nowhere near its potential.

Conversely, many say Geelong has already proven itself in 2011. It beat St Kilda in Round 1, then Fremantle at Patersons Stadium, Sydney at the SCG and Hawthorn on Easter Tuesday. All of those teams played in the 2010 finals series and, except for the Saints, look set to repeat the does in 2011.

However, the Pies are a professional and disciplined footy side.

Every player – whether their job is to kick a bag of goals, gather 30 plus disposals or wear the substitute vest – can be relied upon to execute their role to the highest degree.

When opposition clubs think of Collingwood, they think of uncompromising defensive pressure. The Pies are just as damaging without the ball than with it. They hunt in packs of three or four in an attempt to cause a turnover and once they’ve forced the mistake, they run and spread with precision and tenacity.

Collingwood’s style of play has forced other teams to change their own game plans in order to topple the Pies. That’s a tremendous achievement and the sign of a dominant side.

The Pies are ranked number one for clearances and contested possessions and fifth for tackles. Along with inside 50’s, those stats are the biggest Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) in modern-day footy. No wonder they’re so good.

Down the Princes Highway, the Cats want revenge. They want payback.

The last time these two teams met, Collingwood thumped Geelong by 41 points in the first preliminary final last season. It was a humiliating loss for the Cats, who were beaten by a Pies side that seized their opportunity and exposed the Cats’ weaknesses.

Geelong’s loss prompted numerous questions. Is the Cats’ golden era over? Is this a changing of the guard? Is Geelong’s high-possession game style ‘old news’? Do senior players like Cameron Ling and Darren Milburn – who were exposed for leg speed that night – still have what it takes to play at AFL level?

Enter Chris Scott, a confident and proficient young coach who has taken all before him this season and has reunited the playing group.

No doubt Scott has been the major reason behind Geelong’s resurgence this season. He’s given the players new energy, which was evident through the almost disrespectful treatment of North Melbourne last weekend. The Cats tackled with ferocity and pushed the younger Kangaroo bodies over as if they were matchsticks.

Scott’s made obvious changes to the game plan – as he should’ve too. The Cats are kicking the ball longer and more often. They are ranked fourth in the league for long kicks, whereas they were ranked seventh last season. They’re also ranked third for contested possessions, compared to fifth in 2010.

Perhaps the biggest change though has been the heavier emphasis on defence. Geelong has always been a great defensive team, but it’s gone to new levels in 2011. The Cats have clearly conceded the least amount of points, averaging 63.5 per game. It’s a scary though for all opposition clubs, including Collingwood.

So who wins?

The midfield battle will be fascinating. Dane Swan, Scott Pendlebury and Luke Ball versus Jimmy Bartel, Joel Selwood and James Kelly. Hard to pick a winner from that.

With Darren Jolly still sidelined due to a knee injury, Geelong will have a distinct advantage in the ruck. Brad Ottens is in tremendous form and should dominate the combination of Cameron Wood and Leigh Brown. Advantage Geelong.

But what sways me towards tipping Collingwood is its tall forwards. Travis Cloke and Chris Dawes have kicked 30 goals between them so far and pose a much bigger threat than Tom Hawkins and James Podsiadly.

Collingwood for mine. Just.

How about you?