Collingwood has had the edge over Brisbane in recent times. Michael Whiting finds out why

Lachie Neale is pressured by Collingwood players during the match between Brisbane and the Magpies at the Gabba in round six, 2025, Picture: Getty Images

COLLINGWOOD has beaten Brisbane the past four times they’ve met, and it’s easy to see why.

Since winning that epic 2023 Grand Final between the clubs, the Magpies have had the wood on their rivals.

It was a four-point victory on that perfect September afternoon, followed by a 20-point win on Easter Thursday when both teams had not registered a win early the following season.

Again, Craig McRae’s men got the chocolates in another cliffhanger late last season, booting the game’s final three goals to punish Brisbane for some wayward kicking at goal earlier in the match.

And the most recent success came in round six, when they blew a lethargic Lions off the Gabba by 52 points to snap the premiers’ unbeaten start to 2025.

Why has Collingwood had success where others have struggled?

“They’ve been able to get the game on their terms,” Brisbane coach Chris Fagan said at his weekly press conference on Thursday.

“They’ve been able to win contest and own the corridor. They’re the two main things. We haven’t been able to stop them well enough in those situations.”

Fagan knows his team better than anyone, but aside from the areas he mentioned, there’s two glaring statistical differentials that Collingwood has dominated.

Its pressure has killed Brisbane’s, and off the back of that, the Pies have defended the usually free-wheeling Lions attack better than anyone.

Statistics provided by Champion Data show Collingwood has significantly trumped Brisbane’s Pressure Rating in three of the four wins, with the teams level in the match earlier this season due to the Lions taking a lot of uncontested marks.

They have won the tackle count by a whopping 22 a game.

Pies holding off the Lions

 

GF, 2023

R3, 2024

R23, 2024

R6, 2025

Points Against

86 Pts

72 Pts

78 Pts

53 Pts

Points Against from Turnovers

32 Pts

47 Pts

25 Pts

36 Pts

Tackle Differential

+20

+32

+30

+5

Pressure Differential

+8

+16

+26

Even

“Our pressure’s been poor,” Fagan said. “We had 28 tackles last time we played them at the Gabba. That’s not acceptable.”

Brisbane has struggled to score from the turnovers it generates.

While the Lions have averaged 53 points a game from that score source since the 2023 decider, that dips to just 35 in the games against the Pies.

Brisbane players leave the field during the R6 match against Collingwood at the Gabba on April 17, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

Following their horror loss to Gold Coast last Saturday, Fagan backed up the words of his co-captain Lachie Neale from earlier in the week saying his midfield would need to be at its best at the MCG on Saturday night.

“They’re a proud group and they’ll want to perform a lot better than what they did against Gold Coast,” Fagan said.

“And to be fair, we didn’t play well against Collingwood’s midfield the last time we played either, and haven’t probably the last four times.

“There’s a good challenge there for us.”