What was tipped to be a close encounter between 9th and 10th position, the Bulldogs put the Pies to the sword in the first quarter, and never looked back.
Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge would be extremely pleased with his side's efforts, dominating Collingwood in all key components of Friday night's clash.
The Bulldogs have found their bite
Following critics and doubters saying the Bulldogs would struggled to recapture their form of 2021, Beveridge's men silenced those against them, in an impressive performance against the Pies.
Piling on six consecutive goals in the first quarter, the Dogs were on from the start, led by their star-studded midfield, including ex-Pie Adam Treloar.
Collingwood were outnumbered in every contest and looked a pace or two behind the ball, failing to compete.
The Dogs collected over 100 more disposals then their opponents, 22 inside 50s, 16 clearances and 40 contested possessions in what was their best match for the year.
Sitting just outside the 8, the Bulldogs have now provided themselves with a launching pad for the second half of the year, capturing some much-needed form and coming up against Gold Coast, West Coast and Geelong before the bye.
Jack Macrae deserves more notice
The star-Dog was crucial in the win against the Pies on Friday night, collecting 37 touches, nine clearances and 10 score involvements.
Although his ball-winning ability hasn't wavered, nor has his smarts around congestion, Macrae proved to be just as damaging as his teammates both in the stoppage and around the ground.
The 3-time All-Australian's skill to retrieve possession when the ball is in dispute and feed it to players like Marcus Bontempelli and Bailey Smith, allows the Dogs to be more attacking and penetrating in their forward half.
Collingwood were unable to match Macrae or his teammates, but the 27-year-old was most impressive and should not be considered to be in the shadows of his star partners as one of the game's most electric midfields.
Collingwood's youth put on display
In a disappointing effort against the Dogs, Collingwood's youth did not step up to the challenge that was presented on Friday night.
Attempting to get experience at the elite level, coach Craig McRae has opted to play the kids, as the club begins to rebuild after falling to 17th in 2021.
Collingwood's vibrant and exciting youngsters were off their game, either allowing Bulldog defenders out of the backline with ease or being dominated around the contest.
The flat looking Magpies were not helped by players such as Beau McCreery (three touches), Callum Brown (five touches) and Aiden Begg (two touches).
Although the entire team needed to lift, the young Pies seemed intimidated by their opponents and were not able to cease the onslaught they received from the Bulldogs.
