WHERE AND WHEN: The Gabba, Saturday May 6, 7.40pm
LAST TIME: Collingwood 14.18 (102) d Brisbane Lions 13.6 (84), round 22, 2011, at the MCG
TV, RADIO AND BETTING: Click here for broadcast guide and odds
 
After some early season wobbles, Collingwood is back on track after three straight wins against Port Adelaide, Essendon and the Western Bulldogs. Although fighting off a raft of injuries to key players, the Magpies have eked out victories at the same time as the Lions have stumbled. The boys from Brisbane were a promising 2-2 after four rounds but have been thumped by Geelong and Essendon in recent heavyweight tests. They will be hoping for a similar outcome to the last time Collingwood visited the Gabba when the home team snapped a five-game losing streak with an upset win in 2010.

THE FOUR POINTS
BRISBANE LIONS
1. At different stages in the opening six rounds the Lions have showed promise, and an improvement on aspects of their game from 2011. But the bottom line is they have been hammered by the competition's elite in Carlton, Geelong and Essendon. They need a good showing against the Magpies, not only to keep their season alive, but to show themselves they're not treading water.

2. Before injuring his back last year, Daniel Merrett was the equal of any full-back in the competition. He started 2012 as a pinch-hitting forward and ruckman and struggled in the opening quarter against when pushed back against Stewart Crameri last week. The Lions are at their best when their No. 1 defender is in form, and Merrett will need to be in peak condition to curtail Travis Cloke and Chris Dawes.

3. He might be 33, but Simon Black is still the Lions' most cherished opposition scalp. The past two weeks against Geelong and Essendon he has worn hard tags and battled to break even. The Lions' younger midfielders need to either help Black out with more blocks, or take advantage of the extra space he provides.

4. Andrew Raines is highly regarded by his teammates and the coaching staff and returns after a one-match suspension for striking Joel Selwood. After all the scrutiny surrounding the incident that sidelined him, it will be interesting to see how the Lions' stopper goes about his work against either Dane Swan or Scott Pendlebury. Either way, their output needs to be limited to give the home team a fighting chance.
 
COLLINGWOOD
1. The focal point with the Magpies ahead of pretty much every game this season has revolved around injuries and player availability. This is the case again this week. Ben Johnson is out with the shoulder he had reconstructed on Tuesday and Alex Fasolo is sore, but Darren Jolly, Dale Thomas and Jarryd Blair are expected to be available. Then there's Alan Didak, who Nathan Buckley said needed another week of solid training before senior consideration.
 
2. The Magpies have averaged three changes a week since round two, with players such as Johnson, Thomas, Heath Shaw, Ben Reid, Nick Maxwell and Sharrod Wellingham missing patches so far. But, as destabilising at those sorts of changes can be, it's actually worked in the Pies' favour. While they're not playing their best football yet, they've won four from six games and have seen what players like Lachlan Keeffe, Ben Sinclair and Jackson Paine are capable of. 
 
3. There's an opportunity for Travis Cloke to silence those suggesting the speculation about his future is weighing on his mind, and for Chris Dawes to take another step. Merrett was shaky in defence against Essendon's Stewart Crameri early last week, which meant teammate Matt Maguire had to help out. Cloke won't want a repeat of his slow start against the Dogs while Dawes will be determined to build. Surely, one of them will be able to break out and influence the game.
 
4. The past three head to heads between the clubs at the Gabba have been decided by less than three goals. The Magpies haven't played at the Brisbane ground since round 10, 2010, when the Lions won by eight points. Before that, the Pies managed a 17-point win in round four, 2009, which came after the Lions claimed the round two, 2008 clash by two points.

AFL.com.au prediction: Collingwood by 32 points
 
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs