Five Round 1 oddities (thanks to Steve Rodgers)

  • This will be the 16th time we've faced off against Geelong in the opening round of a VFL/AFL season, and the first time since 1982 at Waverley.
  • This will be the first time in 80 years we have done so at our home ground. The last time was the opening round of the 1939 season.
  • This will be the sixth consecutive Magpie-Cat opening round match-up (1939, 1961, 1967, 1978, 1982, 2019) where the Pies are coming off a Grand Final loss!
  • All 16 Magpies-Cats openers have come after the Pies had featured in finals the year before.
  • Collingwood's last win over Geelong in a season-opener was back in 1978, at Kardinia Park. That win was soured when former President Tom Sherrin died in a car accident on the way back from the game.

Five things to look for in 2019

  • Returning Magpies: We're excited to be welcoming Dayne Beams back to the nest again in 2019. He's just the ninth player to leave the Pies and come back again later. Can you name the others? (answer below)
  • Father-sons: Will Kelly's drafting has given us another father-son on the list, alongside Darcy Moore, Josh Daicos and Callum and Tyler Brown. We've had 41 sons of Magpies fathers play senior footy for us going into the year. Can Tyler or Will add to that number?
  • 2019 anniversaries: It is, of course, 100 years since our 1919 flag – the so-called 'Peace Premiership'. And 90 years since our famed 1929 team, The Machine, became the only side in VFL/AFL history to go through a home-and-away season undefeated.
  • 2019 omen? In every decade bar one, at least one of the grand finalists from the year ending in 8 (eg, 1968, 1908 etc) has gone on to play in another grand final the next year (the exception was 1978-79). So history says either the Eagles or us will be back there this year! (thanks to Lloyd Fisk for this little gem)
  • Pendles to join elite club? Scott Pendlebury sits on 277 games going into the 2019 season, in equal third place on our games record tally with Wayne Richardson. Can he make it to 300 in 2019? (we'll need to make finals for him to have a chance)

Quiz answer: The eight other Magpies to leave and come back are: Ted Baker, Ray Horwood, Ernie Lumsden, Ian McMullin, Mark Orchard, Bill Picken, Chris Tarrant, Des Tuddenham.