By Luke Mathews
It’s well known across the footy landscape that Collingwood don’t travel too often.
The Magpies play 14 games at the MCG, three at Marvel (two home games) and six interstate games in 2025.
Being the biggest club in the land as well as having the strongest bottom line, the Pies don’t rely on deals to play in Tasmania, Queensland or even Perth.
By pulling the biggest crowds, the Pies haven’t even had to play in Geelong since 1999 with the Cats choosing to host their one or two MCG home games against Collingwood.
Earlier in the year, SEN’s Kane Cornes said the Pies have “biggest free kick of any team” due to their favourable fixture.
After playing in Opening Round in Sydney, Gather Round in Adelaide, Round 6 in Brisbane and Round 9 in Perth, the Maggies only had two more interstate games for the year.
Despite their lack of travel, their form interstate has been as good as any Victorian team.
This year Collingwood's form on the road has been impressive with a 31-point win against Sydney, a 52-point triumph over Brisbane and a 14-point victory against Fremantle despite resting players.
Only Travis Head loves the Adelaide Oval more with the Pies, notching up 10 straight wins at the ground since the beginning of 2018.
Just like most of the Craig McRae era, six of those close wins have come by under a goal with three of them against the Crows.
Collingwood’s form in Perth has also been strong with McRae unbeaten since taking charge of the Magpies.
In 2022, they defeated Fremantle by 36 points which kickstarted their 11-game winning streak and in 2023 they took care of West Coast by 63 points.
Last year they drew against Fremantle despite being up by 25 points but they did make amends for it earlier this year.
Collingwood’s recent form in Queensland has also been just as good, with the warmer weather no issue for the Pies.
McRae’s men picked up their first win of 2024 at the Gabba beating the Lions by 20 points, and made light work of them by 52 points at the venue earlier this year.
The Round 6 win means the Pies and the Giants are the only sides to have won back-to-back games against Brisbane at the Gabba in the last two years.
The Pies have also taken a liking to People First Stadium with a 6-3 record at the venue, however, they did lose their clash to the Suns last year by 11 points.
The only state Collingwood have struggled in recently in New South Wales.
Collingwood has been well beaten by the Giants in their two Opening Round matches with a 32-point loss in 2024 and a 52-point loss this year.
They’ve also lost their last three at the SCG with a 27-point loss in Round 22 of 2022 and two single digit defeats in the 2022 preliminary final and Round 22 last year.
It brings us to this week with the Pies set to travel for the fifth time this season.
Many have suggested this is one of Gold Coast’s biggest games in recent memory and that the Suns are a real chance to knock off Collingwood.
But even though this game is on the Gold Coast, there's every chance the Pies feel at home as much as the Suns do.
Crafted by Project Diamond