Queen's Birthday over in 20 minutes: Plough

SEN footy analyst Terry Wallace believes the winner of Monday’s Queen’s Birthday blockbuster between Melbourne and Collingwood will be known 20 minutes into the first quarter.

With the Demons coming off the bye, and the Pies returning from a brutal but morale boosting victory over Fremantle in Perth, Wallace says the vastly different preparations will play a huge part in deciding the winner.

“I think we’ll know the result of this game 20 minutes in,” he told SEN’s Before The Games.

“I just sense it will be the hardened group of Collingwood that will get that edge until Melbourne get themselves into warm mode.

“But if last week (against Fremantle) has been a bit too much for Collingwood, and the freshness of Melbourne comes out, then we’ll know the result either way pretty early.”

Both sides are knocking on the door of the top eight with five wins but will go in with key personnel out of the side. Jesse Hogan and Max Gawn will be absent for the Dees while Jamie Elliott, Daniel Wells, Ben Reid, Travis Varcoe and Tyson Goldsack won’t take their place in the Pies’ 22.

The Demons have won the past three clashes against the Pies by an average of 39 points.

Wallace is tipping the Pies to reverse that trend, citing the club’s battle-hardened midfield as its ticket to success against a Melbourne group he says is still 18 months from full maturation.

Despite rating the Pies as the best side currently outside the top eight, Wallace does not believe either of Monday’s combatants will play finals football.