Matt Rendell believes Collingwood is the club that provides the biggest threat to reigning premiers Richmond in 2020.
The Tigers boast a 4-2 record over the Magpies across the past three seasons but one of these two defeats was a forgettable 44-point preliminary final drubbing on a fateful night in 2018 when Mason Cox turned it on.
While Richmond has held aloft two of the last three premiership cups, Rendell feels a fully fit Collingwood side is the key to knocking off the competition’s benchmark outfit.
“We rolled Richmond in that preliminary final. It wasn’t necessarily just because of Cox,” the Magpies’ assistant recruiting manager said on SEN’s Dwayne’s World.
“But we really troubled them with the way we were playing against them. I know they were really worried about us last year.
“We beat them early in the year, I know they had a couple missing. Then they smashed us pretty easily later in the year when we had quite a few out.
“I’d just like to have a crack with them with our best team.
“(Darcy) Moore playing on (Tom) Lynch, maybe (Jeremy) Howe or (Jordan) Roughead playing on Jack Riewoldt. I think we’ve got the team that can beat them.
“I know that they see us as their greatest challenge.”
Rendell reiterated that a full arsenal of personnel at Collingwood’s disposal will undoubtedly put them in a much stronger position of once again presenting as a genuine flag threat.
“I reckon Collingwood’s improvement will come from getting a better run with injuries,” he added.
“Keeping players out on the ground like (Jordan) De Goey, who has missed a lot, you need Moore out there all the time, Howe, (Brayden) Maynard. Keeping your better players out there all the time with no soft tissue injuries.
“We ran into a bit of trouble last year. Whether we beat GWS in the preliminary final, whether De Goey would have played not, I doubt it. They went to great lengths to try and get him up in case we made it.
“Getting our best players on the ground is number one.”
The Pies will get to test themselves against the Tigers in the Marsh Community Series in Wangaratta next Sunday, March 1 before the two powerhouse clubs again lock horns in Round 2 of the season proper at the MCG on March 26.
Listen to Rendell's chat with Dwayne Russell below: