After cementing a place in this year’s Preliminary Final with a hard-fought win over Greater Western Sydney last week, Collingwood’s eyes have been focused on reigning premiers Richmond. 

Ahead of the blockbuster sellout on Friday night, Collingwood assistant coach Brenton Sanderson says the team will have to play its best brand of footy to beat the red-hot Tigers and progress to the big dance. 

“It (our form) will have to be at our best to beat them but when you look at our season we’ve played some pretty exciting footy too. 

“When we’re at our best we’re pretty fun to watch as well, so it should be a great contest,” said Sanderson. 

This week will be the third time the teams have met in 2018, with Richmond taking the four points on both previous occasions. 

Meeting in rounds six and 19, the Pies have been able to match Richmond’s intensity only until three quarter time, something Sanderson is aware of. 

“The times we’ve played Richmond this year ... they were both really great games until three quarter time, and for whatever reason Richmond were too good for us in the final quarter. 

“We did have some excuses in those games, we lost players to injury which we finished with one on the bench in both of those games,” he said. 

And while Darcy Moore and Ben Reid won’t make a comeback from injury, the team will go into this Friday night with a clean bill of health.  

The success Collingwood have had throughout the 2018 season has been credited by an even contribution from all 22 players, something that will need to be executed against Richmond. 

”You typically don’t lose too many games when you have 22 players playing their bit for the team and if we’re going to beat the Tiges on Friday night we’ll have to ensure that we get the same output,” Sanderson said. 

100,00 fans are expected to flock to the MCG to watch the arch rivals play in a final for the first time since 1980.

If Collingwood are to win against Richmond, the club will be playing for its 16th premiership cup against the winner out of West Coast and Melbourne on 29 September.