Seven straight wins has Collingwood content but not complacent as they approach the midway point of the AFL season.
The Pies host Fremantle at the MCG on Saturday and will welcome back star duo Jordan De Goey and Darcy Moore from injury.
Wingman Travis Varcoe also returns from a one-game suspension as a like-for-like replacement for fellow veteran Daniel Wells, whose career hangs in the balance after he injured his knee in his first game in almost a year.
But big man Mason Cox will miss his fifth straight game with a niggling ankle injury despite training on Thursday.
Rupert Wills and Jack Madgen have been omitted.
Since losing to West Coast in the round-three grand final rematch, Collingwood are undefeated and sit second on the ladder with two games left before their bye.
Yet not everything has gone exactly to plan.
Collingwood's fourth-quarter prowess has been notable but Sydney, Carlton and St Kilda have tested the Pies' staying power in recent weeks.
"I think we're playing well. You don't win without playing well, because the competition's fierce," coach Nathan Buckley told reporters.
"We don't think we're knocking it out of the park, either ... but we're pretty content with the way that we are backing up week after week.
"It's a long season and we're not even halfway through it so we still feel like there's a lot of growth in us and we've got plenty of upside in what we're bringing to the table. That's a reason to be optimistic for us and our supporters."
Another is the Pies' depth.
With Jamie Elliott (hamstring) and Taylor Adams (groin) unavailable until after the bye, Buckley still has the likes of prime mover Brayden Sier, father-son talent Josh Daicos and exciting draftee Isaac Quaynor putting their hands up in the VFL.
"The VFL (players) are performing better," Buckley said.
"After a slow start to the year we're starting to see an upwards trend in the way that we play footy at that level and the individuals within it are pretty keen to take their chances when they come."
The Pies could soon welcome back another key player in Matt Scharenberg, who will play in the VFL this weekend for the first time since undergoing a third knee reconstruction.
Fremantle will line up unchanged after beating Brisbane by a point in a thriller last week.
