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The Brisbane Lions are not exactly the AFL's most accurate form gauge, but Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley saw plenty to like in his side's 58-point win.
Not even the sight of Nathan Brown being assisted from the field could wipe the smile off Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley's face following their 58-point shellacking of the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba.
A 2-5 record for 2012 is hardly flattering for the Lions, but the fact that Brisbane can only boast nine wins from their last 47 games ensures they are not the most accurate form gauge.
Yet Buckley believed the Magpies (5-2 record) were on the right track after thumping his former on-field nemesis Michael Voss' Lions 17.14 (116) to 8.10 (58) on Saturday night.
"That was a lot closer to how we want to play," the Pies mentor said.
"I thought our intensity in defence was 10 or 15 per cent up on where we were last week and that gives us the opportunity to perhaps be more attacking.
"It's a bit of the chicken or the egg - if you attack well, you can defend well and if you defend well, you can attack well."
Buckley could even find a silver lining to Brown's second quarter exit, claiming the key defender had only suffered a medial ligament complaint.
"When Browny goes down you fear the worse because he's had some wretched luck," Buckley said.
"Our medicos believe he's going to come out of it better than he might have otherwise so we'll have to wait for the dust to settle and see how exactly that falls."
In contrast Voss was clutching at straws after Collingwood were inspired by Steele Sidebottom (35 disposals), Dane Swan (34) and Scott Pendlebury (33).
Collingwood won the overall disposals 444-310, the clearances 40-31 and capitalised with a landslide 66-38 inside 50 count.
"How easy they got through midfield was probably the major talking point," Voss said.
"Plus we've got to be cleaner with the footy and that's just stating the bleeding obvious really isn't it?
"Our structure just got pulled apart by the ... pressure of not getting our hands on the ball often enough."
While Collingwood will back themselves ahead of their next clash against defending champions Geelong, Voss admitted the Lions would have no momentum ahead of their showdown with rookies Greater Western Sydney.