REALITY checks aren't delivered much more savagely than this.

Port Adelaide came to town to show they were the real deal. Collingwood ensured they left it a long way from that.

On the Friday night stage, the Power got the hook inside the first half an hour.

Ken Hinkley's hyped side went into their quarter-time huddle on the receiving end of 7.6 (48) to 0.3 (3) smashing - Collingwood's best first quarter against them.

If Eddie McGuire has a tendency to go purple when things aren't going the Pies' way, David Koch's spectacles might have steamed up watching his side's meek opening.

Kochie would have seen his side unable to get the ball and unable to get the man.

While the Power lifted noticeably in a 5.3 to 1.6 second quarter, the damage was well and truly done in the first term and they never recovered.

In that first quarter Collingwood had 59 more disposals, 17 more contested possessions, 38 more handball receives - showing a willingness to run - and 13 scoring shots to three.

But the most staggering bit? The Pies still had four more tackles at the first change.

They are going to take some serious beating, Collingwood.

Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley said it was up there with the best first quarters delivered in his time as coach.

"That first 30 minutes was exceptional footy - you get to quarter-time and you've really got no more else to say than 'Jeez, well done boys, that's our footy played at its best," Buckley said.

"If we'd kicked straight ... we had 13 shots on goal, kicked seven goals.

"But you'd like to be hitting it straighter than that. But 20 inside-50s, turning the ball over in your front half, nearly plus 20 in contested ball. We really imposed ourselves on the opposition and set the game up when it counted."

ANOTHER REMINDER

How darn good is Scott Pendlebury?

The Collingwood skipper battled a debilitating back injury in secret for much of last year and it sometimes made it hard for him to even pick up the ball.

Fit again, he's now offering weekly reminders that he's a one-grab picture of poise in traffic.

COLLINGWOOD 15.18 (108)

PORT ADELAIDE 10.9 (69)

GOALS: Collingwood: Stephenson 4, Elliott 3, Mihocek 2, Beams, De Goey, Treloar, Hoskin-Elliott, Reid, Sidebottom

Port Adelaide: Lycett 2, Rozee, Ryder, Westhoff, Burton, Powell-Pepper, Marshall, Boak, Gray

SAM EDMUND'S BEST:

Collingwood: Pendlebury, Stephenson, Moore, Grundy, Maynard, Treloar, Elliott

Port Adelaide: Westhoff, Burton, Rozee, Boak, Byrne-Jones

INJURIES:

Collingwood: Adams (groin)

Port Adelaide: Ebert (concussion)

Official crowd: 37,559 at Marvel Stadium