Their clash with the Hawks on Friday night looms as another acid test and even though most pundits would have them as underdogs, if they're going play in this year's finals they need to start toppling the best.

Pies fans know it. As does the man who has reinvented Collingwood since taking over as senior coach.

Nathan Buckley deserves all the credit he gets for the way in which the Magpies have performed under his reign. He's juggled a rebuild of his list, devastating injuries, the departure of two stars and this year's shock sidelining of two players because of alleged doping, yet still somehow managed to see his side improve. It really is quite staggering.

Dayne Beams and Heritier Lumumba both finished in the top five of the Pies' best and fairest last year, while Lachie Keeffe and Josh Thomas were emerging players. How many clubs could afford similar losses and not be affected? But the Magpies seem to be thriving. Along with West Coast, they're easily one of the surprise packets of 2015. So where has the improvement come from?

First and foremost, they're now a genuine team. Gone is the reliance on a few individuals to get them over the line. They don't need Scott Pendlebury to have 30-35 possessions, or for Dane Swan to have 30 and kick two goals, or for Travis Cloke to be dominant. The new Magpies don't rely on any one player to win games.

Instead, they're working as a team and hunting in packs. Their pressure in and around the ball has been building for a few years under Buckley and it's now almost as good as I've seen it at Collingwood.

Their defence has set the benchmark. Alan Toovey, Jack Frost, Marley Williams, Nathan Brown and Tom Langdon form the core of the Pies' back six and have been tremendous in the way they've worked as a unit, getting over to help one another while also winning key one-on-one battles.

Williams, in particular, has been a massive improver and may earn All-Australian honours as a back pocket.

Frost, too, continues to build from week to week, while Brown seems to be as invigorated as a rookie thanks to a year off through injury and would also be looked at as an All-Australian.

Another revelation has been the form of Adam Oxley. His reading of the play, while loose behind the ball, shows he has the football smarts that should make him a long-term player. Throw in the likes of Tyson Goldsack when he's needed and it's plain to see why the total score kicked against the Magpies this season is the fifth lowest in the league.

But defence alone will not win them the game against the Hawks. It's one thing to be dour, but to beat the reigning premiers you need to fight fire with fire. That means you have to attack. You have to score. The Hawks of the past couple of years - even when they lose - still kick 80-plus points. If you want to beat the Hawks, your aim has to be to kick 100 points against them.

To get close Jesse White might just need to play the smartest game of his career. His influence at centre-half forward will be vital in breaking down the defensive structure that they Hawks use so well to rebound and attack.

White must lead into dangerous positions to drag his man to the contest and other Hawks defenders. Not only will it give the Pies a better chance of penetrating their own forward 50, but it will provide for vital one-on-one contests for Travis Cloke, whose battle with Brian Lake will be as intriguing as the game itself.

Jamie Elliott is a unique proposition for any defender and is also having a fine year, while Pendlebury has shown just how damaging he can be up forward. But the prerequisite for any of the Collingwood forwards is that they don't allow for defensive marks or intercept marks. The ball must always come to ground. They need to create 50-50 contests to put pressure on the Hawks defenders, who like to support one another and then counter-attack.

Get it right at each end of the ground and then we're back to an old-fashioned arm wrestle in the middle of the ground, where the Pies are also improving. Jack Crisp has been a standout performer, while Travis Varcoe has taken his game to a new level since leaving the Cats. We all know how silky he can be, but it's been his defensive work that's really earned praise. His second and third efforts will be key to challenging the Hawks. As will be the efforts of ruckman Jarrod Witts who's learning to compete against the best and was really solid against Aaron Sandilands. Throw in Pendlebury, Swan and Steele Sidebottom and you just never know.

I'm sure the Pies' faithful would argue that if Richmond are capable of beating this year's top sides then their team can, too. Toppling the Hawks would certainly get them dreaming.