We know the world is going slightly batty when that normally sensible and mild-mannered voice of reason, Kevin Bartlett, starts making extraordinary statements like the one he did on his SEN radio show this morning.

Essentially what he claimed was this: Collingwood is so far superior to any other team in this year's AFL competition it will go through the season undefeated. That's right, do what no team has ever done before in 114 years of VFL/AFL competition and win every home-and-away match and every final on the way to claiming the premiership. Twenty-five games in all - each of them won by the black-and-white.

As his co-host Dave Culbert picked his jaw up off the desk, and an awkward silence filled the airwaves, Bartlett - not normally someone given to sensationalism - repeated his prediction.

He backed up the claim by saying he felt the 2011 Magpies were a better all-round unit than the St Kilda team which won 19 games straight from round one in 2009, the Geelong side which won 15 straight in 2007 - and even the Essendon team which lost just one game on the way to the 2000 premiership.

''I think this Collingwood team is better than those three teams,'' he said. ''And I think they can go through the season undefeated.

''What's their weakness at the moment? They haven't got one.

''They won't even bother to tag (Carlton's) Chris Judd on Friday night. They just won't care about him. They'll have Pendlebury running around and Swan running around and Sidebottom running around and Beams running around, and they're that confident they won't even bother to tag Judd.''

Bartlett pointed out that the Magpies had lost only one game since round 11 last year - and that was a three-point defeat to Hawthorn in round 22 - and were playing at a level at the moment which was almost untouchable. On the strength of the club's NAB Cup premiership, and two thumping opening home-and-away wins, he rated the team as having improved by 20% on last year.    

(The great Collingwood side captained by Syd Coventry in 1929, incidentally, won all 18 home-and-away games - and the premiership - but slipped up in the second semi-final against Richmond, the team they ended up beating for the flag.) 

Now, Kevin Bartlett is a legend of the code. He played 403 games for Richmond and 20 for Victoria and I'd say with some confidence that he has watched more football, either live or on television, in the past 50 years than any man on the planet. He eats a football for breakfast and then treats himself to another one for morning tea, along with his regular brew of English Breakfast.

In fact, I'll make a claim almost as outlandish as the one he's made: no-one knows more about the indigenous code than the one-time whispy-haired Richmond No.29.

But, in acknowledging that vast gulf in experience and knowledge, I'd urge caution on this one. And circumspection. And maybe even a Bex and a good lie down.

Time and time again, we've seen 'good things' early in the year peter out to also-rans by season's end. Over the course of the year, Essendon was the best team in 1999 and 2001 and didn't end up winning the premiership. Same with Geelong in 2008, St Kilda in 2009 and countless other teams down the ages.

Collingwood is playing an attractive, flowing and devastatingly effective brand of football at the moment, and I was lucky enough to witness it first-hand at Etihad Stadium on Saturday. Even many Collingwood detractors (read: supporters of the other 16 AFL clubs) are muttering in quiet moments about how enjoyable they are to watch. 

But there's still five months of the home-and-away season to go, for goodness sake.

Nathan Brown's already out of action with a season-ending knee injury. What if he was joined on the sidelines by Darren Jolly? Or Scott Pendlebury? Or Travis Cloke? What if Dane Swan was suspended days before a knockout final? What if tensions emerge between Malthouse and his heir apparent Nathan Buckley late in the season? What if Alan Didak and Heath Shaw get pulled over in their ute before round 22 and blow the breathalyser to bits? What if ..... fill in unexpected debacle here.

So let's rejoice in the Pies' form while they're putting on these exhibitions but, two rounds into a 24-round season, spare me the talk of dynasties and undefeated seasons. If 114 years of history is any guide, it just won't happen.