The premiership race this season is wide open and anyone who thinks Collingwood only has to turn up to win is deluded.

So says Wayne Carey, in his weekly BPL Vidcast, claiming that Hawthorn's blistering form, Geelong's stellar season and the potential of Carlton and West Coast if the cards fell their way meant that Collingwood had plenty of legitimate challengers going into September.

The dual premiership captain said St Kilda's performance last Friday against the premiers, when they had more scoring shots but fell three goals shy, indicated to him that the Pies would not have everything their own way in the finals.

''We saw St Kilda back to their best, defensively, they were in the game all night and that showed me that Collingwood are beatable,'' Carey said. ''There's no question to me that the premiership is wide open. Anyone who thinks Collingwood is over the line better think again.

''Geelong are obviously capable. If Carlton get Waite and Jamison back - and with Murphy and Judd playing so well - they're capable of giving it a shake, too.'' 

Carey pointed to past years when the best side in the home-and-away competition did not necessarily win the flag - among them Geelong in 2008, Essendon in 2001, North Melbourne in 1998 and Carlton in 1993 - and said such a scenario was possible again this year.

In discussing the abuse of Stephen Milne by a section of the Collingwood fans, Carey said he doubted whether the Saints' goalsneak would hear many of the vile comments, and was unlikely to be worried about them anyway. The people most affected by that abuse would be Milne's family, for whom the experience would be very unpleasant.

''I've heard people say (Collingwood president) Eddie (McGuire) needs to get involved. Eddie doesn't need to get involved at all. You're always going to get small-minded people like that who think they're somehow putting a player off his game with that kind of abuse,'' Carey said.

''But I can assure you those comments wouldn't affect Stephen Milne. Generally the player can handle it. The people it will affect are his wife, his family, his mother, his gradmother, aunts and uncles. That's what's really disappointing.

''Those things just shouldn't get yelled out - there's young kids in the crowd. So give it a spell. They're just not needed.''

The seven-time All-Australian said he himself got called 'wanker' by Collingwood supporters every time he played the Pies in the 1990s and 2000s. ''It didn't affect me too much - in fact, sometimes it fired me up - because we used to beat them every time,'' he said.

The dual premiership captain discusses the highlight reel of high marks this year - Adam Goodes' being the latest - but still reckons Andrew Krakouer's pack mark is the best he's seen in 2011.

In looking ahead to a bumper Round 22, kicked off by Hawthorn and Carlton on Friday night, Carey said the form that Franklin and Rioli were in meant the Hawks would always present a danger to any side. And if Carlton wasn't able to bring back full-back Michael Jamison this week, then the scales had to tilt Hawthorn's way.

Carey said if Franklin was able to take the big, contested one-grab marks - perhaps the one thing missing from his repertoire - he be next to unbeatable. ''If Buddy could take those one-grab clunks marks in packs or above his head, if he got better in that one area, then at 6'7'' or 6'8'', he'd be unstoppable,'' Carey said. ''As it is, you'd go to buy a ticket to watch him and Cyril anyway, wouldn't you?''

Carey also gives his tips for the big four games this weekend: Carlton-Hawthorn, West Coast-Essendon, North Melbourne-Fremantle and Sydney-St Kilda and even suggests a small wager on a multi.

To see Carey's Vidcast in full, click here ....