As Collingwood kicked away from the Western Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium on Sunday to record the most emphatic of wins, the footy bookmakers went to work.

TAB Sportsbet slashed the Pies premiership odds from $9 to $6.50 following a six-goal win that confirmed that the race for the flag in 2010 will be one of the most wide open for several years.

There was so much to like about the Pies on Sunday. The four goal contributions from both Alan Didak and Paul Medhurst served notice, along with the three from Leon Davis, that Collingwood boasts multiple goalkicking threats in 2010.

The game was only a few minutes old when Dane Swan started barnstorming through the midfield, with Heath Shaw and Harry O'Brien also providing great drive from half-back. Sharrod Wellingham played one of his best games for the Magpies as well and perhaps even better, the win was achieved without notable contributions from the big-name recruits, Darren Jolly and Luke Ball.

It all made for a great afternoon for the Magpies and their supporters are entitled to be giddy with excitement about another run deep into September. The lid, if ever there was one, has already been blown well and truly off.

The Dogs dug deep after falling six goals behind early in the second quarter and for the middle two quarters of the game were the better team. They missed defender Dale Morris badly, but the pace and slick ball use for which they have become renowned, wasn't quite there.

You can't imagine there will be too much gnashing of teeth within the inner sanctum at the Bulldogs and there are probably a few who believe that after the heady excitement of the pre-season, a first-round loss might actually do some good and will keep feet planted firmly on the ground.

Fellow flag contenders Geelong looked really sharp once slipping into gear on Friday night, but you wonder what might have been the story had Jay Neagle gone back and kicked that goal instead of playing on and being tackled, when the Bombers were really surging in the third term. The lead would have stretched out past four goals and the Cats would have had some work to do.

The Saints were a tad fortunate at ANZ Stadium. Nick Riewoldt was the hero once again for St Kilda, even though he was on the receiving end of some good fortune from the men in green (or were they yellow?) during some key moments in the final term. And the 50 metre penalty given to Brendon Goddard was just plain wrong. Still, the good fortune will continue for the Saints only if Justin Koschitzke receives three weeks or less from the Match Review Panel this week. He ran past the ball and he made contact to Nick Maleceski's head. That's a no-no in anyone's book. We think a four-week holiday is in order.

Adelaide floundered at Subiaco against Fremantle, but that is nearly par for the course for the Crows, who always seem to find it tough when they travel west to face the Dockers. So too does West Coast making the long schlep across the country to play Brisbane. Still trying to work out the Eagles could play so well for three quarters before being blown away in the final quarter, although that seems to be the recipe for success for the Lions at the Gabba. They blew Carlton away in last year's elimination final with a similarly withering last quarter burst. The re-match between the Lions and the Blues (featuring you-know-who) will make for compulsive viewing on Thursday night.

And remember the Hawks? Their first two and a half quarters against Melbourne was imperious and dare we say it, just that little bit unsociable. There were shades of 2008 in that effort, but so poor were the Demons, that we won't know whether Hawthorn is worthy of discussion alongside the Cats, Saints, Pies and Bulldogs until Easter Monday when it hosts the Cats at the MCG. But with Lance Franklin, Chance Bateman and Cyril Rioli set to return, they'll like their chances.

It won't take us much longer to know which is the worst team in the AFL. Richmond and Melbourne were both dreadful on the weekend and they meet in round four. Pity those who will be there to watch and heaven help the loser.