After three quarters when there was absolutely nothing between them, Collingwood finished all over the top of Fremantle at the MCG on Saturday to win its opening round clash by 26 points - 16.15 (111) to 13.7 (85).
In a decisive burst, the Pies scored the last two goals of the third quarter and the first three of the fourth to open up a match-winning 27-point break as the Dockers wilted in the warm conditions.
Anthony Rocca was too big and strong for Antoni Grover, finishing with six goals for Collingwood - three in each half - in a best-afield performance.
Alan Didak scored three and Leon Davis two while Dane Swan was the Magpies' leading ball-winner with a game-high 27 touches and Chris Egan maintained the pre-season form which earned him a start with 21 possessions and nine marks.
Switched forward in the second-half, Luke McPharlin was Fremantle's leading goalscorer with three. David Mundy (26 disposals) and veteran Peter Bell were among the best for the visitors.
The Pies trailed by eight points deep into time on in the third quarter before goals to Davis, a miracle snap from the boundary, and Tarkyn Lockyer earned the hosts a six-point break.
Rocca scored the all-important first goal of the final term and it was an inspirational tackle from Dale Thomas on Daniel Gilmore minutes later which earned the mercurial Magpie his second goal for the match which signalled it would be Collingwood's day.
First-gamer Nathan Brown kept Fremantle skipper Matthew Pavlich to one goal, though Pavlich led hard throughout and won many of his 21 possessions out of scoring range.
Chris Tarrant had a dirty day against his former team with just six touches and no goals.
There was a terrible setback for Collingwood when forward Shaun Rusling severely injured his left shoulder which was reconstructed early last year.
The pacy forward clashed heavily but legally with Grover in the second quarter and was assisted from the field holding back tears, his arm hanging limp by his side.
For the Dockers, Heath Black played no further part in the match after copping a knock to the head during the second term.
There was nothing between the teams in a first half that was as bright and hot as the conditions.
Bell's late goal when he outbodied Collingwood stand-in skipper Josh Fraser to bring the Dockers to within two points at the first change was the highlight of the opening term, while Rocca was the star of the second stanza with four marks and two goals to help retain the Pies' advantage at half-time.
Ray Chamberlain lived up to his mantle as the most-hated umpire in the competition, a title bestowed on him by no less than the recently-retired Darren Goldspink, by awarding two soft 50-metre penalties against Egan for taking a single step over the mark then failing to retire quickly enough.
The penalties brought Mundy from centre half-back to the goalsquare for a gimme six-pointer.
COLLINGWOOD: 3.3, 7.6, 10.10, 16.15 (111)
FREMANTLE: 3.1, 7.2, 10.4, 13.7 (85)
GOALS: COLLINGWOOD: Rocca 6, Didak 3, Thomas 2, Davis 2, Medhurst, Cloke, Lockyer
FREMANTLE: McPharlin 3, Pavlich, Bell, Mark Johnson, M.Carr, McManus, Mundy, Crowley, McManus, Farmer, Headland
BEST: COLLINGWOOD: Rocca, R.Shaw, Davis, Egan, Swan, Didak, Pendlebury
FREMANTLE: Mundy, Bell, Hayden, McPharlin, Schammer, Headland, Dodd, Farmer
INJURIES: COLLINGWOOD: Rusling (shoulder)
FREMANTLE: Black (concussion)
REPORTS: Nil
CHANGES: Nil
UMPIRES: McLaren, Chamberlain, Kamolins
CROWD: 45,383 at the MCG
Sportal AFL Player of the Year votes:
3. Anthony Rocca (Coll)
2. Rhyce Shaw (Coll)
1. David Mundy (Fre)