IN her second game back from consecutive long-term injuries, Collingwood forward Jordan Membrey stepped up to boot a couple of goals for the Magpies as she and club debutant Olivia Barber steered the black and whites to a 31-point win over Sydney yesterday. Back at their spiritual home, the Magpies fought off a determined Swans outfit who lead by four points at quarter time, to slam home 5.7 to 0.2 in the final three quarters and run away with the 6.9 (45) to 2.2 (14) win.

Membrey kicked an important goal late in the second term to hand the Magpies a 10-point lead at the main break, then doubled her total haul with another major in the third quarter. Holding one of the most consistent set shot routines in the AFL Women’s, the talented forward is one who provides a “different look” to the Magpies’ front five, and Collingwood coach Steve Symonds expects big things from the 26-year-old.

“She’s obviously built herself up coming back from her knee and slowly growing in confidence,” Symonds said. “Second half today she started to get back to the level we know she can play at and she’s growing in confidence and we’ll only see the best of her moving forward from there as she grows each week but we’re really pleased to have her and she just gives our forwardline a slightly different look.

“She doesn’t miss many so it’s always good. She’s a reliable kick, the girls trust kicking the girls to her because she’s strong in the air. If she doesn’t mark she competes well at ground level strongly as well, so we like what she brings.”

Along with Membrey, Barber kicked two goals in two minutes for her new club, coming into the side after missing Round 1 due to an ankle injury. The key forward/ruck impressed Symonds with her competitiveness in both the air and at ground level, and once the connection between her and the midfielders improve, it will only be a positive for the Magpies.

“Liv was great. I think we saw in the backend of the game how she competes in the air,” Symonds said. “She’s very strong at competing for the ball and takes the ball at the highest point and really attacks it. But her follow-up efforts the ones at ground level are really, really strong as well, and as she gets used to our systems as we get more confidence with kicking the ball into her and how she likes it, our connection will only get stronger with her. But it’s great to have her at the club, first game she’s been a Pies supporter all her life so it’s great to have her involved today.”

Overall Symonds was pleased with the win, as only star midfielder Jaimee Lambert finished the game on ice. The coach said the club put Lambert both physically and metaphorically on ice after she went over it on it last week and sustained another roll in yesterday’s match. With the game in the bag, Symonds said the Magpies took no chances and rested her late.

Collingwood takes on fellow undefeated side Geelong at GMHBA Stadium next Saturday, September 10 from 4:10pm, with the Magpies starting to establish a brand that features hard running and covering the ground well.

“It’s something that we want to try and bring,” Symonds said. “We’re far from perfect from doing it, we’re still learning to do aspects of that but we’re starting to get there. We’re certainly a lot fitter than we were in the past. We’ve made a real conscious effort towards that so the girls are in good shape and now we’re just learning and exploring how we position ourselves when we want the ball.”