Collingwood turned a perceived weakness into a deadly weapon amid the pressure-cooker atmosphere of the AFL Anzac Day blockbuster.

Scott Pendlebury was the obvious example, but Collingwood used their overall greater experience to excellent effect against Essendon.

The knock on the Magpies is that they're now too old. The average age of their team on Saturday was 29, compared with 24 for the Bombers.

Some of the pre-game punditry was that maybe Essendon could run coach Craig McRae's "Dad's Army" off its feet.

But with experience comes cool heads when the whips are cracking - and Essendon wilted horribly under the pressure.

"I did mention that to the guys before the game, about representing the jumper," McRae said.

"There's one thing to wear it, but then represent it.

"We had a competitive edge, if you like, being on this day.

"This is as close to grand final day you get ... experience matters. We thought we could lean on that."

Collingwood remained without captain Darcy Moore, their defensive general, but welcomed back Jordan De Goey's experience.

Along with Pendlebury, veterans such as Jeremy Howe and Jamie Elliott know what's needed in front of 90,000-plus crowds.

It also meant first-time Anzac Day teammates such as Angus Anderson and Roan Steele did not need to look far for guidance and advice.

McRae agreed it was a big help to finish off last week's win over Carlton with a strong final quarter. It meant momentum they were able to take into Saturday's clash.

But the Magpie coach stressed they are a work in progress.

"This is not a pattern of behaviour yet. We have growth in us, and being a bit more predictable was something we focused on all week," McRae said.

"What you saw today was probably about five weeks' worth of work."