Collingwood has moved a step closer to the minor premiership after demolishing traditional rivals Carlton by 48 points at the MCG.

With four rounds to complete the home and away season, the Magpies' 15.15 (105) to 9.3 (57) victory on Saturday has effectively safeguarded a top-two finish.

They've opened up a two-game break over the third-placed Saints and lead their nearest rivals, the Cats who take on the Swans in Sydney on Saturday night, by six premiership points.

The underdog Blues were simply humiliated.

Robbie Warnock, who shaded Darren Jolly in the ruck, was probably was the Blues' only winner on the day, and it's not as if they had nothing to play for.

Carlton's desperate to secure a place in the top eight, and if that's achieved at Collingwood's expense, all the better.

The history of conflict between these clubs which extends to 241 matches over 115 years is littered with upset results - but not this time.

The Blues, who scored five unanswered goals in trash time in the final term, were flattered by the final margin.

The result maintained Luke Ball's perfect record against the Blues; in 12 matches, including 10 for the Saints, he's never been in the losing side.

In his 200th AFL match, Leon Davis recaptured the form that earned him All-Australian honours last season with a team-high three goals while Scott Pendlebury was the Pies' best ball-winner with 34 possessions.

Kade Simpson with 33 touches and Warnock were the best of a bad lot for Carlton.

The Blues managed to look viable for all of seven minutes.

They had two goals on the board to a couple of Shauns, Hampson and Grigg, and led by five points, but thereafter it was all Collingwood.

The stats tell a one-sided tale of the opening term where the tone for what was to follow was set in stone.

The Pies racked up 93 disposals to the Blues' 65, took 19 marks to nine, generated 12 inside 50s to Carlton's eight and tellingly won the contested possessions 41 to 23.

What the stats can't effectively convey is the Magpies' cleanness, their hardness, the relentless pressure they imposed and their total authority over the opposition.

If they'd taken their opportunities, the contest would have been over at quarter-time.

Travis Cloke, in his return to action after a two-week suspension, was the chief offender.

Too big, strong and mobile for Paul Bower, Cloke hauled in four marks, three of them contested, but missed three extremely gettable set shots including one from 20 out directly in front.

Cloke's yips continued to haunt him in the second quarter when he missed another from point blank range.

It was the one blot on an otherwise perfect copybook for the Pies who slammed in six second-quarter goals to the Blues' solitary behind to open up a 50-point break at half-time.

Kept on a tight rein by Andrew Carrazzo in the opening term, Swan burst to life in the second with six possessions in a stunning two-minute spell that seemed to redefine what was possible for the Pies.

One of those who picked up the vibe was Sharrod Wellingham who gathered a game-high 19 first-half touches before sitting out the second half because of a knock to his left knee.

The third quarter had little to recommend it apart from Brad Fisher's goal for Carlton 14 minutes in.

It was his first for the season in his return from a knee reconstruction, and the Blues' first since the seven-minute mark of the opening term.

Cloke belatedly got on the scoreboard in the final quarter with two long bombs, though it's not the long bombs that trouble him, it's set shots from 15-40 metres.

Alan Didak landed the goal of the day, a monster torpedo from 60 out deep on the boundary which opened up a game-high 73-point lead for the Pies.

That was gradually whittled back over the next 15 minutes which provides Mick Malthouse with something to grumble about and Brett Ratten a small positive to hang his hat on.

COLLINGWOOD: 3.5, 9.9, 11.14, 15.15 (105)
CARLTON: 2.0, 2.1, 3.2, 9.3 (57)

GOALS: Collingwood: Davis 3, Beams 3, Dawes 2, Didak 2, Cloke 2, Swan, Wellingham, Pendlebury
Carlton: Hampson 2, Walker 2, Grigg, Fisher, Simpson, Betts, Johnson
BEST: Collingwood: Pendlebury, Ball, Beams, O'Brien, Swan, Davis, Cloke, Didak
Carlton: Simpson, Warnock, Grigg, Scotland
INJURIES: Collingwood: Wellingham (knee)
Carlton: Judd (shoulder)
REPORTS: Nil
CHANGES: Dennis Armfield (neck) replaced by David Ellard in Carlton's selected line-up
UMPIRES: Stevic, Meredith, Pannell
CROWD: 76,980 at the MCG