Collingwood's Travis Cloke was returning from a two-week break on Saturday night against Sydney and was just hoping to pick up a few kicks.

But the 196cm centre half-forward showed no signs of rustiness, kicking three goals and gathering 19 possessions plus eight marks to be one of the Magpies' better players in their 29-point upset win at ANZ Stadium before 59,202 fans.

The victory puts the Magpies in fifth spot with an 8-6 record after 14 rounds, trailing the fourth-placed Swans by six points.

"If we keep going the way we did today I think definitely we can look top four," Cloke told AAP.

"I missed a week through suspension and the bye so two weeks (out).

"I was just looking forward to getting out there and having a run around, pick up a few kicks. That was the main idea of today."

Collingwood kicked 11.13 (79), led by Cloke and Dale Thomas with three goals each, while the Swans finished with the embarrassing tally of 6.14 (50).

Cloke said the Magpies match-up well against the Swans, with Collingwood winning the past five clashes between the two sides.

"For some reason we do really well against Sydney," said Cloke, Collingwood's Copeland Trophy winner last year.

"It's just another game today that we really look forward to against Sydney. I think they do too.

"It's a big occasion."

Cloke said Collingwood's pressure all over the ground helped keep Sydney to a losing score.

Brazilian-born Harry O'Brien and Shane Wakelin, 34 next month, held Michael O'Loughlin and Barry Hall to one goal each.

"I don't think Harry O'Brien gets enough credit for what he does," Cloke said of his fellow 21-year-old.

"It was his 50th game and a lot of people wouldn't even think he would play that many games.

"He's an amazing defender and he's probably the tightest defender going around in the AFL at the moment.

"And Shane Wakelin ... week in, week out he does it no matter what and doesn't argue. I reckon he's got another one or two years in him."

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