Collingwood stalwart Leon Davis feels primed to deliver his best form in the upcoming AFL finals, admitting some of his performances in Septembers past have been below par.

Davis will become the first indigenous player to play 200 games for Collingwood when they take on Carlton at the MCG on Saturday afternoon.

After a slow start to the 2010 season Davis has found some timely form for the top-of-the-table Magpies, and said he was ready to contribute to their finals campaign.

Before training on Friday, he acknowledged he hadn't been at his best in big games in the past but said he wasn't influenced by the opinions of anyone outside the Collingwood inner sanctum.

"It doesn't really bother me, people are going to say what they say," said Davis, whose worst post-season performance came in the 2002 grand final against Brisbane, when he failed to register a single possession.

"I didn't really help that at all by not performing, so they had the right to say whatever they want.

"All I worry about is (the feedback) internally and what the coaches want from me.

"As long as I go out and do what they expect of me, then I'm happy."

The 29-year-old from Western Australia said there were times early in his career he never imagined he would reach such a milestone.

"When I started I was very homesick and there were times when I wanted to go home.

"Blokes like Ben Johnson and Rhyce Shaw helped me out when I first come over but I'm glad I stayed and stuck it out and I'm glad to get to 200."

He has spent most of the year playing forward although he preferred to be running through the midfield, as he did last season.

"I enjoyed last year but it's team first for me and Mick wants me playing up forward so I'm happy to play wherever they want me to," he said.

"We've got a great midfield and the types of bloke that go through there, they're doing their job so I don't want to disrupt that."

Davis was a member of Collingwood's losing grand final teams of 2002 and 2003 and said he believed this year's side was a better prospect for the flag.

"I think we've got great depth ... the boys have got a bit more experience and a few more games under their belts.

"The younger boys have improved immensely and so I'd have to agree (we're better than in 2002-03)."

Collingwood were forced to make one change to their selected side, with fullback Simon Prestigiacomo withdrawing on Friday with a groin complaint.

His place in the team went to Nathan Brown.

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