Collingwood captain Nick Maxwell says he has never before experienced football as good as the Magpies produced against Geelong on Friday night, but expects even better in the AFL grand final.

Collingwood were 62 points up by halftime of their preliminary final, extending that to 81 during the third quarter, before cruising home to win 18.12 (120) to 11.13 (79).

"That's the best half of footy I've been a part of in my whole career," Maxwell told reporters on Saturday, of Friday night's stunning start.

"We'll definitely repeat it and there are definitely things we can improve on still.

"That's the way we play, we've just got guys who come in and play with great intensity."

Maxwell said he had entered Collingwood's two finals so far with immense confidence, given the attitude of the players, and expected the grand final to be similar.

"We've ticked another box but we're far from satisfied," he said.

"We didn't set out at the start of the year to make the grand final, we set out to win the premiership and that's what we'll be trying to do."

Collingwood had one concern, when midfielder Luke Ball limped off with an apparent hamstring injury in the third term.

But the club is confident it was only cramp and Maxwell had no doubt Ball would play in the grand final.

"He wanted to go back out there and the coaching staff said 'why would you?'" Maxwell said.

"I think (the margin) was 66 points when he had the cramp.

"Unusual for him to cramp in the third quarter but the intensity of the game was right up there.

"If you watched his first half he was just amazing the way he was going in.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he had a few corkies around those legs as well, the way he was going in like a wrecking ball."

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