Usually the ultimate team machine, Collingwood had midfielder Dale Thomas to pimp their ride in a 52-point AFL win over West Coast at the MCG on Sunday.

On an afternoon of individual brilliance, midfielders Thomas and Scott Pendlebury led the premiers to their eighth win in nine matches, 16.9 (105) to 7.11 (53).

Thomas showed enough magic tricks to make David Copperfield's jaw drop, with two goals of head-shaking flair and a high-flying mark among his 30 possessions.

While the Magpies' trademark sharing of goals was again a feature - Thomas was the most prominent of the 11 individual goalkickers.

For his first trick, the 23-year-old managed a snapped goal out of mid-air with the scores level in the first quarter.

He then soared in the second term for a huge mark in the goalsquare, before dishing off to Pendlebury for a goal.

Thomas threaded a magnificent left-foot goal from an impossible angle on the boundary line soon after, giving his side a 27-point halftime lead they never surrendered.

Even coach Mick Malthouse admitted Thomas - a high draft pick who had a breakout 2010 season - may have lifted his game to another level.

"He's just got a unique ability to play a number of roles. He's played six or seven positions today, and all at a high quality," Malthouse said.

While Thomas provided the style and a second half of substance as he rotated around the ground, Pendlebury (31 possessions) and onballer Luke Ball (30) dominated midfield.

A heated three-quarter-time exchange between defender Heath Shaw and skipper Nick Maxwell as the Magpies went to their huddle 40-point leaders mattered little - though it perhaps highlighted the premiers' meticulous attention to detail.

Collingwood went on with the job in the final term but West Coast made the margin more flattering with three of the last four goals of the match after trailing by as many as 64 points.

Eagles forward Josh Kennedy followed last weekend's 10-goal haul with three majors while midfielders Adam Selwood and Matt Priddis toiled hard.

Defeat dropped the Eagles to the fringe of the top eight but coach John Worsfold believes they learned plenty chasing the competition's benchmarks around the MCG.

"At critical times they were good enough to capitalise," Worsfold said.

"Overall we're just a little bit behind Collingwood - probably 50 points or so."

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