Thursday, 20 September 2018:

STEELE SIDEBOTTOM of the Magpies competes for the ball against JACK RIEWOLDT of the Tigers (L) during the AFL match between the Collingwood Magpies and the Richmond Tigers at MCG in Melbourne, Australia.

Just a kid from the bush when he played his first preliminary final, Steele Sidebottom is now a mentor for Collingwood's young stars ahead of the biggest game of their AFL careers.

First-year players Jaidyn Stephenson, Brody Mihocek and Brayden Sier face a stern test of their mettle on Friday night with almost 100,000 fans expected to pack the MCG for the Magpies' grand-final qualifier against Collingwood.

Few will know the feeling quite like Sidebottom, who had just 10 games under his belt when he played in the Magpies' 2009 preliminary final against Geelong.

By the tender age of 20, Sidebottom already had three grand finals and a premiership under his belt - the Magpies came up short against the Cats in 2011 after prevailing in their second attempt against St Kilda the previous year.

Sidebottom is confident the fledgling Magpies won't be overawed by the occasion, but has urged them not to take finals football for granted.

"When I first got here, I had a prelim in my first year and then a few grand finals in the years after," Sidebottom said.

"I pretty much just thought that was a thing that was going to happen all the time. I was almost just like a kid coming from the bush and not knowing what to expect.

"So to have missed the last four, I don't enjoy sitting back and watching them.

"We're here now and we really need to make the most of it and just enjoy it because it's an awesome place to be out in front of 100,000 fans playing the game we love."

Collingwood's best-and-fairest winner last year, 27-year-old Sidebottom has found another level this year and earned his first All-Australian selection.

The classy midfielder's outstanding past two months were preceded by a rare down game in round 17 when he was well-held by Mark Hutchings in the Magpies' loss to West Coast.

"He's probably got me a few times over the past couple of years," Sidebottom admitted.

"But I'm lucky enough I've got a coach here in (Magpies midfield coach and dual Brownlow medallist) Robert Harvey who's probably been tagged more than anyone ever has been.

"It's been good to pick his brain and he's given me a few things here and there to be able to try and stop that.

"I like to back myself in against whoever I play. Whether I'm getting tagged or not I'll still have an opponent out there, and I'll look to try and play well."

AAP