 Key defensive player Nick Maxwell captained the club to victory and midfielder Scott Pendlebury (who had already won his first of eventually three Anzac medals earlier in the year) was awarded the Norm Smith Medal.The club won a second consecutive minor premiership in 2011, and qualified for the Grand Final after a three-point victory against Hawthorn in the preliminary final.However, Collingwood was then beaten by Geelong by 38 points in the decider, after trailing by seven points at three-quarter time.