The two sides both have 4-2 records this season and sit in sixth (Freo) and seventh positions on the ladder.
Pearce said Freo couldn’t wait to run out in front of a big home crowd and challenge itself against one of the AFL’s elite teams.
“It’ll be exciting playing in front of a packed house,” he said.
“Wherever Collingwood go they draw a big crowd, and in my few games here it’s been pretty much a full stadium.
“It’s going to be a great test. They’ve been a great side for a number of years now and we want to get to where they are.”
The former Port Adelaide player said the Magpie midfield was one of the most dangerous and deepest in the competition.
“They don’t have anyone that doesn’t impress or stand out in their midfield,” Pearce said.
“Scott Pendlebury, Dane Swan and Steele Sidebottom are stars, and Jarryd Blair has stepped up and played very well this year.
“Dale Thomas also had a fantastic game last week.”
Freo will be missing midfield star Nat Fyfe for the contest, while Matthew Pavlich and Aaron Sandilands are also unavailable.
Stephen Hill is a chance to return after missing out last week with a quad injury.
Pearce said the side’s attitude ahead of Collingwood was exactly the same as it was going into the Gold Coast game in round 6.
“Last week we had a number of players out, but we spoke about playing as a team,” he said.
“It didn’t matter who was playing, we played as a team, and that’s the concept again and it will be every week.
“We’ve got to make sure that the 22 who are playing are on the same page and are all willing to put in every bit of effort required to win the game and, hopefully, the result goes our way.”
Pearce added that the Magpies had tagged him on a number of occasions when he was a Port player.
“I’ve been tagged a couple of times by Ben Johnson and Alan Toovey, and the Irishman Martin Clarke,” he said.
Toovey is out for the season, while Johnson has not played since round 3 because of injury but is listed as available on Collingwood’s injury list.
Clarke has played every game for the Magpies this season.
