APART from a knee injury to Collingwood's Brad Dick, who is expected to require a knee reconstruction, the Magpies and West Coast took plenty of positives out of their practice match at Albany on Saturday.

Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse let Guy McKenna take the reins and the former Eagles champion was pleased with the improvement from the heavy loss to Adelaide in Abu Dhabi earlier this month, with the Pies posting a 33-point loss, 9.12 (66) to the Eagles' 14.15 (99).

"We were still a bit scrappy, but it's only the second week we've played against an opposition. We picked a squad that was fit and ready to go, but we came up short in half a game of footy," McKenna said.

"There are areas we can improve on, but if there's a positive from last game to this one, it is that we were more consistently offensively good and defensively good. We are three or four weeks out from the start of the season, so it was pleasing."

Rookie Brent MacAffer and former Brisbane ruckman Cameron Wood were impressive, while McKenna hopes Paul Medhurst steps up as a midfielder in 2008.

"MacAffer didn't go across to South Africa and Dubai because of some surgery, but got his hands on the ball and was impressive," McKenna said.

"Cam Wood went forward to take some catches and kick goals as well, which will enable Mick to use him how he likes to use ruckmen."

West Coast assistant coach Peter Sumich was impressed with many aspects of the game.

"Our young guys like Scott Selwood, Brad Ebert and Jamie McNamara were great and (Mitch) Brown was terrific down back on (Anthony) Rocca," Sumich said.

"(Michael) Braun wasn't expected to play this week, so for him to get 60 or 70 minutes was great. (Chad Fletcher) is fit after doing the whole pre-season and we are hoping for big things from him this year."

AAP