MARQUEE recruit Daniel Wells has escaped without injury in his two quarters of match play in Collingwood's intraclub practice match on Wednesday night.
In further good news for the Pies, livewire forward Jamie Elliott moved well in attack, as he played his first competitive hit-out since 2015.
Elliott, who missed the entire 2016 season after surgery to fix a debilitating pars defect issue in his back, booted two goals.
Matt Scharenberg and Jackson Ramsay also got through unscathed as their comebacks from torn anterior cruciate ligament injuries, suffered in 2016, gather momentum.
"The big ticks for us were Jamie Elliott getting through a full game, we see Scharenberg and Ramsay both play quite well after 12 months out of the game," assistant coach Brenton Sanderson said.
"Chris Mayne comes across to a new club and fits into the chemistry of the forward line really well. Will Hoskin-Elliott did some really good things forward and through the midfield."
In scenes that are sure to delight Magpies fans, father-son draftee Josh Daicos was impressive up forward and was even entrusted with stints in the middle of the ground where he did not look out of place.
Daicos, the son of champion Magpie Peter, displayed clean hands around packs and finished a tidy goal around the corner in the final period of the game.
"He looked really good. Whichever grade he steps up to, he looks like he can handle it," Sanderson said of Daicos.
"He looks poised and balanced with the footy, a bit like his Dad."
Father-son pick Josh Daicos snaps through a goal. Picture: AFL Photos
Wells, who is looking to prove his fitness for the upcoming JLT Community Series, looked a little scratchy and appeared short of a gallop but still racked up around 10 disposals.
"As soon as the siren went he went inside the club and did some extra conditioning work," Sanderson said.
"With his experience he doesn't need too much footy to slip in. For him, it's just about getting his body right and I'm sure we're going to get him close to cherry ripe by round one."
Sanderson said the coaching staff was impressed by the game of Mason Cox in the ruck as he went one-on-one against Brodie Grundy, while the club will use the JLT Community Series to settle on its back six for round one.
Should they prove their fitness Ben Reid (knee) and Tom Langdon (back) are certain starters for the opening round, with former Demon Lynden Dunn and ex-Gold Coast backman Henry Schade others vying for spots.
The players were greeted by stifling conditions at Olympic Park Oval on Wednesday night, so much so that the Magpies' coaching staff decided to cut the game short with a 25-minute third period rounding out proceedings.
Ex-Giant Hoskin-Elliott kicked two goals in the first quarter, the second a delightful snap from 35m out on a tricky angle, as he demonstrated his ability to cover the ground.
Former Gold Coast defender Henry Schade pushed his case for an early season debut, excelling when coming off his man to make an impact on the contest.
The usual suspects Scott Pendlebury, Adam Treloar and Taylor Adams won plenty of the ball through the midfield as they crank up their preparations for the start of the season.
Tom Langdon (back), Callum Brown (glandular fever), Ben Reid (knee), Tim Broomhead (shoulder), Rupert Wills, Mitch McCarthy (foot) and Ben Crocker (hip) all sat out.
Lachie Keeffe and Josh Thomas were not allowed to play with their backdated WADA-imposed suspension for ingesting banned drug Clenbuterol expiring next week.
The players swapped between sides at different intervals during the match, and others played limited game time based on their preparation leading into the season.
Collingwood opens its JLT Community Series campaign against Essendon next Thursday night at Etihad Stadium.
GOALS
TEAM GREY: Hoskin-Elliott 2, Close 2, Lynch 2, Aish, Treloar, De Goey, Adams, Daicos
TEAM BLACK: Phillips 2, Elliott 2, J Smith, Blair, Grundy, Crisp, White, Adams, Greenwood, Cox,
BEST PLAYERS (in no particular order): Adams, Treloar, Pendlebury, Howe, Daicos, Schade, Elliott, Hoskin-Elliott, Cox
INJURIES: Nil
CROWD: Approx 1500 people at Olympic Park Oval
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