Prestigiacomo missed his side’s Anzac Day thrashing of Essendon with a groin complaint and appears certain to miss another match, with the club listing him as being another week away from resuming.
That means that for the second straight week the Pies will call on emerging defenders Ben Reid and Nathan Brown to stop an opposition’s tall forwards.
Reid and Brown were both recalled, along with forward Chris Dawes, for the round five win over the Bombers.
While injury sidelined Prestigiacomo, Tarkyn Lockyer and Leigh Brown were both omitted for the match.
Collingwood jumped the Bombers and went on to record a 65-point win, with Malthouse praising the contributions made by the likes of Reid and Brown.
“The intensity from seconds to firsts has never been a bigger gulf,” the Malthouse said.
“The test is not how good you play in the seconds or the VFL - it's how you come up and fit into the structures.
“The three players did that … there are areas the three of them have to improve, but you'd expect that when players come up from the VFL.”
