COLLINGWOOD captain Nick Maxwell has acknowledged the difficult task the Magpies' match committee faces this week in identifying the two players to make way for premiership pair Ben Reid and Dale Thomas for Friday night's preliminary final against Hawthorn.

The Magpies have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to selection this week, with Reid available after missing the qualifying final win over West Coast with a groin injury, while Thomas returns from suspension.

Maxwell said the Collingwood playing group was mature enough to handle whatever decision was made.

"'Reidy' and Dale will come back in, and that's a big help for us because we know they're quality players and hopefully both with be named All Australians [on Monday night]," he said.

"We expect those guys to come in, and it's going to be tough for the match committee because there are so many guys who deserve a spot in there. Two guys are going to have to go out, and that's not to mention any other changes they decide they want to make.

"It's going to be tough, but we're confident we've got a group who will take it the right way. As we saw last year, even down to the first Grand Final when Nathan Brown was left out and 'Presti' (Simon Prestigiacomo) came in, 'Browny' handled it so well, as did Tyson Goldsack and Leon Davis at times there.

"We have a group that always puts the team first, and I think that's important."

Maxwell said the Magpies were moving closer to their best but conceded they had to "take it up another level" if they were to progress past the Hawks on Friday night.

He also said the weekend off, granted from the Pies' 20-point win over West Coast just over a week ago, had been a big advantage for the sore players.

"I think our guys our guys are a lot fresher and we had a good hit-out on Friday and everyone felt good going into the weekend, which we had off relaxing," he said.

"I think mentally, it was probably a big help instead of having to focus on a game and getting up for a game and then looking at your own game and seeing how you played."

Maxwell entered the Eagles' game with a slight question mark over his head, having remarkably returned from a hand injury just a month after surgery.

He said his training load last week was measured and didn't involve him handling a football until Friday.

He also conceded his hand was "not going to be perfect but I'm where I need to be" ahead of the do-or-die appointment with the Hawks.

"The break helped a lot. There was a bit of doubt, even in my own mind, going into last week's game but a week off really helped," he said.

"I'm feeling really good now and just can't wait until [Tuesday's] training session to really learn more about the Hawks, we have a pre-training meeting about them, and then go into training."

With Reid back to work in tandem with Chris Tarrant on Lance Franklin, Maxwell said he believed the Pies were "better equipped to handle Buddy", who has kicked 26 goals across his past five games against them, as a team.

Still, he said Franklin wouldn't be their only focus and that the absence of Jarryd Roughead, who is out with an achilles injury, was no reason to relax.

"It's going to be important that we don't just focus on one guy and make sure we look at the whole team," he said.

"David Hale has been really good in the last six weeks and I think he actually led the contested marks for the last six weeks across the league, or he at least did until the last week or so.

"If you start focusing too much on one guy, other guys get under your guard."

Jennifer Witham covers Collingwood news for afl.com.au. Follow her on Twitter @AFL_JenWitham.