THERE'S nothing like a weekend trip away with the boys to get you feeling good about life.

It's even better when you knock off the favourites on their own dunghill to win a sudden-death final.

Collingwood did that last week when they beat Adelaide to move through to this weekend's semi-final against the Saints at the MCG on Saturday night.

Magpies skipper Scott Burns travelled with the team last week but didn't play due to a calf injury, and says the Pies are feeling positive going in to the match.

"It's a good feeling – even during the minor-round games when you go interstate and you get a good win you're pretty buoyant for a week or two, that momentum can carry you," he said.

"I was rapt – you just can't go into a game not being 100 per cent, and I was just rapt for what the boys did.

"It was just great that all those boys were representing us (the players out with injury), I guess – myself and Anthony Rocca and Shane Wakelin.

"We were pretty proud of them last week."

Wakelin, Melbourne's most famous public-transport user, has been pushed out of the team he has played 19 games for this season by the re-emergence of Simon Prestigiacomo in round 22, but Burns said the 34-year-old was hanging tough.

"It's just the way it goes, you know? We're a pretty tight unit, we're pretty close together on and off the field, and the boys who miss out always hold their heads up pretty high and just get around to everyone to lift them.

"It'd be great to get a win, and hopefully he can have an opportunity to play the week after.

"Look, Wakes is fantastic. He's been great since he's come across (from St Kilda in 2000). He was gone seven or eight years ago, and what he's done here has been absolutely fantastic.

"He just loves it – he's like a little kid, he wants to get out and kick the ball and run around.

"He loves the atmosphere in the rooms, and I have heard him quoted before saying he'd play until he was 60 if he could."