The absence of the pair through injury for much of the year was a major contributing factor in the Pies' forgettable season, but both put in eye-catching performances in front of approximately 2,000 fans at Bob Rose Oval.
"I was delighted with the way Josh played today - not so much because he was able to get the ball, but because he was able to get through the full four quarters of football," coach Mick Malthouse enthused after the match.
"That's his first full game in over 12 months. Josh got the football regularly - he didn't dominate by any stretch of the imagination - but he got the football and that's one of the things that you look for."
The Magpies struggled to find avenues to goal after Rocca ruptured his achilles tendon in round four, and Malthouse was happy to see the big forward reunited with fellow tall Chris Tarrant.
"It's the first time they've played together for a few months, so I think as time goes on they'll acclimatise to what one does and then the other one can assist," he said.
"There's a decision now to be made on how we play the forward-line structure … given that Chris virtually did the whole lot by himself last year - we'll see if we can ease the burden a bit.
"Other players can take over key roles and give us multiple opportunities to score goals as opposed to just putting it in one basket."
There was a lot to like about the Pies' final hitout before their opening NAB Cup clash with St Kilda with several standout performances.
Paul Licuria provided strong drive through the middle, James Clement marshalled his defence with aplomb, and Rocca was the most dangerous forward on the ground finishing with four goals.
A lot of interest will be centred on the club's recent crop of draftees in the coming season and onballer Dale Thomas showed why the Pies used the second pick overall on him in last years' draft.
The 18-year-old displayed poise beyond his years on the ball and off a half-back flank and looks to have benefited from a summer in the gym.
Malthouse expressed his delight with Thomas' game and was satisfied with the performance of his new flock of Magpies as a whole.
"All of them stood up and played the role that we wanted them to play today which is very encouraging for us," he said.
"I thought John Anthony did very well early, but then got gobbled up a bit by the bigger boys. I thought that Danny Stanley was quite solid, Sam Iles was solid … and I thought Shannon Cox did pretty well."
Club veterans Nathan Buckley and Scott Burns were notable absentees from the hitout, but Malthouse said their non-appearance was due to their modified pre-season programs and not injury.
"They had their 'pension' day off," he said with a smile.
"They're senior citizens and we let them have the day off."
Ruckman David Fanning was the only player to suffer an injury during the intra-club. He left the field early and required treatment for a minor corked thigh.
