COLLINGWOOD defender Ben Reid is a stronger chance of playing this week than Darren Jolly, as the pair battles to recover from groin injuries for this week's Grand Final against Geelong.

Both players pulled up sore after Friday night's preliminary final win over Hawthorn.

Collingwood football manager Geoff Walsh said the club's medical staff knew Reid and Jolly's bodies in detail and would treat them accordingly.

"The docs know those guys pretty well and I think particularly going into a Grand Final, no one is going to play someone who is injured but you treat the patient, not the scan," Walsh said on Melbourne radio station SEN.

"I think that is what we'll do with these guys. Darren is not as advanced as Ben is but he has certainly reported improvement in the past 48 hours so that is a positive."

Walsh confirmed the greater concern was Jolly, as his injury had the ability to restrict his style of play.

"He's got some soreness or I suppose tenderness in his groin which is not great for jumping ruckmen. The fact that we are now three days into that and he's reported some improvement, that is encouraging for us," he said.

Reid was playing in his first game back after missing the qualifying final win over West Coast with the groin injury. While he looked restricted at times, Walsh said he improved as he got miles into his legs.

"He said after the match that he got better and felt looser and the leg wasn't worrying him at all at the end. That was a good report. So he got better as the match went on," Walsh said.

But the Magpies football manager said the list was looking as healthy, if not healthier, than at the same stage last year.

"Last Friday night's game was the first game we had for probably eight or 10 weeks where, apart from our two long-term knee boys, we had everyone available to pick from," he said.

"We haven't had that for a couple of months. We probably went into Friday night's game in as good a shape as we've ever been for a long time."