South Africa photo gallery: day 5

Assistant coach Guy McKenna was encouraged by what he saw in Friday's intra-club scratch match in Potchefstroom, and pleased the players came through unscathed.

On the fifth day of the club's two-and-a-half week high-altitude training camp in South Africa, the squad travelled about 10 kilometres from its North West University base in Potchefstroom to utilise a cricket ground at the region's army barracks for some full ground work, which was followed by an intra-club scratch match.

McKenna was able to discuss the coaching staff's approach to the session, and identify some players who impressed ahead of the opening pre-season cup match against Adelaide in Dubai on February 9.

"We'd been training on a rugby ground which was a bit softer, obviously not as long as what we're used to, so to move out onto a cricket oval, with a closer cut of grass, allowed us to do some full ground stuff and play half a scratch match," McKenna told collingwoodfc.com.au.

"So the boys had a good blowout, got through unscathed, and given it was a scratch match, in those sort of conditions, it was probably as good as we're going to get."

The way the squads were divided was fairly straightforward.

"You've got your six main forwards who are consistently going to line up in your forward line, matched up against your main back line players, and what you try to do to make it reasonably fair, is to have a midfield that's well balanced.

"Scott Burns on one side and probably Shane O'Bree on the their side, Scott Pendlebury and Dane Swan on either side again, so you balance up the midfield so there's a supply of ball to both forward lines."

The coaches were always going to have to make do with available playing personnel, given some players who are coming off various injuries are not ready to compete in full contact match simulation.

"Because of numbers, injuries and things like that, down one end there are only four forwards for example, you need to be able to supply them with some footy as well.

"Then after that, everyone knows hit zones, structures, how we want to move the ball, it becomes very easy for players to pick off possessions.

"So the flow of the game's pretty disjointed, but it's more about the boys, when they've got the ball under pressure, making good decisions and using their skill."

McKenna made mention of a number of players who took the opportunity to put forward their cases for senior selection.

"I thought Chris Bryan played well in the ruck and played well forward, and Sean Rusling looked good in the second half up forward.

"Young Johnny McCarthy, on a half back flank, for a young kid coming into his first serious senior hit out, I thought was very good. Ben Johnson on a wing, Chris Egan on a wing, Sammy Iles on a wing… so there was a good sprinkling of young kids and some senior players, and Shane Wakelin standing at full back marshalled the troops very well"

Unfortunately some coaching staff, who were required to fill in at various stages, didn't fare as well as the players mentioned above, as McKenna pointed out with a wry smile.

"I think Gavin Brown showed what Gavin Brown can do, he pushed Anthony Rocca under the ball and took a lovely mark, but probably five minutes later turned for a ball and snapped his hamstring, so he's probably three weeks away from resuming training.

"Then there was (head of conditioning) David Buttifant, who, having played practice matches in the four years I've been at the club, is still yet to touch the ball.

"He looks fantastic running down the wings, but just struggles to gain a possession here and there, not through want of trying… he did run out the quarter very well, I should say."

McKenna went on to emphasise there was plenty for the coaching staff to take from the session.

"Because it's the first one (intra-club match), everyone's chasing a possession and trying to get a kick, and make sure they stand out to the coaching staff, so from that point of view things start to break down a bit.

"But as they get tired and more disciplined you start to see the better structures, and the game itself, and I was speaking to Mick (Malthouse) afterwards, and he's been in footy for 30-odd years and he's yet to see a good scratch match.

"Yesterday's game was a good one, the ball moved as well as it can for a scratch match, and ultimately you get through unscathed and the boys have topped up their fitness levels."