Collingwood could unveil new draftees Steele Sidebottom and Dayne Beams in next weekend's AFL pre-season opener against West Coast at Subiaco.

The February 7 clash, which comes as many as 15 days before some other clubs play their first round NAB Cup matches, could also mark the return of injury-plagued forward Sean Rusling.

Collingwood staged an intraclub practice match in scorching heat on Friday morning, the temperature in Melbourne topping 40 degrees by the time the game finished at 11.30am (AEDT)

But it was the hot form of 18-year-old midfielders Sidebottom and Beams, along with several other youngsters, that caught the attention of coaching staff.

"Today confirmed some of our beliefs, we think we drafted pretty well over the last two years," assistant coach Mark Neeld said.

"... That confirmed our theory that probably going into the NAB Cup we're going to have a mixture of mature players and young players, probably starting tomorrow week against the Eagles."

Neeld will take the reins from `Pies coach Mick Malthouse for the match, as part of a club scheme to bolster the experience of their assistants.

He said Beams and Sidebottom were in strong contention, saying Sidebottom's skills made him the sort of player "you like to have the ball in their hands" while Beams did his best work in the packs.

Sidebottom showed his potential when he kicked 10 goals and racked up 32 touches in last season's TAC Cup under-18 grand final.

The only players definitely not in contention are veteran forward Anthony Rocca, recovering from an ankle injury, Paul Medhurst (foot) and young Irishman Kevin Dyas (hamstring).

But Rusling, who missed most of the past two seasons with back-to-back shoulder injuries, could play, despite missing Friday's practice match.

"He will go close depending on how he trains next week," Neeld said.

Meanwhile, he said former North Melbourne defender Leigh Brown was slotting in well, after the Magpies picked up the discarded 181-gamer in the national draft.

"We've got a young captain in Nick Maxwell, having another senior player around him who is going to play near him on the ground who's nearly a 200-game player has been really good, bouncing ideas off him," Neeld said.

"It doesn't hurt the coaching staff to also have a bit of an insight into what the Kangaroos are doing and how other teams go about it."

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