Collingwood hit back brilliantly after a week of scrutiny, belting North Melbourne by 52 points in their AFL match at Etihad Stadium.

The Magpies kicked eight goals to three in the second term on Friday night to set up the 19.13 (127) to 11.9 (75) win.

Onballers Scott Pendlebury, Dane Swan and Leon Davis were outstanding for the Magpies and Tarkyn Lockyer kicked four goals.

Davis' game featured a flying mark in the last term.

Ruckman Hamish McIntosh was a rare shining light for North and Aaron Edwards kicked four goals.

Collingwood ran North off their feet and controlled the stoppages, in a much better performance from a team that wants to contend for the premiership this season.

The Magpies came under pressure after Essendon stole their Anzac Day clash, leaving them on two wins and three losses before Friday night's win.

The Kangaroos are now in even bigger strife at 2-4 and last week lost their captain Brent Harvey for up to three months with an elbow injury.

Collingwood suffered a double blow before the first bounce when Anthony Rocca and Heath Shaw were late withdrawals.

Paul Medhurst was also injured in the first term and was eventually forced out of the game early in the first term.

But the two late inclusions, Sharrod Wellingham and Anthony Corrie, excelled in their first senior games for the season.

It was also Corrie's Collingwood debut after he joined the club this year from Brisbane.

Wellingham and Corrie gave the Magpies plenty of spark and dash.

The game did not start well for North when key defender Michael Firrito botched two kick-ins early in the opening quarter.

Collingwood kicked the first three goals of the game, before North hit back to trail by only five points at quarter-time.

North were playing in a strip that resembled the Argentinian soccer uniform and the first goal for the Kangaroos would have done a striker proud.

Drew Petrie was wrestling with his opponent in the goalsquare, on the end of a long ball.

Rather than try to mark, he volleyed the ball out of mid-air in an outstanding bid for goal of the year.

Collingwood led by as much as 48 points in the third term as North kept working hard, but were unable to put consistent pressure on their opposition.

Magpies ruckman Josh Fraser, accused this week of "dogging" a contest on Anzac Day, had a mixed night.

He picked up 25 disposals and 18 hitouts, but was forced from the field during the third term with a blow to the midriff.

Collingwood forward John Anthony received a fearful dressing-down from coach Mick Malthouse on the interchange bench at three-quarter time, although Malthouse's mood seemed to quickly mellow as they walked to the huddle.

Medhurst has an ankle injury and North Melbourne defender Daniel Pratt has added to his club's injury woes with a knee injury that will put him out of action for at least a fortnight.

While pleased with his team's performance, Malthouse said the injuries to Medhurst and Pratt again demonstrated the need for a substitution rule during the regular season.

"I thought our second quarter was very good, a lot of pressure," he said.

"The third quarter, we fell away a bit.

"They lost Pratt, we lost Medhurst ... I don't know how we're going to get across to people that we really do need to seriously consider some of the things that took place during the NAB Cup, which was replacing an injured player.

"It's a long way since we had that fourth player (on the bench) and I think the game has evolved in both strength and speed."

North coach Dean Laidley said his team made too many disposal errors.

"We have won the same amount of ball, but our desire to want to handball when we were moving the ball quickly and we had free targets or space ahead, was really disappointing," he said.

"We addressed it at each of the breaks, but we continued to do it ... I think they scored 13.8 out of their whole score from turnovers."

Brought to you by AAP © 2024 AAP