Collingwood captain Nick Maxwell believes the first quarter holds the key to Saturday's AFL grand final against St Kilda.

The Magpies blew away the Western Bulldogs and Geelong early in their two previous finals matches this year, and made a similarly slick start when they last met the Saints.

With Maxwell among a large portion of Collingwood's side who have no previous grand final experience, the skipper said it would be even more vital on Saturday to make an early impact.

"It's just important to get off to a good start in grand finals because it calms the nerves," Maxwell said.

"Everyone who's talked about playing in grand finals says the first quarter is the key and it's the team that settles the most, that's the thing you hear.

"I've heard that over the last few years, the team that settles the quickest is the one that usually goes on and gets that advantage, so obviously we want to start well and get ourselves in a good position."

While the bulk of the Saints' side has grand final experience, gained in last year's loss to Geelong, Maxwell had little doubt his teammates would handle the occasion.

He said regularly playing in front of 70,000-strong crowds would serve them well.

And clinically dismantling the Cats before more than 95,000 was the ideal dress rehearsal.

"If we were to ever get overawed, in front of nearly 100,000, against one of the greatest teams in recent history, then I think that would have been the time we would have done it," he said.

"So I think that it's just a great positive sign for our young guys."

Maxwell said queries over midfielder Luke Ball's fitness should be answered at Wednesday's training session.

Ball, affected by what the club says was a hamstring cramp against Geelong, joined in a light training run and beach recovery session on Tuesday.

The Magpies are confident the former Saints best and fairest will face his old team on Saturday, but Maxwell said his training form would be the best gauge.

"You'll all be there tomorrow, you'll watch him train and you'll make your own judgments then," Maxwell said.

"... We'll see if he can train, if he can train then obviously it puts it all to bed."

Maxwell will offer input into another Collingwood selection poser, whether veteran fullback Simon Prestigiacomo should return, after being out with a thigh injury since round 20.

Youngster Nathan Brown is the likely casualty if Prestigiacomo comes in.

"I'll probably have a chat to (coach Mick Malthouse) and Scotty Watters, the backs coach, but in the end I don't get involved in match committee, that's up to the coaches to make that decision," Maxwell said.

"I'm glad I don't get involved in it because it's going to be a tough decision either way."

Maxwell said Prestigiacomo, and fellow veterans Tarkyn Lockyer and Josh Fraser, who are being denied spots by younger players, were training hard and staying upbeat.

He said the club's spirits were also unaffected by Dane Swan's failure to win the Brownlow Medal, despite entering Monday night's count as short-priced favourite, with Carlton captain Chris Judd a surprise victor.

"It doesn't bother us at all, the one thing we don't want to do is take credit away from Chris Judd," he said.

"He's won a second Brownlow Medal, everyone knows he's a champion, I'd be really disappointed if people took that (kudos) away from him, because he's well deserving of it."

He said Swan's sole focus remained a premiership.

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