Collingwood captain Nick Maxwell is amazed by the adaptability and determination of his AFL club's defenders.

The Magpies' backmen, minus injured defensive linchpin Ben Reid, looked vastly undersized against a West Coast attack that is the AFL's tallest, in Saturday's qualifying final.

But they turned that seeming weakness into a strength, not just negating the Eagles' big forwards, but hurting West Coast with enormous run and rebound in the fighting 20-point win.

When Maxwell started the game next to West Coast ruckman Nic Naitanui, Alan Toovey lined up on another giant Quinten Lynch and Heath Shaw stood next to Jack Darling, the Magpies looked set for a tough day.

But the defence stood firm, and running backmen Harry O'Brien, Leon Davis and Shaw ended up three of the game's top five possession-winners.

"It's amazing how guys stood up, Alan Toovey had a niggle and he stood up and a lot of us played undersized," Maxwell said.

"I'm really proud of the defence. I'd take those six guys in to war.

"They'd never die wondering, they'd do anything for you, on the ground, in the air and that's what we've tried to create."

Maxwell singled out Davis for praise, admitting there had been uncertainty at the start of the year over whether his late-career switch from attack to defence could work, but it had proved a triumph.

"Him having the season he's had as well is sensational," the captain said.

He said himself and Shaw, both coming back from long absences, would benefit from the match.

Maxwell said while there were areas that needed improving, most notably the team's delivery into attack, form paled in importance in finals compared to simply winning.

He was uninterested in comparisons between the Magpies' hard-fought win and Geelong's convincing victory over Hawthorn on Friday night.

"It was the usual Geelong, just an impressive performance.

"We know they're a quality team, but we don't have to worry about them right now."

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