Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse gambled on a host of backmen with injury concerns and was richly rewarded as they helped secure an AFL preliminary final berth and a valuable week off.

The reigning premiers survived a determined last-quarter charge from last year's wooden spooners West Coast to win Saturday's MCG qualifying final 12.10 (82) to 9.8 (62).

It earned Collingwood a home preliminary final in a fortnight, while the Eagles will host a sudden-death semi-final next Saturday night, against the winner of Sunday's Carlton-Essendon clash.

They might be without their most important player, ruckman Dean Cox, who was subbed off with back spasms in the third quarter, although gun midfielder Daniel Kerr should play, after being a late withdrawal on Saturday.

The fortnight's break is a boon for the Magpies, as Malthouse admitted he is unsure how some of his players would have handled playing in a week.

Late pre-game withdrawal, key defender Ben Reid (groin), gets an extra week to recover.

Fellow tall backman Chris Tarrant injured an ankle last weekend and was benched late in Saturday's game with hamstring cramp.

Nick Maxwell and Leon Davis, were returning from injury lay-offs and Heath Shaw from an eight-week suspension, while another backman Alan Toovey played with an injury niggle.

Asked whether Tarrant would need the entire fortnight to be ready to play again, Malthouse said: "Quite frankly, I reckon every one of them will."

"I reckon every one of those backline players will be now (better off). We took the gamble we could scramble over the line and give these players another week's rest."

It was a scramble, with the Eagles kicking the first three goals of the last quarter - two to Quinten Lynch and one to Jack Darling - to narrow a 26-point deficit to seven.

Collingwood needed some desperate defence and a cameo from last-quarter substitute Alex Fasolo, whose first few minutes of AFL finals football involved setting up Luke Ball for Collingwood's first goal of the term, then kicking the only other himself, after the final siren.

Malthouse said the Magpies needed to improve, but all that really mattered in the circumstances was victory.

"I personally reckon it was one of our gutsiest performances since I've been at the football club," he said.

He dismissed a suggestion Geelong might now deserve premiership favouritism, after their more emphatic win over Hawthorn on Friday night.

"If it's judged on today's game, so be it. You only win the game, you go into a preliminary final."

Midfielders Dane Swan (43 disposals) and Scott Pendlebury (38) were outstanding, and will be helped by Dale Thomas' return from suspension for the preliminary final.

Ruckman Nic Naitanui was superb for the Eagles, dominating the hit-outs and producing moments of ground-level brilliance.

Eagles coach John Worsfold was unsure of Cox's chances of playing next weekend.

He said he was proud of his players' fightback, but they failed to handle finals pressure at times and could learn plenty from Collingwood, particularly West Coast's young midfielders.

"There's a lot of room for improvement for us," Worsfold said.

"I didn't think we gave our forwards a great opportunity.

"A couple of times we could have got it in quick and we elected to try to handball and turned it over."

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