Coach Mick Malthouse says Collingwood's players are driven by the desire to give teammates Leon Davis, Chris Tarrant and Andrew Krakouer a taste of AFL premiership glory.

Davis played 20 games in 2010 but was dropped for the grand final replay, missing out on playing in a premiership side.

The West Australian goalsneak has re-invented himself, with Malthouse's help, as a running defender in 2011.

Davis was named this week at half-back in the All-Australian side, after winning his first All-Australian jumper as a small forward in 2009.

Tarrant, 30, is another former Collingwood forward now playing a starring role in defence.

The 2003 All-Australian returned to the Magpies' nest in 2011 after four seasons with Fremantle and is determined to cash in on the chance to win a flag before his career is over.

Small forward Andrew Krakouer is another potential fairytale story for the Magpies.

The 28-year-old joined the club in 2011 after previously playing with Richmond, then serving a 16-month jail term for assault, then having a successful season in the WAFL in 2010.

"I can measure them in speed and weight and strength but I can't measure their hunger," Malthouse said on Thursday of his playing list ahead of Friday's AFL preliminary final against Hawthorn.

"Yes we've been there and done it.

"There's several who haven't and they've come to this football club with a massive appetite for wanting to get there.

"Those players have kept their focus - I'm talking about Leon Davis, Andrew Krakouer, Chris Tarrant, a few of the younger players, Alex Fasolo, Ben Sinclair, Cameron Wood.

"Chris Tarrant in his 14th season, Leon in his 12th season."

Malthouse added that the determination of those players had been infectious.

"That hunger and their inspiration really has been profound, to the point where our younger players or the players who have played there really feel an obligation to them and haven't allowed last year to get in the road of this year," he said.

"We're not really defending anything, I keep saying to them. Don't tighten up.

"We're not defending 2010, no-one can take that off you.

"It's now 2011 and we've got to focus in (on that)."

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