Maybe it was the salt water talking, but Collingwood utility Tarkyn Lockyer believes the young Magpies have prospered from a sink-or-swim attitude this AFL season.

At a point in the campaign when young players can get found out, Lockyer said it was a credit to his newer teammates they had adjusted so quickly and been instrumental in the Magpies' late surge.

"I suppose they've just been thrown in at the deep end," he said after a beachside recovery session as Collingwood prepared to play St Kilda in Saturday night's semi-final.

"You do all the preparation throughout your pre-season and the development coaches do a little bit of extra work with those guys to prepare them for senior football.

"But there's no replica for getting out there on game day and getting match time in you.

"The fact we've been able to blood so many young guys is just a bonus and hopefully they continue to stand up.

"They've been terrific for us in playing their roles in the side and hopefully they can continue to do that this weekend."

The Collingwood side which beat Adelaide in last Saturday's elimination final included seven players still learning in either their first or second season.

Despite their age and inexperience, first-year quartet Nathan Brown in defence, Chris Dawes and John Anthony in attack and John McCarthy in the midfield will all be key players against the Saints at the MCG.

It was against St Kilda a month ago Collingwood's young brigade proved their enthusiasm and talent in the first match after the Magpies suspended Alan Didak and Heath and Rhyce Shaw over the drink-driving fiasco.

Lockyer, one of Collingwood's most experienced players at 28 and with 190 games behind him, said the young players had been taught how to play finals-type football, with an emphasis on applying pressure and winning contested possessions.

But he admitted the new faces brought a new vibe.

"The dynamic changes because there's just that enthusiasm," he said.

"The young fellas just want to get out there and perform and compete and that's the beauty of the side ... they just want to get out there and play.

"They don't necessarily get too wound up in the emotion of the game.

"They just want to play, so it's terrific to have that freshness around the place."

Lockyer said the Magpies had recovered well from the warm conditions in Adelaide, and were confident captain Scott Burns and fullback Simon Prestigiacomo would play St Kilda.

Burns has missed the past two games through a corked calf.

"He had a hit-out yesterday ... and we've got another training session tomorrow, so we'll let him have another run around and I'm sure he'll be ready to go," Lockyer said.

Prestigiacomo battled through last Saturday's game with a sore shoulder, but Lockyer expected the veteran defender to also be right.

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