COLLINGWOOD's pre-season has come to a close with a one-point defeat to North Melbourne in the AAMI Community Series on Sunday afternoon at Mars Stadium.

The Magpies took a youthful squad to Ballarat who endured the windy and at times wet conditions in the 12.18 (90) to 14.5 (89) loss.

MAGPIES v KANGAROOS Full match coverage and stats

The Magpies were without a host of their best players, with the likes of Nick Daicos, Scott Pendlebury, Steele Sidebottom, Jack Crisp, Jamie Elliott and Jordan De Goey all rested ahead of next week's Opening Round blockbuster against St Kilda at the MCG.

Interestingly Pendlebury, Elliott, Sidebottom and Crisp were listed as emergencies, with coach Craig McCrae saying that the quartet had completed a solid training session earlier in the day.

In their absence, some young Pies put their hands up for Opening Round including new recruit former Sydeny Swans forward Jack Buller and second-year player Joel Cochrane, who was one of his side's best.

North fans will be buoyed by their side's fightback in the second half where they outscored their opponents seven goals to five, sparked by young forward Cooper Trembath, who kicked two goals after coming on at half time.

Luke Davies-Uniacke was easily North's best and Tom Blamires, who was signed to North's senior list during the week, looked right at home at the top level, finishing with 24 disposals playing off half back.

A swirling wind at the half-constructed Mars Stadium created difficulties for both sides early on. North won the toss and kicked with the wind, but despite dominating clearances 16-4 and inside 50s 21-8, was only able to convert two majors to go with their seven behinds.

The Pies were far more efficient from their opportunities, kicking three into the wind through likely duo of Lachie Schultz and Beau McCreery, along with a converted set shot by young ruck Oscar Steene.

It was all Collingwood in the second term as the Magpies made the most of their chances with the wind, kicking the first five goals.

Kangaroos defender Charlie Comben had 30 seconds he'd rather forget, first turning back into traffic and turning over the handball before in an attempt to make amends for his error, he over-zealously knocked the ball over the goal line from 25 metres out, gifting Dan McStay a free kick directly in front of goal.

In the minutes leading into the main break, North lifted and broke the run of Magpies goals. Jack Darling kicked his second, as did Nick Larkey, while young forward Lachy Dovaston - already drawing comparisons to Hawthorn's Nick Watson - got one of his own after finding himself on the end of some clever play by Davies-Uniacke.

Collingwood kicked two goals to start the second half to extend its lead, but to North's credit, the Kangaroos didn't drop their heads.

Trembath came on in the second term in place of Darling and had immediate impact by kicking two, whilst Dovaston kicked his second, an impressive long-range snap.

The final term started with a bang with Pies defender Harry Perryman kicking a huge goal from outside 50 much to the delight of his teammates and the fans at the ground. Schultz, Cochrane and Brayden Maynard were all rested for the final term.

It looked as though the Pies were going to come home with the wind - not just literally - but Dovaston and new skipper Larkey had other ideas, each kicking a goal to put the Roos in front with just over a minute remaining.

NORTH MELBOURNE     2.7    5.9     10.17     12.18 (90)
COLLINGWOOD     3.1     9.3    12.3     14.5 (89)

GOALS
North Melbourne: Larkey 3, Dovaston 3, Darling 2, Trembath 2, Curtis, Zurhaar
Collingwood: McStay 3, West 2, Buller 2, Schultz, McCreery, Steene, Hayes, Allan, Cochrane, Perryman

INJURIES
North Melbourne: Nil
Collingwood: Nil