Collingwood forward Will Kelly will undergo scans on Saturday morning after an elbow injury marred an otherwise promising debut.

Kelly landed awkwardly from a marking contest in the final quarter of the Magpies' 32-point defeat of Hawthorn at Giants Stadium on Friday night. 

Coach Nathan Buckley said post-match the 19-year-old's early diagnosis was a dislocated left elbow and club medicos were hopeful he had avoided further damage. 

"It's a tough game. It is bittersweet. He looked like he was enjoying himself and he was a part of a solid team performance," Buckley told reporters. 

"We don't know if we can rule out a fracture at this point but it seems like he might have escaped that. 

"We'll get a scan tomorrow morning, then we plan to fly him over to Perth (where Collingwood plays next week) and get whatever assistance we need over there." 

Buckley was thrilled with his side's improved work in the contest, where Adam Treloar, Taylor Adams, Rupert Wills and Jamie Elliott dined out, as Collingwood snapped its two-game losing skid.

However, with the threat of a truncated fixture hanging over all clubs' heads, Buckley reluctantly went into preservation mode after being six goals clear at three-quarter time. 

Elliott (shin) didn't play from midway through the third quarter, while defender Matt Scharenberg copped a Ben McEvoy knee to his ribs late in the game. 

"Jamie could have kept playing and he was a little bit frustrated by the call but maybe there's more of that (medium-term) mentality," Buckley said. 

"I don't know whether it's the right decision myself. It's the right decision, because Jamie will be upright and all right for next week – but when that comes about and you're six goals up at three-quarter time … you want to make sure you look after your better players. 

"I don't know how comfortable I am with that sort of situation or making those calls but potentially it's the most prudent."