The Magpies' win moved them into seventh place, and they're set to welcome back Darcy Moore and Jamie Elliott and possibly Scott Pendlebury and Will Hoskin-Elliott for Saturday's clash with Melbourne. 

Ben Reid could also come back into calculations after being managed. 

One player coach Nathan Buckley almost certainly won't have is defender Jordan Roughead, who copped a heavy knock from Adelaide forward Darcy Fogarty in the third quarter. 

Roughead's absence might mean Lynden Dunn, who played his first senior game in 773 days, maintains his spot. 

01:59

"You need to win enough games to qualify (for finals), but then you need to look after your squad well enough to have access to the right guys when you get to the end of the year," Buckley said. 

"We could have played a better 22 tonight, and I dare say that every side in the competition is going through this in some shape or form, but we've still got our eyes on the prize. 

"It's not just about getting the win now. 

"It's about what is your team going to look like in three, four or five weeks, and how are you going to find the best of what you have in your squad to be able to present as well as you possibly can, beyond round 18."

10:23