COLLINGWOOD coach Mick Malthouse has taken the unusual step of throwing public support behind the coach of his imminent opponent.

Malthouse used his weekly media conference to defend North Melbourne coach and former Collingwood assistant Brad Scott after criticism of the Kangaroos' game plan in last week's loss to St Kilda.

"Brad has handled it beautifully. It is amazing the experts out there. It is amazing those who pot-shot from outside," Malthouse said.

"Did they do anything different last week to what they had done for the previous four weeks, where the applause went out to say how good they were in the air and how good they were crumbing and how great the wins were?

"Short memories with an easy fix - that is constant with outside criticism that doesn't look at repercussions … and they're all experts."

The Magpies will be forced to make at least one change to the team that defeated Hawthorn by 41 points last week after Chris Dawes was ruled out with a broken knuckle.

Malthouse said the Magpies' impressive depth gave them plenty of options to replace Dawes.

"Brent Macaffer, Lachlan Keeffe, Tyson Goldsack, John McCarthy, that type of player. We used Tyson through the grand final last year in that role," he said.

"Brent Macaffer was played exclusively in that role last year. Lachlan Keefe has played at both ends of the ground in the VFL and John McCarthy adds another midfield-cum-half-forward if we want to go that way. There are a few options."

The 204cm Keeffe may be the one to earn the call-up for his first game at AFL level. It would be a remarkable achievement for a player who had played mainly soccer and very little football when he was rookie-listed by the Magpies at the end of 2008.

The Magpies are yet to settle on Dawes' replacement, but Malthouse said if Keeffe earned a game it would be a remarkable story.

"It's outstanding. In many respects it's probably a better story than an Irish story, because with the Irishmen they've got the football in their hands.

"With soccer, unless you're a goalie there's not much chance of having it in your hands.

"This is another salute to (recruiting manager) Derek Hine. We've got several players on our books from NSW and Queensland. In Lachlan's case he wasn't playing for a football side, he was playing soccer in the midfield.

"You look at his size, flexibility and agility and Derek took a chance on him a few years ago and in that time he has learned to play football. I think he played two games with someone up there. That's all."