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After Collingwood slipped to a rough loss to GWS, coach Nathan Buckley said there's a need for change - potentially at the selection table.

The selection axe looms at Collingwood with coach Nathan Buckley demanding change after the Magpies' flat start to the AFL season.

Collingwood were inconsistent across the opening three rounds but a largely listless performance in Saturday night's loss to injury-ravaged GWS saw them slip to 1-3.

"You can't go 1-3 and sit on your hands," Buckley told reporters.

"We think we've picked the best sides to get results and we haven't (got results).

"So we've got to look at changes. Whether that's the way we play, whether we strip things back, the way we prepare or personnel, there's plenty of things that will be assessed in that regard.

"But we've got six days to turn around and get over to Perth (to play West Coast).

"There's still some things that we're doing okay - but not enough, clearly."

Buckley didn't make wholesale changes after the round three loss to Brisbane but said the performance against GWS needed to be quickly addressed.

"We're not in a hold - we need to address this right now and turn it around," he said.

"Even though the last 30 seconds was focused on after the Brisbane game, there were plenty of execution errors across the board that we thought we could improve, so we backed a very similar 22.

"After tonight there's enough evidence there to suggest that we need to change something up - whether it's personnel, system, preparation, stripping it back in some ways - and we'll do that."

Buckley was particularly frustrated with Collingwood's poor work at contests.

"There's enough evidence there now to really query our consistent contested intent - which has not been a question for this group (in the past)," Buckley said.

There will be at least one forced change with Taylor Adams suffering an MCL injury while Brayden Sier was substituted out with gastro.

Buckley said there was room to potentially test some young players out.

Beau McCreery impressed against GWS, while Buckley listed Finlay Macrae, Reef McInnes, Ollie Henry and Caleb Poulter among those making strides.

"There's opportunity with us - we're not locked away," he said.

"We have got a list to choose from. We're actually quite fit, we've lost a couple tonight potentially but we only had three players unavailable so, touch wood, we're actually in good shape with that.

"So we will go to players that we think are gonna make us better and give us the best chance to win - now and in the future."