Collingwood were back in Melbourne preparing for their sudden-death semi-final against GWS before the hardiest West Coast fans had finished celebrating their side’s qualifying final win.

Nathan Buckley and his players left Perth on a red-eye flight which departed at 11.45pm Perth time on Saturday – less than three hours after the final siren of their tense 16-point loss to the Eagles at Optus Stadium.

The swift departure was in keeping with Buckley’s message to his team immediately after West Coast reeled in a 10-point deficit at three-quarter time to earn a weekend off and a home preliminary final.

It was a prize that appeared destined to be snared by the Magpies before they conceded a five-goals-to-one last quarter.

“When you get a chance in a qualifying final and you don’t win it, that’s an opportunity lost,” Buckley said.

“As simplistic as it sounds, absolutely, it is.

“(But) we haven’t been a group that have dwelled too long.

“We are still in the fight so we have an opportunity now to make sure that we, in some ways, take the lessons and dust ourselves off and go again.”

The Pies will at least be buoyed by successful returns from injury made by Tyson Goldsack, Adam Treloar and Jeremy Howe.

The Giants weren’t so lucky on the injury front in their 49-point elimination final smashing of Sydney, star midfielder Josh Kelly leaving the game with a knee injury in the first half.

He will undergo scans to determine the extent of the damage suffered in a clash with Swans star Isaac Heeney at the SCG on Saturday night.

The AFL has confirmed the Pies-GWS semi-final will be at the MCG at 7.25pm on Saturday night.

Hawthorn will host Melbourne in the other semi-final to be held at the ‘G on Friday night.

After a 12-year absence, the Demons progressed with a 29-point elimination final win against Geelong.

The Hawks will use their second chance after suffering a 31-point qualifying final loss to Richmond in the opening match of the finals series.

The Tigers were irresistible in the second half, earning a weekend off and a preliminary final against the Pies or the Giants on the third Friday night of the finals series.

West Coast will host the winner of the Hawks-Demons semi at Optus Stadium on Saturday week, with the timeslot to be confirmed.