Crafty forward Paul Curtis has been locked in as North Melbourne's tactical substitute against Collingwood at Marvel Stadium.

Curtis, who has received Goal of the Year nominations for the past two weeks, had a relatively quiet outing against Sydney with just five disposals.

However, his stunning goal against the Swans saw him gain possession while on the ground just inside the 50-metre arc and he proceeded to fend off Swans defenders Robbie Fox and Nick Blakey before wowing the crowd with a first-quarter major from a tight angle.

MAGPIES v KANGAROOS Full match coverage and stats

The Kangaroos will go in as named, with star forward Cam Zurhaar returning and Charlie Lazzaro to start on the field for his second game of the season.

Veteran Liam Shiels (concussion) and rookie draftee Blake Drury go out of the side.

Bouncedown against the ladder-leading Magpies is at 3.20pm AEST.