DESPITE the narrow loss on the scoreboard, it was a happy homecoming for Harry McKay.

Playing at the ground where he played his junior football, McKay kicked three goals and hauled in five marks in an effective performance up forward.

Two of those came in a hurry in the final quarter, giving the Blues the spark they needed as they took the fight to Collingwood.

The former Gippsland Power product said playing at Morwell Recreation Reserve “brought back some good memories”.

“It was good to be back, having played my junior footy here. A good crowd turned out and it was good fun,” McKay said.

His knowledge and nous at the ground was evident, ending the day as Carlton’s leading goalkicker.

While saying it was “nice to kick a couple”, he said the form and fight shown by the team late in the piece was the biggest positive.

“Absolutely, the fight was the main positive,” he said.

“We had the chance to win the game a couple of times which was the main takeaway. It was a close game — as a team, we got a lot out of it.

McKay said the Blues would take confidence from pre-season, having been put to the test against two quality sides in the JLT Community Series.

Ahead of the season opener in 10 days, the 21-year-old wants the Blues to focus and build on the positives.

“We played against some really good teams which will prepare us for next week,” he said.

"The result didn’t go our way but going into Round 1, we’re really confident we’ve had a good pre-season.”