The future and the time is now for Collingwood as their AFL season teeters on the brink.

Five-straight losses have left the Magpies a game outside the top eight and they made four unforced changes for Saturday’s match against Melbourne.

A match every Collingwood fan would have pencilled in as a likely win a month ago is suddenly crucial.

Those selections also mean a player who is a key to their future will have the spotlight on him at the MCG.

Father-son recruit Darcy Moore kicked five goals last week in only his third senior match.

He will lead Collingwood’s attack, given Jesse White was dropped after only managing five goals in his last five games.

Fellow key forward Travis Cloke (calf) is also out of action, although there was some encouraging new for Collingwood on Friday when he did some light training with the team.

One of the inclusions is small forward Jamie Elliott, their second highest-scoring forward this season behind Cloke, who has recovered from a back injury.

Collingwood’s highest score in their five-game losing run has been 91 points and they badly need more goals.

Taylor Adams will return from suspension, with Paul Seedsman and Sam Dwyer the other inclusions.

The faltering Magpies also dropped Jarryd Blair and Ben Kennedy, while Adam Oxley was rested.

Just as Moore will head Collingwood’s forward line, at the other end of the ground fellow first-year player Jesse Hogan is a key for the Demons.

Hogan kicked four goals two games ago and also had a five-goal haul earlier this season.

But Collingwood’s dropoff in scoring over the last month is nothing compared to the goals drought at Melbourne.

In their last four matches the Demons have not managed more than 10 goals and they only managed 6.10 on the way to losing to St Kilda last Sunday.