COLLINGWOOD coach Nathan Buckley says he would be unhappy if he found out one of his players had toured another club's facilities before season's end.

However, he is unapologetic about Bulldogs midfielder Lin Jong's visit to Magpies HQ.

News Corp reported this week that Jong had visited the Holden Centre in the lead-up to the Dogs' round 15 victory against the Sydney Swans.

Buckley was involved in the meeting with Jong, but said the main issue was that the rendezvous had become public knowledge.

"I would (have a problem), but you generally don’t know about it," Buckley said.

"The fact that it's a story is the story."

The coach left a message with his Dogs counterpart Luke Beveridge, and said he could understand any frustrations Beveridge might have.

"If I was in Bevo's shoes, you wouldn't be happy," Buckley said.

"You definitely wouldn't be happy, because the majority of our focus is on this year, it's on this week.

"Incidents such as that, or the fact that it's out in the public domain, take the focus away from this week.

"As a senior coach, I can put myself in Bevo's shoes. I can understand where he would be, how he would be feeling about it, and then I'd ask questions over that side. I'd ask questions at our side as well."

He said his club's actions weren't out of step with what regularly occurred across the competition.

"I think it's dog eat dog, so to speak," Buckley said.

"There still are morals and mores that are expected and accepted, and we'd like to believe that we follow those."

Meeting Jong is not an action Buckley regrets.

"Derek (Hine) is our list manager and is in constant contact with managers. If they felt it was an appropriate step, and I was asked to come along, then yeah I would," he said.

The brutal reality of elite competition meant players and clubs would always explore their options.

"It happens. In the back half of the year, managers and players alike are shoring up their futures, or trying to understand what that may look like," he said.

"Speaking from a club perspective, we're not going to leave any stone unturned – speaking to those managers in particular.

"Most of those conversations don't go anywhere, but every now and then they do. Very rarely do you (senior coach) know about them."

He is against the system used in the NRL, where a player's new club is often announced midway through the prior season.

As to the level of interest the Pies have in Jong, Buckley wasn't willing to discuss the matter.

"I reckon we've given this enough airtime," he said.