COLLINGWOOD coach Nathan Buckley says he's a fan of public displays of affection, and he has called on his players to show more love towards each other.
Small forward Jamie Elliott has come under fire for not acknowledging the work of teammates Travis Varcoe and Jordan De Goey after they helped set up two important goals in Thursday night's three-point loss to Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval.
"We didn't get around Trav enough," Buckley said.
"Jamie was one of those, but we had four or five or six players in the area that could have provided feedback and energy to Trav Varcoe for an amazing effort to set that goal up.
Buckley believes the criticism of Elliott is unwarranted, but agreed that his players needed to show more energy towards their teammates.
"The focus has gone on Jamie pretty heavily, and that's what happens when you’re in the spotlight," Buckley said at the Westpac Centre on Tuesday.
"I thought that as a team, we didn’t show enough energy for our teammates on the weekend, and that’s been a real strength of ours.
"Jamie has, unfairly in my mind, being carved away from his teammates in that regard because I thought that we all could have given more energy."
Watch Jordan De Goey's goal against Port Adelaide
Varcoe's effort to track a loose ball down and then tap it back to Elliott – which led to a critical goal late in the third quarter – did not receive the plaudits from his teammates that it deserved.
"That's an outlier for us, because it's something that we’ve done pretty well - to support each other, encourage each other, (with) 'public displays of affection', I like to term it," Buckley said.
"To show the love for each other for the little things that might not be sexy outside of our four walls.
"That's a focus right through the year and it’s one that we'll continue to have."
Collingwood is looking to snap a three-game losing streak when it takes on West Coast at Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
Buckley said Levi Greenwood, Tyson Goldsack and Marley Williams are all available for selection against the Eagles.
Greenwood, who has played three games back in the VFL on return from a broken leg, looks likely to replace the suspended Taylor Adams.
Levi Greenwood is all smiles at Collingwood training on Tuesday and looks set to replace Taylor Adams
"I'll speak to him (Greenwood) as the week progresses and see where he sees himself and we'll make that call the closer we get to Saturday," Buckley said.
"We know he's a legitimate midfielder; he covers good territory, he wins plenty of the pill."
Buckley said his side had lost focus ahead of Thursday night's game against the Power.
"One of the things we identified early on is whenever we've got in a position where we lift our eyes off the moment, and off the focus of the little things, and getting those little things right, and we look up at the bigger picture, then it takes us away from playing our best footy," Buckley said.
"I feel like the Port game was one of those. A couple of losses in a row, 'Jeez you better win one soon,' and you start thinking about the result rather than the process."
