CARLTON coach Mick Malthouse says he was "depressed" as he exited the field through the guard of honour formed to celebrate his record-breaking 715^th game as coach last Friday night.

Malthouse said that accepting the players' adulation was "a very difficult" task, such was his disgust at the Blues’ effort that night. 

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Carlton was expected to lift for Malthouse's milestone match, but instead flopped badly and were thrashed by his former side Collingwood by 75 points.

Malthouse gathered with family, friends and former colleagues after the match but it was initially far from a celebration. 

"I felt so depressed about the game," Malthouse told 5AA.

"It was a sober affair until we walked in and realised … we weren't celebrating one game, we were celebrating a heap of games. 

"So in that case I think everyone then unwound. 

"You’ve got to be careful about having the chin on the chest all day and not looking on the brighter side of things.

"I'm so disappointed for my supporters, that's what hurt more than anything else and it's very difficult then to walk through that [guard of honour]."

During last Friday night's loss, cameras showed Geoffrey Edelsten sitting at the back of the Carlton coaching box.

Malthouse insisted Edelsten had every right to sit there as he was part of an exclusive group who offered significant financial support to the football club. 

"We've got a $10-odd million football bill each year – it's got to be paid for," Malthouse said

"[This is an] inner Blue sanctum group, there's only 21 or 22 of them, they pay x amount of dollars … they're ripping people, Carlton like you wouldn't believe.

"Two come into the coaching box every MCG game, that's part of their benefit. They sit at the back, they don't interfere, they don't say anything. 

"I wouldn't have a clue that they're there – they don't get in my way and they're quite welcome in there because they put their money where their mouths are." 

Carlton will try to atone for its round five disaster against an out-of-form Brisbane Lions outfit at Etihad Stadium on Sunday.