COLLINGWOOD blew a gilt-edged opportunity to return to the top four against the Western Bulldogs and coach Nathan Buckley believes his team will have to improve significantly to bounce back against reigning premier Hawthorn on Saturday.
Following the Pies' upset eight-point loss to the Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium on Sunday evening, Buckley was critical of his side's efforts in contested situations, team defence and delivery forward of centre, and praised the Bulldogs accordingly.
A win would have vaulted the Pies into fourth on the AFL ladder, percentage above Geelong but they are now 8-4 and sixth, a game outside double-chance territory.
"It's an elite competition – you've got to be elite if you want to win games of football. It shows that there's not much gap between any (teams) in the comp," Buckley said of the shock result.
"Their better players played really well, they were daring with the ball (and) we weren't able to slow them down enough, and we paid the price for that. The game was played on the Western Bulldogs' terms.
"We didn't attend to some of the areas that we needed to against the Western Bulldogs or against Hawthorn next week or against another opposition."
Asked what his team needed to do to turn around their fortunes in the space of six days against the Hawks at the MCG, Buckley said simply: "Play like we have the last 11 weeks."
"For the past month we've had sides that have played a little bit slower against us. The Bulldogs went really fast, we knew that was coming (but) we just didn't defend that well enough," he said.
"Seventeen times we turned the ball over in our front half, which is a season low. If you want to be a good side, you prevent the opposition from moving the ball out of your forward line.
"Our systems and our effort to do that weren't at the level we needed to … earn the right to control field position and get the game on our terms."
The Bulldogs had nine goalscorers, including four multiple providers, while the Pies had just seven, with perhaps only Travis Cloke (six) and Jamie Elliott (four) being constant dangers.
Buckley explained: "'Clokey' was dangerous … but we're not a one-man forward line. Our offense wasn't an issue for us – it was contested ball and our ability to defend."
The Pies could face some selection headaches for the clash with the Hawks, with Marley Williams on report for striking and defender Jack Frost hyperextended a knee but finishing the game.
The Pies are expected to regain Dayne Beams, who was a late withdrawal with a corked calf, and Tyson Goldsack (knee), while Nick Maxwell (calf) might also come into calculations.
