COLLINGWOOD coach Mick Malthouse will ask his players why they were “smashed” in the clearances despite dominating in the ruck during their 44-point win over Richmond on Sunday.

Malthouse was disappointed that the work of ruckmen Josh Fraser and Cameron Wood, who won the hit-outs 31-20, went largely wasted as the Tigers were allowed to win the clearances 33-23 throughout the game.

“That’s the first time this year that we’ve been really taken to the cleaners,” Malthouse said after the game.

“I don’t know what the scores were from the clearances, but we were absolutely smashed.

“I reckon we’ll go with the players and consult them, and find out why they thought when you have two ruckman that, I believe, out-rucked at the stoppages, we still got smashed.

“We’ve got to work that through fairly quickly, I’d imagine, given who we play over the next month.”

Malthouse also said he wasn’t surprised the game turned on its head late in the second term and early in the third, as Richmond began to mount a comeback after Collingwood’s lead got out by as much as 56 points.

He blamed the turnaround on the changing nature of the game, and said the speed at which goals are scored today means sides must be switched on at all times. 

“You’ll see more and more of this, because the game has become a very quick scoring proposition,” Malthouse said.

“I hate saying it, but one of the things that we’re seeing with the game (is) it’s starting to turn into a bit of a basketball shoot-out from time to time.

“If you don’t put it through the hoop, they’ll take it back and score.”

He praised the performance of Heath Shaw, who played his best game for the year with a 33-disposal, four-quarter effort.

“We’ve played Heath on the wing, and he’s got the (ability) now of being able to play at both ends and through the wing,” he said.

“We’ll just work through each side that we play and see where he’s best suited to the opposition on that day.

“I don’t think Heath has been in ripping form, and today he stepped up, which was good.”

He also said Paul Medhurst, who crossed to Collingwood from Fremantle at the end of the 2006 season, has become a better player after increasing his fitness levels.

“I think he’s a far better player because he has the capacity to work at a high rate for longer,” Malthouse said.

“He’s a player that can out-mark players his own size, and then if they put a player who’s a bit taller, he’s good enough to win the ground ball.

“We’ve got a more complete player. He’s met the challenge that we asked of him, and that’s a credit to him.”