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COLLINGWOOD coach Mick Malthouse has heralded the performance of the club's leadership group against St Kilda on Saturday night, after a week where it was embarrassed by the off-field actions of teammates.

Malthouse highlighted the importance of his senior players setting the tone against the Saints, following the involvement of Heath Shaw and Alan Didak in an alcohol-fuelled car accident and their dishonesty about their part in it.

He said he was more than impressed with the performance of the club's five key leaders, who each played a big part in the Pies' spirited 14-point win.

"A lot of players who haven't been playing well, played well today and I was encouraged by the leadership group," he said. "That was one of the things I stressed myself to that group, that they've got to stand up this week.

"I thought Scott Burns, at 33 years of age, Josh Fraser played his best game for almost 12 months, and that is encouraging because Josh is the vice-captain and Burns is the captain.

"You look at the other three or four blokes that hold those positions, (Tarkyn) Lockyer had a big role, (Nick) Maxwell had a big role, and (Scott) Pendlebury had a big role and they all stood up.

"You look at the other five in the group, and a couple didn't play because of injury, but the ones who did held their ground. That's so important for us because you've got so many young players that we can't just expect them to go out there and be a 50-game player.

"The expectation to hold up is important and, sometimes, you hold up because your senior group are holding up and therefore it's not as difficult because you see leadership.

"You don't hear it, you see it."

Malthouse added that it was important to see the players rise to the occasion and create enough resolve to break a three-match losing streak, as well as make a statement on the back of the past seven days.

"I think under the circumstances of a pretty torrid week where we learned a lot about people, some good, some bad, we were able to generate enough enthusiasm, enough desire to play a very good football side and win," he said.

"It was good to win against a side that was 10 and eight and we were nine and nine.

"It means the overall context of the victory is that we draw back level with St Kilda with our nose in front in percentage, so that's the pleasing thing about it, with three to go.

"We've just got to keep the foot on the accelerator and make sure we approach next week's game with the same intensity we had with this one."