Click here to watch Guy McKenna's post-match press conference on CTV

Despite an indifferent second half, Guy McKenna said there were some "pleasing signs" to come out of Collingwood’s win over Melbourne on Friday night.

The Magpies booted nine goals to three in the first half to take a 35-point lead into half time, and cemented their spot in the finals after the Demons fought back hard after the main break.

McKenna, who conducted the post-match press conference in place of senior coach Mick Malthouse, who endured a difficult week following the death of his father, singled out Scott Burns for his hard work around the stoppages.  

“Scott Burns was back to his form of the first half of the season – seven clearances for the night. There were some good signs, pleasing signs because we have been patchy since the break,” McKenna said.

While the second half may not have been productive on the scoreboard, McKenna emphasised that the side was able to get the ball into the forward line often enough, eventually winning the overall forward 50 entries 54 to 40.

“In the second half we went in there enough but didn’t make them pay.”

He also refuted claims that the Magpies were lucky to get away with the four points and that his team took their opponents lightly.

“I think you make your own luck and I think we made that in the first half. We had the score on the board to do that.

“Whether you are playing the top or the bottom side there’s no element of backing off at all. If you do, any side will take you to task.”

McKenna did concede, though, that the Magpies work-rate dropped away after half time, contributing to Melbourne’s comeback.

“The boys’ appetite to work stopped and that was the difference.

“We weren’t getting numbers to the ball. Melbourne were. They got their tails up and got momentum and they took their chances. We had the ball enough times inside 50. We weren’t clean, we weren’t precise and we backed off.”

While the third and fourth quarters weren’t anywhere near as good as the first two, McKenna, said there was nothing to be gained from harping on the negatives with the players after the game.

“I don’t think this time of the year is the time to be cracking them around the ears. We focused more on the first half which was back to the football we were playing in the first half of the season.

“Probably that’s the best half of football we have played since the break. Next week we need to play four quarters of that. The second half was not good enough, simple as that.”