> Watch Paul Medhurst speak to CTV in the rooms after the winCOLLINGWOOD coach Mick Malthouse says his players need to improve their ability to stop opponents scoring 'soft goals' if they are to compete with the competition's leading teams.
While Malthouse was pleased with the way the Magpies finished off their 84-point win against Fremantle at the MCG on Saturday, he rued their lack of pressure at times.
"It certainly wasn't in our thoughts we needed to get 13 goals kicked against us," he said, after the match.
"We were a bit disappointed in the way we gave them soft goals in the second quarter, and perhaps even into the third quarter.
"We played far better early than we did in the second and third quarter, even though I thought we didn't have the game but were playing well enough to win the game."
Malthouse said the ladder leaders constantly provided examples of how much pressure sides must apply to consistently restrict opponents.
"St Kilda is the best at not allowing that this year, closely followed by Geelong. The benchmark is the Saints, the way they've been able to not allow soft goals," he said.
"You inevitably have to earn every goal against the Saints, and if we're going to look at the better sides of the competition on a year to year basis, we've got to set high marks.
"We're not taking anything away from Fremantle because they deserved the goals they got, but I didn't think we were in a position at times to force the issue, and as a consequence, they were able to kick goals we normally would not have allowed."
He also said he was pleased with the way his players were unselfish in attack, after Paul Medhurst made an incorrect decision early on and tried to mark a ball he should have let through for a goal.
"Travis Cloke's first two goals came directly from [Medhurst], and that's encouraging because Travis probably needed a shot on goal to restore his confidence," he said.
"It's a collective thing, and when we don't do that, we don't play well."
Malthouse was asked if he was pleased with the way Dale Thomas (21 touches) responded after seemingly patchy form, and said the young gun was another example of a player being judged on unrealistic outside expectations.
"I haven't been disappointed in Dale Thomas. Expectations such as those are outside the football club," he said.
"We know what to expect from all our players. I think it's like the criticism of why would we persist with Leigh Brown, and yet now he's getting more possessions.
"Does that make him more important? In the eyes of some, but his early season form was exactly the way we wanted him to adjust to the club and the way we play.
"That's a classical case of outside expectations on Dale Thomas, Travis Cloke, Leigh Brown, Shane O'Bree, Josh Fraser … the list goes on," he said.
"We pick the side on form. If they're not in the side because of that, someone from the VFL is better equipped, they will make way.
"I've said to the players, 'Please don't take notice of anyone outside the organisation, because we will judge you the way we want to judge you, not the way other people judge you."
