COLLINGWOOD coach Craig McRae was left "astounded" by a late umpiring call in an incident that left Nathan Murphy dazed during his side's incredible win over Adelaide.

Murphy was left bloodied after a non-call in a marking contest with Crows forward Darcy Fogarty during the Pies' comeback one-point victory on Sunday.

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The incident occurred in the dying minutes with Collingwood still trailing. Jordan De Goey was then penalised for a deliberate out of bounds when he appeared to soccer the ball out of play while trying to avoid running into the Collingwood medical staff who were walking Murphy off the ground, given the umpires hadn't stopped play despite the presence of blood.

"I lost my mind," McRae said. "One, whether it was a mark or free-kick, either you could argue.

"Then he had blood and he's trying to exit the field. We didn't have a chance to replace the player in a critical moment. I was astounded by it … I don't know whether we need an explanation for it but I just found it staggering."

McRae lavished praise on his side's incredible never-give-up attitude after another final-quarter charge.

The Magpies moved into outright top spot on the ladder with the thrilling win, where they led for only 30 seconds after Steele Sidebottom's late behind from a set shot.

Collingwood trailed by 16 points at the final change, falling 22 points behind early in the last after Chayce Jones' goal, before storming home to improve its incredible recent record to 10 wins from its past 13 games when facing a three-quarter-time deficit.

McRae conceded Adelaide was the dominant side for much of the game, with Collingwood kept in the contest by the Crows' inaccurate kicking, before the Magpies produced a trademark final-term display, led by winning clearances 16-4 (centre clearances 4-1 and stoppage clearances 12-3).

"It's incredible, isn't it? It's admiration for the never-give-up attitude," McRae said. "Today was a different version of it. It's expressing yourself in different ways.

"We've got good method, so players go to a system and go 'All right, we're behind, we need to win, let's do this'. They all know what they need to do through repetition.

"Last year we were in this position so many times, so we get to practice more than anyone else in the competition, but I just admire the want. It's incredible.

"There's a lot of things against us, there's a tide that we're willing to row through, that's admirable … the rooms are buzzing, as they should be, because of the resilience, we're paddling against the tide. We're really proud of our boys."

Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks conceded that Collingwood's remarkable final-quarter record in recent times played a mental part in the come-from-behind triumph.

"I've got no doubt, there's a massive mental part to the way they finished the game off," Nicks said. "They've done it too often for it not to be.

"We would love for it not to be in that position. We'll get better and better at that as well. We'll learn from this one, but that's not where we lost the game. We lost the game in the first half."

The Pies' first-year skipper Darcy Moore was a key part of Collingwood keeping Adelaide at bay, particularly in the first half, with six intercept possessions, finishing with 23 disposals and six marks.

Moore also made the decisive intercept as Adelaide tried to go coast to coast from the Jordan Dawson kick-in following Sidebottom's behind and McRae revealed the key defender almost missed the game due to illness.

"He was sick before the game," he said. "He was a chance not to play. You get that 20 minutes before the game, you're thinking 'Oh, God'. To go out and perform, it's incredible," he said.

McRae wouldn't be drawn on Nick Daicos' game where he was kept to 26 touches with a close watch from Ben Keays, calling that a "non-story".

The Pies coach clarified Murphy was OK after his head knock, while Nathan Kreuger had been taken to hospital with concerns over a rib issue. McRae also confirmed Scott Pendlebury would return next week to face Sydney after an eye injury kept him out.

Nicks lamented his side's lack of composure, particularly in front of goal, kicking 7.16 for the game, along with the lopsided stoppage count in the fourth quarter.

"We had our chances and we got the harshest lesson there in not kicking straight or not being composed in key moments," Nicks said.

"Even in the second half and at the end, we had our chances to hold on and win that game and we didn't get it done … we're so disappointed as a group because we let that one slip."

Nicks added that the decision to sub out Jake Soligo, who had 24 disposals, was not injury related, instead wanting some "fresh run", while he praised Rory Laird for pushing through a pre-game calf worry to have 29 touches.