Voss admits there is a target on the Blues back after another second half fade out

“I don’t want to shy away from the conversations. We have them all the time. Maybe they will just be even more pointed this week.

“You have to be able to accept what has happened to be able to deal with it so you can get on with [fixing] it.”

The eventual margin was 15 points, but it could have been bigger.

The only blight on the night for the Magpies was a head-high bump by defender Dan Houston on Carlton’s Lachie Fogarty that puts him in doubt for their game against Sydney in Gather Round. McRae said he couldn’t comment on the incident other than say he hoped Fogarty pulled up OK.

The game swung in the opening minutes of the third quarter when Collingwood lifted the pressure rating to above 200, had the first six clearances and the first seven inside-50s. They hit the scoreboard, too, with goals to Jordan DeGoey, Lachie Schultz and Tim Membrey before Schultz – who was voted best on ground – kicked another goal to stretch the lead beyond four goals at the final break.

Collingwood could have been further in front if not for their inaccuracy, while the Blues were starved of options. They could not move the ball from their back half as they had been doing in the first half. They did not adapt to the wet conditions or respond to the disciplined manner Collingwood set up.

Instead of just taking what the Magpies gave them, they continued to attempt to attack through the corridor and change the angles. All that did was walk them into the web Collingwood had created, and Mitch McGovern, Ollie Hollands and Zac Williams coughed the ball up too easily.

“When we are under pressure we have got a method we go to and we didn’t do it,” Voss said.

By contrast, the Magpies made the most of their ascendancy at centre clearance, holding field position and dominating inside-50s.

Darcy Moore and Schultz are back in form and Darcy Cameron – who is on about the average AFL wage – beat a gallant Tom DeKoning, who is being courted by St Kilda.

McRae said the team’s experience helped them prepare well and connect during games.

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“We went pretty hard on the tape at half-time. We didn’t like the way we were defending the ground…we didn’t like where we were putting our bodies and showed some footage around that and then you know got a bit of reward in the third quarter,” McRae said. “We kicked 4.6 but 17 inside 50s to seven was an example of dominating the territory in that quarter.”

The loss means Carlton have won just two of their past 13 matches. Their only wins in that stretch came against North Melbourne and West Coast. They are the Blues’ opponents in the next two weeks, and they desperately need a win against the Eagles in Gather Round to build their confidence.

Collingwood have won their past seven matches at the MCG, while the Blues have lost their past five matches at the same venue.

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