When you've won a couple of AFL premierships you can afford the occasional mea culpa, so Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse has admitted he coached poorly last week.

Malthouse says Collingwood will be a vastly improved side against Geelong on Saturday to the one that struggled to shake off cellar dweller Carlton.

Rather than blame his players for the battling nature of the win over the Blues, Malthouse has been honest enough to recognise his own shortcomings.

"Perhaps the breakdown was higher up than just the player group," Malthouse said.

"We reacted too often, we were maybe too slow in making some moves, or made them too prematurely.

"Maybe I was too soft on players who were in the wrong position and not getting messages out to them earlier or speaking to them during the breaks.

"It wasn't a matter of not being switched on, but maybe allowing things to run and not nipping them in the bud straight up.

"Not many of us had a good day, the coach included.

"I don't think we were as up as we should have been - you'll see a different Collingwood this week."

The Magpies have not beaten the Cats since 1998, with their most recent clash producing a 28-point win for Geelong in a match best remembered for Collingwood captain Nathan Buckley being reported for the unique charge of smearing blood on tagger Cameron Ling.

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