Collingwood coach Craig McRae has conceded that the Magpies are “messy” in attack after scoring just five goals in a six-point loss to Fremantle.
The dour scrap was beset by rain, but the Magpies had 61 inside 50s to the Dockers' 45, dominating large parts of the game and playing it in their front half without reward.
Missed shots early in the last quarter came back to haunt them, with Fremantle also able to intercept plenty of ill-directed forward entries.
“We didn't connect at times. Parts of the game we dominate and we take the ball back fast and then we don't connect - those things we're living,” McRae said in his post-match press conference.
“We're a bit messy forward of the ball, that's real. We lack a bit of polish at times. We'll keep getting to work on connection.
“It's hard when you're playing the game so much in your forward half and then you set the game up so well defensively, it's coming back, so when it's coming back, how are we sending it back.
“Are we just going to bomb it into undersized keys and (Alex) Pearce had five intercept marks and was very hard to play against.
“It's a version of us we need to keep evolving but the reality is we did enough to win this game, I think everyone can see that, we just didn't quite grab our touches in tough conditions.”
The loss moves the Magpies to 2-3 ahead of a pair of winnable clashes against Carlton and Essendon in the next fortnight.
While the result went against his side, McRae took solace from the way the Pies bounced back from a heavy defeat to Brisbane on Easter Thursday.
“A bit frustrated but (I) just want to reward the effort though because last week we didn't do the jumper proud. It's important our players put it on and it represents something.
“For most parts of tonight we did the jumper proud. We've got some work to do, no problems at all, at least that part of our game, our DNA, was on show in tough conditions.”
Nick Daicos looked hampered at times but still turned in arguably a best afield performance, while Scott Pendlebury's return also helped restore parts of Collingwood's structure at stoppage.
Debutant Angus Anderson was one of the major positives for the Pies, finishing with 16 disposals and six tackles.
In conditions suited to his tenacity and hunt for the footy, he looked at home on the biggest stage.
“He kicked a critical goal in the third, we got beaten at centre bounces again which has been a pattern for us at times when we lose parts of our game but it's pleasing for him to come in and show everyone what he's good at,” McRae said.
“You can say pre-game ‘watch this guy tackle, watch this guy's toughness' but you have to go do it and his first time doing it and he wore that jumper with great pride and he looks like a Collingwood player for a long time if he keeps playing like that.”
Meanwhile, Jordan De Goey suffered a concussion which will rule him out of next week's clash against Carlton.
