Perhaps the AFL's biggest grudge match is set to take place at the MCG on Sunday afternoon, when Malthouse's Blues face off against old rivals Collingwood - the club he coached for 12 years.

Much has been made of the classic rivalry between the Blues and the Magpies throughout a bumper week of press opportunities, but the man who is central to the build-up was having none of that.

"I won't allow us to get caught up in one game," Malthouse said at Visy Park on Saturday morning.

Malthouse said the focus surrounding rivalry games had become endemic in world sport - referring to the competition between English Premier League clubs Manchester United and Manchester City - to help deliver his point.

"I've got a fundamental problem with teams or clubs… where the focus is we've got to beat that side," he said.

"It becomes an over burden in that, that's what we've wrapped ourselves up in; we're judged simply because we've got to play a Man City or play a Man U. We've got to win this game. We've got to win this game.

"There's a season of football."

Malthouse said the clubs' past battles counted for little.

"It's not a matter of getting caught up and tied up because we play a Collingwood side that we beat twice last year, it's more about the year; let's get everything right for the year," he said.

Carlton defeated Collingwood by 60 points and 23 points in 2012. But back then both Eddie Betts and Shaun Hampson were integral members of the Blues' side.

That won't be the case on Sunday.

The absences of Betts (broken jaw) and Hampson (appendicitis) will force a rejig of Carlton's forward line and Malthouse nominated debutant Sam Rowe as the player to fill the void.

Rowe will play his first game of senior football against the Pies at the age of 26 and after overcoming testicular cancer.

Malthouse said Rowe's story ought to be celebrated.

"This is a wonderful football story because it's his first game.

"To know the bloke … and to actually come here and see his disposition to start off with on life and what it means to him to play football.

"I can be flippant and say every day's a bonus day (in Rowe's life). He doesn’t treat it that way, he treats it as though he's desperate to play league football."

Malthouse's intimate knowledge of the Collingwood set-up is seen to an important advantage, but the master coach said it was his job to know the ins and outs of every side.

"Clearly if you've been at a club for a long time and those players have been there for a long time you do know them," he said.

"But again there's no use preparing for one game of football and being totally satisfied that you've beaten the old arch enemy. It just doesn’t make sense to me. I just don’t get that."

"You just can't do that. That's not giving your supporters the right road, it's sending a false message to your playing group.

"I've got to give knowledge and give respect to every opposition, regardless of who they are."

But when asked of his emotions coaching against his old side, Malthouse said in typical deadpan style: "They say you can only have one emotion at a time, I'll just have to address that when the time comes."

Ben Guthrie is a reporter for AFL.com.au. Follow him on Twitter  @AFL_BenGuthrie