COLLINGWOOD coach Craig McRae has delivered a strong defence of Isaac Quaynor after he was booed by some fans on Thursday night at Adelaide Oval.

The defender's reception was among the major talking points to emerge from Collingwood's impressive 34-point win over Adelaide, with McRae weighing in after the match.

The Magpies coach offered a typically considered response, questioning why his charge was receiving such treatment.

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"I've got my little daughter in the room and she's 10, she comes to the footy tonight little Charlie and I teach her that we don't boo," he said.

"People pay their money and can do what they like when they come to the game, but I teach my children that we don't boo, we show respect to all people.

"It's a fascinating narrative as to why they would boo him.

"From my understanding he was the victim of a homophobic slur, and he's getting booed for that? It's a fascinating world we live in.

"I'll just keep on educating the things we can control and in my house, no booing."

McRae praised his side's fighting spirit after they ran over the top of Adelaide to collect their sixth win in as many games.

"When you come over to Adelaide and play a team that's arguably in the top four teams of the competition based off form … to put 108 points on the board is pretty significant," McRae said.

"It's probably beyond my expectations."

Adelaide led by as much as 27 points in the second term before Collingwood kicked three quick goals before half-time to change the game.

"I thought it was a really pivotal time in the game in the second quarter when they were completely dominating the game, the territory and other parts of it," McRae said.

"We couldn't win a contest forward or behind the ball, and the scoreboard probably should've looked worse at that period.

"But we hung in there. That fight element, the arm-wrestle, we talk about it every week, every game you're not going to get on your terms, so what do you do in that period?

"This group's got great spirit and a couple of goals late were significant in the outcome."

Key to the change in momentum was the move of Jeremy Howe from defence to attack.

"We want to be a team that goes for it and I've said this many times, but if you don't throw the ball at the stumps you don't get a run out," he said.

"I just thought with that forward line it could be inexperienced or overwhelmed at times.

"I thought that going into the game, if we need a goal let's put 'Howey' forward, and he got a goal and went back to support the backline.

"We're prepared to take risks and we want to continue to be that team."

Tough defender Brayden Maynard appeared to suffer a knock to the knee and finished the game on the bench.

"I don't know at the moment, he explained it was a bit of knee-on-knee, so we'll get a scan and find out what that looks like tomorrow or the next day," McRae said.

A disappointed Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks said the loss"stings".

"We were 26 points up and playing some pretty solid footy, things were going to plan, and we'll have a good look at it, but it was like we just stopped," Nicks said.

"Credit to our opposition, they maintained the rage and beat us up at the contest in the second half.

"We've got a pretty disappointed change room at the moment, but we'll have to lick our wounds and get ourselves ready for the challenge next week."