UNIMPRESSED Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse compared his team to a stale piece of bread after its three-point loss to new ladder leader Geelong at the MCG on Friday night.

Coming off a bye last week, the Magpies started slowly, managing just nine inside 50s to their opponent's 22 in the opening term.

Although they weren't punished by the Cats, who kicked 2.9 for the quarter, Malthouse didn't like what he saw.

"About five weeks ago running from the ground to the coaches' box there was a piece of bread [on the stairs]," the veteran coach said.

"That bread is still there … and it reminded me of ourselves.

"We were pretty fresh a few weeks ago, and I just reckon we played like crusty, stale, old players in that first quarter, and struggled to get complete control of the game."

Collingwood worked back into the game after the first break, kicking four second-quarter goals to none to take a 10-point lead into half-time.

But against 2011's leading defensive team, the reigning premiers were unable to consistently employ their usual penetrating rebound from defence.

The Pies managed just four second-half goals as their unbeaten 2011 run came to an end.

"We lost our structure," Malthouse said.

"When you lose your structure in today's football, you lose control of your own destiny, and it was all played in Geelong's front half."

An umpiring decision in the gripping final minutes of the match also had Malthouse unhappy.

Ruckman Cameron Wood won a free kick and Scott Pendlebury thought he had advantage, playing on and kicking what would have been a goal to put Collingwood in the lead.

But the umpire had lost sight of the ball and blown time-on, so disallowed the goal.

The premiership coach was perplexed as to why Pendlebury hadn't been allowed to exercise a rule introduced at the beginning of this season that allows players to decide whether or not advantage is paid.

"I thought that was the rule, unless they've changed it again," Malthouse said.

"It's remarkable given what we've been told is that players make up their mind.

"We went, Geelong went, we kicked a goal, it comes back.

"So someone's clearly got it wrong. Whether it's us, them or whatever."

As had been speculated, Magpies captain Nick Maxwell was a late withdrawal before the match with a lower leg injury, but Malthouse dismissed concerns that the problem is serious.

"I'm expecting that he will play next week," Malthouse said.

"He only got pulled out today by medical advice, more so than anything else."

Collingwood takes on Adelaide at Etihad Stadium next Sunday.