Whether the players were listening or not was put to the test a little more than 24 hours later when they went into a game against arch-rival Carlton in front of 85,936 people.
If the suspension of classy defender Heath Shaw and the fine handed out to the skipper Nick Maxwell under the AFL's strict gambling regulations was not enough for the team to deal with, then having the events unfold on Friday afternoon, the day before such a massive game, added to the difficulty.
"I pay credit to our players because this (the Maxwell-Shaw sanctions) happened yesterday. This is not Monday or Tuesday where you get over it. This is on the eve of the game of football," Malthouse said. "All of a sudden we got here today and we're playing Carlton."
The less than ideal preparation seemed to show early as Collingwood's touch and decision-making was off. "I'm not sure we really adjusted to the game emotionally. The boys seemed a little bit spent and we just never seemed to get into the game," Malthouse said.
The wrong option was chosen and normally reliable players made uncharacteristic mistakes. Dane Swan, running into an open goal, kicked the ball wide. Sharrod Wellingham hit opponents on the chest when attempting to chip the ball over the pack to create an overlap while an errant handball from Nick Maxwell gave the Blues an opportunity just before half-time. Malthouse said such moments provided a snapshot of the afternoon from Collingwood's perspective. At the main break Collingwood had kicked five goals, 11 behinds.
It was not all Collingwood's doing though. Carlton has proved a worthy contender this season and forced the Magpies into error. "They made it a very tough one-on-one game today, which is terrific for us," Malthouse said.
In the end Collingwood won every quarter - by a margin never more than a goal - but never had much more than a nose in front in terms of the way the game was played. This fact is emphasised when you consider Carlton hit the post six times during the game.
Malthouse said the fact the players showed the mental strength to grind out a tough win under the circumstances told him plenty about the group. "We kept on going against a side that really kept on challenging us all day," he said. Malthouse was pleased, and one guesses, more than a little relieved.
Malthouse conceded that the task facing Heath Shaw - to return to the senior side after serving eight weeks on the sidelines - was tough. But he had no doubt the club would be able to prepare him in a manner that saw him ready to go if required. Shaw's preparation was not something front and centre for Malthouse. With seven games remaining in the home and away season and the club sitting on top of the ladder, his greatest challenge is to have a squad of players prepared and ready to perform at their best when the finals start.
No win is easy but this one was harder than most for the Magpies. "These are young men who have emotions like anyone else and a bit of a rollercoaster late in the week does not help your preparation for a big game," Malthouse said.
But with some class and effort Collingwood managed to get through the drama to achieve the 19-point win, a victory Collingwood would take in any circumstance.
