Collingwood is not planning to bow out of season 2017 in a meek fashion, joint vice-captain Steele Sidebottom says.

The Magpies' faint finals hopes all but disappeared in a heartbreaking draw against Adelaide at the MCG on Sunday, with the Crows coming from 50 points down at the start of the third quarter to tie the game.

Collingwood sits 13th on the ladder and two-and-half-games behind eighth-placed West Coast with four games remaining, but Sidebottom said the club still had much to play for.

"We do so much work during the week and in the pre-season, and it would be easy to think we're done," Sidebottom told AFL Media.

"You put in too much hard work just to put the feet up and give up.

"Our group actually got together during the week and made a pact that we're not going to put the feet up, but instead fight out the rest of the season."

Collingwood has games against North Melbourne, Port Adelaide, Geelong and Melbourne in the run home and the potential to shape the journeys of three of likely finals-bound opponents.

"The last three weeks, this one included, people would have seen our guys having a crack, and it's just so disappointing that the first half of our season was so inconsistent," Sidebottom said.

"We've proved at times that we can play good footy, but we're certainly not going to lie down.

"We've still got games of footy to go and we'll try to get as many wins as we can."

Despite the Magpies not managing to reach the finals since 2013, Sidebottom believes out-of-contract coach Nathan Buckley is still the best person to lead the club forward.

The Magpies announced a little more than a fortnight ago that Buckley would coach Collingwood for the rest of the season, with an ongoing review will determine his fate after that.

"Maybe the spike in us playing well has come with the club saying that he'll coach out the rest of the year, so maybe that has had an impact," Sidebottom said.

"I definitely do think 'Bucks' is the right man for the job. The best thing we can do for 'Bucks' is to keep winning."



Steele Sidebottom leads the Magpies onto the MCG in round 19. Image: AFL Photos.

Star midfielder Daniel Wells was outstanding for Collingwood, racking up 34 disposals and kicking three goals to be the most influential player on the ground against the Crows.

Sidebottom said he had been waiting for Wells to produce that type of performance since arriving at the Magpies from North Melbourne on a lucrative three-year deal.

Wells has managed just nine games in his first season in the black and white due to persistent issues with both of his calves.

"I was just waiting for that game," Sidebottom said.

"I was reading in the AFL Record and they said that it was a big week for Daniel Wells.

"That was what was in my mind when he came, and he's had a lot of injuries and he really hasn't been able to get a consistent run.

"But what we saw today was what I first had in my mind, and I'm sure he'll just keep building on that."