DEPARTING Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse says the Magpies will only get better as a result of Saturday's Grand Final loss to Geelong, and has backed successor Nathan Buckley to lead the way.

After apologising to the "most wonderful supporters any side, team and coach could have", Malthouse told the 1000 people at Sunday's family day at Gosch's Paddock that the Pies' list was in terrific shape.

"When I look back over our 12 years here, I reckon we've left our footprint and I think we've helped the place get better," he said.

"I'm sure that the new people coming through, and Nathan and the player group, will make it even better again.

"Look at our group: Chris Tarrant is our oldest player and he's as fit as he was five years ago, so if he's our oldest player and the way he gets around the ground, and he had a fantastic year … and then there's Leon Davis, All Australian this year, and then Ben Johnson, who had a pretty good year.

"They're our three oldest players and when you analyse that Alex Fasolo played and there were a number of players who missed out … we have players who didn't play this year I really feel are going to be very good footballers.

"Rest assured this football club can only get better because of yesterday."

Malthouse announced on Saturday night he would not remain at the club in 2012 after declining to take up the director of coaching role.

Captain Nick Maxwell said he had an inkling for "about four to six weeks" that Malthouse would leave, but the players had not known and hadn't been distracted by the idea.

He also said the players were looking forward to Buckley coming in, and expected the new coach to address them this week.

"It's going to be a change for us and we feel it's going to be change for good," he said.

"It's the end of an era and Mick has been sensational; he's meant a lot to so many of us.
 
"I know we're going to get someone who's 100 per cent committed to their job, someone who is disciplined and will instruct discipline on us and want us to play that way.

"[Buckley] has been planning for this for four years, he's been in the media for a couple and then worked with us for a couple so he'll be direct in what he wants, we'll know where we all stand and we're looking forward to getting into the pre-season and working under him.

"It's going to be different but Geelong showed us that a new coach coming in can help reinvigorate the players as well."

There were the usual day-after scenes among the players on Sunday, with Heath Shaw still in his function suit, Dale Thomas minus shoes and Travis Cloke happy to sit behind the standing players when they were presented on stage.

Leon Davis was asked on stage if he had decided what he was going to do in 2012, and said had not made a definitive call but "would love" to stay.

Davis is tossing up whether to remain in Melbourne away from his Perth-based family for another season.

Maxwell said the players hoped Davis would stay, and at this stage expected the retiring Leigh Brown to be the only departure from Saturday's team.

The captain was sporting a thick bandage on his left hand after breaking a knuckle in the first quarter against Geelong.

"I just looked down and it wasn't where it was supposed to be, but that's footy. These things happen and I've got plenty of time to get over it," he said.

"The mental damage of it all is worse than the physical damage.

"There are a lot of sore boys obviously, that's what happens and you're a lot sorer when you lose.

"I think there wouldn't be many sore spots down in Geelong."

Maxwell said it was the right move to play Darren Jolly and Ben Reid, who were hampered by groin and thigh soreness during the week.

"You can't look into the future and see what's going to happen, and those two guys gave it their all for us," he said.

"They did everything they needed to do up to that point and we selected a side we felt would go out and win the game."

Jennifer Witham covers Collingwood news for the AFL Website. Follow her on Twitter @AFL_JenWitham