Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley understands questions are going to be asked after his side's 16-point loss to Adelaide at the MCG on Sunday.

The Crows consigned the Magpies to their fifth loss from six starts, while Collingwood also slipped out of the top eight at the expense of Sunday's adversaries.

"The industry we're in, you're going to get picked apart and questions are going to be asked. They should be. Questions on why you're going well. Why you're going poorly. Questions on where you go from here," Buckley said post-match.

Vote for your top three players from Collingwood's 16-point loss in the Magpie Army Player of the Year Award.

Despite the finals implications associated with the clash against the Crows, Buckley saw some definitive improvements from the team that was humiliated by Essendon at the same venue a fortnight ago.

"If we bring that energy and that effort, I think the supporters at the club, the players themselves, the coaches and staff and anyone involved with the club are going to be far more satisfied if we give them that effort (rather) than the one we gave against Essendon," he said.

Buckley refused to be drawn on what the loss means for the club's season with a meeting with fifth-placed Port Adelaide at the MCG next on the agenda.

"We've played some good footy, we've played some poor footy. Today was closer to the good footy that we've been able to play, but we didn't get the result," Buckley said.

"We go in, seven days into Port Adelaide with a much improved effort on what we've seen in the last two or three weeks, in particular, but we just need to sharpen up on our execution."

Although industrious, the lack of polish – particularly with their forward 50 entries – was a major sticking point for the Magpies coach.Collingwood pipped Adelaide in inside 50s (48-47), but there was a giant chasm in how both sides were able to convert their chances on the scoreboard.

The Magpies scored 46 per cent of the time from their forward 50 entries, while the Crows were far more efficient at 60 per cent.

He said key forward Travis Cloke was caught grappling opponent Daniel Talia too much, but added the umpires did not give Cloke much help in his one-on-one battle.

"More often than not we were able to bring it to ground and we hunted really well," Buckley said.

"But we just couldn't execute, couldn't finish off well enough."

With the Magpies seemingly in transition mode, Buckley was as realistic as ever when asked whether ninth place on the ladder was where his side fitted in the AFL spectrum.

At the start of the season, Champion Data ranked Collingwood's list at No. 10 in the competition when compared to other clubs' squads.

"Internally, we had higher expectations than that and we began the year as we wished to, regardless of age profile or experience profile," he said.

"We're definitely not going to use that as an excuse, but we could be playing more consistent football."