Collingwood blew the AFL Anzac Day match well before Essendon's stunning finish, according to captain Nick Maxwell.

The Bombers kicked three late goals to snatch the game from the Magpies by five points.

But Maxwell argues his side should never have been in the position where the result was still in dispute.

"There were certain areas where we let ourselves down, Essendon played some good footy and the game was lost in the first 115 minutes, not the last five minutes, which people tend to focus on," he said.

Maxwell was asked if the Magpies had left the corridor, or goal-to-goal line, too open for the Bombers in the closing stages.

Collingwood often prefer to play wide to break up opposition defensive zones.

"For a team to kick three goals in wet weather in the last four minutes of a game, everything has to go 100 per cent perfectly right," he replied.

"Unfortunately for us and fortunately for them, it did.

"But there were 115-116 minutes before that when should have been different as well, we shouldn't have put ourselves in the position we did."

The Magpies captain will return from suspension for Friday night's must-win game against North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium.

They have lost three of their first five games in a season where they want to challenge for the premiership.

"As a team, we've got ourselves in a position where we're 2-3 and we have to win this week to make sure that we keep our season going," Maxwell said.

"We've put ourselves under pressure a little bit, we've lost two games by under a goal and we've lost to Geelong.

"We've shown we're thereabouts."

Maxwell has signed a two-year contract extension with Collingwood to the end of 2011.

He says he will not change his physical game style, despite the certainty of carryover points and loading on any future suspension.

"I play on instinct, I've played the same way my whole career, so I don't think I can go out there and try to change my game," he said.

"I've had points over my head since round (four) last year, it didn't really change anything I did for the last 20 games last year."

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