It was brutal, clinical and perhaps pivotal in Collingwood's rapidly building AFL season.

But coach Mick Malthouse was not entirely happy with his side's 84-point hammering of Fremantle at the MCG on Saturday.

He was concerned at giving up cheap goals despite his men booting 26 themselves, ten in the last quarter, in a 26.13 (169) to 13.7 (85) win.

"Pleased with the way we finished, but it certainly wasn't in our thoughts that we needed to get 13 goals kicked against us," Malthouse said.

"I thought we gave them soft goals in the second quarter and through the third quarter." But in the final quarter, Collingwood found the gears only good teams do as they sped mercilessly over a Dockers side lacking fit and experienced bodies and the class the Pies unleashed in a sizzling 20-minute period.

Every fourth-term kick found a target, every handball stuck, and the party-trick goals kept coming to build the anticipation ahead of Collingwood's clash with equally in-form Essendon next Friday night.

Onballer Dane Swan had his second 40-plus possession match for the season, Alan Didak was irresistible and high draft pick Dale Thomas produced a superb second half to answer the critics.

Malthouse was quick to spring to the defence of Thomas, the latest of several Collingwood players to spend time in the media or fan crosshairs this season after struggling for consistent form.

"I've said to the players, don't take notice of anyone outside the organisation because we will judge you the way we want to judge you, not the way other people want to judge you," Malthouse said.

"That's a classic case of outside expectations on Dale Thomas, Travis Cloke, Leigh Brown, Shane O'Bree, Josh Fraser - the list goes on.

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