Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse insists the Magpies' form slump and scrutiny on the Western Bulldogs add nothing to the significance of Sunday's AFL clash at Etihad Stadium.

The two clubs began the season as highly-rated premiership contenders, but enter this match under pressure to keep that status intact.

The Magpies were top of the ladder a fortnight ago, but after consecutive losses since - to Geelong and Brisbane - Malthouse admits their intensity has waned.

The Bulldogs were disappointing against Essendon last Friday night, a loss which cost them a top-four berth, and have spent two weeks distracted by the latest Jason Akermanis controversy.

But while those factors set the scene for what should be an intense, finals-like battle, Malthouse said the broader context meant nothing to him or his side.

"I personally and we don't take those things into consideration, they're out there," he said.

"We focus in on the sides you've got in front of you, regardless of where they are, what they are.

"Our job is to win a game of football and the outcome when the final siren goes, if you're in front, you've won it, against whoever you play it doesn't matter.

"Whatever significance that has for the AFL ladder, quite frankly I couldn't even tell you what the ladder looks like."

The two sides have already clashed this season, Collingwood notching a convincing six-goal win in the opening round, when they scored freely, kicking 19.15 (129).

But they have managed a combined total of just 17 goals in the past two rounds, an issue Malthouse said reflected a slump across the field, not just in attack.

"We've probably dropped a bit of intensity and our scoring power's dropped and that's a collective," he said.

"It means that our backline aren't as productive bringing the ball forward, the mids have been indifferent in their delivery and the forwards have been under pressure to score."

But he said, with the possible exception of reigning premiers Geelong, every side's form would fluctuate.

"One person rarely plays at the same level every week, so if you magnify that by 22, it's very difficult to get 22 people (to do so), unless they are stand-alone talent-wise, experience-wise and belief-wise, which Geelong have," Malthouse said.

"Even then, (Geelong have) lost games, they're not sitting on top of the ladder undefeated, so even they have had those ebbs and flows, so we're no different than anyone else."

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