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Collingwood 'bloody embarrassed': Buckley

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Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley has savaged his team, saying they are bloody embarrassed after a horror 44-point AFL surrender to North Melbourne.

Alarm bells are ringing after last year's grand finalists capitulated on Saturday night at Marvel Stadium, with the Kangaroos coasting to a 11.15 (81) to 5.7 (37) win.

It is the Magpies' lowest score since Round 5, 1995.

Luckless Collingwood forward Ben Reid also suffered another leg injury and he left the field after only four minutes, while Brayden Sier did not return after halftime because of concussion.

Buckley said he was wrong to label last week's narrow win over the Western Bulldogs as the worst the Pies had played for some time.

"Clearly that was not something to be proud of," Buckley said of Saturday night's capitulation.

""We're bloody embarrassed with the way we've played.

"That was as bad as it gets ... that's as big a shellacking in general play as you will see.

"All the things we value in the way we go about our footy, we didn't see. It's inexplicable ... it's not something we saw coming."

Most damningly, Buckley effectively called their performance soft.

"Tonight was the first time in a long time we probably saw some really average physical efforts from our boys," he said.

"It was plain for all to see - there was one side that bodylined the ball and ran hard and straight and there was another side that got out of the way a few times.

"It's not easy to say, but it's a reality.

"So there's a question that rightfully should be asked of us and that we need to answer."

By contrast, North now have won three of their four games under caretaker coach Rhyce Shaw.

He again said after Saturday night's impressive win that he wants to coach the Kangaroos beyond this season.

"I cannot be more proud of those guys - it was a really complete performance,"' Shaw said.

The only lowlight for North was debutant Kyron Hayden suffering an Achilles injury late in the second quarter and not returning.

While the Magpies will stay second on the ladder, they are now two games behind Geelong.

The resurgent Kangaroos improved to 6-8 and as of Saturday night are only one game outside the top eight.

North ruckman Todd Goldstein split his duel with Brodie Grundy and given the supreme form of the Magpies big man this season, that was as good as a win.

One small piece of good news for Collingwood was defender Matthew Scharenberg, who made a successful return from last year's knee reconstruction.

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