Collingwood AFL coach Nathan Buckley has hinted Harry O’Brien isn’t an automatic inclusion next week after the Magpies beat Carlton by 41 points in their round-15 clash.

O’Brien missed Friday night’s MCG clash with an ankle injury. However Buckley also made no attempt to deny he’d had an argument with the 2010 premiership defender and former All-Australian at training earlier in the week.

O’Brien has been granted leave to have a brief holiday in Port Douglas before returning to Melbourne on Sunday.

“I have conversations with players multiple times every day, and we don’t feel the need to play it out in public,” Buckley told his post-match media conference.

“So if there’s an issue, I won’t be talking about it.”

Buckley denied media reports claiming a rift between O’Brien and his coach had been a distraction.

“I’ve been really focused on the 22 players we’ve got going in tonight,” Buckley said.

“I think what it shows is, regardless of the ‘who’, when we get the ‘how’ right we’re pretty good.

“The 22 that represented the club tonight did fantastically well.”

The Magpies recovered from a slow start to outwork the Blues 17.16 (118) to 12.5 (77) in front of 78,224 fans.

Collingwood improved their win-loss record to 9-5, while the Blues (6-8) sit at least two games outside the top eight.

Travis Cloke and Ben Reid kicked five and four goals respectively, while Dane Swan had 41 possessions and Scott Pendlebury picked up 33 disposals.

Buckley pointed out his side boasted seven of the youngest eight players on the field.

“Carlton have eight top-10 draft picks, and we have four,” he said.

“Some scribes were saying during the week that they’ve had a better season than us.

“It’s not about Carlton versus Collingwood, but I reckon it’s time for a reality check. We’re doing all right.”

Carlton slumped to their heaviest loss of the season, after having booted seven first-quarter goals and leading by 28 points late in the opening term.

The Blues suffered a blow when Jarrad Waite limped off with a knee injury during the first term and Eddie Betts will be assessed for a hip complaint.

Carlton coach Mick Malthouse said the game’s turning point came when Collingwood kicked three late goals in the first quarter. The Magpies added six goals to Carlton’s one in the second quarter to held a 24-point advantage at halftime which became 47 points by three-quarter time.

“This is comprehensively our worst game,” Malthouse said.

Collingwood host Adelaide at the MCG on July 12 and Carlton play St Kilda the following night at Etihad Stadium.