Joel Selwood denies he is a sore loser and says his much-publicised argument with Scott Pendlebury was nothing more than frustration over a poor AFL performance.
The rival captains agreed their spat at the end of Collingwood's win over Geelong last Sunday was an awkward moment.
Selwood said he learned an important lesson - don't be arguing with the best player on the ground at the final siren, because the cameras inevitably go to him.
"You go through the whole game and you say a lot to a lot of different people - half of it doesn't make sense," Selwood said.
"That was just another time of it.
"The siren blew and it's a situation that makes you look awkward, because I'm standing next to the best player on the ground.
"You shake hands, a picture can say a thousand words - in many ways, this has, this time."
Selwood was a guest on Pendlebury's Jock and Journo podcast and the two players said there was nothing personal in their argument.
The Cats skipper had a poor game, with Collingwood's Levi Greenwood again tagging him effectively.
"It was more the disappointment that we came to play the way we did - he was the closest one to me, so I've taken a little bit of frustration out on him," Selwood said.
"Levi had got me again and done a really good number on me.
"I had just got my licence back (following a speeding offence) so I thought Scott was going to ask me to take me back to the Holden Centre and do some recovery."
Selwood also refuted commentary over the last couple of days that the incident suggested he is a sore loser.
"It's an opinion that someone will take," he said.
"I've been in a fortunate position where I've won a lot of games and to be called a sore loser, it doesn't sit well with me.
"But I'm not going to get upset with it either."
Pendlebury noted that if it happened earlier in the game, the argument probably would have degenerated into a wrestling incident and the match review panel would have fined them.
"It was really awkward ... It's probably the first time in my career that I've been having a bit of banter with a player and the siren goes to finish the game," he said.
"We've probably saved ourselves a few thousand dollars here by that not being at halftime."
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