Collingwood president Eddie McGuire has insisted the Magpies have no issues with St Kilda as the two clubs prepare for Saturday's grudge match at the MCG.

Their round-three, Friday-night clash remains the most spiteful of the season, thanks to an ugly verbal spat at quarter-time featuring Magpies coach Mick Malthouse, his assistant Paul Licuria and St Kilda's Stephen Milne.

Malthouse was fined $7500 after an AFL investigation over claims he labelled Milne a "f.....g rapist", while Licuria and Milne were each slapped with $3000 penalties for their part in the confrontation. Licuria had allegedly threatened Milne with "finishing this off in the car park".

The fall-out left relations between the clubs at an all-time low.

Saturday's clash was already a blockbuster as the Saints sit second on the ladder with the Magpies third but memories of that night, when the Saints, despite losing Nick Riewoldt to a serious hamstring injury, prevailed by 28 points, has many expecting more on-field drama this weekend.

McGuire, however, isn't so certain.

"There is no issue between us and any other club, other than when we get out and get stuck into each other on the park," McGuire says.

"It's a big game because whoever wins will go to second spot. This time of the year they are all big games."

Asked about Malthouse's comments, McGuire said: "It's a very passionate game."

And with that he politely ended the conversation and went back to recording Who Wants to be a Millionaire.

Apart from a statement on the club's website immediately after the fine, Malthouse has yet to elaborate on that now infamous night.

It was unclear whether he would front the media this week for these days, unlike most coaches, he doesn't always stick to a weekly pre-game press-conference schedule.

Malthouse, naturally, would not be keen to reprise events. After all, he was forced to publicly apologise for comments "he made in the heat of the moment, which were wrong".

AFL football operations boss Adrian Anderson later said that Malthouse's language was "highly offensive" and that it was "unacceptable for a senior coach to insult opposition players during game breaks".

Amid the fallout, Collingwood captain Nick Maxwell accused St Kilda of "crying" about the sledging when the Saints players, too, had made inappropriate comments on the field.

When it came to sledging, Maxwell provocatively said "Milney's the best". Milne has been nicknamed "yapper" by his teammates for his constant chirping.

Milne later revealed Malthouse had written him an apology, but indicated he would have preferred to have spoken directly with the veteran coach.

"I haven't tried to reach him. I got a written apology via email and that was about it. I forgive Mick for writing an apology, but that's in Mick's court now," he told The Footy Show.

"He chose to write a letter and not ring.

"It was a tough week for me, but I think it was a lot tougher for my mum and dad and my family. I've got an eight-year-old son, so he goes to school and got asked a few questions, little things like that.

"It was a tough week and one that I have come out the other side a lot stronger. I've learned a lot of things from that work.

"It is out of my court. It has been dealt with, the AFL dealt with it, St Kilda and Collingwood dealt with it, so as far as I'm concerned we've moved on."

While both clubs, publicly at least, "moved on", the simmering ill-feeling somewhat popped recently when Saints coach Ross Lyon took a subtle dig at Malthouse, who had used that great sporting chestnut of "what happens on the field, stays on the field" in initially defending himself.

When asked about that well-worn defence in lieu of Steve Baker's nine-week suspension for a series of charges recently against Geelong's Steve Johnson, Lyon said: "It's a bygone era - what happens on the field stays on the field.''

"I heard that thrown up back in round three (by Malthouse). You know what - a white line around some grass and some sticks doesn't really advocate community standards and behaviour.

"Certainly you push the rules and in this case you step over them. At the end of the day you are responsible for your actions and that's where we sit."

This week Lyon, understandably, was very much the diplomat, rejecting suggestions Milne would be a target.

Lyon, now a canny media operator, knows the attention on Milne, from both the Magpies and a crowd tipped to be in excess of 80,000, will be fierce, without him adding any unnecessary fuel.

"We understand the interest and we understand the issues that had occurred previously, but we haven't got the luxury to continually look back," he said.

"We acknowledge those events happened, but certainly they'll play no part in our preparation (and) they'll play no part once the ball's bounced.

"There are 22 players. It's dangerous for me to assume anything (though). I can't crystal ball or assume anything, but you try and prepare for all scenarios.

"We want to play in the spirit of the game and within the rules of the game."

Malthouse, a late convert to Twitter, used one of his postings on Tuesday to deliver a quote of the week, citing American Bob Richards, the only two-time Olympic pole vault champion (1952 and 1956).

"If you want to be the person you ought to be, you've got to welcome competition," Richards had said.

As the Magpies this weekend attempt to prove their premiership legitimacy, having failed to beat the Saints in their past four attempts, Malthouse and his men can, indeed, expect plenty of competition. So, too, Milne.

We await this latest battle with interest.

(Footnote: Milne and teammate Leigh Montagna were the subject of a 2004 investigation into the sexual assault against two women. They were cleared of any wrongdoing.)