COLLINGWOOD coach Mick Malthouse says there is no ideal 22 at his club and that his 'horses for courses' policy is likely to continue in the run to the finals.

The Pies have the shortest injury list in the competition with their array of talent in the VFL giving Malthouse an enviable group to choose from each week.

But despite his side sitting on top of the AFL ladder, Malthouse said he was unlikely to stick with a set line-up in the coming weeks.

"We don't want a disruption, and the opposite to settle is what it is," he said after Collingwood thrashed Richmond by 82 points on Saturday.

"It's not a matter of me saying, 'We don’t want to settle', but what we want to do is have the availability of a number of players that can play a game of football and we know that they come in and play a role, whoever we play.

"Each side currently in the eight has an idiosyncrasy ... you need to have players be able to play roles."

Collingwood has used 33 players so far in 2010 - as many as any of the top six sides in the competition.

Malthouse said teams with recent success had the ability to cover their losses, and he hoped he too was planning for the future.

"I know there are certain sides and they've been very, very good, [they] have just stuck with the list and something falls out injury wise [and] they bring someone in," he said.

"We need to look at our list every week, we need to look at our opponents every week, and we'll continue to do that."

Next week the Pies are likely to regain Travis Cloke (suspension) and Heath Shaw (back).

Malthouse would not yet be drawn on inclusions but said he didn't have an ideal team in his mind for September.

"No player should ever feel that he's not in our best 22. That was our best 22 today. Next week may well be a different 22, but it'll be our best 22," he said.

Malthouse said the advantage of recovering from a sluggish start to lead by 41 points at half time of Saturday's game meant he could have a better look at his players' contribution.

"The scoreline itself comes along, but the bonus was to play players, expose them, pressure them and we were able to do that," he said.

Malthouse praised star Alan Didak's performance, but was also pleased for Ben Johnson (200 games) and Tyson Goldsack (50).

"I think it was very good for Benny, because he's very well liked in the place," Malthouse said.

"What you see with Ben Johnson is exactly what it is. He wears his heart on his sleeve, he's just one of those good blokes who's there for you all the time, and I reckon the players today were very, very conscious that it was his 200th."