Collingwood coach Craig McRae has reflected on his side’s stirring King’s Birthday win over Melbourne, as well as touched on a defender’s “unfortunate” off-field situation.
The Magpies led at every change in their 38-point win on Monday afternoon, despite absorbing early attacking pressure from the Demons.
The win lifts ‘Fly’s Pies inside the top eight, having claimed their sixth win of the season from 12 games.
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McRae pleased with emphatic bounce back | 08:51
After its first loss since Round 2 last Friday against the Bulldogs, Collingwood returned to winning ways in a scrappy but convincing triumph at the MCG.
McRae began his post-match press conference by praising his assistant coaches — in particular Hayden Skipworth, who has served at Olympic Park as a line coach since 2020.
“I’m really proud of the coaches — and I said that to the players — they put (the plan) in front of the group early in the week (detailing) what we need to do, and we had a 10-day break, which is huge at this time of year.
“Our coaches set this game up really, really well.
“Most of the things that we planned for we got from the opposition, around clearances and other parts of the game that we knew we had to be on for.
“In particular, Hayden Skipworth. He’s incredible for our young players. We’ve got a young midfield (going) against some really hardened players — I know Petracca out hurts a lot for them — but (Max) Gawn, (Clayton) Oliver and (Jack) Viney.
“Exceptional midfield players, and we beat them in that area today, which is really hard to do. I was just really proud of our coaches today.”
Petracca taken out in BRUTAL rib hit | 01:49
Brayden Maynard was met with hostility from Melbourne supporters in the first meeting between the Magpies and Demons since the defender’s collision with the now-retired Angus Brayshaw.
It didn’t deter the hard-nosed premiership backman, however, who was his typical interrupting self out on the MCG, crashing into opposition bodies — in controlled, legal fashion.
Post-game, McRae briefly touched on Maynard’s “unfortunate” current circumstances outside of football.
“We have an opportunity to play on this day, it has bigger meaning for some. He (Maynard) has had a lot going on this week — I won’t share the details of it, but off the field it’s been really hard for him,” McRae told reporters on Monday evening.
“I’m sure he wanted to put on a good performance for stuff that’s happened outside of here. He’s a proud man and he played exceptionally well. We love him.”
Quizzed for further details, McRae swiftly moved onto the next topic.
“I’ll leave it,” he said. “It’s unfortunate, what’s happened in his private life. I’ll leave it at that.”
Asked about the need to emphasise controlled aggression against a side that was going to come out firing, McRae stated he “knew” what his side was going to be met with on King’s Birthday.
“It (staying controlled) is what we wanted the whole group to be, and we knew there’d be a response,” McRae said.
“They’re a proud group, I know, watching them from afar, you just go ‘I’m worried (about) what’s coming’. You just knew there’d be a response.
“I didn’t want to overplay it, but we had to be ready for what was coming on the rebound. I’m proud of us to stay in that moment and absorb it and accept what was coming, and then still play our way — it was a really pleasing start.
“You need to start well against a team that wants to come out breathing fire.”
On the treatment Maynard received from the Demons crowd, McRae said: “I thought they were cheers, mate. I only heard cheers.”
AFL concede umpires made a mistake | 01:01
Nathan Kreuger was recalled for his first senior match of the season on Monday after having managed just seven AFL games with the Magpies across two seasons, and he delivered.
The 24-year-old South Australian booted an equal-game-high three goals to go along with seven marks to aid Collingwood’s winning cause, with McRae heaping praise on the unheralded key-position swingman.
“It (his game) was important, wasn’t it? It was a really big game for him,” McRae said.
“He hasn’t played a lot of footy, ‘Kreugs’ — I think it’s (been) over 400 days since he played last — but he hasn’t played much footy. He’s been in and out; no continuity.
“I know one thing you’re going to get from ‘Kreugs’ is effort, and we were really pleased with that. We had good system going forward. We had eight or nine individual goalkickers, and we kicked 14 goals this week — we’ve been averaging about 12, so parts of our system (were) well-connected, I thought.
“’Kreugs’ played his role really well.”
Kreuger was included amid Collingwood’s forward-line injury decimation — with Dan McStay, Jamie Elliott, Brody Mihocek and Mason Cox still among the bevy of absentees.
The importance of winning while undermanned and inexperienced isn’t lost on Collingwood’s coach, as the side prepares for a Round 14 meeting with North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium this Sunday.
“Today was a significant outcome,” McRae said. “We’ve been working towards swimming against the current — I’ve said that before around our injury list.
“There’s no one coming back next week. This same group’s had opportunities, and we’ve been fighting. We’ve been fighting.
“We’re maybe not quite good enough here or there in the last few games, and today was a better four-quarter performance from some of those younger guys, and senior guys kept the glue together a little more.
“It’s been a tough period for us, and we’re getting through it, and it’s nice to get some nourishment today, which we didn’t get last week.”